The 55 metre superyacht Al Waab has been handed over to her owner following two years of construction at Antalya-based shipyard Alia Yachts.
Design and naval architecture come courtesy of Vripack, and the Dutch studio has condensed an impressive variety of internal and external space into an under-500 GT envelope. According to Alia Yachts, Al Waab is now the longest steel and aluminium-built superyacht below 500 GT.
“Yachts are getting longer and wider, but owners still want to stay below the 500GT mark,” says Alia Yachts 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 finished result offers an estimated 42% more exterior space than other comparable yachts in her size class, the shipyard said. The 499-GT yacht was given an appropriate name using the Arabic word waab, which loosely translates to "vast area that accommodates things."
A simple layout and a good amount of outdoor space were key to the owner’s brief, as was a “modern and fresh” design. Vripack has employed glass, diffused light, blonde wood surfaces and gold accents to fulfill the owner’s request for "comfort, space, luxury, privacy and stability at sea", according to the Turkish yard.
Onboard highlights include a four-metre dip pool on the foredeck and a generous beach club. Glass bulwarks line the decks to provide uninterrupted sea views and much of the onboard seating is facing outwards to ensure a continuous connection to the water.
Accommodation is offered for up to 12 guests in six cabins, including a split-level owner’s suite that offers wide-ranging views from the cabin on the upper deck, as well as twin unfolding balconies. A dressing room and bathroom are connected on the deck below.
Tender storage is cleverly concealed in the bow of the boat, offering easy access to a seven-metre tender and 3.5 metre RIB with the help of a 1000kg crane.
News of her delivery comes after Al Waab was launched in July last year. In spite of the pandemic, the motor yacht was only a few weeks behind schedule.
"The last two years have been difficult, but we took a lot of health and safety measures, and, to offset delays experienced by our European suppliers, we worked around the problem and found ways to recreate lost time," said Çelik.
Al Waab has a top speed of 12.5 knots and is powered by twin Caterpillar C18 diesel engines which, according to the shipyard, burn 35% less fuel than similar-sized yachts.