There have been so many avant-garde, modern, and even outlandish yachts that, among a sea of spirit-lacking superyachts, Project Thunderball (delivered by Italian shipyard CRN as Cerulean) seems like a breakthrough. What works for the vessel is her return to the roots; being classic seems like the biggest flex in a world now dominated by glass floating palaces that look more like labs than yachts. Cerulean, a 229-footer, is a breath of fresh air on the open sea, a technically capable yacht with restrained proportions, an efficient hull, and the ability to support sailing, diving, spearfishing, and long periods on the water. It is not what one has grown accustomed to expecting from a young tech billionaire commissioning his first yacht. Without revealing the identity of the shipowner, the brief speaks volumes about the yachting habits, experience, and desires of a “true yachtsman.”
It all started in a Paris hotel during a conversation with Marnix Hoekstra of Vripack, the firm responsible for the exterior design, preliminary naval architecture, and general arrangement. Hoekstra described the owner’s initial vision as being clear on reviving the feeling of a “true yacht.” With that agreement came the shared clarity that modern, boxy shapes were missing something. The timeless route was the only way forward, and the result was an 1,100 GT vessel boasting a spacious owner’s suite and five guest cabins across four decks.
According to the Ferretti Group, Cerulean pays homage to classic ships with her fine, elongated bow, a long waterline entry, softly curved bilges, and a continuous sheer running through the profile. It was at the owner’s insistence that the designers kept the profile low. Practical to a fault, the polished yacht incorporates a particularly large swim platform that doubles as an operational watersports area. The owner’s demand for a playground on the sea for diving, spearfishing, and a close connection to the water is fully realized.
Cerulean goes beyond a standard beach club and actually becomes one with the surrounding cerulean sea. It is the ideal pleasure craft to make the most of the Mediterranean, the Bahamas, and Florida, where Cerulean will be a regular sight with her owner and his sea-faring family enjoying spearfishing, sailing, and diving. The owner, a sailing-yacht-aficionado, also kept a shallow draft in mind to make the most of cruising around Florida and the Bahamas. Her appearance is not mere good aesthetics at play, Cerulean’s tank-testing team omitted the bulbous bow upon finding it would reportedly have increased resistance rather than reduced it. Interior images remain under wraps, but she does feature a glass-enclosed winter garden on the uppermost deck. Even her energy efficiency is impressive; the yacht is equipped with an Energy Storage System designed to manage onboard energy flows, and she is powered by twin MAN V12, 1,213 kW engines that give the superyacht a maximum speed of 15.5 knots.
Who would have thought there would come a time when a break from the floating-palace aesthetic would become a flex? Cerulean is clearly sending a message the world needs to hear.
