Designer Terry Disdale tells us about four and a half years of the world's third largest superyacht with a length of 162.5 meters and nine decks.
Roman Abramovich's 162.5-metre motor yacht took four and a half years to build.
Terry Disdale didn't set out for the
world's biggest yacht. “No one ever said to me, 'I want a 160-metre boat,'” he says, while having breakfast near his office in Richmond, London. “While the yacht was still on the drawing board, there was a rumor that someone was building a larger boat and the owner was asked if he knew about it. He said he didn't and he didn't care. Breaking the record was the furthest thing on his mind.”
*View of the main hall from this side ship
Eclipse, the second largest yacht in the world, was designed inside and out by British designer Terence Disdale.
All he cared about were helicopters – he wanted to carry more than one; and the pool – it's supposed to be big. There was also some early discussion about low railings and large windows, and that was the whole summary of what Eclipse was going to be. "It's actually a terrible thing to have free reins," Disdale says. “I asked myself what I wanted: something timeless. How do you design something timeless that will still look good and not be anemic? It's easy to get carried away, but after 20 years you should be able to look at it and decide it still looks good." But that's the trick and a designer's measure, right?
When launched, the 162.5-metre mega yacht Eclipse was the largest yacht in the world.
At least Disdale had ideas for creating the design. “Part of what makes the yacht look like this is that you have to land this huge helicopter forward so that the superstructure is pushed back. The formation of the boat is built around the use of helicopters. We didn't want the boat to look unstable when the helicopter is on the foredeck. Some boats have a front that looks wrong when a helicopter sits there. It has a deck.”
*Stone, fossilized wood, shell and non-combustible materials such as bronze metal panels and mosaics helped the yacht comply with strict Solas regulations.
The lines of the boat were determined by another prerequisite: the two important lifeboats Solas requested. It simply extends straight from the bow and rises amidships, creating a high freeboard that gives visual support to the lifeboats. "Lifeboats wouldn't look comfortable if you had a different vertical line," says the designer. That, plus the addition of a 15-foot pool to the main deck, meant that the Eclipse's overall length - 162.5 meters - was defined by practicality, not ego.
Roman Abramovich's 162.5 meter motor yacht Eclipse can host 36 guests with a crew of 66.
"Everyone thinks a boat starts with a sketch, a stunning view of the outside of the boat. But that's not how things work in my office - we start with a plan, a general arrangement." From this initial design phase to the launch of the boat at Blohm+Voss' Hamburg shipyard in 2009, the project took four and a half years – a remarkable feat given the yacht's scale, but the 180-metre superyacht Azzam', which in 2013 became the world's largest. I also have to take into account.
The Superyacht Eclipse has a top speed of 20 knots and a range of 6,000 nautical miles.
As many as 20 engineers from Blue Ocean Yacht Management were on site throughout construction and whipped it up to meet the aggressive delivery schedule. Disdale doesn't remember sleepless nights - "at least, no more than usual!" dior. At the time, the pressure to design the best yacht in the world – both inside and out – was evident. “Building something of this magnitude that will be under the scrutiny of everyone is a huge responsibility. Not just 'doing a job', this thing will be reviewed and analyzed by everyone. As a designer, you have a responsibility to yourself.”
*The main hall makes maximum use of Eclipse's 22-metre beam. The limestone window sills are wide enough to sit in, while the low exterior screens guarantee a great view.
Eclipse has a diesel-electric propulsion system with generators that power the rotating Azipod drives.
Ten years from delivery, and more than 15 years from when Disdale first puts pen to paper, he says he wouldn't change anything - and neither does Disdale's owner who hasn't drastically changed his designs. “For me, it's more of a clean piece of architecture than a piece of style. Having a helipad at the front brings the superstructure to spring size. If it wasn't there, you wouldn't have this length. And then when you get to the back of the boat, the swimming pool dictates another part of the story. Now I don't know what to change. I don't sit down and talk 'I wish I had done this'. Maybe I could have made the back a bit more inviting the way the stairs lead to the boat, but anti-piracy was a concern, plus there are loads of services and facilities there. There's a full-size pantry, gull-wing doors, a pull-out barbecue, and a pizza oven, which few boats have to service the beach club. There's a lot more you haven't seen."
*"The beach club is not the loft" is the guiding principle of all Disdale designs.
The Blohm+Voss superyacht Eclipse was named Motor Yacht of the Year at the 2011 World Superyacht Awards.
Disdale's long experience in the industry means it can resist pushing designs or blindly following flashing and fading trends, leaving boats looking prematurely. “The Eclipse is a beautiful boat, and it really looks like a boat. It doesn't make any claims,” he says. “The key word is elegance. Few boats can make that claim now. Modern boats are purposeful, aggressive, macho, which has caused them all to be snub noses. They look angry. You can paint them gray and stick a ball in front of them and it won't detract from their poise. Eclipse does not. "This is a familiar suggestion from Disdale, who famously published 10 "design orders" in his office. “One of the most important tools in your box is restraint. I can have complete freedom when designing a superstructure, but restraint is the most important thing.”
*The yacht features 18 guest suites with an astonishing array of materials, including light grain silver rubbed black wood, limed wenge and buffalo leather.
Eclipse motor yacht designer Disdale says the interior of any boat should be about "pure relaxation."
The obvious benefit of having a single designer in charge of the interior and exterior of a yacht is that there is a seamless flow between the two, and this is certainly true for Eclipse, whose interior fits another Disdale's mantra: "beach house, not penthouse". "If you have a dining room with satin chairs and a gold braid around them, but you live in a tee and shorts, then you're not comfortable," she says.
The pool is a large recreational area with a ceiling height of 3.2 meters and a retractable glass roof. “The ambiance of the pool is as important as how it looks. You have to want to sit next to it.” Or dance on it: The blue granite floor of the pool rises to be flush with the deck. It can also be lowered with a touch to create a paddling pool.
*Specially commissioned artwork in the lobbies is not only beautiful, it also helps you find your seat on the nine-deck yacht.
Disdale says the interior of any boat should be about "pure relaxation." "People are on vacation, people are cold." It tells the story of an Arab client who discouraged him from installing gold taps on his superyacht in the 1980s. “I already told him he had 65 meters at the pier—she had already made her statement. It was a process of trying to silence his vanity.” With the owner of Eclipse you get the feeling that such an effort is not needed. “He already owned three yachts for our design, so he was very familiar with the way I work and the habitat I create.” Although you use the very conscious warmth of this habitat and the same color palette throughout, it is impossible to miss a design miracle that you will never get tired of mustard tones anywhere.
*This large guest cabin on the seventh deck is the perfect example of the comfort that the yacht's interior design offers, which the designer says should provide "pure relaxation".
This uniformity didn't apply to lobbies between decks: different artists were tasked with creating unique works to give each lobby a flavor, so there's no confusion about which deck you're on—an issue when you have nine. One of these pieces is a seven-piece wooden sculpture whose design was hand-drawn by Disdale and sent to Japan for production. Even in more mundane pieces such as the sideboards in cabinets designed in Europe and produced in Chile, it's a striking study of detail and symptomatic, shown from start to finish.
The pool on the Blohm+Voss superyacht Eclipse is one of the largest yachts in the sea.
Disdale, who wasn't given clear information about the yacht's layout, had to second-guess, "but that's my job," he says. "You have to figure out how people move on the boat." The benefit of a LOA like Eclipse's is that the owner can swallow a serious space without affecting the guest experience. It's not about avoiding guests, it's about being able to work independently of them.
*The pool area on the main deck, which is understandably a popular spot on the ship, can be left open to the sides or enclosed by glass panels. The pool's blue granite floor rises to sit flush with the deck to create a dance floor.
It would be easy to confuse the guest suites with the owner's own staterooms, namely their footprint. There are a total of 18 guest cabins that serve 100 crew members. From the moment guests arrive by helicopter, mostly on the upper helideck, they immerse themselves in the comfort of the boat and have access to the main stairwell and elevator. A pass that Disdale is particularly proud of. “It came from understanding how a boat was used. You get shattered when you get off the helicopter, and then where are you going?” The answer is an intimate lounge where you can freshen up before properly entering the interior. It also gives pilots a place to hold safety briefings, he notes. Eclipse can travel on board with multiple helicopters because one can be located in the front hangar, one above it on the retractable platform and the other on the sundeck.
*These portholes on the lower deck offer views of the pool and add a slightly mottled ambiance to the wellness and gym.
Convenience continues at the other end of the boat, with a large swimming platform and ladders that fold into the water for easy boarding, even for those wearing full diving gear. A comfortable lounge stretching along the centerline was preferred to a large open space that was more difficult to secure. On the other hand, the lower deck opens up to a huge 77 square meter gym and spa, complete with massage room, beauty parlor, sauna, shower areas and the yacht's second plunge pool. The rows of portholes overlooking the swimming pool, which speckle the light throughout this area, add to the visual interest. Choosing a place to relax on the deck is a little harder – where do you start? The options are endless, but special mention should be made of the wood-burning fire pit on the upper deck – perfect for nights under the stars on the deck.
*Great view over the water from this lounge behind the lower deck
Disdale and his crew were there when the boat emerged from the giant dry dock in Hamburg in June 2009. No butterflies - she claims to be pretty nigga about seeing it free of scaffolding and plastic. “Even though you design every part of it and see it being built, nothing prepares you for the emotion you will feel when you actually see it. The tug hauled it out and there was a thick mattress between the wing stations and the hut walls. Literally - they attached the beds to the stations. When it came out, my mouth fell open.” It was gratifying for the man who, as the owner, devoted nearly five years to the project.
*The front helideck opens to allow storage of a Eurocopter EC155 in the hangar below. If necessary, another heli can land on the runway and there will be more landing areas on the sundeck.
"Like cars," explains the car fanatic. “I was talking about Lamborghini the other day. They used to have the Miura, which was a beautiful car. But they replaced it with the Countach, which looks like it was carved out of cheese. One looks old and one looks stuck in time. Elegance is the most important thing. Miura is elegant, Jaguar E-Type is elegant. " Too humble to say but Eclipse belongs in this league – it's forever beautiful.
About M/Y Eclipse
M/Y Eclipse is the third longest floating superyacht today, built by Blohm+Voss in Hamburg, Germany. Exterior and interior design by Terence Disdale. The yacht was handed over to Russian oligarch Roman Abramovich on December 9, 2010. The 162.5 meters (533 ft 2 in) long Eclipse was the longest private yacht in the world until the 17.3 meters (56 ft 9 in) Azzam was launched in April 2013. The cost of the yacht is estimated at € 340 million.
MY Eclipse Features
Eclipse has two helipads, 24 guest cabins, two swimming pools, several jacuzzis and a disco lounge. It is also equipped with three launch boats and a mini-submarine that can dive to 50 meters (160 ft). About 70 crew are needed to operate the yacht and serve the guests.
For security, the Eclipse is equipped with a missile detection system, missile launchers and self-defense systems.
As of 2009, the Eclipse was also the largest ship at anchor based on the Magnus effect and using a rotor-based stabilization system against roll motion at low cruise speeds.
MY Eclipse History
Eclipse was launched on 12 June 2009. It arrived in Frederikshavn, Denmark on 18 September 2009 for sea trials and was delivered to Abramovich on 9 December 2010. The first photos of the completed yacht were taken in Kristiansand, Norway, while refueling. .
In February 2011, Eclipse was made available for charter through SuperYachtsMonaco, a Monaco-based yacht brokerage company.
Eclipse every winter in St. St. Martin airport in the Caribbean to pick up guests flying into the airport. Travels to Martin. The yacht was later transferred to Abramovich's nearby St. He goes to his house in Barts.
Who owns the yacht Eclipse?
M/Y Eclipse is owned by Roman Abramovic.
How much does the yacht Eclipse cost?
Can you charter yacht Eclipse?
Although not in the open charter market, Eclipse can be chartered for €3 million per week according to various sources, with the owner's team involved in the management of superyacht operations, without the involvement of any brokerage firm.
Who is Roman Abramovich?
Born in Saratov, Russia in 1966, a major port city in the southwestern corner of the country, Abramovich is a Russian billionaire best known for his role as owner of Premier League club Chelsea.
What yachts does Roman Abramovich own?
Roman Abramovich owns 7 yachts, listed below by size and amenities:
1- Solaris 2- Eclipse 3- Le Grand Blue 4- Ecstasea 5- Sussurro 6- Luna 7- Pelorus