Düsseldorf Boat Show  Round Up

What better way to start 2019 than with a fantastic boat show !

Celebrating its 50th birthday this years “Boot Düsseldorf” proved once again how popular the world’s largest indoor boat show really is.

In attendance for the duration was our compliance & special projects manager Linda Kallas who supported the Sunseeker Team on their incredible stand and who got the chance to meet several existing clients and of course to make the acquaintance of so many new buyers.

Of particular interest was the very exciting news from Sunseeker and Rolls-Royce / MTU of their very exciting collaboration agreement to build a completely new yacht for delivery in 2020 with a hybrid propulsion system from Rolls-Royce / MTU with the following benefits :

• Silent mode
• Low vibration levels
• Emission free yet powerful
• Variable operating modes to meet specific needs

Sean Robertson, Sales Director at Sunseeker International commented: “Sunseeker has always led the industry by innovating and being first to market so it is entirely appropriate that we are the first luxury performance yacht manufacturer to partner with MTU Hybrid Power which will revolutionise how all customers power their boats over the coming years. The way owners are using their boats continues to evolve with efficiency and noise reduction now as important as features and volume which all contribute to their ultimate purchase decision. This latest hybrid technology will feature in a brand new model launching in 2020 and will allow owners a choice of multiple operating modes from all-electric with zero emissions through to use of the twin 12-cylinder diesel engines delivering efficient class-leading performance. We will always be led by our customers who are seeking the highest levels of innovation to match their extended cruising aspirations.”

Knut Müller, Head of Marine and Government Business at MTU, said: “The combination of diesel engines and electric motors, in addition to batteries and their variable areas of application, offer yacht owners significant benefits. Silent cruising, combined with low vibration and emission levels, offer tremendous gains in terms of on-board comfort. High performance levels, efficiency, environmental compatibility and the flexibility of the propulsion system are great interest today when operating a yacht. We believe that the focus in the future yacht industry will be more and more on smart and innovative system solutions rather than just focussing on the power output level.”

The new Sunseeker yacht will have an integrated MTU hybrid propulsion system. It will consist of two 12-cylinder MTU Series 2000 diesel engines (each delivering around 1,432 kW/ 1,947 hp), on-board generators, electric propulsion modules, transmission system, batteries, control and monitoring systems and can be expanded on a modular basis.

The yacht will be provided with six different operating modes that are easy to operate, including the automated “smart hybrid” and “charge hybrid” modes, which enable all power sources to be used as required. In an “electric mode” the yacht propulsion and on-board power can be supplied continuously by the generators, providing optimisation of fuel consumption and comfort on-board for long and overnight passages. In “silent mode”, which uses power solely from the batteries, up to 40 minutes of propulsion and 120 minutes of on-board power are available with each pair of MTU batteries installed, with no emissions produced whatsoever.