Elusive, by definition, describes something difficult to find, catch or achieve. Achievement has hardly been a problem for German shipyard Lürssen, which recently delivered six superyachts in just 105 days. Secrecy, however, certainly defines its latest project. Brokerage firm Moran Yacht & Ship has announced the sale of a new 402-foot Lürssen superyacht codenamed Project Elusive. Construction is already underway at the German shipyard’s facilities in Bremen, with delivery scheduled for 2030. True to its name, the solitary, nearly all-black rendering makes Project Elusive look more like the shadow of a superyacht than an actual vessel. In broad daylight, however, remaining inconspicuous will be difficult for a yacht measuring more than 400 feet, encompassing approximately 5,500 GT and accommodating as many as 22 guests.
According to Moran Yachts, Project Elusive will feature 11 guest cabins, five decks, a dark hull, extensive horizontal glazing, an elongated bow and several sculpted, cascading aft decks. A true behemoth in the making. Few details or images have been released, leaving plenty of room for informed speculation. The expansive foredeck appears capable of accommodating a helipad, while the stern could conceal a substantial beach club offering direct access to the sea.
An indoor cinema and spa have become almost as essential aboard contemporary superyachts as engines and tenders. Elusive’s enormous interior volume could therefore allow for a well-equipped gym, swimming pool, multiple Jacuzzis and numerous indoor and outdoor lounges. None of these amenities has been confirmed, but on a Lürssen of this scale, their inclusion would hardly be surprising.
It may also be reasonable to presume that the motor yacht’s final cost will cross the $500 million mark. One particularly noteworthy detail is its stated capacity for 22 guests. Conventional charter yachts are generally restricted to 12 passengers because vessels carrying more than 12 enter a different regulatory category under SOLAS and the Red Ensign Group framework. Elusive could still be intended entirely for private use, but private status does not remove the 12-passenger threshold. If she is certified to carry all 22 guests on international voyages, she will likely need to comply with the more demanding passenger-yacht provisions applicable to vessels carrying between 13 and 36 passengers.
Whatever the future reveals about this distinctly James Bond-coded vessel, Project Elusive suggests that the era of genuinely individualistic pleasure craft has arrived, and is here to stay. Nearly every yacht emerging from the Lürssen stable (likes of Nausicaä, Deep Blue etc), possesses a recognizable personality rather than appearing to be the doppelgänger of another vessel, as is sometimes the case elsewhere in the industry. Spending hundreds of millions of dollars on a yacht with no personality would be a shame, and that is one problem Lürssen appears determined to avoid.