Image © Feadship

Late last year I was lucky enough to walk alongside the latest Feadship, known as Project 821, at its new Amsterdam shipyard, and more recently heard from Jamie Edmiston, who has been tasked with selling this incredible project.

At 118.8 metres, just under a metre longer than Zuckerberg’s 118-metre M/Y Launchpad, what intrigues me is whether this was a strategic decision. There is so much to say about this incredible yacht, aesthetically, technically, economically, but I will try to make this concise and relevant to the rest of the story.

This is a brand new 100-metre plus Feadship, almost completed, that is only going to be relevant to a tiny network of the world’s richest people, someone with several billion to their name. He assured me that almost all of them have been made aware of the opportunity through his team and the major names in the superyacht sales world. When asked about the reason for selling so soon and so close to delivery, he politely explained that it’s a pure change of personal circumstance. A brief amount of Googling can not only link the Gates’ name to Project 821, but during the build process there was a well-publicised divorce and separation or break-up that has often been the reason that yachts go on the market, especially if the project was the primary mission or stylish vision of one of the two or has too many links back to a previous relationship.

Anyway, what is more fascinating is the opportunity for one of the multi-billionaires who have the liquidity and appetite to own Breakthrough, as the yacht is now called. In essence, the primary takeaway that needs serious consideration when exploring this opportunity is the fact that this is the first green-hydrogen-powered superyacht, as promised by Henk de Vries III when he referred to their mission to get to zero quicker than anyone. This makes Project 821 a serious statement asset, innovation packed with super-clean and efficient credentials.

“The brief was to build the greenest and most environmentally advanced yacht ever built,
without compromise.”

Image © Feadship

If you ever wanted to know how far we can push ‘green’ technology on superyachts, Feadship’s bold response was a multi-faceted, zero-diesel approach designed to cruise between harbours or anchorages and to operate the yacht’s hotel load and amenities with emission-free power from green hydrogen. “The aim has been to develop a new clean technology not just for this project, but for the world,” said Jan-Bart Verkuyl, Feadship’s CEO at Royal Van Lent Shipyard.

The size of the proposed yacht – 100 metres-plus – made it a good candidate to explore pure green hydrogen as the fuel-cell source. For those captivated by cutting-edge innovations, this yacht presents an opportunity for potential acquisition as it showcases the pinnacle of modern technological advancements, and no matter where it cruises, the world will know. As Jamie explains, “The brief was to build the greenest and most environmentally advanced yacht ever built, without compromise. It was a huge challenge, but one that the team has embraced and delivered on. The yacht we see today, designed by RWD and built by Feadship, is without doubt the best yacht ever built. I am proud to have been involved since the inception of this idea.”

Now, for anyone who knows someone who’s in the market for Project 821, there’s another key factor that is worth highlighting – and we could fill a complete issue of The Superyacht Report with all the innovation and cool technology (now there’s an idea). I’ve stepped on board, visited in various shipyards and walked alongside in marinas the majority of the 100-metre-plus fleet and M/Y Breakthrough, or whatever it will be called in the future, is perhaps the most perfectly balanced, proportioned and stunning 100-metre-plus yacht I’ve ever seen. It’s a beautiful breakthrough in terms of green technology and exterior design, so congratulations Feadship and RWD on this masterpiece.

I wonder if the current alleged owner will change his mind at the last minute, before Jamie and his team find the new buyer. After all, it would be the perfect place to host a 70th birthday on Lake Washington ...

This article first appeared in The Superyacht Report – New Build Focus. With our open-source policy, it is available to all by following this link, so read and download the latest issue and any of our previous issues in our library.

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