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Motor Yacht

Motor yacht Galaxy is a smart and sleek luxury superyacht built in 2005 by Italian shipyard Benetti. With a steel hull designed in-house and aluminium superstructure, she features exterior design and interior layout by Stefano Natucci. This attractive vessel measures 56 metres and can accommodate up to 12 guests. The actual interior decoration was completed by the owner’s personal designer who has also completed projects in his Melbourne and Los Angeles homes.

Galaxy is the very first superyacht to be produced by Benetti’s new shipyard Livorno and was specifically designed to accommodate the Australian owner’s family but is also available for selective charter. One of her defining design features is the use of exotic woods in her interior stylings, using oak, eucalyptus, sycamore, ash, pear, and Burma teak parquet to furnish her interior.

The luxury motor yacht received her name from Valentina Tei, the daughter of Roberto Tei, the longest-serving worker of Benetti’s newly re-christened custom yacht complex. The vessel is both Lloyd’s and MCA classified and is powered by twin 1,850 horsepower Caterpillars.

Passengers board the motor yacht by a hydraulically-activated ladder on starboard to the generous aft deck where a large built-in sofa dominates the area. Her Flying Bridge, the design of the owner, is arguably one of the yacht’s greatest features which aside from a Sun deck with five sunning lounges includes a bar area, dining and snack table serviced by dumbwaiter and all this is convertible into a helipad.

The dining table is generous enough to seat 12 at once and is situated under the permanent Bimini Sat-Nav top. From here, guests have direct access to the extensive gym and teak plank-line Jacuzzi whirlpool protected by Plexiglas wind screens.

Featuring a dedicated crew and a wide range of onboard facilities and water toys, Galaxy is also an excellent charter yacht. The luxury yacht cruises comfortably at 14 knots while a crew of 13 ensures the needs of charter guests are met.

Amongst her six cabins are two double staterooms and two twin cabins on the lower deck; a VIP stateroom on the upper deck; and luxury owner’s suite on the main deck with en suite Jacuzzi and VIP office. The owner’s suite is split over two levels, the main deck offering an office, and his and hers baths and dressing areas. The owner’s salon is forward and raised half a deck.

Boasting a full range of exciting entertainment options, Galaxy features a wine cellar, gym, Jacuzzi, and an all-level elevator among her extensive list of amenities. You will also find onboard an upper deck Sky Lounge with 180-degree views, gaming tables and bar, and an indoor cinema.

The luxury motor yacht is equipped with an entire armada of water toys to provide endless hours of entertainment during any yacht charter. Water toys sail boats, kayaks, a windsurfer, wave runners, skis, and snorkel gear. For entertainment back on the yacht deck, Galaxy carries Satellite TV, and a book, DVD and CD library.

The yacht sails the Mediterranean, both East and West in the summer months.

• Yacht Builder Benetti View profile
• Naval Architect Benetti View profile
• Interior Designer Stefano Natucci No profile available

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GALAXY YACHT CHARTER

56.01m  /  183'9   benetti   2005 / 2022.

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Cabin Configuration

Special Features:

• Multi-functional spaces
• Large deck jacuzzi
• Gym onboard
• Spacious flybridge
• Dining for 12 guests
• Private recording studio

Superyacht Galaxy promises to deliver an outstanding charter vacation

The award winning 56m/183'9" motor yacht 'Galaxy' by the Italian shipyard Benetti offers flexible accommodation for up to 12 guests in 6 cabins and features interior styling by Stefano Natucci.

Built in 2005, Galaxy boasts a multitude of decks ideal for relaxation and entertainment indoors or outdoors, ensuring guests will live la dolce vita on the open waters. She is equipped with an elevator, beach club and gym.

Guest Accommodation

Galaxy is great for families thanks to her child-friendly setup. She offers guest accommodation for up to 12 guests with a layout comprising a master suite, one VIP cabin, three double cabins and one twin cabin. There are 15 beds in total, including 2 pullmans. She is also capable of carrying up to 15 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht charter experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

On your charter, you'll find plenty to keep you busy and entertained, particularly a beach club for you to relax on the edge of the water. You can visit the well-equipped gym so that you can keep up with your fitness routine at sea plus soak up the bubbles in style in the deck jacuzzi.

Galaxy benefits from some excellent features to improve your charter, particularly an elevator, making any part of the yacht quickly and easily accessible. With Wi-Fi connectivity you don't have to lose contact with the outside world, unless you want to plus guests will experience complete comfort while chartering thanks to air conditioning.

Performance & Range

Built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, she offers greater on-board space and is more stable when at anchor thanks to her full-displacement hull. Powered by twin Caterpillar engines, she comfortably cruises at 13 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 16 knots with a range of up to 5,000 nautical miles from her 130,000 litre fuel tanks at 12 knots. An advanced stabilisation system on board reduces the side-to-side roll of the yacht and promises guests exceptional comfort levels at anchor or when underway.

Set against the backdrop of your chosen cruising ground, you and your guests can enjoy endless days of fun on the water with the exceptional collection of water toys and accessories aboard Galaxy. Principle among these is a Flyboard which is a must for any self-respecting thrill-seeker, prepare for supersize thrills - even beginners will enjoy the thrill of swooping skywards and ‘dolphining’ back into the water. Take to the sea on the Jet Skis offering you power and control on the water. Additionally, there are four waterskis that are hugely entertaining whether you are a beginner or a seasoned pro. If that isn't enough Galaxy also features a seabob, wakeboards, kayaks, wakesurf boards, fishing equipment and much more. Galaxy has a 7.5m/24'7" X-Craft Tender to transfer you from ship to shore.

Book your next the Caribbean luxury yacht charter aboard Galaxy this winter. She is already accepting bookings this summer for cruising in the Mediterranean.

This ocean-going luxury charter motor yacht carries up to 15 professional crew who will cater to your every need.

TESTIMONIALS

There are currently no testimonials for Galaxy, please provide .

Galaxy Photos

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment Galaxy has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

Galaxy is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

• 2 x XR One Wheel More Electric Skateboard
• 1 x 7.5m  /  24'7 X-Craft Custom Tender with 1 x Mercury

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

Galaxy Awards & Nominations

• The World Superyacht Awards 2015 Refitted / Rebuilt / Converted Yachts Finalist
• The World Superyacht Awards 2023 Refitted / Rebuilt / Converted Yachts Nomination
• The International Yacht & Aviation Awards 2023 Refit Winner
• + shortlist

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

APPROVED RYA WATER SPORTS CENTRE

Your family and friends could learn to use the water toys on your charter vacation onboard this luxury charter yacht. Motor Yacht Galaxy is a certified RYA Training Centre yacht.

'Galaxy' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

€320,000 p/week + expenses Approx $348,500

High Season

€330,000 p/week + expenses Approx $359,500

Cruising Regions

Mediterranean France, Italy, Monaco

HOT SPOTS:   Amalfi Coast, Corsica, French Riviera, Sardinia

Winter Season

October - April

$350,000 p/week + expenses

$360,000 p/week + expenses

Caribbean Antigua, Bahamas, Saint Martin, St Barts

HOT SPOTS:   Virgin Islands

This yacht is available for Corporate Yacht Charter and Events

Charter Galaxy

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Boat of the Week: Inside ‘Galactica,’ the World’s Largest All-Aluminum Superyacht

Heesen's behemoth has a high-tech "backbone" running its length to provide enough rigidity for the boat to reach a blistering 30 knots., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

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What has an aluminum-plate backbone, more than one head, and runs faster than Usain Bolt? Heesen ’s superyacht Galactica— or “Project Cosmos,” as it was formerly called by the yard. The largest boat built by the Dutch shipyard to date is getting ready for its spring debutante ball. Fast, sporty and 262 feet long, the owner refers to Galactica as his “ultimate superyacht.”

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Hundreds of yachts around the world are larger than Galactica . None of them are built entirely out of aluminum. For the owner who likes to make a statement with his custom new builds, Galactica had to be his largest and fastest one yet. The owner decided he wanted a 30-knot top speed—greased lightning for a yacht this size and a conundrum for the shipyard.

A 262-ft. steel-hulled boat with conventional propulsion wouldn’t be able to reach that 30-knot mark. But an all-aluminum boat might, though that metal doesn’t provide the type of structural support that heavier steel does. Such a yacht had never been built, even by an aluminum specialist like Heesen. It would take serious creative engineering.

Galactica on her maiden journey through small Dutch villages.  Courtesy Galactica

The owner has history when it comes to these types of requests. His previous two yachts, Galactica Star and Galactica Super Nova are both all-aluminum with top speeds nearing 30 knots. At 230 feet in length, the latter was Heesen’s largest-ever build when delivered in 2016. Galactica is 30 feet longer, and while that doesn’t sound like much in the scheme of things, the technical ingenuity required to make it work had Heesen’s top engineers scratching their heads. The answer lay outside the boating industry, in the construction industry’s I-beam.

“Everyone knows the I-beam where you have the material on the outer veins of your structure,” Peter van der Zanden, Heesen’s general manager of design, development and engineering, told Robb Report . “That’s where our inspiration for the backbone came from, where we have the majority of materials in the bottom of the boat and on the main deck—our ‘outer veins’.”

The name “backbone” suggests a spine or something with flex, but the patented box-shaped structure is anything but. Composed of 15-mm aluminum plate, it’s lightweight and strong, running almost the full length of the yacht.

Glass was a main priority for the owner’s third boat in the Galactica series.  Courtesy Heesen

“We knew the design would work, our only concern was if it would work well enough,” says Van der Zanden.

Heesen created a scale model of the boat in water, divided into four segments, and simulated the pressures and forces at sea. When the results exceeded the requirements set out by Lloyd’s, the yard patented the design.

Of course, there’s more to Galactica than its hidden backbone. Key defining features of the Winch Design exterior include large sweeping panes of glass that trace the arching line of the superstructure. A bow helipad doubles as a cinema with seating and a screen that folds away into the deck. The glass-bottomed pool on the main deck reflects sun rays on the beach club below. Increasing the amount of light—both natural and artificial—throughout the boat was a chief request in this latest version of Galactica.

On its journey from the Oss shipyard to North Sea sea trials, the clearance between the top deck and some bridges was less than six inches.  Courtesy Heesen

“The owner’s previous experience has certainly influenced the way Galactica looks,” James Russell, exterior designer at Winch, told Robb Report . “It takes time to learn what you love, and particular focus has been paid to areas where more time will be spent, such as the beach club.”

Inside, an interior by Sinot Yacht Design & Architecture includes a central glass elevator, brushed oak and marble finishes, and in the main deck lounge, hand-cut glass ceilings. Galactica ’s windows incline at 45 degrees, rather than the standard 90 degrees, to give the illusion that the panes of glass are larger than they are.

Glass is a recurring theme, from the glass detailing in the straw marquetry and stainless-steel wall located in the main deck lounge, to the drinks display cabinet on the bridge deck with bespoke-sized backlit glass cubes sized to fit individual bottles. But glass is heavy. For the yacht to be fast, it needs to be light.

The helipad converts into an open-air cinema, with a screen that rises from the deck.  Courtesy Heesen

On a yacht of Galactica ’s size, everything is large, from the four MTU V20 engines (12 tons each) and the two gearboxes (13 tons each), to the air-intakes and the fuel tanks. But everything was made as lightweight as possible. The boat totals only 1,700 gross tons. The owner’s 30 knots will come from the MTUs’ 19,320 horsepower as well as the variable-pitch propellers.

Nothing has come easy with this yacht build. Its January journey from Heesen’s shipyard in Oss to the port of Harlingen where the boat is undergoing final testing in the North Sea was a game of inches. It passed through villages and squeezed beneath canal bridges with less than half a foot to spare, a hair-raising exercise for an undelivered superyacht. It will be turned over to its owner in April.

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Galaxy superyacht has been inspired by the cosmos

Njord by bergman design house has transformed the interiors of the 56-metre benetti galaxy superyacht, which features a multi-sensory saloon, meditation space and private music studio, among other innovations. jenny southan reports.

Having stepped aboard a number of superyachts in my capacity as a journalist, I can attest to the fact that most of them have pretty boring interiors, indicating that owners have more money than taste (or vision). However, the Galaxy is an exception.

Completed by Njord by Bergman Design House in February 2022, after a high-speed five-month refit (normally a project like this would take a minimum of 18 months), the Galaxy has taken inspiration from the cosmos for its interior design.

“Galaxy is now a destination, a marvel that touches all your body’s senses and excites and embraces you with its energy during each step you take onboard. Galaxy will now transport her new owners into another dimension.”

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California yacht owner threatens to kill dock worker in vicious showdown, cali yacht owner threatens to kill dock worker drops pants for rude salute, 82 3/13/2024 8:09 am pt.

A California yacht owner's vicious beef with a dock worker has reached death-threat levels -- and their exchange was caught on camera and included a nude, and very rude, gesture!

Check out the clip ... it all unfolds when San Diego entrepreneur Ajay Thakore swings by the swanky Marriott Marquis Marina in his rare $4.5M Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 yacht to pick up one of his employees -- but things boil over when dock worker Joseph Holt tells him he can't be there.

Thakore, the CEO of medical advertising firm Doctor Multimedia, flips out on Holt big time ... and starts spewing threats like, "I will kill you, you know I will kill you, I will kill."

And it doesn't stop there -- as Thakore's pulling out of the harbor, he drops trou to make a full frontal salute in Holt's direction. Stay classy, San Diego!

Holt's only retaliation was flipping the bird, and he later told CBS8 that was all he could do to keep his cool and avoid escalating the situation.

Holt says parts of the altercation were not captured on camera, and he adds ... Thakore not only threatened to kill him, but also claimed to have connections who could totally mess up his life.

Holt also says Thakore pulled out $100 bills and tossed them at him, even chucking some in the water.

BTW, Thakore's done some backpedaling since the ugly exchange -- he now says, "The interaction that occurred yesterday was regrettable. What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange."

Waiting for your permission to load the Instagram Media.

FWIW ... One of Thakore’s employees claims the whole thing began because other dock workers blocked him from boarding the yacht.

Oh, and if that fancy Lambo yacht looks familiar -- it's the same one Chuck Liddell recently tumbled off just last month. Now it's famous AND infamous!

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Businessman allegedly threatens to ‘ruin’ dock worker, ‘drops his pants’ in heated dispute over yacht parking.

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A California philanthropist allegedly threatened to kill a dock worker during a heated argument from his multimillion-dollar yacht, before dropping his pants and making several threatening gestures to the employee.

Ajay Thakore, a local entrepreneur in the San Diego area, attempted to dock his Lamborghini yacht at the private Marriot Marquis Marina to pick up one of his employees but was stopped by worker Joseph Holt on Sunday.

“I told him respectfully that he couldn’t be there, and I honestly was hoping to have a conversation with him about his cool boat,” Holt told CBS8. “But yeah, it completely went the other way.”

Thakore, who goes by his social media name, Ace Rogers, was riding on his rare $4.5 million Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 yacht at the time of the daytime dispute.

Holt claimed Thakore became hostile as soon as he was told off.

“It escalated immediately. It was 0 to 100 immediately,” the 21-year-old worker added.

Thakore, the CEO of medical advertising firm Doctor Multimedia, allegedly began to threaten Holt’s life as the luxury speedboat drove away from the docks.

“I will kill you, you know I will kill you, I will kill,” Thakore repeatedly yells, according to the video posted to YouTube.

Besides threatening to take Holt’s life, Thakore claimed to have the power to get the dock worker fired, ripping on the type of job he had.

“I’m a minimum wage worker, he was commenting on that, on my status just because of my job,” Holt said. “He was saying I’m nobody, I’m nothing, I work a silly job.”

“He said that he knows people, he has connections, he can change my life and ruin it,” he added.

During the heated discussion, Thakore allegedly pulled out his wallet and began throwing $100 bills at Holt and into the water, according to the outlet.

Holt said he tried to control himself during the incident and only gave Thakore the middle finger.

“I really didn’t know how to process it. I really was trying to restrain myself from getting fired from my job or stepping out of line. The only thing I did was give him the bird,” he said.

The dock hand blasted Thakore for his actions, especially in a public setting where he stripped nude and showed himself off.

“He had dropped his pants and started to make gestures to everybody watching and me. You can’t act that way in public. It’s just not OK. Especially threatening my life, at the very least. There were women and children there. That’s the most important part,” Holt said.

Thakore claims his outburst started because of a misunderstanding and was sorry for the people who saw it.

“The interaction that occurred yesterday was regrettable. What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange,” Thakore’s public relations team said in a statement, obtained by KFMB.

Port of San Diego Harbor Police were called to the Seaforth Boat rental dock for “a possible intoxicated vessel operator” but arrived at the marina 10 minutes after Thakore and his boat had left.

The employee who attempted to board the extravagant boat defended his boss’s actions, saying Holt was hostile toward Thakore, and the businessman was only defending his team.

“As I went to kindly step onto the Yacht, I was impeded by two members that work for Seaforth Boat Rental,” Thakore’s employee Jason said on a post to the CEO’s Instagram account.

Jason said he was told to “stand back” the first time he went to step on the boat, and claimed he was forearmed during his second attempt to board the yacht.

“They physically got in my way, the situation became fairly tense, there was a lot of screaming back and forth, extremely confrontational, I didn’t fully understand protocol, as I was going to step onto the boat.”

“As all of this happened, my boss flipped and he’s very protective of me, his fiancée, of his employees.” Jason added. “It was a confusing situation that became very tense and very confrontational.”

Thakore captioned the post saying “there are two sides to every story and it’s easy to paint a picture with edited video clips from cell phones.”

“My employee Jason was being restricted, restrained, and threatened while trying to board my yacht. As a leader, I defend my own fiercely with everything I have, and I will never apologize for that,” the caption read.

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Galaxy of Happiness: The 53m trimaran taking yachting to another world

It is the kind of weather that would strand most pleasure yachts in port. Force 5 wind, white-capped seas and gloomy skies — a proper winter storm that makes the summer splendour of the Côte d’Azur seem a distant memory. Not an ideal day for a sea trial then — except, perhaps, for testing 53.3 metre Galaxy of Happiness , a futuristic trimaran specifically designed for stability in rough seas.

Gleaming in silver, Galaxy of Happiness sits alone in Monaco harbour looking like a spaceship ready for take-off. While her profile is inarguably eye-catching, the aim of this project is function over fashion. Efficiency, stability and speed are the ultimate goals.

She comes from the drawing board of Jean-Jacques Coste, of Coste Design & Partners , the multihull specialist known for its sailing catamarans such as 29 metre Cartouche . Galaxy of Happiness sits is its first foray into powered multihulls, but it is one that has been a long time coming.

Coste has been working on powered trimaran concepts for more than a decade, fully formed with naval architecture work-ups and tank testing. “We were simply waiting for the right owner to come along,” says Coste. “I’m a sail guy but that market is now only five per cent. And when you’re thinking about power and a bigger yacht, a trimaran makes more sense than a catamaran.”

The right owner did emerge at last, a Russian client in his 40s. “Creator” might be a more appropriate term as this client breathed life into both Galaxy of Happiness and her sistership, Galaxy , keeping the latter for himself in Greece and gifting Galaxy of Happiness to a friend.

The twin yachts were built alongside one another at Latitude Yachts in Latvia and delivered last summer. They mark the first full superyacht projects for this young shipyard that previously concentrated on smaller boats, superyacht refits and some subcontracting work for northern European yards.

Latitude specialises in composite but it has also set up facilities where it can build in aluminium. The yard’s youth was a virtue, it turned out. Freed from the shackles of heritage, Latitude wasn’t afraid to take on the wild and new.

Only a handful of yachts have been launched in Latvia over the years, so it was an interesting choice. But the owner had worked with the yard already, when Latitude built a luxury riverboat for him years before.

“It’s still Europe,” says Maxim Lyashenko, Latitude’s business development manager, “it’s not an exotic country. We work with a top French designer, top suppliers. Our workers are northern European, very hard workers who take pride in their work and love what they do.” The big difference, he confirms, is that the man-hour rates are very low, allowing Latitude to offer a competitive price.

Galaxy and Galaxy of Happiness don’t share a mould as they were built in unison in female moulds out of composites, carbon fibre, fibreglass, epoxy resin and polyurethane foam materials using Gurit’s Sprint infusion process. The entire boat is also post cured, for a light and strong structure.

“The owner was attracted to the unconventional but he understood the other benefits of trimarans as well,” says Coste. “Style is subjective but naval architecture and efficiency is a fact.”

Efficiency is one of the biggest benefits of a trimaran configuration, Coste says, as they require 40 to 50 per cent less energy than a monohull of the same length. There is less drag than a monohull, and Galaxy of Happiness is also hybrid-powered, outfitted with electric engines that can be driven by the generators or run through a battery pack to deliver a silent mode at a speed of six to eight knots for several hours.

This meets the owner’s brief for quiet running while fishing off his yacht, and it helps when manoeuvring in harbours. Galaxy of Happiness also benefits from a “wing tunnel effect” between the main hull and each outrigger — their positioning perfectly calculated to create several tonnes of lift at full speed, further reducing drag.

The naval architecture is arguably more complicated than a monohull as the interaction between the three hulls must be taken into account. The outriggers must be of precise length and in exact positions, something that Coste reviewed at length in air flow tests and with computational fluid dynamics.

Tank testing showed just how stable this hull form is, one of the benefits of a beamy trimaran. They are also fast, as proved by the speed records set by sailing trimarans. Galaxy of Happiness tops out at 30 knots, powered by her twin 2,600hp MTU diesel engines, which are supplemented with 120kW electric engines, coupled to retractable props in the outriggers.

These shafts and props fold in at high speeds, reducing drag (while the main engines in the main hull drive the boat). Not many yachts can go 30 knots and have a transatlantic range as well. “Even the navy is looking at these types of boats because they can go fast in rough seas and have low fuel consumption with a good range [2,300 nautical miles] at cruising speed,” says Coste.

The benefits of a trimaran are obvious, but what do you give up? Space, for one thing. The narrow hull form means less room for cabins. Galaxy of Happiness has the equivalent volume of a 35 metre motor yacht, but then again she’s also the price of a 35 metre.

But you can’t judge a trimaran by monohull standards. Instead of a huge upper deck, the main aft deck is the entertainment hub, with plentiful sofas, sunpads and a long dining table topped in tiger eye stone that seats 12. The petite sundeck, meanwhile, still has the expected superyacht spa pool and bar.

The saloon is surprisingly spacious, although styled simply by this owner, who eschewed Coste’s recommendation to add a bar in the corner. He just wanted a sofa, games table and big dining table, so this is what is found in the lofty room that is well lit by an opening skylight above. The windows and skylight are LCD glass, which is dimmable.

Two separate superyacht staircases lead to the cabins, which are split with the master and a guest cabin aft and another guest cabin amidships. One staircase is framed by a masterful piece of architecture in carbon fibre. The entire interior is warmed by the owner’s choice of red-tinted mahogany floors and cherry joinery, also stained in a red varnish.

The bold choice gives a colourful contrast to the cool exterior. Coste’s company did the GA and even designed the furniture, while the interior décor was created in-house by the yard.

The portholes in the cabins all open, so a fresh breeze can flow through the interior. You can open the doors and skylight to get a current of wind that replaces the air conditioning, even in summer. Coste says he carried this over from the sailing catamaran world.

Originally intended for private use, the layout can accommodate a big family and has guest cabins with three beds apiece. You could picture the rooms reimagined with a larger wardrobe or sitting area instead of one of the beds if this wasn’t to the taste of a potential new owner. The owner who received Galaxy of Happiness as a gift found in the end that he wanted even more berths and is on the hunt for a larger yacht.

Although catching the eye isn’t the aim, there is no denying that Coste and Latitude are trying to attract a new type of client, one who is younger and more concerned about the environment, adventure and speed than yachting traditions — or perhaps who has had little experience in yachting at all. Coste thinks the trimaran, with its blend of unusual styling and efficient, speedy performance, could be just the ticket.

Despite the modern lines, Coste says his inspiration for the twin trimarans comes from some of the oldest craft in the world. “It’s not that we’re actually doing something new — just look at Polynesian pirogues. Multihulls are one of the earliest configurations because they are efficient and stable,” says Coste. “It’s the same as those wooden craft: long, narrow hull and two outriggers.”

Perhaps the multihull has been forgotten and it’s time for a revival or, in Coste’s opinion, a yacht design revolution . He points to the bareboat charter market in the Caribbean, where sailing cats have overtaken the fleet thanks to their stability and comfort on board.

In 20 years’ time, Coste suggests, trimarans could take over the superyacht fleet, or at least put a dent in it, as more owners seek the combined benefits of fuel savings and speed. Multihull superyachts offer that rare combination of being eco-conscious while reaching their adventurous destinations more quickly.

“There is a place in the market for people looking for something that is both fast and efficient,” says David Legrand, of Fraser. “Perhaps it could appeal to the Mangusta owner, offering enough speed but not be prohibited by range.” He admits the multihull market is still a niche one, but for the younger millionaires who enjoy self-sufficiency it’s an appealing proposition.

It’s hard to ignore the elephant in the room — Galaxy of Happiness is reminiscent of Adastra , which similarly turned heads with her launch in 2012. Of course, there are plenty of white, multi-tiered yachts but with Galaxy of Happiness ’s space-craft exterior the resemblance is more striking.

According to Coste, this was never the intention. The creator/owner of the Galaxy vessels explored several styles before settling on this design, but in the end this met the brief of the owner more than Coste’s original ideas did. The owner specifically wanted a flowing, winged superstructure, without a flat windscreen and no reverse bow.

Staying under 300GT was also part of the aim, a challenge in a 53 metre. But even so, Coste is quick to point out the differences. “ Adastra is much more soft and curvy, we are more straight,” he says. “And we are much faster than Adastra ,” a fact that Coste attributes to the wing tunnel lift advantage.

It certainly proves true. Galaxy of Happiness is sure-footed in the choppy seas. Up on the flybridge there is some wetness, to be expected on a rough day, but noticeably far less rolling than a monohull. Inside the saloon, it is whisper quiet and so calm that you can’t tell we’ve hit a top speed of 29.5 knots.

It’s a boat that you feel comfortable going to sea in, and in conditions that would keep most monohulls in port. And best of all, you wouldn’t have to stodgily roll through the waves at an economical speed but could take off near top speed and get to safe harbour faster and in more comfort, although maybe not slip into every port.

This is just a sample of the possibilities of the trimaran platform. Coste shares the renderings for a number of other concepts that use other superstructures on the same hull form employed in the Galaxy twins. It is remarkable how different from Galaxy of Happiness they are and they display how a semi-custom platform could easily be born, offering a variety of exterior profiles and layouts.

One version has two decks with Portuguese bridge style windows reminiscent of a sailing catamaran wrapping all the way around — more of a floating loft than a spaceship. An 88 metre and 100 metre are also in development. A bold owner, other multihull projects ready and waiting and a yard willing to do things differently — for Coste, good things come in threes it seems.

First published in the April 2017 edition of Boat International

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