With offices on the site of the former J-Class builder Camper & Nicholson, and a stone's throw across the River Itchen from the site of the former Supermarine factory where the WW2 Spitfire was first developed, the team at Lateral were inspired to draw on the rich heritage inherent in their surroundings.

Laterals' relatively young age belies its own extensive heritage, which is rooted in an impressive portfolio of highly specialised commercial and paramilitary vessels spanning a 37-year history. Parent company BMT has designed and engineered some of the world’s most advanced marine vehicles.

Spitfire is built upon the same foundations that produced the 2018 award-winning Ares / BMT 150 BOLD Class, a 48-meter high-speed offshore patrol vessel series; designed by BMT and built by Ares shipyard of Antalya, Turkey. Leveraging this established design equips Spitfire with a technical backbone that has already undergone vigorous testing, providing a proven platform.

The Supermarine Spitfire is widely regarded as one of the most iconic and successful fighter aircraft of all time. It was designed and developed by Reginald Mitchell and his team at Supermarine Aviation Works in the late 1930s, with the first flight taking place in 1936. During the Second World War, the Spitfire played a crucial role in the Battle of Britain, and its design has continued to inspire and fascinate aviation enthusiasts to this day.

One of the reasons why the Spitfire was such an ingenious design is its aerodynamic efficiency. Mitchell was a master of aerodynamics, and he incorporated many innovative features into Spitfire's design. The aircraft had a sleek, streamlined fuselage, with a thin elliptical wing that provided exceptional lift and minimized drag. The wing was also equipped with automatic flaps that could adjust their angle to optimize lift and speed.

Matteo Maghernini, Head of Business Development at Lateral, comments, “Marrying a hull possessing offshore pedigree with the requirements of a superyacht platform creates exciting opportunities; both from a design and technical perspective.” He adds “This requires an evolved hull form, to meet the demands of a pleasure craft.”

The team at Lateral have married a further evolution of the proven hull form with a hybrid electric architecture, enabling silent operation both at anchor and whilst underway, equipped with a top speed in excess of 23 knots.

Exterior & Interior design was masterfully curated by the renowned studio of Bannenberg & Rowell Design. Spitfire is a fully developed design, tailored for informal and flexible living. Lean and nimble; purposeful and distinctive – a seagoing reinterpretation of her celebrated airborne ancestor.

Dickie Bannenberg, Company Leader at Bannenberg & Rowell Design, set the scene for Spitfire’s users “Park yourself at the Scramble Station; grab a cocktail (Aviation Gin anyone?) or meet your skipper in the Ready Room and plot the day’s missions”.

Profile links

Bannenberg & Rowell Design

Lateral Naval Architects

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