Thunder is one the most daring designs by the late Jon Bannenberg, and newly released pictures of her interiors prove she is equally as bold on the inside. As this 50 metre Oceanfast joins the market with IYC, we take a look around...
Thunder was custom built in 1998 by Australian shipyard Oceanfast for an owner looking for a hyper-fast motor yacht to take him from port to port in a matter of minutes.
During sea trials she reached speeds in excess of 40 knots, which was no happy accident. The yacht's hull and superstructure are composed of lightweight carbon fibre, as are the bulkheads, and she is powered by twin 2,950 horsepower MTU V16 diesel engines and a trio of KaMeWa water jets. But the shipyard wasn't quite done. The owner added a 4,600hp Textron gas turbine for a total of 10,500 horsepower - that's the equivalent of seven Bugatti Chirons.
Thunder was designed by the legendary Jon Bannenberg with jet fighter-style exhausts that light up at night and two oversized air intakes with rear-facing grilles that give the yacht its unusually bulky profile. The grilles today are finished in a sparkling silver paint - an upgrade made following a recent refit - with a dramatic dual staircase leading down to the deck below.
Jon Bannenberg designed the original interior but it was later gutted and replaced when the yacht changed ownership in 2016. The new design was reportedly the creation of Roberto Cavalli who designed a loud and detailed environment decked out in glossy woods, precious metals and other custom fittings and furniture.
Thunder can sleep up to 12 guests across six cabins with a full-beam master suite positioned amidships on the lower deck. On the same level are two double staterooms that mirror one another, a larger VIP suite and a convertible stateroom that can be used either as a sixth cabin or a TV room. The last cabin can be found forward of the saloon on the main deck with wrap-around windows. The day heads and en suite bathrooms feature a unique selection of animal skins such as stingray, alligator and snake. Further accommodation sleeps a crew of nine.
There are two dining areas on board: one on the sun deck and an indoor-outdoor option on the main deck aft with 360-degree-views. The latter can be left fully open to the elements or, on cooler evenings, closed thanks to sliding glass doors.
The foredeck comes into its own when cruising in warm waters and is the main open-air hangout on board. A seven-metre swimming pool features contraflow jets and doubles as tender storage when empty. Sunpads, shaded by retractable umbrellas, sit on either side of the pool and smartly conceal storage for a pair of Jet Skis, while a crane pops out from the foredeck for swift launch and recovery. At the stern the passerelle also doubles as a crane for lifting a smaller tender from the swim platform.
Up top, the sundeck has some clever features of its own. The smaller, central grille isn't actually a grille at all. It opens out at the touch of a button to reveal a cooking station for a sunset barbecue.
Today, Thunder sits in Florida awaiting a new owner. Her supercharged gas turbine was removed due to lack of use, as were the stern-mounted exhausts which are now just for show. But that doesn't stop her topping out at 25 knots with a range of 3,000 nautical miles.
Thunder is currently listed for sale with IYC and is asking $8,800,000.