Adastra - controllable with the touch of an iPad
by Lee Mylchreest on 15 Apr 2012
Adastra - could be a low flying alien SW
The problem with my iPad is that it just can't make me a cup of coffee when I need it - but it can do almost everything else, including operating the extraordinary new trimaran super yacht, just in the water, the Adastra. With its shiny body and smooth curves the unusually shaped yacht could be confused for a spacecraft if placed on a runway.
The designers of the new $15 million Adastra superyacht have confirmed that the ship can be controlled using the tablet with a customized iPad app.
This new floating pleasure palace was commissioned by billionaire businessman Anto Marden who is based in Hong Kong. He had commissioned it five years ago but the wait has been worthwhile as the end result has made him the owner of the most high-tech yacht.
The control of the Adastra with an iPad can be achieved if you are within 50 meters of the boat, which means you can sit in the tender and use the superyacht like a sailing toy. The yacht has been designed by Sussex-based yacht designer John Shuttleworth who has a record of creating exclusive yachts. He worked on the power trimaran concept but took it several notches above what had been tried so far.
Although details on this control were scarce at the time of writing, he said the iPad can control everything from 'steering to flicking switches'.
The boat is 42.5m long, 16m wide and weighs 52 tons, while it can house nine guests and six crew members. The boat is powered by one 1,150BHP engine, with two further 110BHP engines helping the boat achieve a top speed of 22.5 knots. On-board there are 15 double bedroom cabins - each equipped with their own bathrooms and 6ft-wide television, while visitors will also discover a sauna, a steam bath, a whirlpool and bar, lounge and dining areas.
This yacht is high on luxury but offers low fuel consumption and brilliant sea keeping, and is said to be able to sail from London to New York without refuelling. Most of this luxury sports yacht has been custom-built in order to reduce the weight. The superstructure is built out of carbon fiber with Nomex honeycomb core. Inside you will see liberal use of lightweight oak. The main helm station with seating for two sits in a raised pilot house.
The interiors by Hong Kong-based Jepsen Designs blend Scandinavian designs with an Eastern touch to great effect.
The yacht comes with a foldable garage door that opens out to turn into a large dive platform. On the aft deck, you will find a sofa, a bar area and a dining space. The main deck is home to a large saloon, where you have a lounge, a dining area and a navigation station, and you can’t miss the large, beautifully-designed panoramic window.
About the Owner:
Anto Marden has made his billions in the shipping industry and naturally knows a thing or two about boats and yachts. After extensive research and development he got the yacht made in Zhuhai, China. His new boat would make it very convenient to sail between the two islands he already owns off the coast of Indonesia and the others he might acquire in the future.
...and I am treating my iPad with new respect.
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