Cruising mega-yacht ECHO

raised pilothousesemi-displacement hullsteel

As the call, so the echo. And in the case of 61m Project Echo the call by Turquoise Yachts was for “a sculpture of a yacht”, one which emphasized elegance in a nontraditional form while remaining highly user-friendly and practical. Canadian designer Ivan Erdevicki answered the call. A modern design that refuses sharp angles, the form is controlled as though it emerged from the hands of a pottery master, or as though the hull and superstructure were funneled by a wind tunnel. To match its stylish sportiness, the superstructure sits on top a semi-displacement hull capable of going at up to 27 knots. Wrapping the long side window is a distinct slot-like pertrusion. The design inspiration for this feature? The eye of a Tyrannosaurus Rex. With a focus on use-case practicality, Echo keeps high windows throughout the length of the yacht. All 5 guest cabins are on the main deck, which means they all have near-full-height windows wrapping around. The owner’s deck is above and the open deck on bow provides entertainment for up to 30 people at the same time. A final touch to the interior layout is that the stairs from main deck to upper deck are designed around the pool and not built into the superstructure. This means that with the steps being really thin someone onboard can really see right through the staircase and out the other side. Echo’s efficient performance stems from her semi-displacement hull, which can of course be used as a displacement hull with smaller engines and go 17 knots or as a fast-displacement hull with a bigger engine for a speed of 27 knots. This first collaboration between Turquoise and ER Yacht Design can be described in four words