Rolls-Royce unveils yacht concept with new digital technology

The Crystal Blue yacht and its support vessel Blue Shadow have been
developed to enable new concepts in yacht design and propulsion by improving the yacht’s super structure for greater guest use and comfort. Designed for over 12 passengers and 12 crew, the 62m-long Crystal Blue is based on
a composite or aluminium hull operating a power plant based on the Rolls-Royce hybrid LNG/Battery SAVe-CUBE system. The machinery consists of twin LNG-fuelled MTU generator sets working in parallel with a battery bank to provide 1 MWh of generator-free power during port stays. Two low-weight carbon Azipull thrusters provide propulsive power to achieve maximum service speeds of 20 knots. Mr Oskar Levander, Rolls-Royce senior vice president for concepts and innovation, said the design uses an intelligent dynamic positioning system which automatically controls twin azimuthing thrusters and a TT1100 bow thruster. This is technology usually found on offshore support vessels which must maintain their positions next to oil rigs to within a couple of metres. On board Crystal Blue, however, this system allows the yacht to remain in the right spot on the water without using an anchor and follow the sun across the sky to ensure sunbathers can enjoy the optimum tanning angle while lounging on deck. The bridge is located below the bow, inside the vessel. The crew is able to monitor and control the vessel using sophisticated sensors, cameras, display screens. But an internal bridge frees up the traditional area of the bridge in the forward part of the superstructure to let owners and guests enjoy a panoramic vista that is traditionally only enjoyed by the crew. The bridge console is based on the Unified Bridge design that Rolls-Royce has already delivered to a number of ship types, including large superyachts. It also features technology Rolls-Royce and Svitzer demonstrated in the first remote controlled commercial tug earlier this year.