Who just wants to cruise on the surface of the water anymore? How banal; everybody does that. Take a look at the newest trend for the over-the-top superyacht market: The Carapace, a 256-foot-long hybrid that travels on the surface and under the water too.
The product of Elena Nappi, 34, an Italian naval architect, Carapace can submerge to a depth of 985 feet for up to ten days at a time. There you can get a new look at marine life; take a break from the mundane surface world; or, simply disappear from view, if that’s what you have in mind.
Nappi has been working on this concept for years. She says that Carapace offers “a new class of megayachts,” combining the luxury of a traditional megayacht with the “privacy” of underwater travel. “The world of luxury submarines is one of the last frontiers of experimentation, and perhaps the hybrid will be the language of the future,” she said.
It also carries considerable cachet. “Very often yacht owners are looking for original solutions to be able to offer their friends and family something special,” Nappi said. “Certainly a diving cruise of this type is something unprecedented in the superyacht market.”
Carapace will be powered by a diesel-electric and fuel-cell system with a lightweight aluminum superstructure. It will have a top speed of 16 knots on the surface and 13 knots underwater, with a surface range of 2,400 nm. It will have three decks, including VIP cabins, a lounge spa, bar, gym, and infinity pool. When it’s on the surface, the top deck becomes a massive sun lounge. The new yacht probably will cost hundreds of millions of dollars.
So far, Carapace is only a concept. Nappi now works as a designer for Fincantieri, but it is not involved in this project. Read more:
https://www.cnn.com/travel/article/luxury-yacht-submarine-carapace/
