Big and fast

GERMANY, Berlin. Based on a design initially presented in 2012, T. Fotiadis has developed the exterior and interior for a 135m high performance Axebow concept. The project aims to introduce new lines, shapes, materials and colours to the superyacht industry.

“Having attended several boat shows over the last few years, I saw that yacht interiors have become kind of boring, as most boatyards keep on replicating the same design feeling, but using different materials,” says founder of the studio Theodoros Fotiadis. “One of the aims of this project was to allow people to freely move around every deck, providing easy access to areas such as the beach club and bar, the onboard gardens and interior.”

Fotiadis set out to create a fast vessel with a relaxed ‘at home’ interior, while also offering a high level of security. Accommodation for 16 guests is provided across 10 guest suites on the main deck, with a further two suites situated either side of the hull on the lower deck close to the beach club. The owner has a dedicated space above the third deck, with entertainment areas located on the upper deck, which includes a lounge and a Jacuzzi forward. The owner’s deck includes a helideck aft to allow easy access to and from the vessel.

“Amidships I have included an al fresco area that can be used for parties, dinners or simply to relax,” says Fotiadis. “I didn’t want to include a traditional beach area aft and so instead I have created two suites that implement the feeling of a waterfront house.”

The designer goes on to reveal how the design includes a floating island platform that allows the owner and guests to depart from the mothership. When not in use this expandable platform is stowed in the lower aft tender garage, which houses a submarine, an eight-metre tender and other water toys.

The exterior adopts some of the characteristics of a battleship but ‘dressed’ within an Haute Couture style design that looks fast even when at anchor. While it gives the profile an aggressive look, the Axebow also aids the vessel through seas and helps to decrease pitch and spray when travelling at high speed.

Its voronoi superstructure creates additional intrigue, starting on the foredeck and extending aft and onto the sides of the structure. This produces elegant shapes as light shines through the holes within the structure onto the deck below. Other features of the exterior include an al fresco lounge and open-air cinema.

The hull of the 135m has been designed to achieve a top speed in excess of 40 knots, thanks to four MTU 5875 PS diesel engines, producing 17,523kW, coupled to two Rolls Royce waterjet boosters. This is supported by two 320000 PS gas turbines. Fotiadis believes that at a speed of 21 knots, the 135m will offer a range of 3,500nm, which drops to 1,050nm at a speed of 45 knots.

“I am currently in negotiations with a boatyard in north Germany about my latest design, with a plan to present it at the Monaco Yacht Show this year,” says Fotiadis.