Spain

Juan Yacht Design

The&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Argo 5454.0m (177'2&quot;)Omikron Yachts2026">Argo 54</a>&nbsp;has been teasing sailing superyacht fans since the project started back in 2020. As the 54-metre sloop begins the push toward completion at&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6384" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Omikron Yachts (Company)">Omikron Yachts</a>&nbsp;in Greece, we take a closer look at how the powerful yet lightweight aluminium project with sustainable sailing technology is coming together.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251648/image/large-be266dc700d9ffdd1c4e6cb3050e9c01.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251648">With its distinctive reverse bow and aggressive wedge-shaped hull, the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Argo 5454.0m (177'2&quot;)Omikron Yachts2026">Argo 54</a> sailing yacht presents a striking picture. A combination of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan Kouyoumdjian’s</a> raceboat sensibilities, the aesthetics and engineering nous of superyacht-savvy <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/3009" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rob Doyle Design (Company)">Rob Doyle Design</a>, and the interior design skills of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4404" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mark Whiteley Design (Company)">Mark Whiteley</a>, the project pushes boundaries in terms of styling, naval architecture, structural design, and systems technology.The idea sprang from the owner’s desire to create a modern, lightweight sailing superyacht that would be capable of fast cruising with guests and core crew, as well as racing with expanded crew and a bigger wardrobe of sails. The yacht would also feature a diesel-electric drivetrain that included a battery bank fed by renewables – hydro-generation in particular. The owner (who owns the shipping company that comprises <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2869" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Olympic Marine (Company)">Olympic Marine</a>, the parent company of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6384" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Omikron Yachts (Company)">Omikron Yachts</a>, and who was also behind the conversion of the 106.5-metre motor yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4275" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Dream106.5m (349'5&quot;)Halic Tersaneleri1997">Dream</a>) tapped Kouyoumdjian to tackle the naval architecture and sailing elements in what is the designer’s largest project to date.“The main brief was to design and engineer a superyacht that would be very well-balanced in breezes from five to 50 knots, and which would deliver a very pleasant experience from the helm,” begins Philippe Oulhen, design coordinator for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6384" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Omikron Yachts (Company)">Omikron Yachts</a>. “The yacht was to have an owner suite and four guest suites, plus accommodation for seven to eight crew. She would run in both cruising mode – with a cruising sail set and reduced heel angles – and racing mode, with more crew, a bigger sail wardrobe, and a lighter displacement thanks to removing cruising gear, tender and deck furniture.”&nbsp;With the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1797" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Yacht Design (Company)">Juan Yacht Design</a> team creating the hull lines, the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/3009" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rob Doyle Design (Company)">Rob Doyle Design</a> team was brought in to style the yacht and look at the structural engineering to create as light a displacement yacht as possible. Their studies showed that they could build the hull in aluminium for less than a carbon structure and with more flexibility and volume for internal arrangements. In addition, stripping out unnecessary weight and systems became a focus of the project.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/368863/image/large-0b876889cf61b46e3203e2ce132caa52.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/368863">The yacht’s lines include a reverse bow and lengthy forefoot overhang, a wide, low stern with a wine-glass shaped aft canoe body, and a centreboard-style swing keel. The hull also has a degree of tumblehome to take advantage of wider beam without increasing deck windage.“The hull shape was optimised with our in-house CFD cluster and know-how, with our method of feeding our velocity prediction program with 6DoF (six degrees of freedom) simulations covering wide true wind speeds and angles,” says Oulhen. “The stern bustle adds volume aft while the keel is up – when the longitudinal centre of gravity moves back – and the yacht’s stability and fore-aft trim at anchor will be controlled by this aft bustle and forward water ballast.”&nbsp;The yacht features several design innovations, including the centreboard keel design (see below) and a force-feedback system for the helms. “The novel steering system is an important part of the build,” says Nikolas Dendrinos, chairman of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2869" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Olympic Marine (Company)">Olympic Marine</a>. “A standard hydraulic system doesn’t deliver ‘feel’, but it’s hard to sail fast if you don't understand the loads and what is happening with the rudder.”&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6384" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Omikron Yachts (Company)">Omikron</a> opted for a system comprising two mechatronic actuators on the rudders that monitor loading, with the data sent via electrical signal to the helm to be translated into real-time force feedback. “It's similar to the fly-by-wire system on modern cars,” Dendrinos says. “For us this was very important to create the feel of a smaller boat – it will be very fast, very responsive, with twin balanced rudders.”While the project features some technological leaps and involved in-depth FEA (see below), most aspects of the design have been kept to tried and tested solutions.&nbsp;“We didn't want to re-invent the wheel – it was important to use systems and equipment that are available on the market with a track record,” confirms Oulhen. “The project is a nice coordination of good solutions working well together, with a prime example being the keel – the concept existed, but we refined it with all the partners. The same is true for the steering system, which tackles a major feature of the brief for the sailing. It’s proven fly-by-wire technology that is well-implemented."<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251647/image/large-3ba7fbd9b2d159b513dac6ca0d92ca0a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251647">Sustainable sailingRather than opting for a big main engine with a PTO and a couple of generators, the design relies on a diesel-electric drivetrain with two full variable-speed generators that feed into a DC bus system and then into a 540 kilowatt-hour battery bank.&nbsp;“It means you can run the entire system off the grid, and get a quiet ship,” says Rob Doyle, principal of the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/3009" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rob Doyle Design (Company)">Rob Doyle Design</a> studio. “The generators can be smaller and can be run at optimum load.”At its core is an 800-volt DC bus with the batteries able to deliver between seven and 24 hours silent sailing and anchoring depending on loads, and with the gensets charging the batteries in one and a half hours. The yacht uses a special water-cooling system for the motors and drives in order to keep the system small and light.“The chillers are also designed for energy recovery and efficiency,” adds <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6384" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Omikron Yachts (Company)">Omikron Yachts</a> head of design, Filippos Stratakis. “There are five chiller units that ramp up in sequence according to demand, rather than having one big chiller unit that’s on all the time. The heat from the air-con system and generators is recycled, and the whole system delivers efficiency improvements of 25 to 40 per cent, and up to 75 per cent under some conditions. We did this to reduce the batteries needed for the hotel load and therefore reduce the weight, and we can also operate the hydraulic sailing systems and winches without running a generator.”In addition to the generators, power will come from hydro-generation while sailing via a retractable aluminium shaft drive, which the design team worked on with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2827" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ship Motion Group B.V. (Company)">Ship Motion</a>.“We basically wanted maximum blade area for hydro-generation with the prop running in reverse,” says Doyle. “Their prop guys did some research and designed an optimised propeller for maximum generation while sailing. It was the first step on the ladder of the technology that we’re already integrating into other boats, which is allowing them to do a full transatlantic without running a generator.”With the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Argo 5454.0m (177'2&quot;)Omikron Yachts2026">Argo</a> designed to start sailing in as little as four knots of breeze, and with hydro-generation really kicking in above eight knots of boat speed, projections are the system will produce up to 55 kilowatts. However, the yacht is designed to sail in heavier airs too.&nbsp;“In Greece we have very strong winds compared to the Med as a whole,” says Vassilis Kouvaris, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6384" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Omikron Yachts (Company)">Omikron Yachts’</a> project manager for the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Argo 5454.0m (177'2&quot;)Omikron Yachts2026">Argo 54</a>. “We can go from zero to 50 knots, and 30 knots is very normal – these are no-go conditions for sailing superyachts, but this boat has been designed to sail in them easily."<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/368867/image/large-7023d3e5e487722d330883677f12d5dc.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/368867">Building betterHull fabrication was done at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5011" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Jacht- en Scheepswerf Gouwerok BV (Company)">Gouwerok Shipyard</a> in the Netherlands and was completed in November 2022. “They are one of the best aluminium builders in the world,” enthuses Doyle. “In their contract they guaranteed a maximum deflection of three millimetres concave over six metres, with zero convex. It was like an aircraft fuselage – you could have polished it and sent it out the door.”A notable feature is that the hull doesn’t have a standard frame size, each one being designed for the load case. FEA was used to optimise the scantlings by playing with different frame spacing and longitudinal structure to see which models yielded the lightest weight. This has had other interesting impacts: by concentrating the major forces from rigging and keel through three key reinforced frames, the team was able to reduce the amount of structure required for the deck. Indeed, the turnbuckles for the shrouds are in the engine room, a result of the chainplates being located in the turn of the bilge. The mast itself comes from <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2447" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Southern Spars (Company)">Southern Spars</a> and is deck-stepped, supported by Aerosix rigging.Phased releaseSitting in a vast shed at the Skaramangas shipyard near Athens, much of the hotwork has been completed and the hull has been faired. The project has been making slow but steady progress since the hull arrived in Greece at the end of 2022, but the team has also been waiting for technology to catch up – in particular in relation to the DC grid system, which is being engineered by Baumüller, a German company specialising in systems for commercial shipping.&nbsp;Work will soon start engineering the interiors and building mock-ups at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2869" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Olympic Marine (Company)">Olympic Marine</a> to confirm cabin layouts, crew areas and other details before ordering in the materials for the production of the interiors proper. The interiors, which will feature lightweight Nomex core construction, will be built at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2869" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Olympic Marine (Company)">Olympic Marine</a> in parallel with progress on the technical fit-out at the Skaramangas yard. Dendrinos estimates a further 18 months of build time before the yacht is launched.The owner and crew will be making good use of that time. Because of the performance nature of the hull and the sail plan, the yard has bought a Volvo 70 (also designed by the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1797" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Yacht Design (Company)">Juan Yacht Design</a> studio) from the 2012 edition of the Volvo Ocean Race for the crew and owner to train on.&nbsp;“Sailing at these kinds of speeds is a different mentality, and we will also step to a hydraulic system on the 70 similar to what the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Argo 5454.0m (177'2&quot;)Omikron Yachts2026">Argo</a> will have,” says Dendrinos. “If you have infinite power to control your sails, it becomes more complicated because you can’t feel the loads. The training is also key to ensuring the owner won’t need a large crew of professional racers to enjoy the yacht – he wants to sail with his friends.” For all the convention-defying aspects of the Argo 54, that aspect at least, it seems, is convention to its core.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/248400/image/large-fc3894d7e8605367efa8753b991cda8a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/248400">Keel designThe <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Argo 5454.0m (177'2&quot;)Omikron Yachts2026">Argo 54</a> uses a centreboard swing keel design built by Italian specialist keel-builder APM Keels. It has a ram mounted on the front side of the mechanism to pull the keel down and push it back up. An additional lock-step design in the keel box ensures that the keel is self-supporting when in the raised position, meaning the ram can be disengaged and removed if necessary.&nbsp;“With all the big boats we’ve done the biggest problem we have is always dealing with the fuse and the grounding load, followed by the difficulty in undertaking standard maintenance on the mechanism,” says Doyle.The team designed a new type of fuse, so if the yacht grounds with the keel down, the will fuse break and the keel will pull away from the hydraulic ram, meaning the shock loads don’t get transferred to the rig, chainplates or keel box.“It also means you don’t get ram compression, you don’t damage the seals, and you don’t get atomised hydraulic oil in the technical space,” adds Doyle. “It also allows you to re-engage the ram and push the keel up over the lock so it’s locked in the raised position, then you can back off the ram, change the fuse, re-engage the ram, bolt it all back together and you’re good to go – there’s no need to get to a dry dock.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/368866/image/large-c2a0d4b134304ae2731b915f1c92e467.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/368866">Structural engineeringAt the project’s core is a carefully engineered and beautifully constructed aluminium hull and deck weighing just 62 tonnes, which according to Dendrinos makes the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10154" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Argo 5454.0m (177'2&quot;)Omikron Yachts2026">Argo 54</a> the lightest aluminium hull ever built for its length, saving around 35 tonnes of aluminium compared to a standard build. The engineering required the Doyle team to delve deep into the rules in order to keep the structure as light as possible while still meeting class requirements.&nbsp;“We approached the structure from first principles, while also considering the differences in class rules – a Lloyd’s boat wouldn’t fit under DNV, for example, and a DNV boat wouldn’t fit under an ABS programme,” says Doyle. “But it was a fantastic bit of research, because it showed that if you push the meaning of each rule to its limits they all come out about the same, with weight within a couple of percentage points of each other.”With the shipyard choosing to build to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1463" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bureau Veritas (Company)">Bureau Veritas</a> came an interesting conundrum when the surveyor said that the size of the frames needed to be doubled. In order to keep their lightweight design, the team did full finite element analysis (FEA) to prove every part of the hull’s structure was sound. This had an additional benefit:&nbsp;“We discovered that a historic phenomenon with plating distortion around the chainplates wasn’t due to the aspect ratio of plates, as had previously been thought, but was from the stresses running around the turn of the bilge and creasing the boat – something that only detailed FEA could show,” explains Doyle. “We ended up beefing up the plating around the structure of the hull where the chainplates are located way more than what the rule specified, and we were then able to go back to class and point out the problem, and recommend they upgrade their rules.”This article was featured in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-8-download" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Issue 8 of How To Build It</a>.&nbsp;You can read all the articles from this edition&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-8-download" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">here</a>, and stay up-to-date with all previous editions&nbsp;here.

argo 54 push to completion

A closer look at how the powerful yet lightweight aluminium Argo 54 with sustainable sailing technology is coming together

Argo 54: The push to completion

Nautor’s Swan has unveiled a new 125-foot sailing yacht project under its newly-formed ClubSwan Yachts division. The ClubSwan 125 is currently in build in Jakobstad, Finland which was commissioned by an experienced, racing-orientated owner.

<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/166382/image/large-057f04a957a5662ff96b4609572aec23.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/166382">

Few details are known about the project thus far, but designer Juan Kouyoumdjian gives a preview of what to expect: “While below deck you will marvel at the attention to the detail and the space, both of which exemplify the experience of being afloat at its best, at the helm you will be immersed in the sensation of sailing the fastest monohull ever conceived”.

More details about the project as it becomes available.

Nautor’s Swan starts construction on new ClubSwan 125 supermaxi

Italian design studio Green Yachts have shared their latest sailing yacht creation with us. The 40 metre Sussurro is designed as a high performance cruiser suited to both bluewater racing and comfortable short handed sailing. The studio, predominantly known for their motor yacht concepts, have worked on sailing yacht designs before such as the proposed restyling of Wally’s 94 Sensei.

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The yacht is designed with the practicalities of true sailing in mind but also perfectly setup for charter and guest use. The raised foredeck provides an ideal platform from which to enjoy the surrounding views and leaves the sunken cockpit as a safe zone during maneuvers and rough conditions. The raised foredeck at the same time creates added interior space throughout the guest accommodation areas below deck.

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The interior has been kept in a minimalistic style further adding to the functionality of the yacht at sea. A total of six guest and six crew members are accommodated for throughout Sussurro.

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Green Yachts' 40m Sussurro sailing yacht concept

Michael Tyrrell and Jim Rabenstine of Dwight Tracy &amp; Friends have announced a $500,000 reduction on the 33 metre superyacht Adriana III, now with an asking price of $6,495,000. Built in 2008 by Horizon Yachts, this tri-deck motor yacht features a custom interior by Juan Carlos Espinosa. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/134892/image/large-659bb1123fa7947471be4f80ecb95679.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/134892">She offers a unique large open-plan kitchen, a versatile sundeck with barbeque, sun pads and a Jacuzzi pool and can accommodate up to eight guests in four cabins. She has a cruising speed of 12 knots and is currently located in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.Dwight Tracy &amp; Friends Michael Tyrrell / Jim Rabenstine +1 954 767 0007 <a href="mailto:info@dtfyachts.com?subject=Dwight%20Tracy%20%26%20Friends%20on%20SuperYachtTimes.com">info@dtfyachts.com</a> <a target="_blank" href="http://www.dtfyachts.com">www.dtfyachts.com</a>