At Home At Sea: Prime’s Maharani Breaks The Mold

Behind the conceptualization of Maharani, the latest collaboration between Vripack and The New Yachts Company.

By Andrew Parkinson is editor-in-chief of Passagemaker

August 25, 2018

The challenge was twofold: Take a pre-engineered 50-meter platform designed to support a variety of superstructures, and assign to it a paradigm-shifting layout fully dedicated to human-centric living.

The solution: Reimagining the wheel, perhaps? Dutch design studio Vripack and The New Yachts Company essentially ripped up the standard 50-meter superyacht template to start from scratch.

“Today’s owners are trending younger,” says Barin Cardenas, founder of The New Yachts Company. “They value intelligent ergonomics and versatility in everything they own. It was our strong objective to bring more experiences to our owners, presenting them with possibilities typically seen only on larger yachts. We created what we coined as a ‘resort yacht,’ and the Vripack team pushed the boundaries even further. Look at the 500GT market. The layouts are all about the same. A divided main deck, a couple of aft decks, main salon dining, a rear-facing sky lounge, a sundeck and a beach club that’s mostly inaccessible. Basically a few areas for the family to spend their time aboard and not much privacy. Humans need variety. If our industry is to attract new, younger owners, then we have to improve the owner experience without having to build a larger, more expensive yacht.”

“This we wanted to seriously disrupt,” says Bart Bouwhuis, co-creative director of Vripack. “So look at the result: We improved the industry standard by more than 300 percent. Maharani’s main deck has 50 meters of clear deck space offering ten dedicated areas. From the layout it’s obvious that each of these spaces have their own intimacy and function. This allows all family members to enjoy their own time on board while still being together all on one incredible deck stretching from stern to bow.”

“Guest privacy was a major focus, so the upper deck is the second full deck dedicated solely to the owner and family,” says Cardenas. “This allows everyone on board to feel at home at sea, each respecting and enjoying their own space.”

Maharani represents a re-imagination of living space, placing the owner(s) onboard experience at the core of the design. The galley, engine room and wheelhouse were relocated to areas more strategic for the owner(s) and the crew. New entertainment areas were created, or enhanced, and connected directly to the owner(s) and guests.

Vripack’s interior design was carefully developed to embody a more human-centric design philosophy.

“Being Dutch, we love to play with light,” says Bouwhuis. “Sure, the huge windows play a significant role, but do not underestimate the relevance of selecting just the right balance of light-absorbing and reflection materials.”

The result of this attention to detail is a warm, homely feeling, with views to enjoy from nearly every place on the yacht, inside or outside. Comfort was further enhanced by installing bespoke loose furniture with natural tones to contribute to the warm penthouse atmosphere.

“In essence, Maharani offers a genuine ‘resort yacht experience,’” says Cardenas. “Our goal is to provide owners with a superior onboard experience: more privacy, more luxury entertainment areas and amenities only witnessed before on 500GT-plus yachts.”