New Yacht Construction
Building a Brand New Yacht
Building a custom yacht is a major project that requires close supervision, high attention to detail and strong connections with shipyards, designers and contractors in the industry. When you choose to work with Luxe Yacht Empire on a new build superyacht, you are in good hands.
Luxe Yacht Empire employs a team of experts across all fields, including Naval Architects, Marine Engineers and Technical Managers with an excess of 30 years of experience in new builds.
Your Luxe Yacht Empire project manager will work closely with the owner throughout the New Build process, acting as a liaison between all parties involved, to ensure efficiency, adherence to the specification and the yacht’s timely delivery.
From the very start, we will help put the yacht vision into a brief, select the right shipyard and negotiate favourable contract terms. Clients may have a particular yard in mind, or we can suggest a short list based on key requirements. We will also work closely with the selected design team to make sure design proposals meet the vision.
Our team of experts will provide technical consultation throughout the construction phase until the completion of the delivery sea trials. Even after the yacht is delivered, our team will be available to coordinate the execution of the necessary guarantee works, always keeping in mind the yacht owner’s best interests.
The New Build Process
WORKING WITH YOU THROUGHOUT THE NEW BUILD PROCESS
From design to delivery, the Luxe Yacht Empire team will work closely with you through every step of the new build process, to make sure it is efficient, cost effective and according to your exact preferences.
THE CONCEPT
Our team of experts will help you articulate your vision and put together a comprehensive and thorough brief to create your yacht. Our team’s insights regarding the vessel’s technical and operational requirements, as well as its market potential, will help you better identify what it is you are looking for and what features to include, depending on the intended use of the yacht.
SELECTING THE RIGHT PARTNERS
Our Yacht Consultants have strong relationships with the world’s top shipyards. Luxe Yacht Empire will provide valuable insight and help you evaluate the different shipyard options in order to select the one that will best satisfy the requirements for your new build project. Browse our comprehensive guide to leading shipyards below.
FORMULATING THE CONTRACT
As soon as the shipyard has been selected, we will assist you throughout the negotiations and contract phase. As this phase is the most critical step for a successful project, the Luxe Yacht Empire new build team will provide feedback on the specifications, the general arrangement and the contract. Key contractual elements, such as budget allowances, noise and vibration levels, delays, penalties and more, will be diligently negotiated with the shipyard.
DESIGN
Working closely with your selected design team, Luxe Yacht Empire will make sure all yacht design proposals are in line with your vision, functional for everyday life at sea, and in line with specifications and maritime regulations. If you do not have a designer in mind, we can work with you and the yard to suggest a shortlist.
NEW BUILD PROJECT MANAGEMENT
Your Luxe Yacht Empire Project Management Team will be available around the clock throughout the construction of your new build project, acting as a liaison with the shipyard, designers, naval architects and all other parties involved. Our goal is to ensure the process is efficient, cost-effective and according to your preferences, ensuring no surprises. We will closely monitor the project, making sure timelines are met and help resolve any challenges that may arise.
SEA TRIALS & YACHT DELIVERY
Before the yacht is delivered, our team of experts will attend the yacht’s sea trials, a critical step before the completion of the new build project. During the sea trials, our team’s meticulous attention to detail will find any technical issues that need to be addressed or fine tunings that need to be made before delivering your yacht in the best working condition.
AFTER SALES SUPPORT
Once construction is complete it is time to enjoy your yacht. But, even after the yacht is delivered, your project manager will be available to coordinate the necessary guarantee works always securing the yacht owner’s best interests.
The Latest Trends in New Building
MORE DEDICATED BEACH CLUB SPACE
A closer connection with the sea brings a new perspective to the onboard yachting experience, which is why, over the past few years, yacht designers and shipyards have made moves to refresh the superyacht beach club area. They’ve achieved this by dedicating more space and functionality to the stern of the vessel. The Italian yard Sanlorenzo, for example, created a sensation in 2017 with the launch of its first Sanlorenzo 52 Steel, Seven Sins. The yacht boasts an expansive beach club with gym, sauna and counterflow current pool. The deck area further extends with lateral folding platforms. Within traditional yacht design, the stern area has served as tender and toy storage. The philosophy behind a larger beach club is to enable guests to directly access the sea from an entertainment-focused platform. It also delivers easier access to watersports, as exemplified by the Benetti Oasis 40m and Azimut Grande 38 Trideck. Today, when it comes to custom yacht projects and new yacht construction, greater space and attention is given to the beach club area during the initial design phase. Both Benetti’s Luminosity and Oceanco’s Keos are two examples of generously proportioned beach clubs on fully custom yachts.
LARGER EXPANSES OF GLASS
The use of structural and decorative glass in yacht design has grown exponentially. It exemplifies technical ingenuity within new yacht building and amplifies the feeling of space on board. It also strengthens our connection with the outdoors and has driven creativity with glass being used in a variety of different areas. Primarily, glass is a simple yet attractive way to increase natural light in a yacht interior, but it also affords yacht designers the opportunity to create original concepts that cultivate unique shapes and curves. Thanks to advanced innovations made by glass suppliers, yacht builders can now incorporate super-sized glazing on board superyachts, including floor-to-ceiling windows, glass-encased stairways, enlarged portholes, glass infinity pools and even underwater observation lounges. Two significant yacht builds that stand out for their inventive use of glass are Feadship’s Venus and Nobiskrug’s Artefact.
GROWING POPULARITY OF MULTIHULLS
Multihull yachts are renowned for their stability and wide deck spaces and have gained popularity marked by the arrival of larger new-build yachts. The most popular type of multihull is the catamaran, followed by the trimaran, which suits both motor yachts and sailing vessels. Polish catamaran yacht builder Sunreef Yachts turned heads with the launch of its Sunreef 80 model in 2018, creating renewed demand for multihull pleasure crafts. Other builders operating in the multihull category include Silent Yachts and Alva Yachts. Shipyards like JFA Yachts, Two Oceans Marine and Lagoon Yachts have all delivered catamarans in recent years, and even builders who previously focused on monohull yachts now build catamaran: SilverYachts with SpaceCat, the first WiderCat from Italian yard Wider Yachts, and McConaghy Boats is building its MC82p in Australia. In the larger size range, The Italian Sea Group has two large catamaran projects under construction: Perini Navi’s Art Explorer and Tecnomar’s Project Innovation. In addition, several yacht builders have seized the opportunity to build large catamaran support vessels, such as Echo Yachts, Astilleros Armon and Dunya Yachts.
CROSSOVER YACHT MODELS
Following the worldwide popularity of explorer yachts and support vessels witnessed in recent years, some yacht builders have introduced crossover models for yachts in a smaller size range. By combining the comfort of a superyacht with larger storage space on the aft deck, an industrial expedition-style boat has emerged. The crossover yacht gifts owners the opportunity to acquire a smaller yacht with greater storage capacity for tenders and toys. They can also be used as shadow supply vessels for larger vessels. This is the case for Phi Phantom built by Alia Yachts and Roe Shadow delivered by Dutch shipyard Lynx Yachts. Fellow Dutch yacht builder, Holterman Shipyard, unveiled its X-treme Yachts brand with the launch of its X-treme 105 model, while Italian shipyard Canados Yachts has its Oceanic line represented by the Oceanic 100 Shadow.
MORE SUSTAINABLE INNOVATIONS
Growing environmental concerns and new regulations continue to encourage shipyards to reviewing their building practices. It’s essential that yachts comply with new industry standards, and this applies across the board, from design and propulsion to reduced gas emissions. Assisted by yacht class surveyors and in response to clients’ requests for increased sustainability, shipyards are mindful to select materials with good environmental credentials. They achieve this by collaborating with like-minded designers and eco-friendly suppliers, such as eco-friendly paints, recycled insulation, synthetic teak decking and renewable materials. To reduce a yachts’ environmental impact, efforts are concentrated on reducing fuel consumption and emissions. Hybrid propulsion systems are a preferred method for reaching that goal, for example, Sanlorenzo installed Volvo Penta’s IPS propulsion system on its SX88 and SX112 models. The benefits include speed efficiency, longer cruising ranges, and reduced noise, fuel consumption and emissions.
SUPPORT YACHT VESSELS
The trend for exploration in remote territories has transformed the use of supply vessels once exclusively built for commercial purposes into support boats for yachting. Prized for their storage capacity and alluring flexibility with more garage and/or deck space, support boats can store far more tenders and toys compared to a traditional superyacht layout. Using large on-deck heavy-lifting cranes, small motorboats and sailing boats can be embarked alongside submarines and other common tenders and toys. Dutch builder Damen Yachting became a leader in the support yacht segment by adapting its commercial vessels to the superyacht market. For some superyacht owners, converting a commercial ship that has a large load capacity into a yacht support vessel is also an attractive option, and one that Dutch shipyard Icon Yachts and Kleven Maritime in Norway specialize in.