Eclipse comes into view Te biggest mega yacht of them all, so far, progresses towards delivery.
However, when one has €340 million worth of loose change burning a hole in one’s pocket, owning a fourth yacht – and naturally the largest in the world – becomes something of a necessity. Eclipse, due delivery to Russian billionaire
F
Roman Abramovich next year aſter certain unspecified finishing touches, emerged from under wraps at Hamburg’s Blohm + Voss yard in early June. At 170m long, the Terence Disdale-designed yacht is 4.5m longer than Dubai, the mega yacht owned by Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, the Emir of Dubai. Bringing a whole new meaning to the phrase ‘maritime safety’, Eclipse comes
The motor yacht Eclipse.
complete with bullet proof hull, armoured glass, its own missile defence alarm system and, reputedly, motion sensors sensitive to approaches from small craſt. Given these attributes, it is no surprise that, following a design trend, Eclipse
BMT ponders rule changes
BMT Nigel Gee says it is researching the impact of future regulations on large yachts.
B
MT Nigel Gee Ltd says it is to undertake a research and development project into the
impact of future regulations on the design of large SOLAS certified yachts. The company notes that, in recent
years, the number of yachts in the upper segment of the industry that are outside of the (Maritime & Coastguard Agency Luxury Yacht) LY2 (over 24m in length) regulatory framework has increased. The appl icat ion of SOLAS
passengership regulations to these yachts is now becoming increasingly common, the company says. The SOLAS-based regulatory
framework is undergoing a period of change, with the recent ratification of a number of new regulations. Together with near term future regulations, these will have an impact on the layout of SOLAS certified passengerships and therefore the yachts in the upper segment of the industry.
The Naval Architect July/August 2009 BMT said it would be undertaking
research to investigate the implications of future regulations on the layout of large yachts and how current design practices will need to change. According to James Roy, BMT Nigel
Gee yacht design manager, one focus of the study is the way yacht design is changing to reflect the fact that mega yacht owners now want to have more than 12 passengers onboard, which means in regulatory terms that they will have to be defined as passengerships in the context of SOLAS (as defined in 1914, after the Titanic sinking). Additionally, Mr Roy said, BMT was concentrating on issues such as safe return to port, probabilistic damage, and new regulations that would affect yachties, such as MARPOL 12A. MARPOL 12A sets out the requirements concerning the location of oil fuel tanks in all ships with an aggregate oil fuel capacity of above 600m3
delivered after
1 August 2010, or where orders were placed after 1 August 2007, or keels laid after 1 February 2008. In essence, the protection obliges fuel oil tanks to be located inside the double-hull. “We are looking to see how the
regulations can be interpreted and how we can position ourselves accordingly,” said Mr Roy. “We have also talked quite a bit about goal-based standards and how they will affect yacht owners, although we don’t know when they are going to come into force.” Mr Roy said that BMT would closely
follow the study being undertaken by the Cayman Islands Flag regarding possible legislation for yachts that carry between 13 and 36 passengers, which may redefine the legislative framework for vessels operated by the super rich. “We need to know how you act at the
very early design stage when it comes to meeting these regulatory challenges,” said Mr Roy. NA
71
or some, owning the world’s largest private airplane, two submarines and three mega yachts may be enough.
resembles a naval vessel externally. However, served by a crew of 70, guests in the 11 luxury cabins, or around the two swimming pools, at the aquarium, in the cinema, or in the discotheque, may take a different view. Eclipse also features two helicopter pads (with helicopters apparently thrown in), and a mini-submarine that will be able to submerge to depths of 50m. With Mr Abramovich reported by Forbes
as being down to his last US$8.5 billion, the owner of Chelsea Football Club will have to dig (though not very deep) to afford the estimated €30 million a year it will cost to run Eclipse. Reportedly, the 42-year-old intends to board his new ship next summer to travel to the Football World Cup in South Africa. NA
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