Pegaso - Moore Yacht Design International Pegaso.pdf · Pegaso’s dynamic positioning – for both...

pegasopegaso

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Pegaso A pAssion for diving And A desire

to reseArch And protect the oceAns led one owner to design the ultimAte

luxury reseArch vessel – pegAso

words: Caroline White photography: Adrian Houston


Heart of the research centre is the VAS submarine (above). Among the remarkable equipment carried in the extensive wet labs and dive area is an inflatable decompressor that can be airlifted by helicopter to a hospital, meaning someone injured on a dive can receive treatment without risking the bends

‘From birth, man carries the weight of gravity on his shoulders. He is bolted to earth,’ Jacques Cousteau told Time magazine in 1960. ‘But man

has only to sink beneath the surface and he is free.’

Like Cousteau and all passionate divers, the owner of

RV Pegaso knows the unique solace and joy of the world

beneath the waves. He built his 73.6m luxury research

vessel as a tool to explore and protect it – and the head

of that tool is a submarine.

‘It started with a submarine and the boat grew around

it,’ says Alexander Flemming, of Pegaso Marine, who

was overseer and owners’ rep on the project.

The five-person VAS submarine is the ultimate dive

accessory and was custom built to allow divers to exit

the submarine underwater, dive an area of interest,

re-enter underwater, drain the compartment, and safely

decompress while dry.

At 14 tonnes, the vehicle needed a heavy-duty rig to

support it. But the owners’ preferences determined on

his previous three superyachts also helped determine

their successor. RV Pegaso was to be a luxury boat with

a trans-Pacific range, Ice Class capability, dynamic

positioning, science labs and documentary facilities, the

ability to stay at sea for weeks, to launch and retrieve a

pegaso

five-person submarine, to deploy complex ocean science

equipment, and to carry out commercial helicopter

operations. In short, it needed to rewrite a few chapters

in the book of yacht design.

At first Flemming looked at commercial vessels to refit,

then he and the owner started to sketch out a new build

plan, which was developed into a design by the Norwegian

company Yran & Storbraaten Architects. But it didn’t look

quite right, so Pegaso Marine consulted H2 Yacht Design.

‘He wanted a research vessel that was yacht-like,’ says

designer Andy Moore, who was part of the H2 design

team responsible for the styling of RV Pegaso’s exterior,

and continued with the project later with his own

company. ‘A lot of explorer yachts are quite commercial

looking, whereas this has got some curves and if you

look at the profile, there’s a boomerang shape going

through the boat, like it’s been pulled backwards.’

At base though, Moore says the vessel’s shape was

‘dictated by what had to go in it’ – those areas that

bestow upon Pegaso the mantel of research vessel.

They are also the reason that the owner chose Freire

Shipyard in Spain, which makes sturdy, high-tech

explorers for the likes of the National Environmental

Research Council.

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‘A lot of explorer yachts are quite commercial looking,’ says Moore, ‘whereas this has got some curves and if you look at the profile, there’s a boomerang shape going through the boat’


The sundeck helipad is fully HCA certified, and

extends by four metres to accommodate an EC 135

helicopter. This is not only useful for guests, but of

course is essential when on research missions in

far-flung locations. Forward of the helipad is a

large gym and an eight-person spa pool

‘The focal point of his space is the main stair-case, developed along the longitudinal axis of theboat,’ continues Paladini. ‘I have had the idea in my head for some time.’

Thus, aft on the main deck is a dive centre with a

custom oxygen and nitrox breathing gas production

system, rebreathers, scooters, underwater cameras, and

a portable FlexiDec decompression chamber. A 45m2

bathing platform is accessed through watertight doors

aft, and forward of the lazarette a huge garage contains

the custom McWing submarine tender, a Goldfish tender

and – the star of the show – the VAS submarine.

VAS chief designer Giunio Santi, of GSE Trieste,

explains that the 1.4 metre diameter forward-facing

window is angled slightly downward for ‘looking at

the seabed, not for the surface’ as opposed to the top-

side bubble often seen on submersibles. The passenger

and diver compartments are encased within a high-

tensile steel pressure hull, which is surrounded by a

smooth Kevlar/fibreglass hydrodynamic envelope that

provides strength, sleekness, and a 5-knot speed. The

submarine comfortably carries five people to 160

metres down on missions of up to eight hours, with 96

hours of life support.

The VAS has fixed exterior mountings for cutting edge

underwater imaging systems as well as removable

manipulators. Within her spacious passenger

compartment, with standing height of 1.8m, she has an

ergonomically designed control panel and piloting

station. Integrated side-scan sonar allows seabed

mapping, while the underwater communications allow

the pilot to speak with both divers as well as the McWing

tender. After the dive, collected footage is processed in

the professional video editing suite forward of the

garage while marine samples can be digitally catalogued

in the adjacent wet lab.

Pegaso Marine partnered with Ocean Preservation

Alliance (OPA) – a marine conservation organisation that

connects the ocean science and exploration communities

with vessels to protect and restore the oceans – to create

a comprehensive Global Expedition Itinerary.

‘There is a definite trend towards purpose driven

yachting,’ says Sean Dooley of the OPA. ‘Over the last

few years, OPA have worked with many clients who are

not into conspicuous spending, but rather are seeking

more meaning and purpose in their leisure time. Our

experience shows that when clients become personally

involved a whole new layer richness is added to their

yachting experience.’

pegaso


‘Inside, Mark Berryman’s ‘beach club’ interior uses natural, tactile materials to create a relaxed atmosphere. The observation lounge has a bar and an external seating area’

pegaso

Such experiences are even more extraordinary with

children onboard. ‘When they get back and their friends

ask “What did you do for your holiday?”, the kids say

“We saw this animal and that animal and we did this

and this with the scientists,” says Dooley. ‘It’s a rare

experience for children to possibly meet the next

Jacques Cousteau!’

As a fully fledged research vessel, RV Pegaso will

explore the world’s pristine marine protected areas,

such as Wolf and Darwin islands in Galapagos, which

are highly regulated and inaccessible to most yachts. In

areas such as this a helicopter is a vital tool and Pegaso

is the only vessel of her size with an HCA fully certified

helipad – of the sort on North Sea oil platforms. Among

other features, the platform extends by four metres to

accommodate an EC 135, which can remain on board

for guests’ use. The ‘H’ symbol glows in the dark for

night landings, while in daytime its teak surface and off-

white symbol are inoffensive to the eye – it could even

double as a dance floor.

This is just one example of the overachieving kit

onboard. The air conditioning can cool the vessel to 21

Celsius when it’s 45 degrees outside; the eight-person

spa pool has a compensation tank, which conserves

water and uses less power to keep the proper

temperature; the black water treatment system is so

thorough that what comes out complies with the most

stringent regulations in the world, making long trips to

Alaska possible; four large satellite domes eliminate the

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The bridge deck saloon serves as a multifunction space, with an informal dining area (right), a bar (above) and a full pull-down 120 inch cinema projection screen (above right). Decorative features include pre-stressed floorboards and raffia and textured wood panelling

risk of a service-disrupting shadow from the mast, and

they receive internet connectivity from both Ku band for

common destinations and C-band for remote spots.

The basic hardware is also impressive. The boat has

three 450kW generators, which were chosen to support

Pegaso’s dynamic positioning – for both safe diving and

protected locations where it is forbidden to drop anchor.

The engine rooms hold two easily-accessible Caterpillar

3516C engines, with a total output of 4,700kW, giving a

range of 10,000 nautical miles at 12 knots.

But while Pegaso has an oceanographic agenda, it also

offers top superyacht luxury. The research area and

guest cabins take up the traditional location of a main

saloon, so the bridge deck functions as a main deck

might ordinarily. ‘Everything moves up a bit,’ says Moore.

The spacious bridge aft deck provides the main dining

area on the boat, while inside, Mark Berryman’s ‘beach

club’ interior uses natural, tactile materials to create a

relaxed atmosphere. But the practicalities of long cruises

were also remembered.

‘Because he’s an owner who spends a lot of time on

his boats, we wanted something that would age well,’

says Berryman. ‘So a lot of the materials – the woods

and leathers – were slightly distressed in their finishing,

with the hope that in a few years time it’ll look even

better with age.’

The saloon incorporates a bar, an informal dining

area and a seating space opposite a 60-inch concealed

plasma screen and a 120-inch pull-down cinema

projection screen – so the whole compliment of guests

can use the room at the same time, but in different ways.

The panelling is raffia and textured wood, the custom-

made floorboards have a ‘beaten-up’ look and in some

areas, woven leather covers the floor. Throughout the

boat, oak, wengé and walnut has been sandblasted or

wire brushed to bring up the grain.

A bamboo walled corridor leads to the central glass

lift – which can take a wheelchair (all corridors are also

wide enough for wheelchairs and there is a medical

room onboard). Down on the main deck, forward of the

research area are four double cabins (all convertible to

twins). They have en suite bathrooms and a simple,

relaxed style, with textured wood walls, large windows

and rough limestone at the head of the beds. The VIP

features similar décor, but a shoji screen separates the

cabin from a private office, lounge and shower room. All

AV systems are controlled via iPads in all cabins.

Up on the sun deck there is a 54m2 gym plus an eight-

person spa pool, which can be closed off with glass

doors. ‘This is a research vessel, it’s meant to go to cold

places.’ says Luc Khaldoun, commercial director of

Edmiston, who are representing Pegaso. ‘The Arctic,

Antarctic, even the North Sea in July can be freezing. But

close it up and you’ve got great views, hot water –

fantastic.’ Forward, the observation lounge has a bar and

an external lounging area.

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The master suite – on its own private deck atop the yacht – and guest cabins (left) on the main deck continue the elegant beach club theme, as does the central foyer (above)

‘The owner’s deck cabin has a 180-degree view.

The bathroom walls are brushed teak, and the bath

is carved from a single piece of limestone and

weighs more than a tonne’

The owner’s deck above features a cabin with

180-degree views, warm wood panelling and a cream

carpet shaved into a wood grain pattern. The bathroom

walls are brushed teak, which Berryman says will ‘take

on this lovely grey patina as the years go by’. The bath

is carved from a single piece of limestone and weighs

more than a tonne, while the head and shower are

screened behind sand-blasted glass. Forward of the

cabin a small terrace with fixed seating provides perhaps

the best views onboard. Aft of the lift is a large office

and lounge, suitable for small conferences and aft again

is another, larger terrace with a fixed awning. To reach

this deck in the lift you need to punch in a code, the

staircase can be closed and there are no companionways.

‘You can enclose the area totally so you can be

autonomous for days if you wish,’ says Khaldoun.

But the owner was also concerned with crew comfort

on long journeys. Their lower deck accommodation is

airy, with a good-sized lounge and a gym. Two additional

staff cabins on the main deck accommodate up to four

science personnel and there is a dedicated pilot cabin as

well. There is a private crew stairway through the boat

and a galley on every deck. Meanwhile, the captain

benefits from a walkaround bridge of the type found on

offshore vessels and rigs.

‘It’s as high tech as it gets. It’s all interfaced with the

planning station, so the captain or first officer can read

all their planning and load it straight up,’ says Flemming.

‘We’ve basically taken an offshore commercial bridge

package from Kongsberg, and covered it with leather.’

And this is RV Pegaso in a nutshell – the most exciting

sort of aquatic technology combined with

uncompromising luxury. ‘People have already dubbed

her the 21st century Calypso,’ says Flemming, referring

to Cousteau’s famous 1950s research vessel. The

difference is that Pegaso’s intrepid

explorers can soak in a spa pool after

they plumb the depths.

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