Oceanco reveals new 115m concept Tuhara at DIBS

Oceanco has used the first day of the 2018 Dubai International Boat Show (Tuesday 27^th February) to unveil a 115-metre concept, conceived in collaboration with Lobanov Design Studio, BMT Nigel Gee and Achille Salvagni.

Unveiled yesterday on the opening day of the show by His Excellency Saeed Hareb, security general of Dubai Sports Council and Mina Seyahi, vice president and chairman of Dubai International Marine Club, the radical design was reportedly inspired by Polynesian canoes and Maori explorers. Her name is derived from the Maori word for ‘discover’. 

Igor Lobanov explained, “Tahara is a simple idea. The thought was to take a natural shape similar to those seen in the earliest canoe-type craft and augment it on a larger scale, using modern technology.” 

According to Oceanco, the design can be adapted to suit any length from 80 to 120 metres (262 to 394 foot). Although extremely modern in appearance, she concedes a multitude of modern technologies, including privacy windows in her hull, made up of a series of dots to stop passers by looking in, while allowing for seamless views out.

Salvagni undertook Tuhara’s interior design, which features influences from the Pacific Islands and East Asia, with brushed teak, tatami floors and bronze metalwork. He said, “Tuhara is a megayacht conceived for a dynamic owner, nevertheless the timeless sense of peace and calmness are the main characteristics. This softness and dynamicity are reflected in the humble elegance and sensuality of the primitive organic shapes echoed throughout.” 

With this in mind, her skylounge features teak stalactites and stalagmites to divide the central fireplace from the dining room.

British naval architects BMT Nigel Gee worked to create Tuhara’s hull and propulsion system, which is integrated with a hybrid, contra-rotating Azipod system from ABB for a top speed of 18 knots. 

James Roy, yacht design director at BMT, reported that the drivetrain has proven efficiencies in the commercial sector. He said, “The hybrid CRP system is inherently efficient and perfectly suited to the canoe form. There is a synergy between the efficiency of the hull form and that of the propulsion system, leading to a yacht which marries an evolutionary simple hull with an evolutionary advanced propulsion system.”

The yacht’s technical infrastructure – developed by Dutch firm Van Berge Henegouwen’s custom division LuxLab – is able to monitor on-board behaviour and automatically adjust the music and temperature accordingly. Other highlights on board include a 360-degree cinema room, a foredeck hammock and a spa pool on the sundeck.

Oceanco’s commercial director, Dirk de Jong, said, “This is a technically challenging and intriguing project. It is 180-degrees different from our previous two yacht collaborations with Lobanov Design studio, yet Tuhara is still 100 per cent Oceanco DNA.”

For more information, visit Oceanco.