Marine

Adastra one-off luxury trimaran is in the works

View 10 Images
The Adastra is a one-off luxury trimaran, currently under construction in China (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra is a one-off luxury trimaran, currently under construction in China (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra is a one-off luxury trimaran, currently under construction in China (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra's aft deck lounge (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra is a one-off luxury trimaran, currently under construction in China (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra, currently under construction in China (Photo: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra's master bedroom (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra's master bathroom (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra's main deck (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra's galley area (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
The Adastra is a one-off luxury trimaran, currently under construction in China (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)
View gallery - 10 images

Some readers may remember the incredible-looking biodiesel-powered Earthrace trimaran. Originally designed to circumnavigate the world, it ended up being donated to the Sea Shepherd Society, and was promptly rammed and sunk by a Japanese whaling ship. Well, while we may no longer have it to gawk at, a one-off watercraft that could almost be considered its gigantic, luxurious sibling is currently being constructed in China. Behold, the Adastra.

The 16 by 42.5-meter (52.5 by 139.5-foot) yacht was designed by John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs and is being built by McConaghy Boats, for Hong Kong residents Anto and Elaine Marden.

While Shuttleworth acknowledges the legacy of vessels like Earthrace, he considers them to have been "stripped out record breaking machines." Transforming that basic form into a luxury yacht was a process that reportedly took five years (so far), including water tank tests, and the use of a scale radio-controlled model. It is now said to be nearing completion.

The Adastra is a one-off luxury trimaran, currently under construction in China (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)

Although not intended to run specifically on biofuel, the Adastra is nonetheless designed for fuel-efficiency, which mostly involves keeping it as lightweight and streamlined as possible. The superstructure, for instance, is made from carbon fiber with a honeycomb core, while the hull is composed of a glass/Kevlar foam sandwich material. The oak cabinet panels also have honeycomb cores, while the custom hatches, portlights, ladders and hinges are all carbon fiber.

The yacht is powered by a main Caterpillar C18 engine, putting out 1150 hp at 2300 rpm, and two Yanmar outrigger engines, which each manage 110 hp at 3200 rpm. Fuel economy is estimated at 90 liters (24 U.S. gallons) per hour at 13 knots, or 120 liters (32 gallons) per hour at 17 knots. It should have a top speed of 22.5 knots, and a range (at 17 knots) of 4,000 miles (6,437 km).

The Adastra's master bedroom (Image: John Shuttleworth Yacht Designs)

Up to nine passengers and six crew should be comfortable, in a full-width master cabin, guest cabins, and crew accommodations. The yacht will also feature a galley, lounge area, main dining area, navigation station, and a pilot house. Interior design is being handled by Jepsen Designs of Hong Kong.

The Mardens and their privileged friends will also be able to enjoy a foredeck sunbed, an aft deck sofa, bar area and dining area, and a diving platform that doubles as a garage door for one of two tender boats.

There's no word on its price, but other details are available on the John Shuttleworth website.

Source: Bornrich

View gallery - 10 images
  • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Flipboard
  • LinkedIn
18 comments
Bill Bennett
very distasteful, gross, excessive,
Paul van Dinther
\"promptly rammed and sunk by a Japanese whaling ship\"
Why not say: \"Sunk after a collision with a whaling ship\" and leave your bias out of it?
Keith Reeder
"very distasteful, gross, excessive"
Or none of the above - it's unquestionably a thing of beauty.
Tutu Sevn
fantastic,i want one
alcalde
Paul, that\'s not \"bias\", that\'s an accurate description of an historical event. Would you have the attack on Pearl Harbor be described as \"the clash of forces at Pearl Harbor\" instead?
hourglass
What a beautiful hunk of indulgence, needs a heliport to escape marauding Japanese pirates though.
Yeah, alcaide, that was one miracle for the dark side. That 18-knot, 628DWT trawler and her crew of crusty Japanese tars hunted down that 78-foot wave-piercing trimaran powered by two 540hp Cummins MerCruiser Diesel engines on the open seas and when their water canons couldn't sink it, they spun around and rammed it in cold blood.
Even with Sea Shepard's great PR operation and most of world opinion on their side, the Australian Maritime Safety Authority doesn't agree with your rewrite of facts.
Slowburn
alcalde - July 2, 2011 @ 02:29 pm PDT--- True but. One should expect that sort of thing when engaging in acts of piracy.
jlgraham
Well, I realize it was the SeaShepherd video I have seen instead of the Japanese whaling video version, but it sure looked to me like the Ady Gil was out of fuel and a sitting duck, out of the path of the Japanese ship, and that Japanese ship turned ever so slightly right into it. Some accident. Can\'t understand how authorities or anyone else can see something right before their eyes and declare it simply \"a collision\"...
Drifter
The Ady Gil on Whale Wars, did not appear to perform that well. @Keith Reeder funny, pick one or the other, lol
Tracy Spencer
Why not, so many people are full of themselves, I appreciate the hard and innovative work. While it it is a concept, I am sure it will see some changes.