![<strong>HIDE:</strong> "She [HIDE] is a perfect combination of luxury, relaxation and performance, with an eye on sustainability," Borla told CNN Travel earlier this year.](https://media.cnn.com/api/v1/images/stellar/prod/200329214820-hide-rendering-courtesy-of-anna-borla.jpg?q=w_1600,h_900,x_0,y_0,c_fill/h_618)
They’ve never not been in style, but superyachts are having a a bit of a moment.
Demand has been steadily growing over the years, with the global fleet jumping from 3,906 crafts in 2009 to 5,646 in 2019, according to the Superyacht Group.
Meanwhile the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a spike in purchases, with superyacht marketing company Northrop & Johnson seeing sales for July 2020 reaching double that of the previous year.
As a result, the market is projected to reach a value of $10.2 billion by 2025 as more and more yachts measuring longer than 24 meters are ordered.
The rising popularity of these large and rather magnificent vessels ultimately means that yacht designers are having to up the ante while coming up with new and imaginative concepts to ensure that their projects stand out from the rest.
“The days of all big yachts looking the same are long gone,” Stewart Campbell, editor of Boat International, told CNN Travel last year.
“Owners are really pulling out all the styling stops and challenging shipyards and designers to come up with boats that are truly unique. “
A number of new and innovative superyacht concepts have been unveiled over the last few years, including a vessel that transforms into a submarine, a game changing Trimonoran design and a yacht designed to look like a huge swan.
Here are 10 of the most exciting yacht concepts that could be taking to the waters in the not too distant future…
Avanguardia
Italian designer Pierpaolo Lazzarini of Lazzarini Design Studio has been behind some of the team’s most innovative designs, but Avanguardia is arguably his most daring yet.
Translating to “vanguard” in English, the megayacht concept forms the shape of a gigantic swan thanks to its detachable “head,” which works as a control tower.
Due to an extendable crane/bridge positioned in the bow, the “head” can be lowered down to the center of the vessel while it’s at sea.
In fact, Avanguardia’s length will increase by around 20 meters, taking its total length to 157 meters, when it’s brought down.
If that wasn’t impressive enough, the control tower can also be removed from the vessel and used as a completely separate boat.
The rest of the yacht is divided into five main decks, with the rear deck comprising a personal port for two jet capsules.
The yacht concept also has two onboard helicopters and two helicopter hangars.
As for speed, its twin fully electric side engines and central MTU Rolls-Royce jet engine, will allow it to achieve a maximum estimated cruising speed of about 18 knots, according to the design studio.
While Avanguardia is currently just a “stylistic exercise,” the Lazzarini Design Studio are hoping to find a buyer to put up the $500,000,000 required to build it.
Project 175
It’s described as a “statement yacht,” and this new concept from Dixon Yacht Design is certain to make a splash if newly released renderings are anything to go by.
Measuring 54.92 meters, the low-profile flybridge design, currently known as Project 175, has an advanced hybrid propulsion system.
But its most eye-catching feature is undoubtedly its neon uplights, which showcase its sleek form when the sun goes down, while giving off the vibe of a floating nightclub.
The designers say they’ve tried to simplify the sail set up as much as possible by selecting “tried and tested” control systems with “proven in-service reliability.”
This includes a ketch rig plan that provides a “flexible and manageable distribution” of the sail area and a lifting keel that reduces the draft from 23 feet to 15.5 feet.
Inside, Project 175 is fitted with a glazed saloon, a formal dining area, five guest cabins and a jacuzzi.
Anders Berg, the naval architect behind the concept, tells CNN Travel that the concept has generated an “encouraging response,” from the industry, but there are still many important details that need to be worked out.
“The process to develop a new concept project requires us resolve many of the technical and ascetic disciplines at an early stage,” he explains.”
“It’s not just a pretty picture; there is considerable amount of accurate design input, from developing the hull and appendages (keel/rudder), to space planning the interior within the structural confines and resolving the sail plan and sail handling systems.”
Berg stresses that due to the complexities of the project, it may take between 24 and 30 months to build “depending upon the shipyard capacity,” once all of the finer details are resolved.