Tuesday, August 26, 2014

This Gorgeous Yacht Combines Old-School Looks With Aerospace Tech




In the world of luxury yachts, it’s hard to stand out as particularly cool, high-tech, or attractive. But this Turkish-built 55-footer caught our eye with its lovely combination of old-school woodworking and sophisticated hull composition.


Alen Yacht’s Alen 55 sports enough teak and leather paneling to mimic a luxury penthouse. But for all the old-world aesthetics, the composite hull has a core of Airex, a weight-saving thermoplastic foam used in the aerospace and railroad industries. A hydraulic gangway provides access to and from the dock, and a staircase off the back lets guests who aren’t into cannonballs slip into the water.


For propulsion, the 55 is equipped with two 800-horsepower Volvo engines, good for a top speed around 35 knots (40 mph), with a cruising speed of 30 knots (35 mph). Those figures aren’t exceptional for boats of this size, but the 55 is meant to be more of a cruiser anyway. It sleeps five people, but the pop-up rear dining table can accommodate up to eight.


The yacht has another design feature that sets it apart from other craft you see floating around. The deep bulwarks (or high walls, depending on how you look at it) create a sunken walkway that wraps around the deck. The difference, Alen says, is “guests are ‘in’ rather than ‘on’ the deck,” so they can move around without holding onto railings or worrying about going overboard. Yes, it’s a luxury yacht owner’s problem, but if you’ve ever been on choppy waters and had to go from stern to bow, you know it can be sketchy.


The yacht will be on display next month at the Cannes Yachting Festival and the Monaco Yacht Show. Alen hasn’t given any word about availability or price yet, though we suspect it will be one of those luxury goods where if you have to ask, you’ll never know.



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