Hello, Superfly

Princess Yachts premiered its X95 Superfly on Facebook Live yesterday with a group of principals who were integral to the yacht’s concept, design and launch.

The builder also said it has sold through hull No. 9, never mind that “nobody has actually seen one,” chief sales officer Will Green said.

Chief marketing officer Kiran Haslam led a roundtable aboard a full-scale mockup of the X95 with a group that included Green, chairman and CEO Antony Sheriff, CTO/COO Paul Mackenzie, design director Andy Lawrence, and creative design consultant Sarah Verey.

“Maintaining the heritage of the brand is absolutely vital, but that doesn’t mean that you can’t be brave,” Sheriff said, referring to the X95’s design departure. “What is going to be the thing about [the X95] that people are going to say ‘Gosh, nobody ever thought of that.’ ”

The preconcept work lasted at least 16 weeks, according to Lawrence. In addition, the new hull design, with a wave-piercing bow, required tank testing to ensure that the X95 meets seakeeping expectations.

The company said building full-scale mockups of new designs affords a perspective that cannot be gleaned using CAD, virtual reality or other computer-assisted programs, although Princess uses those as well. The X95 mockup shows how the yacht works as a “livable space and how it works both aesthetically and functionally,” Green said.

Sheriff cited the M.A.Y.A. concept — Most Advanced Yet Acceptable — that project managers used to push the design brief, knowing that the first rendering might alienate some traditionalists. Although the X95 is a departure for the Plymouth, U.K.-based builder, “we wanted to make sure that it had the Princess feel … that it was instantly recognizable as a Princess,” Mackenzie said.

Three design teams — Princess, Pininfarina and Olesinski — collaborated to reimagine the interior and exterior spaces. The result: the X95 has 10 percent more alfresco space and 30 percent more interior volume than a similar-size vessel, according to Princess.

The main and upper decks extend nearly the entire length of the 95-foot yacht, with a sky lounge pushed forward on the upper deck. Below deck are four staterooms, including a full-beam master that can be situated on the main deck, as well.

MAN diesels rated at 1,900 hp each give the vessel an estimated top speed of 26 knots. With a 3,540-gallon fuel supply, the X95 should be capable of long passages.

Princess also announced that an X80 would be the next boat in X line.

As for when the X95 will make her in-person debut, Haslam said that would depend on the state of boat shows.