20 icons that defined yacht design in the first 20 years of the new millennium

In this article we have asked our yachting specialist to make a review of these first 20 years of yacht design of the new millennium, to discover the 20 yachts that marked this era in terms of style, architecture, design, innovation and ideas. Look back on the journey made by architects and shipyards over all these years.

The following selection is presented starting from the most important vessel in terms of length. That’s why it starts with Azzam, the biggest yacht ever built: with her 180 metres of pure beauty, she has held the title since 2013, despite Dilbar ranks first in terms of gross tonnage. As a matter of fact, while the first boat holds the record size-wise, the second one wins when it comes to volumes. In third place we find Sailing Yacht A, which in one of the previous issue of Superyacht Digest we voted as “the most instagrammed megayacht of the century”. Although we don’t think this is going to change any time soon, some shipyards have secret projects in the pipeline, which, they promise, they will steal the show, just like Sailing Yacht A did.

Flying Fox and Serene, both boasting an exterior design by Espen Øino International, rank #4 and #5 respectively in our selection. The first one, besides being beautiful in every single aspect, is the biggest boat available for chartering to date. Therefore, if you would like to spend your next summer aboard a true gem of the sea, far away from the bans and restrictions we have sadly become accustomed to lately, Flying Fox is what you are looking for. She is available for you thanks to the exclusive management of Imperial Yachts.

Serene, built by Fincantieri, was among the giants of the sea the year she was launched, as well as the biggest vessel ever built in Italy.

Al Lusail boasts a unique design, with her wavy lines that artistically outline her entire profile. In a 2018 issue of Superyacht Digest – in an attempt to compare some megayachts with a particularly elegant and artistic design to important works of contemporary conceptual art – this design was compared to a work by artist Paolo Scheggi.

Motor Yacht A – Sailing Yacht A‘s older sister – is still extremely fascinating and unique and can be easily recognized also by the non-experts. Jubilee, very elegant and super contemporary. Luminosity, a majestic glass palace that seems to be suspended above the sea.

Respectively #10 and #11 in the ranking we find two great sailing boats, Black Pearl and Maltese Falcon, whose beauty speaks for itself. Ace, thanks to her “eye” that characterizes her exterior design so strongly, is still deemed a true icon of the sea. At the time of the project, the boat was conceived to offer the highest quality cruising experience on board, both in terms of relaxation and wellness.

85-metre Bold is the longest all-aluminum yacht in the world, fast and sustainable. Savannah, beautiful and green, is the first hybrid superyacht. Alfa Nero is the yacht that has revolutionized life on board, with her sea level aft pool area.

With brand new Excellence and Artefact, we enter the world of pure design: as a matter of fact, we are talking about two ideas that took shape from a pencil sketch and eventually hit the water. Pi, first conceived as Syzygy, with her double-curvature glass windows really stole the show at the 2019 Monaco Yacht Show, where she was regarded more as an architectural work, than a simple vessel.

Our selection ends with Exuma, by Philippe Briand: she is the first motor-yacht designed to be a green vessel, at a time when we thought that only sailing boats could be.

#1 Azzam