AIR - LURSSEN'S NEW MEGAYACHT.

Tim Heywood's design is an accurate reflection and translation of the wishes of the owner, who from the outset made it very clear that he knew precisely what it was he was looking for in his new yacht. He was looking for a spacious yacht with sleek lines and well balanced proportions yet with large volumes. This has led to sweeping spaces, grand windows and therefore an immersion in light.

Another consequence of the design brief are the grandiose deck passages, even grander interior spaces and a virtually total separation of owner and crew areas. As an example, the mooring deck is located under the private forward facing owner's deck, a yachting first.

One of the fundamental requests of the owner was for AIR (ex. Rainbow) to be a yacht that would be as clean and environmentally friendly as possible. Very low emissions, low vibrations and low sound levels were some of the demands that needed to be achieved.

For this reason she is fitted with 8 diesel generators, which can supply the required power for both the hotel load as well as for propulsion. These engines are mounted in pairs on elastically mounted rafts in 4 separate rooms. The generated power is fed through the power management system to two electrical motors which are housed in two Azipods from ABB which are hanging under the stern. There are 8 exhaust funnels which allow each diesel to exhaust through a state of the art sophisticated soot filtration system out of its own separate stack. The overall result is a vibration free environment which yield greater guest comfort.

As a matter of fact, Air is the first yacht in the world to be delivered fitted with Azipods.

The interior design by Terence Disdale can be described as minimalist. Only very few different materials have been chosen, and these have been used consistently throughout the whole yacht. A very impressive staircase in lime stone with self-supporting steps dominates the owners and guest areas.

AIR fulfils in a remarkable way the demands of an experienced owner, whose input in all aspects of its design was strong, clear and challenging.