SimplyAbuDhabi XXXIII

2 0 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I n aval architect Philippe briand has found success in recent years with his Vitruvius Series of yachts. The likes of Exuma and Galileo G have set a high benchmark, but for the fifth yacht in the Vitruvius range, 58mnajiba built by Feadship de Vries and launched in december 2018, briand and his team were faced with a different set of criteria. “This is a yacht built for two families,” says briand. “Two brothers from the Middle East, they are highly experienced owners and have owned several yachts, but importantly, najiba is their first fully bespoke build.” Central to the project was the owners’ specification to build a large boat that both families can enjoy together. “The presence of two owners is integral to the design, as we not only had to consider how the flow and layout of the boat would work, but we were required to accommodate two master staterooms that are equal in space and ambience,” says briand. Their desire to build a bespoke yacht with a naval architect’s approach was also key, says briand, who relies on his vast experience designing sailing yachts to create something a little different from the norm. “We always begin our projects by organising the layout and space planning first, so on this occasion we agreed on both the internal proportions and the hull lines from the off, the latter of course being fundamental to any yacht project,” says briand. “it’s important to note that the naval architecture and internal layout were worked on in parallel, as we strongly believed that this was the best way to achieve a successful design that delivered the required onboard experience for both owners. That is how the style of najiba evolved, and from there, we worked on ensuring that she is also highly efficient in the water.”