Hawk Yachts has released details of its latest explorer yacht concept – the 56-metre Cape Hawk and the 75-metre Sky Hawk.
Configured as go-anywhere explorers, the two yachts are the product of a team with considerable experience in long-range, all-conditions cruising. “Why are so many explorer yachts so industrial in looks? A seaworthy vessel can still be glamorous in the prestige ports of the world. We believe the range of Hawk Yachts deliver this beauty where many others in this field do not. Our belief is that functionality should be at the forefront of design, but not destroy beauty,” says company president Captain Matthais Bosse, who was formerly master of Carinthia and Lady Moura. “It’s obvious that many explorer yacht designs are created by people that have no practical seafaring experience.”
The 56-metre Cape Hawk (above) boasts an Ice Class 1C rating hull for cruising polar regions, and pollen and insect filters for tropical waters. The distinctive bow shape is designed to take on heavy seas while retaining guest comfort. On-board facilities include a spa on the lower deck, and a cosy ‘fire lounge’ on the main deck. At 12 knots she’ll have a range of 6,000 miles, while the on-board systems, including incinerators, and metal shredders, minimise the environmental impact.
The Sea Hawk (above) is designed by Marco Casali. She has a helipad forward and a main deck pool aft, along with an option for a helicoper hangar aft. The hull is designed for safe navigation in icy waters, and the yacht can push through 40cm of first-year ice. The yacht sleeps 12 guests, served by 25 crew.
“The whole power of the Arctic and the Antarctic is incredible. I’ve been going into the ice every year for 45 years, but it still gives you a thrill when you encounter your first bit of ice at the top end of the Antarctic peninsula. It is growling along the side of the hull and shuddering. No matter how many times you see it or feel it, the excitement is still there. A specialist vessel that is ice strengthened and well prepared with good crew and good officers can enter the ice and actually get to the heart of the Antarctic,” says David Fletcher, the company’s polar expedition leader, of the Hawk Yachts’ concepts.