The romance of sailing the oceans

The yachting world is full of discussions about sustainable materials and more environmentally friendly forms of propulsion. Let’s face it, diesel has probably never been the best thing to use in our oceans and while it has served its purpose, both the industry and owners are keen to be green. There are all sorts of solutions being researched and developed, from synthetic fuels to hydrogen fuel cells and even nuclear power, but there’s one form of propulsion that has never gone away, wind.

A sailing yacht is still the most romantic way to travel around. There’s a reason the phrase “wind in your sails” has become commonplace, it sums up positivity, the spirit of adventure and the nostalgia of epic voyages. Luxury superyachts might be dramatic and opulent, but a sailing yacht just says you’re a true navigator of the ocean, gripped by the wanderlust and adventure of it all.

What if you could combine the best of both worlds: the luxury of a superyacht with the elegance of sails? Well you can and there are plenty of naval architects and shipyards around the world doing just that. We were particularly taken by the incredible designs emerging from the collaboration between the design studios of Van Geest Design in the Netherlands and Rob Doyle Design in Ireland, particularly their stunning take on the traditional idea of a trimaran.

Think of the catamarans in Table Bay and the Domus trimaran is nothing like that. It’s a modern, sleek rendition of an age-old approach to sailing. Van Geest is of the opinion that a trimaran provides the speed of a catamaran but with more stability, making it more attractive to those who want a sailing superyacht without the experience of the yacht lifting too much out of the water at speed. Basically, they want the stability of a superyacht with the romance of the sails.

A trimaran can be quite a complex thing, but the designers wanted to adopt what they called a “why not” approach, after all, that’s what pushing the boundaries of design is all about.

“Just because superyachts are what they are now does not mean they should stay this way,” says Pieter van Geest. “New, never done before, seem impossible or too complicated when first suggested, are no reasons to rule it out. We were constantly looking at every aspect of the design and saying, ‘I know we do it this way normally, but is there a better way?’ If we did not have to worry about any financial, practical or technological limitations what would we do that is better than what we have, and can we now make it work within the context of the limitations of the project? Therefore, we truly believe that this project will redefine what a multihull sailing superyacht can be.”

In this context, the Domus is all about modern living. The name comes from the idea of a single storey house with multiple rooms built around a courtyard. In this case the courtyard is the main communal area, with each of the rooms placed around it to ensure guests all have a view of the outside world. It’s all about following the design strategy of being part of the surroundings, effectively bringing the outside in.

The Domus is currently a concept that really showcases the future of superyachts. In Van Geest’s portfolio, the craft that really grabs one’s attention is the Ripple, which was revealed by the same two design studios a few years ago. So many yacht designers are looking for purity in their designs today, but the Ripple, a 93m ketch, is about as pure as you can get. It features an aluminium hull for strength and reduced weight, and a pristine design that is all about elegance and modernity. It’s a true sailing vessel, based on racing yachts, but it hides many of the components required for the automated sails themselves, again emphasising that design simplicity.

The Ripple isn’t short on luxury either, with multiple guest suites, a seawater pool, entertainment areas and even storage for tenders and water toys. If we were going to sail around the world, this is the one we would have, although given that their beautiful 2004 design of the yacht M5 cost about $50m we might be stretching the limits of our Amex card somewhat. Still, it’s good to dream.