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From The First Superyacht To Modern Yacht Design: A Look At How Luxury Vessels Have Changed Over the Years

Discover just how far has modern yacht design evolved over the last centuries, from the steam-powered vessels of yesteryear to their streamlined successors..

September 3, 2020, 1:56 pm Comments Off on From The First Superyacht To Modern Yacht Design: A Look At How Luxury Vessels Have Changed Over the Years

Modern yacht design has evolved tremendously since the world’s first ‘superyacht’, Cleopatra’s Barge, emerged from Retire Becket’s shipyard in Salem, Massachusetts, to gasps of admiration from the awe-struck crowds that had gathered on the docks.

The 25m, 192t brigantine had been built at the cost of $50,000 for a wealthy merchant named Captain George Crowninshield Jr. who then went on to sail America’s first-ever pleasure boat across the Atlantic to Europe in 1817.

Cleopatra’s Barge was particularly noteworthy as it was opulently furnished, with reports of exotic cabin fittings and beautiful multi-coloured stripes on her elegant hull. No one had ever seen anything like her; and so the first superyacht was born.

Fast forward more than 200 years and there are now said to be more than 5,500 superyachts in the world, of all shapes and sizes (a superyacht is simply defined as a pleasure boat over 24m) and each and every one an example of stunning luxury yacht design.

From luxurious barges to modern yacht design: what’s changed (and what hasn’t)

The first sailing yachts date back to the 1600s, when they became popular modes of transport for the Dutch navy. The word yacht came from the Dutch word ‘jacht’, meaning to hunt, as the sailing boats were built to be light and fast so that they could hunt down and chase pirates.

Originally working vessels, yachts then became the playthings of royalty, with Charles II using a yacht to sail from England to Holland in 1620.

Sail yachts were swapped for steam yachts in the mid 19th century by the wealthy and well-to-do, with the first British royal yacht the Victoria & Albert being completed in 1843. These steam yachts were usually motored by one or two steam engines, and whilst they carried rigging for sails, this was usually just for show.

In fact, these ‘ superyachts ’ became a real indicator of wealth amongst leading families in America, with names such as the Vanderbilts, Goulds, Morgans, Bennetts and Hearsts all competing to come up with the best luxury yacht design . One of the most famous steam yachts at the time was the North Star, built in 1852 for the then richest man in the United States, Cornelius Vanderbilt.

Steam yachts remained the queen of the oceans for almost a century, with two world wars halting technical developments somewhat. Indeed, many superyachts were commandeered to transport freight during the first and second world wars with some, such as the legendary Christina O, serving as a frigate in World War II before being transformed into a luxury vessel. Christina O was bought by Aristotle Onassis in 1954 for $34,000. The Greek shipping magnate then spent $4 million on the refurbishment, which famously included a bronze-edged swimming pool with a mosaic dance floor that rises up at the push of a button.

Luxury yacht design in the 1980s

The late 20th century saw a huge increase in the number and size of superyachts for sale, sparked by an improvement in communications equipment and a growth in the number of wealthy people able to buy their own vessel. New technological advances meant it was possible to easily travel anywhere in the world on larger superyachts, with room for whole families, staff and dedicated crew.

All of a sudden, modern yacht designs had to incorporate home cinemas, fully functional gyms, helipads and water toys galore to cater to wealthy families and their friends. Multi-deck superyachts became popular, such as ‘ Al Salamah ’, a 139m vessel with five decks built by Lurssen in 1999. At the time of her construction, Al Salamah was the third largest yacht in the world, boasting accommodation for 36 guests, a cinema, an onboard hospital, two full-time beauticians, a business centre and a spa. Yet the 162m superyacht ‘Dubai’, by Platinum Yachts, dwarfed Al Salamah when she was completed two years later with her eight decks, on which you can find a helipad, two 33ft chase boats, a squash court and 20 jet skis.

Modest modern yacht designs – a legacy of the financial crisis

When the financial crisis struck in 2008, the superyacht industry was impacted on a global scale, with fewer buyers, charter clients and investors almost overnight. Less became more in luxury yacht design , with the superyacht community choosing smaller, more inventive and innovative vessels over larger multi-decks.

Sailing superyachts are also seeing a resurgence, partly due to the growth of sailing regattas, events which bring the yachting community together for days of weeks filled with fun and excitement.

Once considered a ‘jolly’ where the apres-sailing was taken more seriously than the sailing, many owners are now wanting to compete on superyachts which can actually take home the prize. Composite hulls are increasingly popular, with lifting keels and other features to ensure the yachts are race-fit.

Another modern yacht design that has emerged since the early 21st century is the expedition superyacht, where vessels are designed not only to look elegant but be capable of travelling to the ends of the earth, even in unfavourable conditions.

‘Cloudbreak’ by Abeking & Rasmussen is a good example of an explorer superyacht that was completed in 2016. Boasting all the traditional toys such as a helicopter, spa and cinema room, this 75m exploration yacht named after a mythical wave in Fiji also has a chalet-like fireplace for chilly evenings, a winter garden on the upper deck and zero speed stabilisers to reduce rolling motion in faraway seas.

Environmentally-friendly luxury modern designs

A concern for the environment and a need for sustainability is very much at the forefront of new modern yacht designs, with owners and shipbuilders both looking to use eco-friendly technologies wherever possible.

Ground-breaking technologies include hybrid propulsion systems which use multiple energy sources to lower carbon emissions and reduce noise pollution to the marine wildlife. An example of a yacht which uses such a system is the award-winning Black Pearl, a 106m yacht delivered by Oceanco in 2018. Her hybrid propulsion system combines wind power with two electric propulsion motors, and its controllable pitch propellers generate enough energy to take the Black Pearl across the Atlantic without any fuel at all.

Another brilliant green innovation can be seen on French designer Julien Cadro’s ‘ Ecoo ’ superyacht, which has an Avatar styled hull made out of bamboo fibre instead of steel, while superyacht designer Dan Lenard has designed a yacht made from abandoned performance yacht parts. Eco sailors looking for the perfect superyacht will unfortunately not yet be able to buy one of Lenard’s new recycled boats, however. The designer has only built the 33ft sailboat so he can sail single-handedly across the Atlantic and raise awareness of the state of the world’s oceans.

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DW Design Review – Owner’s Thoughts After 2 Years

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The DW Design kit is an affordable alternative to some of Drum Workshop’s more expensive catalog. We all know that DW makes fantastic sounding drums, so it’s nice to see a somewhat-affordable line of kits.

I’ve had my Design for about two years now. In this article, I’ll give my thoughts on the drums and who I think they’re perfect for!

My DW Design Kit Reviewed

I can't imagine not owning my DW Design kit. It was worth every penny. Perfect for intermediate to professional drummers.

I picked up my Design kit recently from Sweetwater . I picked the Black Satin finish—which is my favorite of the bunch.

The kit ships in two boxes (five-piece configuration), and some assembly is needed. The two rack toms come pre-assembled with heads, but the kick and floor require you to put the heads on. The snare also is pre-assembled.

The tension rods fit perfectly in their respective lugs and feel smooth when turning. The build quality is incredible for an entry-level DW line.

Once I got everything together and tuned up, I was so happy when I struck my first note. The floor tom is massive-sounding. The resonance is incredible—sustaining for more than a few seconds.

The bass drum is big and open-sounding. DW ships specialized pillows for inside the kick drum, but I haven’t tried them out quite yet. For now, the kick is big and boomy.

The snare drum is very comparable to my DW Collector’s Series maple snare drum sporting similar dimensions.

The shells are lush and warm-sounding. The stock heads included with the kit are surprisingly fantastic.

Available Color Configurations of the DW Design

DW’s Design kit comes in a variety of different finishes and colors including:

• Clear Acrylic
• Cherry Stain
• Gloss White
• Tobacco Burst
• Black Satin

The Black Satin is my favorite finish of the bunch.

T he Design shells are built in Taiwan; I assume this helps keep the cost down a bit. The STM tom mounts we all know and love come standard with Design Series drums. Chrome hardware is also a nice touch.

Before the creation of the Design and the Performance series drums, all Drum Workshop kits were made to order like many boutique companies.

DW has excelled once again and is offering a product at a greatly more affordable cost for new and up-and-coming drummers.

DW gets the cost down to a price point that is more affordable for many more people. I know most of us won’t be dropping $7,000 on a new drum set any time soon.

Even though the cost of labor is drastically reduced, the quality of the drums is just as high, as they are produced with similar quality tools and profoundly skilled workers.

The Design Series also offers a wide range of add-on drums to expand the size of your kit.

The drums are hand-picked North American Maple, which is a superb choice of wood for many players. Many of the Collector’s Series drums are also made from NAM.

The Design of the Design Kit

Some things the DW Design does contrarily to other kits from the company includes slightly thicker veneers, different orientation of the grain, smaller lugs, and, according to DW, the sound.

I truly wish the lugs were the size of regular DW lugs, but this is just a small gripe. Despite variations in the build process, the shells sound incredible for the price-point.

Traditionally, DW drums are made with 1/36″ veneers, but the DW design shells are made of a thicker veneer, measuring 1/32″.

This results in a thicker shell wall and eliminates the need for the reinforced hoops found on most other DW drums.

Size Configurations

DW gives you the option to choose between different sized kits depending on your drumming style and preference.

The Design Series comes in  four configurations:

• 5-piece Design Standard
• 5-piece Design Acrylic
• 4-piece “Frequent Flyer”
• 4-piece Mini-Pro

HVLT Shells

The DW Design series uses the same shell configuration process known as HVLT (Horizontal Vertical Low-Tension) . DW utilizes an arrangement of vertical grained inner, horizontal outer and cross- laminate plies mixed together.

It’s new to the series and John Good believes this process is what gives the DW Design the inital attack and articulation. The snare drum included with the drums is the only drum configured with the traditional HVX ply configuration as we see in the Performance Series.

Drum Workshop is currently offering a set of concert toms, a piccolo tom, a pancake gong drum, an 8″ tom, and a 14″ floor tom for add-ons.

Also, if you’re in the market for a DW Design drum set, Sweetwater usually offers some sort of inter e st-free financing on basically everything in their store ( at the time of publishing ).

For around $50 a month, you can have a brand new DW Design drum kit delivered to your door as a nice gift to yourself.

If you need a kit that’s a tad more affordable , check out my Tama Imperialstar review or read our roundup on the best cheap drum sets on the market.

Nick Cesarz

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