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ALIA YACHTS: A NEW WAY OF THINKING
Alia Yachts sees interior volume in a different way, building M/Y Al Waab, the world’s longest steel and aluminum yacht below 500GT.
Yachts
Turkish shipyard Alia Yachts signed the contract for Project Al Waab back in August 2019. The stylish silhouette revealed at the time held a secret; at 55 metres, she was also going to come in under the magic 500 gross tonnes. To put this into context, the 67-metre Fincantieri M/Y Destriero is the longest ever sub 500GT yacht, and the 60,000 horsepower, 59-knot monster was built specifically to secure the Blue Riband. It was essentially a helm and three GE Aviation LM1600 gas turbines and that’s about it. Alia Yachts’ Al Waab may not be quite as quick as Destriero, but what she does have is world-class luxury and lots of clever space.
Designed for easy living: The owner wanted to avoid bright direct light, hence Vripack’s diffused lighting idea was used throughout the vessel with soft, muted beams.
NAVAL ARCHITECTURE
SF Yachts served as the Owner’s representative during the build, with the Dubai-based marine operations and management specialist turning to Vripack for its specialist knowledge of naval architecture. Often in the design process, industry standards and regulatory constraints – such as the 500GT threshold – can mean a compromise when it comes to layout. Keeping a yacht under 500 GT negates many expensive regulations, but the Dutch studio’s engineering expertise and creativity allowed them to have a length as well as volume. Using virtual reality, Vripack fine-tuned the design to enhance the Owner’s understanding of space, planning, sightlines and layout all from the comfort of his home in the Middle East. This led to Al Waab’s vast outdoor spaces such as the beach club area and the outdoor aft lounges.
“For many owners, the concept of enjoying a ‘home at sea’ is what drives their passion for yachting,” says Bart Bouwhuis, Co-Creative Director at Vripack. “The Owner of Al Waab II had the explicit desire to use his boat as a family apartment. That desire became the founding principle of the entire design. The result is the very essence of living on the water.”
INTERIOR DESIGN
Unlike many modern ‘edgy’ interior designs, Al Waab’s Owner wanted to keep the style relaxed and airy. Thanks to the aforementioned AI, the Owner was involved in the look and feel of Al Waab from the early construction stages resulting in an open-plan, owner-centric general arrangement designed for easy, restful, family living. Even the onboard lighting is diffused as the Owner wanted to avoid bright direct light. Matt-finished bamboo slats on the ceiling help to absorb the natural sunlight flooding through the large floor-to-ceiling windows by day and a key feature is the gold, illuminated wall installation with integrated crystals in the stairwell that covers all three decks.
Masters of design: The interior, exterior, naval architecture, and engineering all derive from Vripack’s design boards.
Glass bulwarks on all decks provide uninterrupted views of the ocean with the drop-down bulwark in the dining area replacing the traditional formal dining room with an alfresco breakfast area just two metres above the water on the starboard main deck. Al Waab’s interior spaces are genuinely warm and friendly places to enjoy.
“Yachts are getting longer and wider, but owners still want to stay below the 500GTmark,” says Alia President, Gökhan Çelik. “We’ve seen increasing interest in this kind of yacht, and so to be one of the first with such an impressive project is an important milestone for Alia.”
The Owner was involved in the look and feel of Al Waab from the early construction stages.
So popular is Alia’s concept of volume and length that they have yet again joined forces with the Vripack and SF Yachts teams to create a 60-metre project currently in-build at the shipyard. It’s a winning formula that we expect to see a lot more of on the waves.
