New Age Yacht Designs

One such way-out design is Project UTOPIA, "not an object to travel in, but a place to be, an island established for anyone who has the vision to create such a place."

UTOPIA isa collaboration between Yacht Island Design and BMT Nigel Gee, touted as "an avant-garde vision of a future concept free from restricted thought".

Measuring 100m x 100m in size and spanning over 11 decks with the equivalent volume of a present-day cruise liner there is enough space to create an entire micro-nation. UTOPIA could encompass a bewildering number of interior options: a retail district, theatre, culinary zone containing an eclectic mix of restaurants and an entertainment zone featuring bars, nightclubs and a casino.

The observatory deckwould deliver breathtaking 360 degree views at a height of 65m above sea level.

Project PHOENICIA is a concept from Russian designer, Igor Lobanov. Svelte and almost sci-fi in her dimensions, this 100m superyacht blends historical influences with cutting-edge design.

The wide aft decks feature various living areas and room for a helipad. Another key concept is the all-round open deck arranged as a gallery with a specially designed pattern with an Arabian influence, giving a play of shadow and light within.

The unconventional bow of the PHOENICIA superyacht concept is reminiscent of the Greek triremes that were common in the Mediterranean seas around two thousand years ago.

Lobanov said he wanted to produce "a feeling of 1,000 years of history behind an ancient royal ship" and therefore named the concept PHOENICIA.

Project STAR, another Lobanov design in collaboration with BMT Nigel Gee, is a scintillating vision for an ark of the future.

Lobanov said the motivation for the radical design of STAR was the prevailing opinion that "all yachts look the same".

"It seems that modern architecture, product design and car design have no influence on yachts.

"My colleague, designer Alex Malybaev penned an idea on a napkin and asked me if a yacht could be like that. I looked at the sketch and set to work. The idea was so great that I wanted to prove it could become a yacht."

Collaborating with BMT Nigel Gee for naval architecture and to assess technical feasibility, STAR was developed as a private yacht, or more radically, as the world's most exclusive private hotel, redeploying to the world's iconic marine cities and events worldwide.

Measuring 132m in length and over 60m in height, STAR'S technical development features a symmetrically fore and aft double ended hullform, with all electric architecture and fully azimuthing propulsion. Coupled with a dynamic positioning system STAR would rotate within her own length to track the arc of the sun free from the constraints of traditional anchors.

The vessel has been designed with a maximum speed of 18kts+ and with a range at 14kts of 5,000 nautical miles. Over 3,500 square-metres of luxury interior space is provided over the eight decks, linked by a central cluster of four lifts. Lifts one and three extend from a sub-marine viewing area within the lifting keel up to a viewing platform on the eighth deck offering unprecedented views down onto the unique form of the vessel itself, as well as providing a range of visibility of over 20km.

James Roy, Yacht Design Director of BMT Nigel Gee described STAR as "a tangible view of a 21st century interpretation of art and science".

"We are fortunate to live in an era where technology makes the delivery of bolder designs more possible – for clients who are adventurous innovators anything is truly possible!"