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BAZ Yacht Design's Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht emerges in this aerial rendering as a masterwork of contemporary marine vessel design, positioned diagonally across the picture plane with its…

Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht by Baz Yacht Design is a highly esteemed winner of the very prestigious 2024 Platinum A' Design Award in Yacht and Marine Vessels Design Competition Category.


PlatinumYacht· 2024

Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht

by Baz Yacht Design

Client: BAZ Yacht Design

Platinum A' Design Award Winner in Yacht Category

1,157,779

Verified Award Winner

Verify Award Status for #159993

Colors

The Design

About Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht

Kai means ocean in Hawaiian language. She provides privacy on enclosed owner deck with 180 degree panoramic master suite with an office lounge opens up onto 150m2 private deck. This area also provides an open-air cinema and golf practice amenities. Her achromatic tones give her an elegance that is enhanced by submarine anchoring system and hideaway mooring platforms. 4 luminous VIP guest cabins are located on main deck and underwater observatory lounge on lower deck. She boasts 125m2 extending beach club at aft with saltwater pool that also doubles as a lifting platform for her 13m tender.

The Recognition

About the Platinum A' Design Award

Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht is a Platinum A' Design Award winner, an extremely prestigious recognition granted to truly exceptional, elegant, and magnificent designs. Platinum winners are marvels of creation, testaments to the limits of intellectual creativity, and demonstrate the unmatched professionalism and genius of their designers. These designs are expected to be the most renowned works that define the aesthetics of an era, contribute to the well-being of society, and push the boundaries of art, science, design, and technology. Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht exhibits a transcendent level of excellence and unequivocally makes the world a better place with its advantageous and worthwhile characteristics. Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht is a Platinum A' Design Award-winning work that triggers desires, inspires, excites, delights, and sparks great joy.

Where to Get It

Custom Yacht Design Services

We specialize in creating exceptional yacht designs that blend innovative naval architecture with luxurious interiors. From initial concepts to complete exterior and interior design for new builds and major refits, our award-winning team delivers comprehensive solutions that transform visions into stunning maritime reality.

Discuss Your Project

Interviews

Design Interview

What is the main principle, idea and inspiration behind your design?

From the outset, our vision for the KAI was to create an eco-friendly gentleman’s yacht that could seamlessly dock at most marinas and ports without size restrictions ensuring %100 owner's privacy.

What has been your main focus in designing this work? Especially what did you want to achieve?

KAI offers unparalleled privacy with a fully enclosed owner’s deck that includes an office lounge, open-air cinema, sundeck, and golf practice area, all completely separate from the crew and other guests. For comfort, the aft deck transforms into a 125m² marine paradise beach club with a 4.8x2.4m seawater pool, thanks to foldable bulwarks. For tranquility, there’s an underwater observatory lounge with a massage room for serene moments. The yacht is also highly functional, featuring a descending deck that can carry a 13m tender for long cruises. Lastly, KAI prioritizes eco-friendliness with electric engines, ensuring a silent cruise and docking experience.

What are your future plans for this award winning design?

We believe that KAI has a unique soul, and we're excited to expand the KAI family. We've already begun developing a 39.5m KAI catamaran and a 13m KAI tender. Our next step is to find the right owner for these new designs and start production as soon as possible to bring these innovations to life.

Read the Full Interview

Grand Interview

Your innovative approach to eco-friendly navigation in Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht combines multiple operation modes - could you elaborate on how this smart hybrid system transforms the traditional yachting experience?

Project KAI's smart hybrid system is designed to provide the transition between different propulsion modes, allowing the yacht to optimize energy efficiency and environmental impact. With a combination of diesel-electric propulsion and a 673kWh battery pack, the yacht can operate in zero-emission mode at 5.5 knots, enabling silent cruising in protected marine areas. This innovation transforms traditional yachting by reducing fuel consumption, minimizing noise pollution, and offering a more serene experience for owners and guests. The ability to switch between hybrid and full-electric modes ensures adaptability for various cruising conditions, setting a new standard for sustainable luxury.

The enclosed owner deck of Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht offers remarkable privacy features, including a 180-degree panoramic master suite - what inspired this distinctive design choice and how does it enhance the owner's experience?

The inspiration behind the enclosed owner deck was to offer a high degree of privacy and exclusivity, a key consideration for modern yacht owners. By creating a dedicated owner’s private deck, we ensured that no crew members or guests need to pass through this space, allowing for complete journey including the mooring manoeuvering. The 180-degree panoramic master suite not only offers breathtaking views but also fosters a deeper connection with the nature and the sea, reinforcing the essence of luxury yachting. The suite is complemented by a private lounge and office, a spacious deck, and unique lifestyle amenities, making it a personal sanctuary within the yacht.

The underwater observatory lounge in Project Kai Smart Hybrid Motoryacht represents a unique connection with the marine environment - could you share the creative journey behind this feature and its integration with the vessel's overall design philosophy?

The idea for the underwater observatory lounge stemmed from our desire to offer a truly immersive experience with the ocean. Unlike traditional viewing spaces, this lounge allows guests to observe marine life in its natural habitat without disruption. Designed as a tranquil escape, it features large glass panels engineered for optimal visibility and structural integrity. Integrating this feature seamlessly into the yacht’s hull was a challenge, requiring careful coordination between design and engineering to maintain stability and hydrodynamic performance. This space embodies Project KAI’s philosophy of blending luxury with an authentic connection to nature.

Read the Full Interview

Behind the Design

Press Kit

Credits, team members and technical details provided by the designer.

Unique Properties
Privacy: With an office lounge, open air cinema, sundeck and golf practice, full enclosed owner deck is totally seperated from the crew and the other guests.
Comfort: With foldable bulwarks, the aft deck turns into 125m2 marine paradise beach club within 4.8x2.4m seawater pool.
Tranquility: Underwater observatory lounge with massage room for serene times,
Smart: Descending deck in water can carry 13m tender in long cruises.
Eco: prioritizing environmental sustainability with electric engines and promises silent cruise and docking.
Dimensions & Packaging
Loa: 49.5 m
Bmax: 9.25 m
T: 2.27 m
Gross Tonnage: 499

Class: Rina or Bv, Unrestricted Navigation

Number of Pax: 10
Number of Crew: 9

Hull & Superstructre: Aluminium
Wheelhouse: Grp

Fuel Tanks: 45.000 litres
Water Tanks: 12.000 litres

Engines: Man Smart Hybrid Diesel-Electric 2x900kW
Generators: 2x125kW & 1x350kW
Battery Pack: 673kWh

Stabilizers: Quantum

Cruising Speed: 13.5 knots
Zero Emission Speed: 5.5 knots
Tags
motoryacht, superyacht, project kai, baz yacht design, eco friendly, zero emission, yacht design,
Production Technology
Soft and elegant lines were key for the design. Wanted to make a pure sophisticated exterior which leads us to use similar color and tonnes of hull portholes and fashion plate glass. Therefore plain surface with 2 tones of same color were used. There are even no open hawseholes at bow area in order to keep the unity and harmony.
Design Challenge
Two main challanges in the creative and research period for Project Kai were the weight of the desired battery pack and the high temperature of the battery pack in electric mode.
We have planned to place the battery pack room between the amidship and the engine room, therefore the weight of the battery pack would not effect the main stability. About the possible high temperature, closed circuit water cooling system from seawater will be applied between all bulkeads and battery packs as well as between every individual battery one by one.
Research
The main research for the project was the eco-friendly navigation systems research. Instead of using generator activated electric azipods, we wanted to use the brand new Man Smart Hybrid engines that can allow the navigation in electric, diesel or both.
Inspiration
The very first idea was to make an eco-friendly gentelman's yacht that can dock most of the marinas and ports without restrictions in size. Owner privacy was also key which leads us to make a full enclosed deck with no crew transpassing, even in docking manoeuver. Other idea was to carry the tender on the deck in long journeys instead of towing them on water. Therefore we have decided to go with a 3deck yacht design with a descending aft deck that can lift and carry the tender.
Project Duration
The project started in Hamburg, Germany in November 2023 when we were in the process of establishing our Hamburg Branch Office and have been developed in Antalya and Marmaris, Turkey.
Operation Flow
With the new engine system, the yacht can decide different navigation options such as:
Zero-Emission Mode: No noise and vibration, zero emission
Diesel-Electric Mode: Low noise, vibration and emission
Crossover Mode: Very economical operation, Long range, Low Vibrations, Extended operating time before
service
Boost Mode: Combination of hybrid and zero-emission. %20 more power when compared to conventional system.
Team Members
Designer: Barbaros Atal
Designer: Bilge Zaptçıoğlu Atal

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