2020: A year to remember for the right reasons too

Despite the obvious distractions, there were still some exceptional moments for the Feadship family to enjoy in 2020. The show certainly did go on as we signed some brilliant new orders, delivered four fabulous Feadships, refitted and serviced current fleet members, held online events and won the top industry awards. And we found time to publish PILOT magazine, make a book for owners and compile this annual overview.

New launches find their mark

The highly distinctive character of the four Feadships launched in 2020 reminds us of the benefits clients are offered by our pure custom approach to boatbuilding. One of the new stars of the Feadship fleet is the 99.95-metre Moonrise. Sleek yet masculine, elegant in detail with a prominent vertical bow, Moonrise has a marvellous interior space with no less than eight staterooms. She’s exceptionally quiet too, eclipsing even our famed noise and vibration norms.

What all Feadships have in common is how they hit the mark in terms of quality, a point that was instantly apparent when the 75-metre Arrow made her bow. In his own words, the owner set out to create “something beautiful to behold with lines that blend the elegant, feminine and sporty with a low profile.” You can see how well this brief was met on a Feadship which seems set to be the first in a new wave in this size range. Showcasing what is possible, Arrow manages to look fast even when sitting completely still.

Equally worthy of her place at the centre-stage of the Feadship fleet is the 72.85-metre Podium. Commissioned by a repeat client, she presents a fine blend of a dark blue hull, white superstructure and a continuous band of glass flush to the exterior. Podium has a long cruising range with the capacity to spend extended periods at sea, supported by a helicopter-landing pad integrated within her foredeck. Keep your eyes peeled…

Heading into 2021, an early highlight will be the 50-metre Project 706. Already in the water for her sea trials, this all-aluminium beauty was subject to a multifaceted approach to design, engineering and stringent weight control as we built a Feadship with a top speed of around 28 knots.

Seeing the light: Feadship Unveils

Talking of designs seeing the light of day for the first time, November saw us complete a unique series of eight video interviews called Feadship Unveils. Released on our dedicated YouTube channel, each episode explores a wholly original design that reflects the authentic goals and smart ideas of outside parties sitting round the table with our expert designers and naval architects.

Freedom was devised for people looking to create their own Feadship exterior and interior without being intimately involved in the complex underlying technical matters. Created for the fictional combination of Freddy Mercury and Forrest Gump, the 109-metre Project FG allows for wild partying at night, peaceful relaxation during the day and the chance to play table tennis outdoors in all weathers. The Sports Yacht offers a fresh take on how an exceptionally swift Feadship might look with an open wheelhouse and mega-sleek exterior. State-of-the-art propulsion using water jets rather than propellers adds to the fast flavour. Imagined for an eco-conscious rock star exploring fresh frontiers, the 110-metre Escape features a sub, myCopter, moonpool, solar panels galore and, oh yes, a herb garden.

How cool would it be to soak in your stateroom hot tub before stepping off your very own hatch for a refreshing dip in the sea? This was just one of many inspiring ideas incorporated into Project 3026. Meanwhile, Feadship director Henk de Vries describes the initial briefing for the wave-piercing Project 3099 as ‘pretty outrageous’ and it’s certainly one of the most futuristic design templates in the Feadship vaults.

The same applies to the Eco-Explorer, a symbiosis between a motoryacht and sailing yacht with fully automated wings and a mast. This design concept by Merveille Yachting also showcases some smart ideas for energy regeneration. Last but not least, Project 3249 is a design devised together with clients looking to optimise volume, layout and facilities within a specific length that would ensure access to their favourite haunts… And have a beach club cinema. Kick back and explore all eight videos via the links.

Pedigree performances

Over the past year the Feadship Refit & Services division has gone from strength to strength with the Feadship yards in the Netherlands welcoming various yachts home for maintenance and refit work. In the words of the owner of a ten-month project completed in 2020, the 57.60-metre W, “no-one in the world knows a Feadship like the people that actually built her and that shows in the exceptional results of this refit.” With major modifications to the interior layout, all key technical systems dialled back to zero and an awesome new exterior livery, W looks and feels better than new.

Also exuding her renewed Feadship pedigree is the 42-metre Istros, which enjoyed a radical rebuild. An all-new aluminium superstructure was added to her elegant and meticulously restored original hull. Launched back to life in 2020, this virtually brand-new Feadship was recreated to the highest standards with an eco-conscious approach that included the first Lloyd’s-approved microturbine generator on a superyacht. Also future-proofed having enjoyed varying degrees of maintenance and warranty pampering were Callisto, Lady S, Pi and Sherpa. Last but not least, Zephyr became the first member of the Feadship Heritage Fleet to be awarded a Feadship Certificate of Authenticity, the ultimate stamp of Feadship quality.

Sold! New Feadship brokerage page

The inherent quality of each and every Feadship is one of the reasons why their resale values remain significantly higher than other superyacht brands. To support owners looking to sell their yacht, and our friends in the brokerage community, we launched a one-stop shop in 2020, giving an overview of all the Feadships currently for sale. Even if they might be a little out of their price range personally, the website also offers fans an excellent insight into the diversity of the bespoke Feadship fleet. See what’s on offer here.

Winning ways at top industry awards

It has been an excellent year for Feadship on the prizes front, although the difference between the two main ceremonies is a microcosm of how quickly things changed in 2020. The BOAT International Design & Innovation Awards saw Lady S hailed as the best interior and exterior design, Najiba the best naval architecture and Pi as innovation of the year. These awards were handed out in February at the climax of the Superyacht Design Festival in Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy.

By the time the World Superyachts Awards came round in November the ceremony had been moved online for a live virtual presentation, although the BI team did a great job of making it still feel like we were personally involved. It was certainly all smiles in one of the Feadship boardrooms where the directors gathered to see Najiba, Pi and Lady S all win the Neptune trophy in their category and Pi take home the prestigious Motoryacht of the Year award. Read a full report on the event

Online interactions: Captains Summit goes virtual

Like Boat International, Feadship had to move various events online this year, including our first digital Captains Summit. We did manage to bring several current build captains together in the studio while the other delegates joined online for the two-day gathering. Highlights included the latest insights from the Feadship management team, the famous Feadship Game Show and a special Refit Challenge. We also created space for interaction and open discussions between the captains while recognising that nothing can quite match the late-night-chats around the bar that make the usual in-person Summit that extra bit special.

Past glories meet future thinking in PILOT 23

With so much of life behind PC screens these days it was even more of a pleasure than usual to send out a ‘real’ magazine on paper in the form of our annual PILOT publication. This year’s lead article explores the future of superyachts in a round-table conversation with some of the leading Feadship thinkers. A look at how Feadships are transported through the narrow waterways of the Netherlands includes some impressive images as does a tour of the Feadship Mirage in the company of her captain.

Life at the helm is the subject of another feature as five top captains share their thoughts and we also embark on a journey into the decades of innovation that have made Feadship’s name. PILOT goes even further back in time in partnership with Amsterdam’s Maritime Museum to gaze at cosmic navigation through the ages, then comes right back up to date in conversation with designer Philippe Briand. Add in our profile of eighteen game-changing Feadships plus a special article on which wines are best to serve on board and you can see why the editorial team raised a glass or two when PILOT 2020 was finally completed. Click the link via the cover of issue 23 to order your copy.

Fifteen years of Feadship in Makkum

The Feadship yard in Makkum celebrated its fifteenth birthday in 2020. The roll call of superyachts built by this first-class facility since opening its massive doors in 2005 makes for impressive reading. The first to be launched was Ocean Victory in 2009, followed by famous Feadships such as Musashi and Fountainhead in 2011, the mighty Madame GU in 2013, Moon Sand and Royal Romance in 2015, WSA Motoryacht of the Year Faith in 2017 and the awesome Anna in 2018. The delivery of Moonrise (see above) was one of the highlights of a birthday year that also saw the opening of a second giant construction hall with a 140 x 21.5 m dry dock. This spectacular addition to the Makkum skyline enhances the yard’s capacity to take on premium rebuild and refit projects. Located just an hour north of Amsterdam, the facility will soon benefit from the Dutch government’s decision to extend the width of the nearby lock and offer instant access to the North Sea to the beamiest Feadships imaginable.

Spotting the YETI and more green thinking

Sustainability in its widest sense has been embedded in Feadship’s strategy over recent years and 2020 saw further progress made. As a founding member of Water Revolution (our very own Henk de Vries is chair), we were delighted to see Robb Report name the foundation winner of its Sustainability Award. Equally encouraging, the YETI (Yacht Environmental Transparency Index) initiated by Feadship several years back has continued its development as an industry-wide measurement tool under the auspices of Water Revolution. This tool will be sensitive enough within the next one or two years to discriminate between different options and stimulate owners to adopt more sustainable choices as they see rewards for their investment. A recognised rating system will indicate what constitutes a good yacht in environmental terms with a language understood and accepted by all.

Another major issue on the sustainability agenda this year has been the use of materials. Feadship’s lifecycle assessment studies showed that the majority of eco-unfriendly impact is caused by a small number of materials like steel and aluminium, and we’re actively thinking of ways to tackle this. The same applies to fuel flexibility: with fossil fuels on the way out, boats launched in five years’ time need to be built to use whichever replacement is dominant in a decade. There’s much to do in 2021… Let’s get busy together.