The major conundrum designers face with modern explorer yachts is balancing function and form. Focus Yacht Design appears to have solved that problem with its newest concept.
Christened Invision, the 328-footer is designed as a rugged, bluewater cruiser with a superyacht’s style, comfort, and finish. It eschews the typical boxy, utilitarian design of expedition vessels in favor of a sleek superyacht-esque silhouette, with long flowing lines running from bow to stern.
Despite that rather elegant presence, Invision has long-range cruising capability, with “100 meters that take the water seriously,” according to the German design studio. The yacht pairs a wave-piercing plumb bow with a robust steel hull and a lightweight aluminium superstructure. That combination is common in explorers, as it ensures stability, comfort, efficiency, and speed.
Conceived with an advanced hybrid diesel-electric propulsion system, the vessel has a range of approximately 6,500 nautical miles at an economical cruising speed of 12 knots. The onboard batteries reduce noise and emissions, enabling extended voyages to remote destinations. The exact setup could, of course, change.
“We are still in the early planning stages and fully aware that the final technical solutions will ultimately depend on the latest technological developments, as well as the owner’s individual priorities and preferences,” Thomas Mühe, partner at Focus Yacht Design, told Robb Report.
As with any good explorer, Invision also comes with a full arsenal of toys and tenders for trips further afield. Think an eVTOL and fully certified helideck for the skies, a sub for the deep sea, and tenders of varying sizes for coastal enclaves.
The outdoor environment is experienced indoors, too, with living quarters that merge with the surroundings. The owner’s suite, for example, features floor-to-ceiling windows and a large skylight that together bring the outside in. Similarly, the aft “waterline lounge,” which unfolds at the waterline, has an 180-degree glazed facade offering incredible views.
Being a concept, Invision can be tailored to owners. “Invision is not intended as a finished answer to be accepted as it is,” the studio says. “It is an invitation to owners who recognise themselves in the idea and wish to develop it further, shaped around their own ambitions, priorities and way of living at sea.”
Click here to see more photos of Invision.
