Greece

Olympic Marine  

The hull of the 54-metre sailing yacht Argo 54, Hull 459, has arrived in Greece after it was launched in the Netherlands last month. The aluminium hull, which was built 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)">Jacht- en Scheepswerf Gouwerok BV</a> shipyard in Aalsmeer, outside of Amsterdam, was transported to the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6384" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Omikron Yachts (Company)">Omikron Yachts</a> facility within <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5902" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Olympic Marine (Company)">Olympic Marine</a> shipyard near Athens.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251646/image/large-56970e4ccdedf81b83aba4c5050522c2.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251646"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251647/image/large-3ba7fbd9b2d159b513dac6ca0d92ca0a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251647">The&nbsp;Argo 54 is the brainchild of racing yacht designer <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan Kouyoumdjian</a> in collaboration with <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 yacht's owner. The two studios have been working since 2020 on the design and engineering of the superyacht, which has been conceived as a high performance cruiser with impressive racing capabilities. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251651/image/large-b78ef7e7f1fdfa7f08e49686360966df.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251651"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251649/image/large-eba7eedd236ed503447913c38ba3515b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251649">She is the second superyacht to have come from the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan K</a> studio, the first of which was the famous ClubSwan 125, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6637" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Skorpios42.62m (139'10&quot;)Nautor Swan2021">Skorpios</a> which was launched last year. <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> has extensive experience engineering superyachts and brought a wealth of expertise to the project. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251645/image/large-08bb104e50ed2b35fadaf6bc2efa6427.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251645"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251644/image/large-0d8b166128f80cc781792027ae241e38.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251644">While the final exterior of the yacht is yet to be finalised, many of her technical elements have been finalised, and we will be sharing more technical details of the superyacht as the project progresses. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4404" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mark Whiteley Design (Company)">Mark Whiteley Design</a> has been chosen as the interior designer for the Argo 54.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/251649/image/large-eba7eedd236ed503447913c38ba3515b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/251649">Now that she is in Greece, the superyacht will undergo the next stage of construction, with her superstructure engineering now underway and assembly scheduled for next summer. The yacht is due for delivery in 2024.&nbsp;

Argo 54 sailing yacht arrives in Greece

The Argo 54 sailing yacht from Juan K and Rob Doyle has arrived in Greece.

Argo 54 sailing yacht from Juan K and Rob Doyle has arrived at Omikron Yachts in Greece

<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/3009" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rob Doyle Design (Company)">Rob Doyle</a> reveals some of the secrets behind his latest superyacht, created in collaboration with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan Kouyoumdjian</a> and <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 53-metre superyacht, which is due to be built in Greece, has changed the shape of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/3009" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rob Doyle Design (Company)">Doyle</a>’s yacht designs and looks to be one of the most radical and thoroughly researched high performance aluminium sailing yachts ever constructed.&nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/230141/image/large-da461c37e9e18835dff60b35ce22b160.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/230141">What was the genesis of this project?<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)"></a> <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan</a> came to me and told me about this design project he was working on with a client that wanted a super sailing yacht with massive capabilities. Juan was looking for assistance with the vessel's styling, structures, system &amp; engineering, having never designed a superyacht before and offered me a 50 percent stake of the pitch. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan</a>’s initial concept was really out there which I completely embraced as I worked over the concept of the exterior styling. When we pitched the yacht, which was at that time 52 metres, the owner came back and said “this is my yacht, I don’t need to see any other designers – let's go.”&nbsp;I’ve done 36 superyachts in my career and I have never seen a project approved so quickly by the owner, it was extraordinary. With a reaction like that we really knew we were onto something special, and then the owner and project management team allowed us an entire year with which to research and develop the project and come up with the best solution for the boat – that is unheard of in this industry! What he was essentially looking for was a superfast, super light but luxurious yacht that would set a new standard for yachts of her size. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/230138/image/large-b5a1c2db3e0e4129680a7cf88cc40978.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/230138">An entire year for R&amp;D? Can you tell us a little bit about that?<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan</a> and I really collaborated during that year, turning over every rock and learning what we needed to do to get the very most out of the yacht. We researched every rule, all the classification rules to find out which would give us the best, lightest rule for aluminium. The goal was to clarify the design down to create the strongest and stiffest rule we could get. It allowed us to explore all of the rules to their merits and eventually we settled on the BV rule.&nbsp;The entire research process allowed us to hone in on the yacht’s weight and we ended up with around 11 percent less weight than a comparative carbon hull. There are a lot of factors that contributed to that, such as the rig design with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1213" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Doyle Sailmakers (Company)">Doyle Sails</a> and structured luff, as well as us being super aggressive in cutting down on unnecessary items and systems. It has allowed us to think completely differently about the structure and composition of a sailing yacht. I would confidently say that this hull has the most thorough FEA ever done for a sailing yacht.&nbsp;We looked at every nook and cranny of the vessel and questioned ‘do we really need these systems?’ ‘Does this bring value for the owner’, if the answer was no, we removed it. What we have created is a much simpler yacht, at a lower cost and a significantly lighter weight, it's a real win-win situation. Normally with yacht design it goes the other way, with yachts getting heavier and heavier as the design process progresses. Juan’s experience in the performance yacht sector was absolutely key here as well because he knows about every single piece of waste so we were challenging one another and questioning the value of different elements. That collaboration really pushed this yacht into a new sphere. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/230136/image/large-be55739d33261e386f0d30fd4b02d3da.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/230136">Is there a risk that her lightness creates limitations to her performance?You can never have a boat that’s too light. Some weight will always creep in there but it is an old cliche that a good heavy boat is a more seaworthy one, it is just not the case. It is old, redundant thinking and we don’t need to go that way anymore. Speed is your friend. If you’re sailing in the following sea, you want to jibe the boat at maximum speed because forces are reduced putting less pressure on the rig.&nbsp;It is a different thought process now from how the older yacht designers used to think about sailing yachts. We are moving into a different generation of sailing yachts, a higher level of performance sailing yachts, it's a natural evolution.You are also collaborating with Mark Whiteley for the interiors, how did that relationship begin?<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan</a> worked on the rig, the hull shape, deck hardware and foils, while I was responsible for the exterior styling and the interior layout and we worked on the systems together. While <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan</a> and I were in the thick of this R&amp;D process, I approached the management team and said “look, you need an interior stylist who will take this same approach and give the interior the same amount of attention that we are giving the exterior and rigging.”&nbsp;We got them to meet <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4404" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mark Whiteley Design (Company)">Mark Whiteley</a> and he and the owner clicked straight away. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4404" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mark Whiteley Design (Company)">Mark</a>’s proposal was very different and very in-keeping with what we were trying to do, yet retaining a beautiful sense of the interior spaces. When I created the interior layout with the owner, the only thing he really stipulated was that everything was on one level, he didn’t want to walk down any steps. Getting <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4404" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mark Whiteley Design (Company)">Mark</a> into the team has been critical and he really has gone down into every detail to ensure the interiors comply with all the weight reduction work <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4665" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Juan Kouyoumdjian (Company)">Juan</a> and I had been working on. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/230133/image/large-52e0765ddfd559d36693f2299ba7b564.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/230133">Can you share any hints about her interiors?She is a luxurious yacht, with a massive saloon that has a near panoramic view through wrap-around glass windows, the biggest we’ve ever put in an aluminium structure. We’ve kept the mullions as small as possible and provided <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4404" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mark Whiteley Design (Company)">Mark</a> with the biggest possible canvas to work with. We’ve hidden a lot of the glass in the exterior styling so actually you don’t notice the glass expanses from the outside, but from the inside you get the full benefit with masses of light. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4404" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mark Whiteley Design (Company)">Mark</a> was able to really adapt the interior styling to that feature and we’ve pushed as much out of the vessel as possible, it’s really exciting.&nbsp;What stage is the build at now?Once we settled on the rule and the hull design, we approached the Gouwerok shipyard in Holland for the construction of her aluminium hull, while her outfitting will take place in Athens. In the coming months the hull will be launched from the shed and shipped down to Athens.&nbsp;We have finished the vast majority of our work, moving forward now it is a case of monitoring the build and ensuring that the construction matches with the work we have done on the design. We expect the yacht to be launched in 2024 at the Greek shipyard, which in itself is a fantastic facility that the owner has really invested in over the last few years. There is even talk about a second boat so things are certainly moving in the right direction.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/230139/image/large-347a18c3bc6bcd65299e15d08dd47d9c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/230139">How has this yacht and the R&amp;D process shaped the work produced by your studio today?It has made me question everything, the entire way I have looked at design and all that research has really focused my attention on what is truly necessary for yachts. You can certainly see how this yacht has inspired some of our recent work, such as 63-metre Fury unveiled last year.&nbsp;From the sail set up with the structured luff, to the entire superstructure itself, its changed the way be approach design. It also opened my eyes to the value of aluminium over carbon fibre, not only for the weight but also for the interior volume of the yacht itself, with aluminium allowing you to achieve the maximum square meterage from the vessels interiors. She’s certainly going to continue to influence our work moving forward, it has been the most interesting project we’ve worked on and we are all very excited to see her launched in the coming years!This article was originally published in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/superyacht-times-issue-41-published" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Issue 41 of SuperYacht Times newspaper</a><a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/superyacht-times-issue-40-published" target="_blank">.</a> To read more stories like this one and to never again miss another issue of the SuperYacht Times newspaper, <a href="https://shop.superyachttimes.com/report/the-superyacht-times-subscription" target="_blank">subscribe here</a>.

Rob Doyle and the radical Olympic Yachts 53M

Rob Doyle reveals some of the secrets behind his latest superyacht, created in collaboration with Juan Kouyoumdjian and Mark Whiteley. 