Whether it's a tiny platform or an expanding deck, the aft swim platform seems the perfect cherry atop any yacht design. The new 78m Slipstream design concept from Nauta Design supersizes that cherry with an impressive beach club that grows into a wondrous "island" retreat with the help of multiple fold-out extensions and a slide-out dock. Couple that with a swimming pool, below waterline "Nemo lounge," touch & go helipad and other superlative features, and you have one of the most compelling new yacht designs of the year.
We've seen a number of expandable deck designs over the years. Just last week, we looked at the latest fold-out beach club from Wally, and traveling further back in time, we've seen the stabilizing expanding midsection of Wider yachts and the slide-out bulwarks of Evo vessels.
The patent-pending expansion from Nauta is even more impressive than those, turning an already spacious beach club into an indoor/outdoor seaside retreat. Instead of just folding out the aft-most bulwarks to add deck space, as is common with other folding deck designs, Nauta adds folding port and starboard sidewalls to create a 3,014-sq-ft (280-sq-m) deck that wraps clean around the stern. Not only does this layout add serious beach club square footage, it also creates 270 degrees worth of ocean views while simultaneously opening the rear saloon to the breezy sea air. The interior space includes a bar and a "Nemo lounge" with glass that dips below waterline.
Centered in the outdoor deck area of the "Island" beach club is a seawater swimming pool for those who might not want to dive off the yacht. When it's not in use, a teak cover can be hydraulically extended to further expand the hard deck.
The fun doesn't stop in the water directly around the large aft swimming deck, either. Nauta carves out space aboard the 256-ft (78-m) Slipstream for a 33-ft (10-m) tender, 30-ft (9-m) RIB, two 14-ft (4.2-m) sailboats, two jet skis, and toys like underwater scooters, kayaks, bikes and kitesurfing equipment.
Lest the Slipstream owner feel obligated to mingle with the commoners in the community beach area, Nauta's design ensures he or she has a quiet retreat at the opposite end of the vessel. The owner's suite on the upper deck has access to a private foredeck with a jacuzzi pool and "infinity nest." The suite is wrapped in full-height glass on three sides and includes a king-size bed, private saloon, and direct access to the touch & go helipad.
The 7,900-sq ft (734-sq m) Slipstream interior offers accommodations for up to 12 owners, VIPS and guests and 23 crew members. In rendering the hull, Nauta focused on clean, simple lines so as to cast focus on the natural beauty of the sparkling sea around the yacht. Plans call for a diesel-electric powertrain with up to 17 knots (32 km/h) of speed and more than 5,000 nautical miles (9,260 km) of range.
Nauta revealed the Slipstream concept during a summer/fall (Northern Hemisphere) season loaded with intriguing superyacht design debuts, including the hydrogen-powered Sinot Aqua and sharp-bowed Tankoa S702 Next 70.
Source: Nauta Design