Feadship Project 828, better known as Milky Way, has been delivered to its intensely secretive owner, whose brief centered on an active lifestyle. The 294-foot Feadship, built around one very specific lifestyle request, has departed the shipyard and arrived in Poole, UK. Its owner can now enjoy life aboard a floating sanctuary estimated to be worth approximately $300 million. Yet one question may prove surprisingly difficult to answer, should the owner swim in the abundant deep-blue sea or in the yacht’s defining 55-foot swimming pool?
The pool is far more than a luxurious extra. Measuring 16.7 meters by three meters, it appears to have influenced the yacht’s entire architecture. It is a massive centerpiece rarely encountered aboard a 2,623 GT vessel. A classic Feadship, Milky Way features a long, near-vertical bow, greater volume aft and strong, clean horizontal lines penned by Studio De Voogt. RWD designed the interiors with soft, flowing lines throughout the guest and owner spaces, Feadship reported.
“We refined the language with a very strong vertical bow and an emphasis on the long structural lines of the decks,” said Matt Bacon, lead designer at Studio De Voogt to Boat International. “The mast has a very strong character to balance the volumes of the superstructure.” RWD senior associate designer David Waite-Wright commented: “From the earliest concept sketches to the very last detail, bringing this project together has been a genuine pleasure. Our partnership with Feadship is rooted in experience, expertise and deep trust, a foundation that allows us to refine and evolve each project further with every collaboration.”
Given the owner’s reported enthusiasm for swimming, it would hardly be surprising if the Milky Way yacht also concealed a gym, recovery spaces, spa, sauna or complete wellness center. For now, however, those amenities remain unconfirmed and under wraps. If its estimated $300 million value proves accurate, broad industry benchmarks suggest the yacht could cost roughly $30 million to $40 million annually to operate and maintain. Even for a billionaire, swimming laps at sea does not come cheap.
