Arguably one of the most talked-about megayachts to debut this year, the nearly 73-meter (240-foot) Predator is unlike anything to ever emerge from Feadship's Royal De Vries shipyard. Not only is she the first Feadship with an axe bow, but she also has the tallest engine room (nearly 14 feet in spots, and equipped with four powerplants, no less), the longest uninterrupted interior views, and the deepest draft (just over 12 feet). She even has two custom tenders, one of which is in the photo above and mimics her lines. This tender was designed by a clever employee of De Voogt Naval Architects, which created the axe bow for the mothership. In sum, Predator is an interesting mix of high tech and aesthetics.
Take the axe bow, for example. Besides lending Predator a sleek and speedy air, it's designed for motion comfort and to sustain speeds in rough seas. And clearly it works: Capt. Greg Drewes, a 30-year veteran of running all sorts of craft, including four Feadships, says, "The yacht handles better than any I've ever sailed." He and the crew have even encountered five-meter (16-foot) seas, "and Predator throws no bow wake." He goes on to add, "There is no pounding, and in smaller seas up to four meters, she is as smooth as a flat sea. The lack of vertical movement makes Predator amazingly comfortable. There is no splash, no rise, and no fall." The yacht is capable of 28 knots and higher with all four MTU engines kicking in, a total of more than 23,000 hp.
As for the rest of her aesthetics, Predator features extensive use of Karelian birch, a light-tone wood, at the request of the owner. Bannenberg Designs decided to additionally employ accents of Macassar ebony and Zebrano, both lending darker contrasts. All of the woods appear in the split-level owner's stateroom and the six (yes, just six) guest staterooms as well as common gathering areas like the main saloon and bridge-deck lounge. Another highlight of the owner's suite: a hydraulically opening skylight directly above the bed, featuring concentric panels and mirrored by an elliptical design in the carpet below.
SPECIFICATIONS
BuilderFeadship – Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw
Type Twin screw motor yacht, steel hull and aluminum superstructure
Length Overall72.80m / 238’10”
Beam max.11.40m / 37’11”
Draft (loaded)3.70m / 12’2”
Fuel capacity183,000 l / 48,340 US Gallons
Fresh water capacity38,600 l / 10,200 US GallonsNaval
Architect De Voogt Naval Architects
Exterior styling De Voogt Naval Architects
Interior design Bannenberg Designs Ltd.
Main engines 4x MTU 16V 595 TE90, 4320 kW / 5793 bhp
Propellers Rolls Royce Controllable pitch propellers
Propeller shaft Rolls RoyceReduction gears
RenkStabilizers 2 pairs of Quantum Non-retractable zero-speed stabilizers
Max. speed appr.25+ knots
Range Transatlantic
ClassificationLloyd’s 100 A1, SSC, Yacht(P), HSC, Mono, G6, +LMC, UMS, SCM, IWS and MCA
Air conditioning Heinen & Hopman
Entertainment system Van Berge Henegouwen
Generators1x Caterpillar C9/ 200 ekW @ 1500 rpm2x Caterpillar C18 / 280 ekW @ 1500 rpm
Main electric system400/230 VAC/50 Hz
Shore connection400/230 VAC/50 Hz/2x125 kVA
Accommodation
Owner Stateroom with sitting room and TV room, double dressing room with large bathroom
Guests Two double staterooms
Crew Nine double cabins, double captain’s cabin
Watersports 2x custom tender, 2x waverider, 1x custom jetski, dive equipment
Interior Owner’s and guests areas in Karelian Birch, Macasar ebony andZebrano. Custom furniture and carpets.
( www.feadship.nl )
