Clifford Denn already has a portfolio that puts him in the elite category of maritime designers having previously designed passenger cruise liners for Cunard (such as the Queen Mary 2) and P&O. His latest concept, Project Maximus, shown at the Monaco Yacht Show last week, could begin a trend for superyachts by putting the wheelhouse one deck down and devoting the upper deck to the passengers, just as he has done with his work for Viking Ocean Cruise vessels.
Heeson Yachts' Project Maximus is named not for the concept yacht's size, which at 272 ft (83 m) barely sneaks into the 100 largest privately owned motor yachts in the world and is less than half the size of the biggest, the 592-ft (180.61-m) Lürssen-built Azzam owned by Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan of the United Arab Emirates.
Rather, the reason Project Maximus is thus named is that it maximizes usable space for the passengers both inside and out, and most importantly, it utilizes the top deck for optimal access to the changing scenery around one of the world's most palatial mobile homes.
"When compared with other boats of its size it has an enormous pool, huge external deck areas, and all with the same internal volumes as a normal 83 m," says Denn of Project Maximus. "It's the large boat thinking that puts the owner's needs first."
Despite its not inconsiderable size, Project Maximus is designed primarily for the owner and has accommodation for just 12 guests, with the capacity to offer suitably grandiose private quarters for two VIP guests or as one master mogul-size cabin by opening the adjoining doors. The guest quarters are in addition to the opulent owner's suite.
The yacht's steel hull is designed to slice through the waves at speeds of up to 19 knots (22 mph, 35 km/h), with a range of 5,500 nautical miles (6,329 mi, 10,186 km) when cruising at 13 kn (15 mph, 24 km/h). The concept's sleek powerboat-like lines make clever use of glass paneling to create wind-protected areas at the rear of three decks, with the continuity of the vessel emphasised by a pool that stretches across three decks, joined by two waterfall features.
Source: Heesen Yachts
