It seems sustainability is all the industry could talk about at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, and let’s be honest, that’s no bad thing. This subject matter comprised much of the discourse – both the urgent need to address the degradation of the world’s oceans and the industry’s imperative to tackle its own footprint. The recycling of superyachts, anyone?
 
But superseding the conversation was the manifestation of this sustainable technology aboard the yachts themselves.

Among the biggest ticket in town this year was Tankoa’s latest delivery, 72m Solo.Not only did she win the award for greenest vessel of the year at the curtain-raising Monaco Yacht Show awards ceremony (and yes, I did vote for her), the range of innovative solutions once you stepped aboard her, were plain for all to see.
 
The three Northern Lights generators, two 230 kW and one 155 kW, are equipped with HUG soot burners to eliminate the usual black smoke stains on the sides of the hull and allow guests to enjoy the exterior spaces, while the main engines are equipped with Eco Spray SCR (Selective Catalytic Reduction), significantly reducing emissions. 
 
The vessel is also equipped with a CO₂  monitoring system allowing the captain to reduce emissions. Thus, the yacht is delivered with an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) manual.

Solo was also the location of the launch of Kaleidescape’s impressive new Marine Movie Service. “The superyacht sector is supposed to be about delivering the finest onboard experience, including onboard entertainment. Kaleidescape’s new marine movie service makes it convenient for captains and crew to purchase the greatest movies for owners and guests to enjoy,” said Scott Molloy, crew trainer in yacht AV systems.

Meanwhile, four years after the Amels engineering and HUG teams got together to develop an SCR solution for the Amels Limited Editions series, the LE188 Volpini 2 was at the show, making her debut and headlines for demonstrating just what yacht engine rooms of the near future will look like. The yacht features HUG exhaust treatment systems on the main engines and the gensets, meaning she is the first superyacht to meet full IMO Tier III compliance. Indeed, when underway she has been recording NOx figures of c.660 parts per million with the system bypassed, but just 60ppm with the system switched on – a 90 per cent reduction in NOx emissions. There’s no getting around the fact, though, that the space required for the treatment systems does suggest smaller yachts could face an interesting design conundrum in the years to come.

Talking of efficient systems, one of the notable company debuts was that of Synergy, a new partnership between HVAC consultant and Will Faimatea’s Bond TM. This collaboration will bring a new dimension to the design, implementation and functionality of one of a superyacht’s most overarching and largest physical systems. As Faimatea explained, in conversation with Technical Editor, Charlotte Thomas, “Patrick has shown he has the expertise within the HVAC field, and together with our engineering and systems management experience, we are delivering the same superior level of consultancy within the HVAC arena.”

For operators, satcomms seems to be a perennial hot potato. Design Editor, Georgia Boscawen spoke with Ole Kristian Sivertsen, CEO of connectivity giant Priva, who explained “a show is not about having a new product - the important thing is that we are changing platforms into highly customisable [propositions], which we can create to the specific needs of every client.
 
“One size does not fit all in this industry and that’s the approach [we are taking]… Instead of having a massive standardised support centre, we have done it in a supportive style, where we can truly enrich the time for every client as well. For every ETO that calls in, we know that when things aren’t working, every microsecond matters... We need to make sure that the people that work for these owners are empowered to ensure they have the best experience possible.”

Elsewhere, there was the usual patter about cyber security, or the lack thereof. It is not so much a case of the security propositions themselves not being up to scratch, but a dearth of knowledge among those on board – both crew and guests. With the proliferation of devices aboard today’s yachts, the potential routes into the mainframe are multiplying exponentially. There needs to be a widespread and concerted effort to maintain the positive steps the industry has taken to educate operators about cyber security best practice, and due diligence, as Inmarsat did at this year’s show, and will continue to do with its round table programme over the coming months, in addition to its publicly available Connectivity Report.
 
And I’ll conclude with a conversation I had with the Yacht Creators team. They’re always exploring new ways to engage next-gen clients (check out the interview with company founder, Barin Cardenas in issue 190 of The Superyacht Report), and they’re finding increasing traction with VR technology as a sales tool for their Maharani concept. It may be fairly well established as a technology, but Cardenas said being able to walk a client around a concept adds a level of tangibility to the process that an abstract design cannot. The utilisation of VR, and its effectiveness to inspire a client, may divide opinion. But we can all agree that new clients are the industry’s collective target for 2019, so anything that can help should be embraced.

To download this report in full, please click the following link: Monaco Yacht Show 2018 Insight Report.
 
If you have enjoyed reading this article, you may be interested in our upcoming event, The Superyacht Forum, the most important networking event in the superyacht calendar, on 12-14 November. For more information click here and to register for a ticket click here. 
 
 

Profile links

Northern Lights, Inc.

Bond Technology Management & Consultancy

Tankoa Yachts S.p.A.

PRIVA by Global Eagle

Damen Yachting

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