Future Yacht: Craig Loomes 146-meter Trimaran

Craig Loomes 146-meter Trimaran
The shortest distance between two points is a straight line.

by Carl Camper

Craig Loomes is making a point. Three points to be exact. In his latest Buck-the-Trend, D A M N the Torpedoes hull design, he’s combined one part superyacht, one part submarine and one part angry hornet trumped-up on amphetamines into a stabilized monohull with wreckless disregard for waves. And just who is this Loomatic? Craig Loomes is yacht designer from down under whose motto appears to be the first rule in Italian driving… “remove the rearview mirror, because what’s behind you doesn’t matter any more.”

In just a few short years, Loomes has gained worldwide recognition for hulls designed to silhouette waves and they have certainly pierced the press, claiming such accolades as the International Superyacht Society award for “Best Power 32m to 43m” in 2004 for his 33 meter Wavepiercer. See this link… Spirit

The 146-meter Trimaran concept is the warp-forward offspring to the “Earthrace Wavepiercer Trimaran”, a globetrotting, purpose-built boat targeting the world circumnavigation record by favoring consistency over speed. This futuristic, 24-meter wave slayer is producing better than anticipated efficiency while taming decelerations induced by wave impact. The result is a much smoother, albeit wildly wetter ride. Visit this link for more info… http://www.earthrace.net.

While the design doesn’t offer the usual exterior walkways, it offers something very different… observation lounges contained within the highest point of the arches for a birds-eye view of the main hull submerging itself with frequency. The exaggerated arches serve another purpose, to place the air intake for the engines at the highest point possible on the vessel.

The yacht concept also benefits from the submariner approach, with consistent transatlantic speeds estimated at 40 knots, moving it into a realm few others can venture. Projected power plants are four MTU V-20 8000 diesels, pumping out 8,200 hp each, which is expected to produce a sprint speed of 50 knots!

Because the hull form is narrow, accommodations have been split into multi-level staterooms for up to 28 guests. The master, seen here, is a tri-level suite. Other facilities include a helicopter pad on the aft deck and quite possibly... a cave, because if Batman had a boat, Loomes designed it. <end>

Story by Carl Camper.

Preliminary specifications:

LOA: 148 meters
Beam: No slip wide enough
Draft: 3.6 meters
Weight: 3000 tons
Power: 4 x MTU V-20 8000's
Range: 3000 miles at 40 knots
Cruise speed (estimated): 40 knots
Top Speed (estimated): 50 knots

For more information, contact:

Craig Loomes Design Group
P.O. Box 147-027
Ponsonby, Auckland
New Zealand
+64 9360 9799
www.cld.co.nz

Low aspect view...