From 24 to 27 September VPLP Design will once again be exhibiting at the Monaco Yacht Show,the premier event in the superyacht calendar. The firm will be unveiling brand-new designs on its stand in the Sailing Yacht Area, alongside the world’s leading yacht builders and designers.
VPLP Design has been active in the sailing superyacht world for nearly thirty years, in particular since the launch of Douce France in 1998. At 42 metres long, she was the largest sailing catamaran in the world at the turn of the millennium. Over the subsequent decades, VPLP Design has established itself as a major player in an industry that comes together every year at the Monaco Yacht Show. “We have been exhibiting in Monaco since the late 90s,” says Mathias Maurios, Partner Naval Architect and head of the Cruising Division at VPLP Design. “It’s an important event in our calendar, a showcase for our expertise and an opportunity to champion our DNA, wherein the quest for performance, elegance and lifestyle must combine into a coherent architecture.”
VPLP’s inclusion in the Sailing Yacht Area (stand QH3, Quai L’Hirondelle, see show map) is a first for the firm and bolsters its reputation as a leading player in the world of sailing superyachts, both multihulls and monohulls. “Like all boat shows, Monaco is great for connecting but it’s also about visibility, and this aspect has been enhanced by this change of location. We are also very proud to have the brand-new Lagoon Eighty 2 (stand C28),the brand’s flagship model, floating alongside. It’s a major innovation for Lagoon and the brand is right at home in Monaco. Hemisphere, which in 2011 replaced Douce France as the largest sailing catamaran in the world (44.2 metres), will also be present, moored in the bay of Monaco. She’s yet another fine example of our expertise in designing superyachts,” explains Mathias Maurios who will, of course, be attending the show.
“A boat show,” he adds, “is always an opportunity to make announcements and unveil new models, and in this respect the Monaco Boat Show will be a particularly exciting event for us!” Visitors will discover the exclusive concept preview of a very large yacht, indeed “the largest ever designed by VPLP” says Mathias Maurios. Developed in collaboration with Italian design firm Micheletti + Partners, with whom VPLP previously worked on a 45-foot motor tender (catamaran) designed specifically for superyachts.
VPLP will also be presenting – in collaboration with Grand Large Yachting – the new Fusion range by Gunboat (for whom VPLP has already designed several high-performance cruising catamarans: the 68, 72 and 80). The first Fusion is an 80-footer and features all of the brand’s aesthetic conventions, as well as the leading-edge technology and high performance we’ve come to expect. The aim of this new design is to enhance accessibility and comfort through, in particular, the addition of a flybridge. Ardent campaigner for the decarbonization of sea transportation, VPLP Design will be seizing the opportunity of the Monaco Yacht Show to hold – in conjunction with Xplorer Yachting and Norse Shipyard – the official launch of works to build the MG project, the world’s first wind-assisted expedition vessel.
The largest cruising trimaran
in the world
Another major presentation at the MYS will be Global Yacht Technologies’ launch of the first ever cruising super-trimaran. A hundred feet long and unique in its category, this visionary project draws on the expertise VPLP has developed over the years working on the Ultim racing trimarans, the most recent being Banque Populaire XI and SVR-Lazartigue (2021).
Currently under construction in CDK Technologies’ new production facility in Lorient, this yacht marks a decisive step in the world of large leisure vessels. Focus is on the design and architecture of the main hull, the heart of the vessel, which features large living areas. “The entire structure was calculated in-house,” says Mathias Maurios. “This trimaran is a major first for the firm, because it’s a true ocean-cruising vessel with a huge owner’s cabin and four guest cabins.”
Once the main structure has been delivered, Global Yacht Technologies will proceed with fitting out the accommodations and systems. The first boat in the expected series is scheduled for launch in 2027, which will make it the largest cruising trimaran in the world. A prospect that will certainly arouse much interest on the quays and pontoons of Monaco marina!
