The Dubai International Boat Show opened its doors to visitors yesterday to commence five days of superyacht displays, concept reveals and brands dedicated to the luxury yachting lifestyle, and among the new designs was the outstanding 115m/377ft mega yacht TUHURA.

Lobanov Design – superyacht Tuhura

Unveiled by His Excellency Saeed Hareb, Secretary General of Dubai Sports Council, Vice President and Chairman of Dubai International Marine Club – Mina Seyahi, and Senior Advisor to the Dubai International Boat Show, M/Y TUHURA is a Maori word which has multiple meanings in translation, including ‘explore’, investigate’ and ‘bring to light’, which suits perfectly to her inspiration and Oceanco’s vision for the future of yachting.

Lobanov Design – superyacht Tuhura

Lobanov Design – superyacht Tuhura

The naval architecture and exterior styling from BMT Nigel Gee and Lobanov Design respectively is reminiscent of the old canoes that travelled thousands of miles across the Pacific Ocean, which were navigated using the clouds on the horizon, the species in the local region and the position of the stars in the sky.

This connection to nature is revisited in the design of TUHURA, which Igor Lobanov describes as “…a simple idea; the thought was to take a natural shape similar to those seen in the earliest canoe-type craft and augment it multifold to a larger scale, using modern technology.”

Oceanco and Lobanov Design – Tuhura

Using innovative technology, the windows contain a series of dots that are transparent from the inside but viewed from without perfectly blend with the colour of the hull, and this same effect is used in the black superstructure.

Lobanov Design and Oceanco – superyacht Tuhura

The external living spaces flow perfectly into the Achille Salvagni-designed interiors, which he describes as a ‘brushed teak habitat’, as shown in the curving shapes and floors, walls and ceilings covered in this pale wood throughout. Tatami mats and accents in gunmetal and bronze enhance each room and create a sense of tranquillity.

Images show full-height windows in the salons and sliding doors that lead onto the side decks, where the foredeck and aft deck can be accessed externally without hindrance. Sunpad-loungers are located to the aft, and the forward area is designed for outdoor living and alfresco dining. On the sundeck, there is a raised Jacuzzi, a tear-shaped sunpad and seating along the sides.

Lobanov Design and Oceanco – superyacht Tuhura – interior

The canoe shape of the hull leads to very little resistance and excellent efficiency and manoeuvrability. However, integrating a modern propulsion system offered a challenge and the engineering team opted for the state-of-the-art hybrid Azipod® CRP (contra-rotating) propulsion system from ABB, which has been developed and put into use in commercial vessels for more than a decade.

Lobanov Design and Oceanco – superyacht Tuhura – interior

Yacht Design Director James Roy commented: “The hybrid CRP system is inherently efficient and perfectly suited to the canoe form, there is a synergy between the efficiency of the hull form, and that of the propulsion system, leading to a yacht which marries an evolutionary simple hull with an evolutionary advanced propulsion system.” As a result, luxury yacht TUHURA can reach a speed of 18 knots.

Lobanov Design and Oceanco – superyacht Tuhura – cabin

The layout of TUHURA is flexible and any future hulls can be built anywhere between 80m/262ft – 120m/394ft in length.