The beauty and the balance: Speed meets space on new Feadship Callisto
by Feadship 9 Apr 2022 01:08 PDT
Feadship Callisto © Feadship
Historians reflecting on the superyacht industry of the 2020s may well cite the 42.50- metre Callisto as a textbook example of what is meant by the term 'pure custom creation'. Built to a precise size to match her berth in the Mediterranean, Callisto seamlessly balances the owners' desire for a 21-knot-fast superyacht with specific accommodation and outdoor entertainment wishes based on their rich experience at sea. The result is an exceptional one-off superyacht for repeat clients which sets a new precedent for bespoke luxury cruising below 500GT.
The 42.50-metre Callisto was launched by the Feadship yard in Aalsmeer (NL) at the start of April 2022, sixteen years after the delivery of the first Callisto. This 65.20-metre Feadship is still used by the owners as a world cruiser and has been kept in premium condition ever since, including two refits at Feadship in 2014 and 2021. She was the first superyacht fitted with an ultra-advanced rudder-roll system and the owners set out to be equally innovative with their second Feadship called Callisto.
Built for repeat clients of Alex Lees-Buckley from Camper & Nicholsons with owner's project management by Andy Davies, Feadship the obvious choice for this project based both on the owners' previous experiences and because they were able to partner with the same project team. The fact that Feadship is the only brand able to combine the speed required with the high-end quality and comfort standards used on the mothership was another factor, as were the specific custom features the owners wished to enjoy based on many years of cruising.
Design process
Before embracing the carte blanche approach offered by Feadship regarding which features would be incorporated on their new yacht, the owners set a specific length of 42.50 metres. While the exact speed was still up for debate at the start of the project, a benchmark of at least 20 knots was set.
The team from Studio De Voogt and Feadship's in-house naval architects were tasked with working closely together with the owner's team to make this a reality. The key to success was finding the right balance between a high speed hull and sufficient room for the desired luxury spaces with five fine en suite staterooms, a full-beam bridge deck lounge and a lovely main deck salon. Achieving this impressive speed on a 42.50-metre Feadship entailed building the hull and superstructure in aluminium as well as installing some serious twin MTU propulsion power and heavy-duty propellers.
The underwater body was extensively optimised, in coorperation with the owner's adviser Toby Silverton, with in-house CFD calculations, followed by an elaborate model testing programme at the renowned SVA basin in Austria to verify the results and further optimise performance in calm waters and waves.
This all resulted in a subtle and unique bow design to reduce pitching motions and further lower resistance at higher speeds. Having this shape nestling below the virtually vertical bow also serves as a design feature in its own right.
While the original Callisto is a classic Feadship in terms of her status and looks, the 2022 version takes these elements and adds various sporty touches to reflect her speedier nature.
Style spotting
Notable classic Feadship styling features include the superstructure treatment, the wide-body window with its clusters of mullions, the mast and the alignment of the aft decks.
Sporty elements include the angled line running from the shoulder towards the bow in a profile that also benefits from the owners' request to keep Callisto's profile relatively low and compact in order to optimise space and stay under the elusive 500GT mark.
Callisto's splendid outdoor areas are another highly visible aspect of her exterior design, all of which closely reflect how the owners spend time on their yachts. The sun deck is enormous in relation to size and includes lots of shade as requested. Shelter from the wind was another primary parameter, with glass walls closing off three sides of the central section of the deck. The glass section forward can be lowered when required to allow a lovely warm or cooling breeze through. Forward of the windbreak is a lovely lounging area and further seating and sun beds are available aft to complete the package on what must surely be one of the coolest sun decks created on a Feadship to date.
Another requirement was to have a large swimming platform for good tender access and the option of waterfront dining. The al fresco delights don't stop there. Having a large seating area and table plus room for sun loungers forward on the bridge deck feels like a real bonus on a 42.5-metre yacht. To maintain her clean lines the owners requested that the extra crew tender they wished to have available (in addition to the luxury tender housed in the lower deck garage) to be concealed in a bay in the foredeck. Accessible by a hatch, the boat is easily launched by a discreetly placed crane on the mooring deck. There is even room for two jet skis.
Drawn on the boards at Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design, Callisto has a light interior that reflects the Mediterranean-summer as well as generating a suitably spacious ambience. The full beam owner's stateroom is located in a prime position forward on the main deck and there are two full width VIP staterooms, and a further two twin en suite staterooms on the lower deck. The eight crew will benefit from the best Feadship accommodation.
Personal touches
"It has been a genuine pleasure to work again with such knowledgeable clients on Callisto," concludes project manager Pieter de Vries. "They had hoped to visit the yard regularly having loved their time building their first custom Feadship. Although the pandemic made this challenging they kept in good touch via virtual meetings and could also leverage on their trust in Feadship to deliver their demands in tandem with the on-site owner's team.
Practising social distancing while building a yacht of 42.50 metres demanded a great deal of organisation and discipline among our engineers and craftsmen. We are delighted, none the less, to be able to deliver Callisto on time and to have created such a stunning Feadship for owners who deserve the very best."
Technical specifications:
Length overall: 42.50m 139'5"
Beam overall: 9.20m 30'2"
Draught (loaded): 2.30m 7'7"
Fuel capacity: 40,800 litres / 10,780 US gallons
Fresh water capacity: 10,420 litres / 2,750 US gallons
Design:
Naval Architect: Feadship De Voogt Naval architects
Exterior design: Studio De Voogt
Interior design: Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design
Propulsion:
Main engines: 2x MTU 16V2000M96L, 2x 1,939 kW @ 2,450 rpm
Generators: 2x Kohler 125EFOZDJ, 2x 125 kW @ 1,500 rpm
Speed (max/cruise): 21 knots / 12.5 knots
Range: 3,000 NM at 11 knots
Accommodation:
Owner: Two guests in owner's suite with separate en suite bathroom and dressing room.
Guests: Four guests in two full width VIP staterooms, four guests in two twin staterooms. All staterooms have en suite bathrooms.
Crew: Eight crew: three twin cabins and one single cabin on the lower deck, plus a captain's cabin on the bridge deck.
Galley on main deck; storage rooms, laundry and crew mess on lower deck.