Behind the scenes of Yas: how to create the most rapid superyacht
One of the most elusive of the super yachts in the world, Yas stirred the imagination of many people in that day, when in 2011 for the first time touched the water. One of a kind exterior produced a stunning impression. But the day when a bold plan of the current owner Yas was finally implemented, was preceded by a bright background.
It all began in 1981, when Dutch Vlissingen at the shipyard Koninklijke Schelde shipyard on the water was lowered a 130-foot frigate HNLMS Piet Hein (F811). The ship, capable of accelerating to 34 knots, was in service with the Royal Navy in the two decades that have passed countless nautical miles and participated in several international operations in North and South Americaand in the Caribbean, Mediterranean and North seas.
Then the frigate was first changed hands in 1998, he moved to the army of the UAE. There it was called Al Emarat (F 02). Under this name he was listed in the fleet Arab Emirates until 2006. In that period he participated in maneuvers in Bahrain and Oman, was one of the ships of the Council on cooperation of Arab States of the Persian Gulf during the establishment of the independence of Kuwait.
“The owner was guided by sentimental feelings. He wanted a yacht which would be the skeleton of the frigate, which was successfully used by the Navy of his country. He also wanted the entire project was completed in Abu Dhabi. He wanted a boat, which has nothing to do with the frigate in appearance, but is made on its basis”, — says Iskandar Safa (Iskandar Safa) — the head of the shipyard ADM, behind the construction of Yas.
The project began with a visit to a naval vessel’s French designer Jacques Perganom (Jacques Pierrejean), who later invented the silhouette of the boat.
“Standing in front of the ship, I found it very strange to think about the yacht, which is supposed to be. Gain, asymmetry… I was thinking about the “military boat”,” says Perian.
Then it was only a reconstruction of the frigate. But later Pierian and his team of builders have realized that the project quickly becomes much more complicated operation that is no easier than creating a ship from scratch.
In search of inspiration Perian turned to nature — to the silhouette of a Dolphin. Thus was born the concept incredibly soft lines of the superstructure, decorated with large amounts of glass. Narrow fast body at the same time, reminiscent of the knife.
“When we started to look for this form, inspired by the Dolphin, we had to try to avoid things such as “deck, and above it another, more” like a wedding cake. We wanted to offer the wearer something unique which itself will serve as a reference for others,” recalls the designer.
Rounded glazing, closed nose portion of the two decks, was then chopped to avoid vertical lines. In addition, it leaves room for the imagination to an outside observer who can only guess what’s going on under the dome, how many levels he’s hiding. But not without purely aesthetic reasons.
“When you look from the stern, it is a kind of mirror. It’s magic when you see the reflection of the sea at sunset or sunrise. Reflection on a green glass. Why green? Often it is gray or blue, but green. To write this color was part of my dream, my vision Yas,” says Perian.
When in Abu Dhabi began the process of dismantling of the frigate, the team, led by Johan Valentin (Johan Valentijn), found that the existing structure will have to change a lot. And then Yas completely cleared, leaving only the skeleton, and substantially rebuilt using materials such as, for example, carbon fiber for extra strength frame. During this period, designers saw an opportunity to expand the aft area of the boat, allowing it to fit on the boat outdoor bar, pool and a garage for water toys.
“We proposed to extend the aft section of the boat is 12 meters, which gave us enough space to accommodate the open bar and pool area. For me it has become an important part of the design that I wanted to achieve. For total fluidity of the form of the yacht that was a significant change,” explains Jacques Pierian.
So the total length of the new vessel has increased to 141 meters, which made it the seventh in the list of the longest yachts in the world.
For the construction of Yas at port Mina Zayed in Abu Dhabi had to essentially build a new shipyard.
“The shipyard was built for the coast guard. We got there, we were given a small space: four buildings, some neighborhood. I made a plan and said, “Okay, here we can supply the boat, but we need so many workshops!” When we pulled the boat to shore, while working on it we spent almost a year and still the construction of the shipyard,” says Johan Valentin.
Yas is impossible to put in the building because the premises of the right size just wasn’t there.
“I found in the USA parabolic tent. He was high enough, but overall went well. We modernized. This has never been done before, it was the tallest and the largest parabolic canopy that was ever built. We installed it over the boat,” continues Valentin.
Yas launched in 2011. The next four years here was dedicated to her equipment and the installation of the custom interior.
During the stage of intensive five-day sea trial Yas forced to show all what she is capable of, and from the point of view of performance and from the perspective of guest satisfaction. In the shallow waters near Abu Dhabi, she accelerated to 29.9 knots — an impressive figure for a boat this size.
“Thanks to its narrow housing and therefore lower resistance, Yas able to develop more speed with much less power. Most of the yacht is very wide, so they need a lot of extra horsepower to accelerate to the same speed. Very few boats can accelerate to 28 knots. Yas — the secular high-speed yacht in the world,” says Valentine.
Inside, in the bow of the upper deck, are located the impressive owner’s accommodation, tucked away under a giant glass dome, creating a breathtaking panoramic view of 220 degrees. The space is completely open from floor to ceiling.
“During the day is fantastic, magic. But at night — can you imagine? — when the yacht comes with lots of boats in the neighborhood, and all these people can see your bedroom,” says Perian.
The solution was found. Inside cabins with a soft movable curtain, the owner can now allocate space hidden from prying eyes, thereby providing a necessary level of privacy.
A characteristic feature of Yas, which no other yacht, is the ability to accommodate overnight up to 60 guests. Common marine classifications the segment of large yachts would not allow the ship of this size to take on Board so many passengers, but with the new rules approved by the owner of Yas, boats of this type can now be built in Abu Dhabi in accordance with this special regulations. In addition to the guests of the Yas when fully loaded can live up to 69 people that form the team and staff.
“She’s like your baby. You look out the window and see him playing in the garden. This is a very emotional moment. And then the child leaves the garden, goes beyond it. Yas is Yas, I’m always very impressed when I see it. Now I am happy with the happiness of its owner,” says Perian.
The creators of Yas are proud of their brainchild. And hardly someone will turn the language to say that they don’t have that right. After all, they managed to bring to life a project that many in the development stage seemed impossible and insane.
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