Damen Yachting's 75.2 metre hybrid expedition yacht has reached its first major construction milestone after the keel was laid earlier this week (March 22).
With exterior and interior design by Michael Leach Design, the Custom DY 75 Hybrid is scheduled for delivery in 2024 and will explore the world with a hugely capable platform featuring hybrid propulsion for zero-emission cruising and accommodation for up to 12 guests.
The fully-custom build was sold in January 2021 by Burgess as a 72 metre vessel and has since increased in length by an additional three metres with input from the owner's design company, Star Design Ltd. The revised design has a beam of 11.5 metres and a total interior volume of 1,567 GT.
The design of the Custom DY 75 Hybrid is informed by sustainability and innovation. Self-sufficiency is a key part of the interior concept and the vessel will be the first private yacht to be equipped with commercial-grade cultivation pods to grow tomatoes, lettuce, cucumbers and other vegetables on board.
While interior renderings remain under wraps, Damen Yachting revealed that the design will feature an owner's deck, a VIP cabin and a touch-and-go helipad, with vast exterior spaces for tender and toy storage.
The upper deck is home to a powerful deck crane for the launch and recovery of a 14.6 metre fast tender, a nine-metre utility craft and a car. Once the equipment has been offloaded, the deck can accommodate modular amenities including a deck swimming pool. All exterior decks will be finished in durable, low-maintenance synthetic teak.
The rugged ocean-going vessel will be powered by a highly efficient power and propulsion configuration. In addition to the two main engines, she will have PTO/PTI hybrid electrical drives that are suitable for running at up to eight knots for a total range of 6,200 miles when cruising at 14 knots.
The Custom DY 75 Hybrid will have significant onboard battery power for normal use including silent nights at anchor without generator power. The stored power can be increased with containerised battery packs for extended zero-emission silent cruising in fragile marine eco-systems, while an Energy Management System (EMS) will help to optimise generator loading and maximise the yacht's energy efficiency.
“This hybrid expedition vessel is an absolutely unique project,” says the yard’s managing director Rose Damen. “For us it has been very exciting to bring the owner’s very unique vision to reality. We are dedicated to developing more efficient propulsion and power management solutions for our clients, which are underpinned by an environmentally sensitive mindset. We are proud to be at the forefront of a new breed of luxury expedition vessels and this highly innovative new project embodies this approach.”
The project will be completed at Damen Yachting’s Vlissingen facility in the Netherlands with the Burgess New Construction team appointed to manage the build.