The Italian shipyard CRN reports three superyachts under construction and is currently on the home straight with one project: The 70 metre long 145 Project Thunderball arrived in Ancona as a shell and is currently being fitted out. The steel and aluminium yacht was designed as a displacement yacht, with a gross tonnage of 1,100 GT it offers generous space on five decks.
When she is finished, she will belong to an active regatta sailor. The client ordered a kind of support vessel for his sailing yacht.
International design team
CRN itself took on the technical planning, final design and layout as well as the management of the project through to delivery. Y.CO acted as the owner's representative and project manager, overseeing the construction phase and coordinating the suppliers.
Big names came together for the rest of the design of Project Thunderball: CRN's design department and the Ferretti Group's superyacht division worked with Dutch studio Vripack, which is responsible for the exterior lines, preliminary construction and layout. The Italian studio Nauta Design designed the interior and exterior areas. 67 metres from CRN.
The lines of a sailing yacht
"The owner family was inspired by the long and elegant lines of sailing yachts," says Marnix Hoekstra, co-creative director of Vripack. One advantage of the long and narrow waterline is a highly efficient hull that runs excellently even without the typical bulbous bow.
The drawings for Thunderball 2018 began at Vripack. For Hoekstra, working with the owner was "a pleasure" because he "has a rare keen eye and really pushes for what he wants." For example, he wanted this scissor, a single continuous outer line that provides a classic look. In addition, the owner ordered a winter garden on the upper deck and an oversized bathing platform at the stern. A Sport fishing from Vripack.
Quiet operation at anchor
A special feature of Thunderball is the energy storage system, which regulates the energy supply in line with the operating sequences. Anything that the generators produce in excess flows into the XL battery banks and is temporarily stored there. This means that hotel operations at anchor are emission-free and fuel consumption is significantly reduced.
Propulsion is provided by MAN V12-1213kW engines, which give the yacht a top speed of 15.5 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots.
Interior with a focus on details
Twelve guests can stay overnight on board the CRN, in the owner's suite and in five VIP suites. There are also nine cabins for 15 crew members.
For the interiors, Nauta and the shipyard focussed primarily on the details. Each area has its own identity, yet everything is connected: Similar combinations of form and material appear everywhere. Geometries and proportions are reflected from the outside to the inside and vice versa.
Stone, leather, wood, metal and fabrics set the tone; the textures, shapes and colours are carefully selected and processed. Nauta was deeply involved in the production, from the marble blocks to the choice of veneer.
Construction progress and delivery at CRN
Work in the shipyard is progressing according to plan, with the exterior areas being built in parallel to the interior spaces, where all components are currently being installed, starting with the lower decks. According to the current schedule, the yacht is due to be launched in spring 2026.
Technical data Thunderball:
- Overall length: 70 metres
- Width: 11 metres
- Gross tonnage: 1,100 GT
- Guests: 12 people (owner plus 5 VIPs)
- Crew: 15 in 9 cabins
- Engines: MAN V12-1213kW
- Maximum speed: 15.5 knots
- Cruising speed: 12 knots
- Construction: CRN, Vripack
- Outside lines: Vripack
- Interior: Nauta
