The clear show pony of Yachts Miami Beach, the event that prominently displayed mega-yachts during what was formerly dubbed the Miami Yacht and Brokerage Show was undoubtedly Silver Fast. Impossible to miss, people were raving about the 252ft super-yacht, which was displayed at Island Gardens Deep Harbour on Watson Island—a new multi-use project that’s been added to bring a new layer of innovation to Miami from retail to residential, as well as to accommodate deep draft vessels up to 500′. And while jaw-dropped onlookers caught a glimpse of the vessel for the first time this February, nearly one year post-launch, Toys for Boys toured the magnificent yacht a few months before when BehneMar Yachting (a yachting consultancy in the GCC area working with Burgess as joint central agents for the sale of Silver Fast) Chairman, Dr. Rainer Behne walked us through what is means to be a SilverYacht.
The newest member of the German-owned, Western Australian, SilverYachts family, Silver Fast was launched as the fourth installment of the series and, in-step with the world’s current desire for the eco-friendly, is the most advanced, eco-fuel efficient vessel in the lot. This of course is no small feat, given how overwhelmingly lauded the series has been by way of its multiple awards given to Silver, Silver Zwei and Smeralda before her.
Designed by naval architect and offshore engineer, Espen Øeino, who has been spearheading his own design studio since 1994, and whose line of work includes a client base stretching from Asia and the Far East to the USA and Central America including Russia, Silver Fast is in good company. In fact, amongst Øeino’s masterpieces remains Al Said, which owned by the Sultan Qaboos of Oman is amongst the world’s highest displacement super-yachts at 15,850 tons, the most powerful at 16,500kW and longest super-yachts at 155m. Similarly, he was at the forefront of the previously designed SilverYachts vessels, and as such made sure that Silver Fast remained true to the sleek designs of her predecessors with the exception of one telltale differing factor: a silver paint job that Øeino has been imagining as being brought to life since the onset of the SilverYachts ship yard.
Some of Silver Fast’s other unique qualities include her place as the world’s largest and fastest (27 knots) aluminum motor yacht with conventional propulsion in terms of length-to-speed ratio, a title earned by her 11,000-nautical-mile delivery from Perth to Monaco, with a stopover in the Gulf, completed seamlessly with only one fuel stop. Named Finest New Yacht at the Monaco Yacht Show, Silver Fast also has a draft of just 2.6m, quite handy for cruising in areas that many yachts of this size cannot access.
Clearly striking in its physical uniqueness, the silver skin (if you will) that the vessel dons is a forewarning of what lies beneath. Muted tones, lush textures and carefully thought out amenities make her one of the most tastefully designed yachts we’ve set foot on. Designed by Germany-based Andreas Holnburger of Vain Interiors, the layout is perfection. Leather-laden staircases lead you to an owner’s apartment with lounge and large private deck accessible by way of hidden door—very James Bond—as well as some other three double VIP guest suites, a fourth double guest cabin and three twin cabins of which two feature a top bunk for added accommodations. A sundeck with outdoor cinema, bar and Jacuzzi flanks the bow end while the stern is home to what they’ve dubbed the beach club where one wants for nothing: a sauna, steam room, gym, massage room and beauty salon are just the beginning.
So luxurious is she, in fact, that Mercedes Benz joined forces with SilverYachts to produce a film in Monaco featuring the new iconic S Class Convertible on the helipad of the vessel (which is suitable for helicopters up to an Augusta 109 or an EC135) with nothing but its handbrake on to keep it positioned while Silver Fast sped through the waters. Both film and car were debuted to audiences last fall during the IAA Frankfurt Motor Show and can be watched on the Silver Fast website.
And the buck doesn’t stop there, the Superyacht Builders Association member-yard is currently working on its next project: the 84.5m Silver Lo that was introduced in Monaco via large-scale yacht model—we just can’t wait to see her in Miami.