Oceanco, the Dutch shipyard of custom superyachts from 80 to 140 m in length took advantage of the Dubai International Boat Show to unveil its new superyacht concept. Tuhura is a 115 m long project designed in collaboration with Lobanov Design studio, BMT Nigel Gee and interior designer Achille Salvagni. Inspired by ancient boat designs, its exterior lines are reminiscent of canoes, pirogues and other craft used hundreds of years ago by indigenous peoples around the world. "The Polynesians, in particular, made long voyages of exploration covering thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean in their swinging canoes." explains the construction site.
By revisiting these primitive forms, the intention is to arouse the desire for discovery and exploration. Tuhura also means exploration in Maori and comes with its many derivatives: to discover, to bring to light, to unearth, to open, to explore and to study.
"Our Tuhura is a simple idea", explains Igor Lobanov, "the idea was to take a natural shape, similar to that of the first canoes, and expand it on a larger scale, using modern technology.
For interior decoration, the main inspiration is based on the countries of East Asia and the Pacific Islands. Achille Salvagni describes the interior as a "brushed teak habitat" (floors, walls, ceilings), including bronze and nickel-plated bronze inserts with tatami floors.
"Tuhura is a megayacht designed for a dynamic owner, but the timeless feeling of peace and quiet are the main features", explains Salvagni. "This softness and dynamism is reflected in the humble elegance and sensuality of the primitive organic forms that reverberate throughout the ship."
Lobanov's masterful exterior design correlates with the interior and is so flexible that the yacht can be adapted from 80 to 120 m in length. Tuhura's hull and propulsion system were developed in collaboration with BMT. The simple shape of the canoe-shaped hull generates a naturally efficient hull with little resistance, good seakeeping and excellent manoeuvrability. But integrating a modern propulsion system into this hull shape also represents a challenge for the team, which opted for an Azipod® CRP (counter-rotating) hybrid propulsion system from ABB. The development of this system was initially tested in 2003 and is currently being successfully operated on commercial vessels.
James Roy, Director of Yacht Design at BMT, said: " The hybrid CRP system is fundamentally efficient and perfectly adapted to the shape of the canoe. There is a synergy between the efficiency of the hull shape and the efficiency of the propulsion system. The yacht thus combines an evolutionary single hull with an advanced evolutionary propulsion system"
Innovation and cutting-edge technology are at the heart of the design. The hull has several horizontal windows, using advanced glass technology. This means that they are a series of dots, allowing normal vision from the inside and are completely transparent, while from the outside, the windows blend into the hull and are difficult to identify. Glass is also present on the black superstructure, which is made up of flat glass panels.
Tuhura, besides having a futuristic design, is also a "smart" boat. There are controls for heating, ventilation and air conditioning, lighting, audio, video, curtains and much more. But it will also be possible to study "habits" based on music or temperature preferences. The superyacht also has a 360° room - a versatile space for interactive design and information . "It's a technically difficult and intriguing project." explains Dirk de Jong, Oceanco's sales director. "It's 180 degrees from our two previous collaborations with Lobanov Design, the 86m launched in 2013 and the 110m Jubilee launched last year, but Tuhura still represents 100% Oceanco DNA."
