Future Feadship!

X-Bow meets the X-Files.

Like a Klingon Warship uncloaking itself to strike, Feadship debuted a radical new concept at the Monaco Yacht Show… the 241’ “X-Stream”. A drastic departure in design, this aXe-bow boat with a see-thru superstructure is as extreme as the name implies. A future Feadship of sorts, the model is presented as a conceptual look at a possible course to plot for the renowned Dutch builder.

Although the X-Stream remains a concept, the technology to build it and the interest it has generated are very real. With a contract for build, Feadship could take this boat from theory to reality in short order, as the fundamentals of the design have already been carried out by the De Voogt design studio, in conjunction with the Delft Institute of Technology in Holland. The result is more than a Feadship with a new figure, it’s producing numbers that dictate the design is worthy of development.

At the leading edge of this concept is a yacht turned bow-rider, with a glass pane that wraps around the rest of th bow. Situated behind this Vader-like spray-shield, the owner and guests enjoy a Kate Winslow view of the water yet displaced. In a conventional hull form targeting a head-sea, this position would leave luddites praying to porcelain, but due to the axe-bow concept, much of this momentum is minimized as waves are penetrated by the axe-bow. Quite simply, water is released over the bow, as opposed to deflected outward by conventional bow flares that take the brunt of wave impact.

The X-Stream’s “see-thru” superstructure is a result of a formed-glass construction method developed in the Netherlands by Delft University of Technology. Due to the complex curvature of the entire atrium, each panel must be custom formed and assembled like a 3-D puzzle. The cross members (or window frames) were specifically sectioned in a geometric pattern to sustain optimum structural support. Topping this glass-house achievement is an enclosed bridge, itself looking like a detachable shuttle for trans-galactic travel. Above the wheelhouse, outside in the open, a railed walk-about serves as a perch for horizon gazing. Each of these levels will be connected via a pneumatic glass elevator surrounded by a spiral staircase.

The main deck is dedicated entirely to guest quarters, recreation and social gatherings. The glass-encased lower aft deck is an indoor beach lounge, with sliding glass doors leading to an endless pool that blends into the horizon. The “Beach Lounge” as it named by Feadship, has soaring 13’ ceilings. Volleyball anyone? The atrium-like upper level is reserved for the owner, with the master stateroom located forward and the owner's salon situated aft.

Compared to the conventional, the X-Stream is claimed to produce 30% gains in hull efficiency with a reduction in fuel consumption. Contributing to these numbers is a new approach in propulsion for yachts… counter-rotating propellers. The X-Stream uses two types of propulsion; traditional shaft drives and new fangled Pod drives, with the latter being placed directly behind the shaft & strut prop. The Pod drive will be diesel electric and shafted props will be powered by conventional diesel means. The Pod drive will be used for maneuvering and impulse-speed, while the shafts will be engaged for warp drive. Because the X-Stream project is a diesel electric hybrid, onboard power will be sufficient to support a stabilization-at-anchor system or to fire proton torpedoes when the technology comes available.

In meeting with Feadship’s marketing Director Hein Velema at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show, himself a passionate enthusiast like most YF members, he explained the X-Stream concept is to maintain a fluid and harmonious balance of sections and lines, each flowing into one another seamlessly. Much like a traditional design from Feadship, the X-Stream actually accomplishes this in an art form that is high tech and modern, but lends credence to its famous Dutch roots.

Like a paper napkin drawing, the GA's are still a little sketchy, but this rendering gives an idea of how these types of concepts are started. Note the tender garage integrated into the forward hull section and the dive store located just above the aft section waterline. Compartments and placements are all subject to change. After all, the X-Stream is only a concept. Let's hope it becomes a reality!

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Story by Carl Camper

Specifications:

Length over all: 73 m (241’)
Beam overall: 11.8 m (39’)
Draught: 4.0 m (13’)
Max speed: 20+ knots (depending on engine package)

For more information contact:

Feadship Yachts
Zijlweg 148C
2015 BJ Haarlem
The Netherlands
Tel. +31(0)23 5247000
www.feadship.nl