London-based design studio Bannenberg & Rowell and Southampton-based Lateral Naval Architects have teamed up to release renderings for a 47.2-metre superyacht called Spitfire.
Described as “boat for today's living,” the design builds on the framework of the Ares BMT 150 Bold, an award-winning 48-metre-long offshore patrol vessel built by Turkish shipyard Ares. BMT, the parent company of Lateral Naval Architects, penned the distinctive design of the vessel, and Spitfire would therefore be built on a "technical backbone that has already undergone vigorous testing, providing a proven platform", according to Lateral.
Meanwhile, the namesake of the project derives from the Spitfire fighter aircraft. A representative of Lateral said the studio was "inspired" by its location close to the site of the former Supermarine factory where the WW2 Spitfire was first developed, and they drew on the rich heritage of their surroundings to bring the design to life.
“Marrying a hull possessing offshore pedigree with the requirements of a superyacht platform creates exciting opportunities,” said Matteo Magherini, head of business development at Lateral. “From a design and technical perspective, this requires an evolved hull form to meet demands.”
The yacht would have a beam of 8.6 metres and a draught of 2.1 metres, with a gross tonnage of 499GT. A hybrid electric propulsion system would enable silent operation, a step away from her “celebrated airborne ancestor.” The yacht is imagined with a top speed of 23.5 knots and a cruising speed of 20.7 knots and would have a range of 3,000 nautical miles at a speed of 11.3 knots.
The designs will be a "‘mainstream new-build project with a parallel NFT angle with Cloud Yachts," according to Dickie Bannenberg. This is not the first time the studio has delved into the world of NFTs (non-fungible tokens). In 2022, the studio used the 40th edition of the Palm Beach Show to drop a limited collection of five NFTs, which were presented by Cloud Yachts and available for sale on Opensea.
In a statement, the studio said: “The Bannenberg & Rowell team sees great potential for engagement and experience beyond the conventional form of built yacht design."
Cloud Yachts is the self-proclaimed “first digital yacht dealer to the metaverse” and the 47.2-metre yacht marks its seventh release in the crypto sphere.