Famed Dutch shipyard Oceanco unveiled their 105 Metre (345ft) concept dubbed ‘Esquel’ during the 2019 Dubai International Boat Show. Esquel takes its name from a meteorite that struck the Earth near Esquel, Argentina. Much like the concept yacht, the meteorite is exceptionally beautiful.
The vessel was conceptualized through a collaboration of Timur Bozca Design, interior designer Gina Brennan, Lateral Naval Architects and Engineering, and the exotic yacht travel specialists at Pelorus. The notion, which influenced the yacht’s design, was the fact that eighty percent of yacht activity is confined to only twenty percent of our world’s oceans. With that said, Oceanco’s diesel-electric propelled Esquel concept demonstrates what could be achieved for those of us who desire to explore the world’s most exotic and difficult to reach destinations.
With a striking design, strengthened full displacement hull, Polar classification, and plumb bow; Esquel is perfectly capable of entertaining her owner & guests in lavish style whether she is anchored in Alaska or St. Tropez. And with a Draft of just 4.3 metres (14.1ft), Esquel is well suited for cruising in shallow seas.
“…At the same time, she offers all the aesthetics, amenities, interior and exterior finishes and attention to engineering detail seen onboard all Oceancos,” says Dirk de Jong Commercial Director at Oceanco.
A perfect harmony of elegance and utility, Esquel is one of the most exciting expedition yacht concepts to date. The yacht’s 200 square metre main deck is defined by an enclosed area aft with pool and spa surrounded by walls of glass allowing for stunning panoramic views. A 230 square metre tender garage allows for storage of fast rib tenders, varietal tenders, watersports toys, and dive gear. Additionally, Esquel is capable of carrying two submarines, an SUV, motorbikes, and a helicopter.
Esquel’s design is complemented by a versatile layout which can be altered to provide extra multi-purpose cabins, first response units, seminar areas, and research spaces. The yacht is well suited for marine biology and ocean conservation uses such as ‘coral aquaculture —creating reef farms aboard to help restore our world’s dying reefs.’
Timur Bozca Design, which has offices in both Turkey and the U.K. was chosen to design this concept as a result of his championing of several different design awards in the past few years. Mr. Bozca is celebrated for winning the Young Designer of the Year Award. A design competition sponsored in part by Oceanco.
“Our vision is to create solutions by considering human factors, technology and aesthetics,” says Bozca. “We design everything for a reason—not just for the sake of designing. We believe that we must not only create for tomorrow, but also for the day after.”
Although Esquel’s exterior design is certainly defined by it’s sleek modern utilitarianism, the yacht’s interior is an entirely different dimension. London based Gina Brennan accomplished an open, stylish, and very homey interior design which perfectly contrasts Esquel’s modern exterior.
“The ambition for the look and feel of Esquel’s interior is geared towards depicting the life, influences and home of a young explorer,” says London-based interior stylist Gina Brennan. “Visible will be an eclectic mix of antiques and artifacts collected on his/her travels.”
Esquel’s Diesel-Electric system allows for a top speed of 16.5 knots and a cruising range of 7,000 nautical miles. Thoroughly impressive figures for a 5,000 gross ton expedition yacht with a beam of 17.5 metres (57.4ft).
“In order to truly realize her expedition potential, Esquels’s naval architecture has been executed to provide maximum redundancy for the lowest possible maintenance.” said James Roy, Managing Director of Lateral
The experts on exotic yachting destinations at Pelorus educated Esquel’s design team on the ‘true nature of adventures in remote places such as Greenland and Patagonia.’ As yacht owners become more and more intrigued with yacht’s capable of remote cruising; designs such as Esquel will allow for journeys to remote locales whether that be Oman or Papua New Guinea.
Images courtesy of: Oceanco
