SV Yachts recently introduced us to the ALPHA, a yacht unlike any other. It combines ultra-high performance with the all the luxury amenities as you would expect from a yacht. We talked with SV Yachts Mauricio Velez about this extraordinary machine.
What is the vision behind the ALPHA?
At first the idea was to create a hot-rod car but then as a boat, a combination of a retro-style body with very powerful engines. It should be great to look at and at the same time also gives you that edge and rush of performance. This was our starting point, and over time we updated the concept to what it is now the ultimate high-performance yacht.
Speed on water is a different dynamic then speed on land. What does it take to create a yacht that can do 90 mph?
Countless hours in design! It is a team effort because everything has to come together. The engine, the hull design, the propellers, they need to all be synchronized to each other. Power to weight ratio is crucial, but you also want a yacht that is easy to maneuver at high-speed and low speeds, so there were a lot of challenges.
How long did it take you to develop the ALPHA?
We started with the idea of making a hot-rod boat in 2015, and early 2016 we completed idea for the ALPHA. After that, we had to, of course, develop it and went on to fine-tuning the concept. The first one took us longer to build but in production it will take 6 to 8 months to build an ALPHA.
What can you tell us about the engines in the yacht, as it is an important feature?
When we started to think engines during development, we went towards Mercury. They have an excellent reputation and could offer us the racing engines we needed for the ALPHA. We used two 700sci Mercury Racing engines with SSM stern drives, each with 700 HP, for a total of 1,400 HP. With the light weight of the yacht, this is enough power to get the ALPHA up to 80 knots.
The styling of the ALPHA also shows speed when the yacht is docked. How did the design process go for the ALPHA?
We started the design process with the hull. We needed to develop a hull that was completely different, with a nice wide aft section, yet at the same time a narrow front that can cut through the water. Although fast, the ALPHA is mainly made for leisure and pleasure, so we placed the sun pads on the aft section on top of the engine room. The engine compartment is completely insulated to eliminate heat for the people using the sundeck. These engines do need quite a bit of cooling, as the ALPHA is such a high performer. We placed air intakes at the hull side hips, pretty much in the same way as you see them on supercars, there are active louver vents that open when the engines are turned on to release the hot air from the engines and maintain an active air flow inside the engine room.
We combined three different styles: retro-style European lines, a center console, and high-performance power boat, to create the ALPHA. This makes ALPHA a luxury high-performance yacht, the First of its Kind, with nothing even remotely like it.
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