Feadship’s multi-award-winning superyacht Lady S, owned by American billionaire Dan Snyder, is an engineering marvel. Believed to be worth $192 million, the 305-foot vessel boasts a long list of sensational features and amenities that more than justify its huge price tag. Yet, there’s one thing in particular that makes the Lady S a truly one-of-a-kind pleasure craft. It’s the first superyacht in the world to feature an IMAX theater. “He wanted an IMAX, that was his main request,” Jan-Bart Verkuyl, chief executive of Feadship’s Royal Van Lent shipyard, told The Guardian when the vessel was launched in 2019. However, putting an IMAX theater in a superyacht was no easy task and came with a set of very complex challenges.
UK-based consulting firm Smart Technology Advisors was tasked to turn the dream of the world’s first floating IMAX theater into reality. The job at hand was so complicated that the whole superyacht had to be designed around the theater. The consulting firm worked closely with Feadship and various other specialists during the build and commissioning stages to make this happen.
The biggest challenge was to find the perfect spot for the theater in the superyacht, not only for the ample space required but also to ensure it was in the most stable part of the vessel and isolated from noise. The sound of the engines or vibrations leaking into the theater would have made getting the certification from IMAX impossible.
Noise and vibration specialists from California were brought in to ensure the theater was as quiet as possible. The theater spans two decks and features a 6m x 3m projection screen. Furthermore, the seating layout is designed so that everyone in the theater gets the perfect view of the screen.
The theater is equipped with a pair of IMAX projectors that are housed within their own room at the rear. They sit on a lift mechanism that can be automatically lowered for the projectors to be serviced. There’s also a lot of sound isolation and audio treatment that was required for the wall separating the projection room and the theater to filter out the noise emitted by the projectors and the cooling fans.
The theater has seventeen speakers, seven subwoofers, and over 11 kW of audio power. While the audio system is not that of a standard IMAX Private Theatre, it was customized to comply with the commercial version of the Dolby Atmos sound format. The IMAX experience was created through clever positioning of the speakers, multiple sound map files, and curves in the digital signal processor. The work that went behind building the world’s first floating IMAX theater added an additional $3 million to construction costs, which goes on to show how much Snyder loves watching movies.
In addition to the IMAX theater, the list of amenities includes a helipad, spa, elevator, underwater lights, beach club, and gym. It also features a 201-inch outdoor television and an interactive dance floor.
Designed by Michael Leach Design, Lady S can accommodate up to 12 guests in 7 staterooms, with 33 crew members. Powered by twin Caterpillar engines, her top speed is 17.5 knots, and her cruising speed is 14.0 knots.
