Shadow yachts are the jargon for the tenders of large yachts. They travel in the shadow of the large yachts, but often rush ahead of them to clear their quarters at their destination. Tenders transport all the things that owners would rather not see on board every day, but which make life easier and more enjoyable for themselves, their guests and crews. Naval tenders, for example, supply fast patrol boats and submarines with provisions, fuel, spare parts and medical consultations. The large tender supplies small units.
With Shadow yachts, it is often the other way round. "Charley", a 46 metre long catamaran, will carry a diverse range of dinghies and water toys for the 84 metre long mother ship, the trimaran "White Rabbit Golf", from water bikes and kayaks to windsurfers and other sporty entertainment instruments, among other useful items. In addition, a helipad will enable touch-and-go manoeuvres. Designer Sam Sorgiovanni simply couldn't find any more room for this platform on "White Rabbit Golf". "Charley" drives well ahead of her mum. Echo Yachts will not deliver the White Rabbit until the second quarter of next year.
"Charley", on the other hand, is already afloat and has completed its first voyages. With the composite tender, Echo Yachts delivered Australia's largest watercraft built with resin infusion to date. The architecture was calculated and planned by LOMOcean. Features of the tender include its own tender at the stern, a twelve metre long carbon fibre catamaran on a retractable platform for safe and comfortable navigation. The interior features include diving equipment with a decompression chamber and a sonar system to detect wrecks.
It took two and a half years to design, plan and build the catamaran from the first sketch to delivery.
Echo Yachts builds from resin composite, steel and aluminium and currently employs 240 people. The shipyard is based in Henderson, the ship and yacht building mecca of Western Australia.
