TWO YACHTS ARE BETTER THAN ONE

Once upon a time, it was all about the Superyacht itself. Today, the support vessels need to be first-class too. 

The beautiful NORD isn’t just spectacular it’s also one of the largest superyachts in the world. As a pure superyacht, it grabs attention for being yet another show-stealing example of what $100’s of millions can buy you. Yet, the NORD is significant for creating an even bigger media buzz. Why? Because it provides the world with an example of the coming of age of support vessels: a revolution that demands design glitz in their own right.

As the 230-foot-long mothership, Nord has a matching 230-foot-long support vessel - a twin that will fulfil a more “practical” role than the main yacht and therefore designed to be fully versatile. With its opulent guest accommodation and facilities normally associated with a much larger superyacht, the mothershipis luxuriantly appointed while the support vessel is uniquely designed and equipped to go anywhere and carry anything, from personal submarines, aircraft, cars, motorcycles, ATV’s and a whole fleet of smaller boats.

On the Nord, crew are separated from guests so that the mothership is free of the “business end” of daily tender operations. Landing by helicopter even happens on the support vessel, where it can then be stowed away whilst the owner arrives onto the mother ship by tender. Guests, therefore,benefit from added privacy and security. It is also beneficial during the era of current health concerns to maintainsocial distancing.Two smaller yachts are useful when it comes to accessing much smaller ports and anchorages - despite attracting admiring glances, a 460-foot yacht isn’t welcome everywhere.

Sowill the “twins” concept challenge the traditional mothership and support vessel design? It has certainly given it a massive shakeup - and proven that, even where superyachts are concerned, size isn’t always everything.