Meet SAVANNAH- The World's First Hybrid Superyacht

Following her delivery in 2015, Ted McCumber, the project manager, was compelled to comment on how ‘the tremendous final result once again shows how Feadship is never afraid to venture into uncharted waters’.

Along with all of the inventiveness found on board, it’s the stuff going on underneath the hood which has got everyone talking. Indeed, her pioneering ‘Breath System’ combines a number of technologies to create a revolutionary kind of propulsion allowing for fuel economies of over 30% whilst increasing manoeuvrability, a feat unrivalled by any other superyacht.

The Breath System

Commenting on the mechanics of the Breath System, Ted McCumber points out how “It is not the individual technologies used on Savannah that are new in the yachting world – it is the way they have been combined”.

Indeed, despite how impressive and ingenious the system is, all of it is underlined by a breathtaking simplicity.

Consisting of only a few components - a medium speed diesel engine, a single propeller and an electrical driven azimuthing stern thruster - the Breath System allows captains to effortlessly alternate between four ‘operational modes’ to cruise in only the most eco-friendly way.

From ‘manoeuvring mode’ to ‘high-speed mode’, the various combinations of components means that energy is conserved by switching off parts when they’re not needed-  the main engine and generators won’t be online when navigating the port, for example.

As well as being friendlier to the environment, this dynamic arrangement ramps up the reliability as each of these components is strong enough to propel the yacht in the unlikely event of others failing.

Whilst low speed diesel engines are a fixture on most commercial vessels, and batteries have appeared on certain Japanese ships, SAVANNAH’s hybrid combination of generators, a single propellor, a medium speed engine, and batteries, is entirely unique.

The Interior

The interior of SAVANNAH is equally impressive. To create the continuity between indoor and outdoor entertainment spaces, Paris-based CG Design has developed a layout based on curved lines. Walls, ceilings, furniture and surface patterns all embody a fluidity that harmoniously fuses the two dichotomies.  

Huge expanses of glass with hidden window frames draw attention to the world outside and keep charter guests in visual contact with the ocean, while high-quality finishes, unrivalled attention to detail and luxurious materials abound throughout. For example, there are lighting fixtures on board with up to ten different colours, lens types and positions.

SAVANNAH also features a selection of ingenious living spaces, which have never before been seen on a superyacht. An underwater lounge on the port side is one structural highlight where guests can watch the marine life outside or turn around and observe the action in the nine-metre swimming pool.

Due to its position in the hull, the lounge is composed of especially thick glass and can also transform into a cinema.

Another asset is a remarkable tender bay finished in teak with a hatch that doubles as a mooring platform. After docking, guests can walk inside the garage and take the stairs straight up to the main deck.

The yacht can comfortably sleep up to 12 guests in six staterooms, including a master suite, a VIP suite with a private balcony and four large guest suites. There is also unprecedented facilities for her 26 crew members.