PUSHING THE BOUNDARIES WITH MAJESTY 175
On board the world’s largest composite production superyacht, the Umm Al Quwain-built, Majesty 175.
The 2016 European boat show season was a memorable one for Gulf Craft. Not only did the (then) flagship Majesty 155 make its debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival, but it was on the sundeck of that very yacht, just a few weeks later at the Monaco Yacht Show that the Majesty 175 project was announced. I remember being there with the rest of the world’s superyacht press and none of us at the time had any idea what Gulf Craft’s chairman, Mohammed Al Shaali and the then CEO, Erwin Bamps were going to reveal. To say we were shocked was an understatement. The Umm Al Quwain shipyard was going to build world’s largest composite production superyacht, a huge project, but Mohammed Al Shaali was confident and relaxed: “Gulf Craft has grown and evolved with its customers – we identified the milestones that lie ahead and set out to realise them. Yet we did this while simultaneously listening to our clients, learning from them along the way, and using these insights as the source of inspiration behind each one of our creations.
Efficient hull design: Yankee Delta Studio’s chairman, Greg Gric, was the ideal man to oversee the Majesty’s naval architecture.
“Our aim is to continue redefining superyacht production using advanced composites to a size once thought impossible, all the while creating bespoke cruising experiences for our customers. Our ceaseless determination has led to this very moment, one where research and development meets megayacht design.”
EXTERIOR DESIGN
All those years of design, development and hard work led to the Majesty 175’s official launch at Dubai Harbour on May the 22nd. His Highness Sheikh Mansoor bin Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Chairman of the Dubai Sports Council unveiled the 56-metre superyacht and while he was touring the decks, we got our first glimpse of the completed exterior.
Cristiano Gatto was tasked with creating the Majesty’s look and having styled yachts for Isa, Heesen, Canados and Astondoa, the 175 was always going to have bold lines mixed with strong detailing. The Italian designer has incorporated a sporting, silver hull with a towering, white superstructure that is sharply raked aft in a singular line from the ceiling of the upper deck to the bottom of the transom. The substantial tinted glazing finishes off the distinguished look, with Gatto’s sophisticated style continuing in the Majesty’s interior.
INTERIOR DESIGN
With an interior volume of 780 Gross Tonnes to play with, Gatto has understandably put an emphasis on substantial lounging and entertainment areas, making the most of the 175’s open spaces and tall ceilings. This is best seen in the 175’s main salon, a huge, sophisticated area featuring a lounge and dining space finished in luxurious woods and soft-touch textures.
Forward of the main salon are the VIP cabins, meaning the Owner gets an entire upper deck all to himself. Up here, the Owner has the luxury of his own private suite that looks out over the forward pool and sunpads, with a lounge and dining areas aft. The captain benefits from the commanding views of the bridge deck, a large area that also has a lounge aft. The lower deck feature a large beach club aft, with the garage and engine room forward with the guest cabins amidships.
PERFORMANCE
With Gatto taking care of the design, it was down to Massimo Gregory of Yankee Delta Studio to make the 175 perform as good as she looks. Two MTU 12V 4000 M63 turbo diesels produce 1,500kW each giving the superyacht a top speed of 17 knots and a cruise speed of 14 knots. Range is a generous 4,000 nautical miles at 10 knots, courtesy of Gregory’s efficient hull design.
CONCLUSION
The Majesty 175 has come a long way since its concept model was unveiled at the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show. Years of dedication and passion followed, leading to its launch event at Dubai Harbour, which was organised in partnership with the Dubai Department of Tourism & Commerce Marketing. More than just a superyacht, the Majesty 175 represents the vision, commitment and potential of the UAE itself.
