Simply Abu Dhabi XXXVI

1 8 9 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I T he 55m AlWaab II is a yacht defined by its owner’s vision. To be a home at sea, where family and friends can socialise together in an open-plan space that invites the outdoors in. Airy, light and with a seamlessly flowing layout that is underpinned by a safe and comfortable cruise. Hailing from the design and naval architecture boards of Vripack, the result is a striking vessel built in steel and aluminium by Turkish shipyard Alia Yachts. Speaking during the launch at Monaco Yacht Show 2019, Bart Bouwhuis, Vripack’s Co-Creative Director, explained how Virtual reality was used to finetune the turnkey solution, enhancing the owner’s understanding of space planning, sight lines and layout all from the comfort of his home in the Middle East. “The virtual reality was a big surprise to the owner, and he loved it because it made it so easy to understand the space and its interaction with the outdoors – far more so than renderings and sketches,” says Bouwhuis. “Ultimately that resulted in the entire design working how he wanted it to.” In addition to the owner’s brief for open-plan apartment-style living space, the length of the yacht also increased during the design stage from 52m to an eventual 55m but remains under the 500GT threshold. “We stretched the design and ended up with a 55m built in steel and aluminium that outperforms in its vast outside space,” says Bouwhuis. “The owner’s family loves to be in, around and on the water; he wanted a home at sea. This is truly exemplified by the beach club.”