PRIME Maharani: As seen on BoatInternational.com

Backed by the groundbreaking functionality of the 50m PRIME platform, Vripack’s Maharani puts the owner and guests first in this “human-centred” design

“It’s new.” “It’s revolutionary.” “This approach will turn the superyacht industry on its head.”

When the creative duo behind the edgy Dutch design studio Vripack and the envelope-pushing innovators at The New Yachts Company use such phrases to describe their latest collaboration, the claims warrant investigation.

The subject of the excitement is twofold: a pre-engineered 50 metre platform designed to support a variety of superstructure styles and layouts – and a paradigm-shifting interior fully dedicated to “human-centred living”. The two companies have essentially ripped up the standard 50m superyacht layout and started again from scratch.

They’re calling this new creation Maharani. It’s built on a variation of the PRIME Megayacht Platform, which was first unveiled to the industry at the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show.. What it does is push all the technical and mechanical spaces to the tank level to allow the owner and designer the freedom to create the superstructure styling and interior/exterior layout of their dreams – all in a tidy 50 metre, 499GT package. As a result, the owner gets the kind of space in a 50m usually seen on much larger yachts.

“Today’s owners are younger and value intelligent ergonomics and versatility in everything they buy,” says Barin Cardenas, founder of The New Yachts Company. “Current 50 metre layouts cater a bit too much to technical needs – the galley is next to the dining area leading to noise and smell issues, the wheelhouse and engine room are in premium locations for crew ease, and there’s privacy and efficiency challenges as owners, guests, and crew areas are spread out all over… if our industry is to attract new owners then we have to improve the owner experience without the need to build a larger and more expensive yacht.”