Kleven explorer yacht 107mt Ulysses

The 107 metre Kleven explorer yacht Ulysses has been delivered to her owner, where she has been spotted cruising in the western Mediterranean.

The superyacht, said to have been commissioned by New Zealand businessman Graeme Hart, is the first private superyacht build undertaken by Kleven. The Norwegian family-owned shipbuilder, which is better known for its commercial vessels, announced the giant explorer superyacht order in March 2013.

Ulysses was moved unfinished from Norway to Germany in August 2015 and Dörries Marine was working on the final outfitting until a fortnight ago.

The builder's commercial roots have influenced its first superyacht. The Kleven hull 366 is designed by Norway's ship design company Marin Teknikk, who has previously worked with the builder on its offshore, commercial vessels.

Ulysses is designed for long-range passages in the most testing of sea conditions and has oceangoing capabilities fitting of the Ulsteinvik yard's heritage. Kleven said the 107 “blends a robust, hard-working character with luxurious added extras”.

Unlike the vast majority of the world's superyachts, the steel hull of Ulysseshas not been faired, which just emphasises its nature as a tough explorer yacht.

Making use of its ample size and huge 18 metre beam, Ulysses can accommodate 60 guests over seven decks. It has interiors by H2 Yacht Design and amenities include a helicopter landing pad, helicopter garage and a swimming pool.

One of the most notable features is the huge 21 metre tender that requires two specially designed cranes to lift it onto the foredeck. A host of other tenders, which provide options for any situation, can also be seen stored on the foredeck and high up on both sides of the yacht.

Kleven has collaborated with Teknikk on many of its offshore vessels, bringing his oceangoing yacht know-how to the new build.

Ståle Rasmussen, CEO of Kleven, said: “We have worked with Marin Teknikk for many years, developing numerous offshore vessels together, and the collaboration between us always works well. This vessel is a good example of our ability to develop and build specialised vessels and prototypes.”

Svein Rune Gjerde, CEO of Marin Teknikk, said: “This has been a different and interesting project for our design team.”

This robust type of yacht seems increasingly in vogue, as exemplified by the 76.6 metre Yersin, which is equipped to protect the planet as well as explore it.

Ulysses is currently the world's fourth largest explorer yacht, but will be overtaken by its big sister. The 116 metre version of Ulysses, Hull 370, iscurrently being constructed at Kleven for the same owner.

Kleven

( www.klevenmaritime.no )