Maritime News | Coverstory

Against a backdrop of increased demand for superyacht explorers and the universally-held belief that more is better, just how wild do you have to be to be really wild with a capital W? California-based designer Steve Kozloff would like a word.

Steve Kozloff is an already established presence in the industry of naval design, even though his most spectacular concepts, the same to bring him international fame, haven’t seen the light of day as actual vessels. Still, he continues to push the envelope on what is possible, to show that you could build the world’s most competent explorer with the world’s most outrageous amenities.

Case in point, the Elegante. Elegante is the latest study in The Goliath Series, a series of concepts that Kozloff imagines for the richest and most adventurous private seafarer. It has in common with all previous entries a penchant for outrageous amenities, a patent-pending retractable-cover pool, and with the Caribù 2, introduced earlier this year, the collapsible rotating masts.

The Elegant is elegant (duh), but it is also very competent, thanks to its ice-class hull, hybrid powertrain, a new anchorage system, and the ability to access ports where similar sail-assisted ships wouldn’t go. Or, as Kozloff says, Elegante allows you to “go where no other tall mast ship has ever gone before.” The inspiration for this motto might be a cliché, but it is accurate – at least in theory.

Measuring 260 feet (80 meters) in total length, four-decker Elegante has an ice-breaking steel hull and aluminum superstructure. Like the Caribù 2, it is a sail-assisted superyacht explorer, so it comes with a sailing system that combines the Solid Sail system created by French builder Chantiers de L’Atlantique and the AeolDrive sail and mast system.

Elegante has solid sails that fold down and up automatically, and a single mast that tilts 70 degrees forward, reducing air draft from 237 feet to 134 feet (72 to 41 meters). The free-standing mast and can rotate in all directions, allowing the captain to deploy the sails regarding of the vessel’s position or wind direction.

According to Kozloff, a mast and sail system of this kind brings several advantages over traditional sailing rigs. They’re easier to deploy and more durable, which makes them perfect for the cold climates the Elegante would spend time in. To the same end, the superyacht comes with heated door handles and handrails to prevent freezing, and the aforementioned retractable-cover pool, a system that fits a retractable hard cover over the pool, so the owner wouldn’t have to drain it when reaching rough waters or colder temperatures.

While Elegante seems primed for the rough life, it also lives up to its name in terms of amenities. Accommodation on board would be for 14 guests in two master cabins and several guest rooms, and 20 crew. The owner’s suite is 1,500 square feet (139 square meters), with its own private, full-size pool and plenty of space to include whatever comforts necessary, like a library, office or private lounge.

The interior isn’t detailed, because Kozloff likes to leave the layout here a clean slate for whoever commissions the build. It would, however, feature curved walls and plenty of panoramic windows to allow in natural light – and, more importantly, to make the most of the spectacular views. Examples in this sense are the private lounges aft, near water level, which feature retractable platforms and floor-to-ceiling glazing, allowing for a very striking viewing experience, in close water proximity.

Also there is a beach club with clamshell windows, a very rare appearance on superyacht explorers. Above the beach club is one of the vessel’s smaller pools, which comes with underwater bar, so that you can sit on a barstool and throwback cocktails without ever leaving the water. Whoever these hypothetical adventurers sailing on Elegante are, they do like to party.

Like any half-decent explorer, Elegante is packed with toys, from a submarine to several airborne vehicles. The 1,721 square-foot (160 square-meter) garage can house two helicopters or three eVTOLs, and comes with an elevated helipad that allows landing and takeoff even in rough weather. In close proximity to the landing area, there are two cranes for loading and off-loading water toys (Elegante comes with its own submarine, lifeboats and tender) and research gear.

Powered by twin Cummins engines delivering a combined 4,000 hp for a top speed of 15 knots, Elegante would have a range on diesel-only of 4,600 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12 knots. Under sail and without firing up the engines, it could cruise at 12 knots.

Source : autoevolution

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