Sunseeker SuperYachts

The new 161 foot SuperYacht from British boatbuilder Sunseeker

Sunseeker’s new tri-deck yacht in the 50 metre segment follows the brand’s iconic exterior lines and offers exceptional space and volume. The opulent interior spaces can be styled to each owner’s unique taste via Sunseeker’s renowned ‘Bespoke’ service

Standard guest configuration is for 10 guests in five cabins, with scope for up to 12 to be accommodated depending upon layout chosen.

Hull #1 is due for launch in Spring 2021.

As Sunseeker broadens its superyacht offering with the introduction of its all-new 161 Yacht in partnership with ICON Yachts, Sunseeker will be enhancing the company’s ‘Bespoke’ customisation service which has already delivered dozens of remarkable projects across its 116 and 131 Yacht lines.

The new Sunseeker 161 Yacht offers a true superyacht experience allowing the customer to tailor every element of the interior design and layout to their personal preferences. When customers want something even more distinctive, they can create a Sunseeker that reflects their tastes and lifestyle perfectly to create a yacht which is truly their own.

However, with a strong understanding of the market and its clientele, Sunseeker appreciates the purchase of a yacht can be complex, especially when you make the step into the superyacht sector. With that in mind, working with leading British design office, Design Unlimited, each customer will be led carefully through the stages of the design process with a completely personal, bespoke service.

With a longstanding relationship, Sunseeker has worked extensively with Design Unlimited for several years so for the new yacht, Sunseeker is proposing an interior unlike anything seen before, matching the ambition of the entire project with the interior design based on a theme of space and flexibility.

Each customer will be encouraged to add their influences to the project with the entire design team helping to support their decisions, selecting the right materials and finishes to suit their exact requirements, thereby elevating the customer experience to a previously unseen level for a semi-custom motor yacht.

To guide the initial discussions with the customer, three very individual interior styles are offered with the option to further customise to their exact requirements. The first concept proposed, titled the Classic, is very much in keeping with the heritage, style and evolution of Sunseeker. Architectural, elegant, cool and relaxed, it gives the client free rein to dress and style their yacht according to each owner’s unique taste.  The second concept reflects the signature style of New England. Its relaxed, beach house feel uses calm, subtle textures which work harmoniously with the lighter, tonal, earthy and natural shades. Finally, the Modern Twist which oozes glamour and echoes the luxury values of Sunseeker. Its glossy textures and bold, contrasting materials with rich dark shades are opulent and inviting.

For the customer, their design vision will be brought to life by Sunseeker’s in-house design team and the experts at Design Unlimited. Through each step of the journey, visuals will be created of all the key areas demonstrating how their interior will exactly look and feel.

Customers will be invited to incorporate their art, sculptures and signature pieces of furniture into their yacht, adding individuality to each design. A unique offering from Sunseeker that is usually only apparent within the custom market sector.

Each interior will feature exclusive materials and finishes developed for Sunseeker in collaboration with modern artisans and craftsmen. The selection of hardware will be from top design collections around the world and bespoke feature lighting will be carefully designed and themed to lead through the yacht’s interior for an uninterrupted experience. The interior furniture and exterior furniture have been harmoniously designed for a seamless inside/outside experience.

The carefully designed interior has many individual spaces for the customer and guests to retreat to. There are cosy, comfortable, informal spaces to relax in and large formal areas suited to entertaining and socialising in complete comfort. All areas are practical and relaxed for the ultimate time onboard with Sunseeker, creating a superyacht that is all about the lifestyle and the experience of living on board.

A key attribute to the 161 Yacht is the various layout options on offer. The standard five-cabin, 10-person layout can be reworked to accommodate up to 12 guests.

Situated on the lower deck are two expansive aft guest cabins with walk around peninsular beds. Each cabin features individual walk-in wardrobes, entertainment centres and large shower rooms, complete with panoramic hull windows for uninterrupted views. The lower deck also hosts two generously sized twin cabins with the option to be configured as a fixed walk around double cabin, with a spacious en-suite, storage and dressing area. The forward crew area can be configured to add an optional fifth guest cabin or gymnasium.

Stepping across an invisible sill in to the main deck saloon, the aft patio doors retract invisibly creating a seamless space. Inside, guests can enjoy a large saloon and dining configuration that can be optimised to the customers’ personal preference, with floor to ceiling port and starboard glazing for uninterrupted views.

A spectacular spiral staircase, leading through all three decks is positioned in the centre of the yacht and flooded with natural light from the wheelhouse deck. Moving forward, the large master suite also offers owners various configurations, incorporating a study, private lounge, walk-in wardrobe and walk-in bathroom with shower, plus a vanity area. To fulfill every need, sauna and jacuzzi options are also available.

At the wheelhouse deck, a known popular space for entertaining, there is a second aft dining setting that can be interchangeable depending on the owners’ requirements and a large flexible seating area forward of the wheelhouse. The large slide away doors lead into the sky lounge, which again has multiple configuration possibilities open to the client including the option to have a private master suite located on this deck.

The first hull in the Sunseeker 161 Yacht series is scheduled to launch in late 2021.

When details were first released on Sunseeker’s new 161 Yacht in partnership with ICON, the British luxury yacht manufacturer confirmed that it will use a proven fast displacement hull design which, considering the relatively modest power fitted, will be capable of remarkable speeds in excess of 22 knots. But that only tells half the story.

Whilst the overall look will be unmistakably Sunseeker, the design, engineering and naval architecture has been optimised by both partners, drawing on their respective expertise. The 161 Yacht’s main distinctive feature however will be its sophisticated Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHF) designed by world-renowned Van Oossanen Naval Architects (VONA).

Triggered by a desire to develop hull forms which are efficient over the entire speed range and not only at a chosen speed, the specialists at VONA pioneered the hybrid hull form. A truly innovative concept, the FDHF increases the overall performance of the yacht by generating less wake, thereby ensuring a longer cruising range with lower fuel consumption and emissions.

The main benefit of this hull form is the ‘performance’, in all its connotations. Performing better than conventional displacement and semi-displacement type hull forms, the FDHF concept improves the efficiency of the vessel by around 15 to 20 per cent resulting in a substantial impact on the yacht operating costs while also lowering its environmental impact in terms of engine emissions. Part of this success comes from the use of smaller engines than would typically be specified for a 50m project, made possible by the slenderness and special form of the hull resulting in a very low wave profile over the entire speed range. Some of those ‘other’ performance benefits are improved manoeuvrability, comfort and seakeeping aided by significant roll reduction.

The renowned Wolfson Unit based in the UK has carried out towing tank tests on nearly 1,200 hull forms since 1968. Its database contains the resistance and powering data for the majority of tested motor yacht hull forms.

It can calculate a performance coefficient for each resistance relating to the speed, length, displacement and effective power. This allows direct comparison of the FDHF with other tested hull forms.

Dickon Buckland from the Wolfson Unit recently said about the VONA Fast Displacement Hull; “When compared to other round bilge hull forms at speeds between the cruising speed of 15 knots and those approaching planing of 44 knots, the tested motor yacht’s ranking is typically around 100 – 140 per cent. This means that the design is currently ranked as the most efficient in the Wolfson Unit’s database.”

The option of including the award-winning Hull Vane® technology improves the picture still further; an exciting addition that is optimised to work in conjunction with the fast displacement hull. Positioned below the stern of the yacht, the patented fixed foil fuel-saving device influences the stern wave pattern, creating a forward-orientated lifting force which lowers the pitch motion and running trim.

The performance of the Hull Vane® is linked to four distinct effects. Firstly, the wing develops a forward thrust force out of the upward flow under the aft of the yacht. Secondly, the Hull Vane has an upper surface on which a low-pressure region is created.

This low pressure reduces the stern wave produced by the vessel and therefore the yacht has less wave-making resistance. The third effect resides in the vertical component of the lift, it lifts the stern and keeps the bow down at high speed aiding stability.

The final effect is again unique for the Hull Vane – as it has an overall large surface, it dampens the pitching motion, reducing the added resistance and thereby improving seakeeping. The combined effect, when fitted to the fast displacement hull, reduces fuel consumption by up to 30 per cent in total.

Commenting on the technology, Sunseeker’s CEO, Andrea Frabetti said: “From our very first project brief and the research that followed, it was very apparent that the highest levels of comfort on board needed to be a top priority, without sacrificing performance. The combination of the Fast Displacement Hull Form harmonised with the technology of the innovative Hull Vane® and fin stabilisation will offer owners incredibly smooth passage-making matched to reduced running costs – a truly remarkable result.

“The 161 Yacht will be a true game-changer for yachts in the 50m sector. With its class-beating efficiency, stability and comfort, she will deliver a significant performance advantage in open water that has been unachievable to date.”

Jen Wartena, CEO of ICON Yachts, added: “At ICON, we are immensely proud to invest in ground-breaking research and development to incorporate greener technologies wherever possible. Innovation has a vital part to play in driving efficiency, thereby delivering very real environmental benefits. Clients in the market for a 50m yacht offering incredible performance and comfort on the one hand combined with improved sustainability and running costs, can have that today with the Sunseeker 161 Yacht, no compromises necessary. It really is the dawn of a new era.”