Luxury at sea on 'floating island' yacht

LUXURY on the sea is set to get even better with a new yacht designed to resemble a floating island.

The new WHY yacht takes luxury at sea to a new level / supplied

LUXURY on the sea is set to get even better with a new yacht designed to resemble a floating island.

In pictures: Inside the WHY yacht

Wally Hermes Yachts unveiled the designs for its WHY craft at the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show this week.

The French fashion house Hermes teamed up with Monaco-based ship-builder Wally to create the yacht, which will cost around $160 million.

The 58x38 metre yacht is designed to offer a more peaceful lifestyle, as well as be environmentally friendly.

“We hope to open a new path, to offer a new lifestyle that is different, serene, contemplative and respectful of the environment, moving slowly on the water, combining the pleasure of sailing and absolute comfort,” Hermes Artistic Director Pierre-Alexis Dumas said.

Only 12 guests will be welcomes on board at any one time, along with 20 crew.

The top floor, designed with the owner in mind, has a single suite which is 200 square metres in size and is accompanied by a 25 metre-wide private terrace.

The guest suites are below, along with a 25 metre-long swimming pool and 36-metre deck beach.

The yacht, which has a maximum cruising speed of 14 knots, has been designed with the environment in mind.

In comparison to a yacht of the same size, WHY will save up to 200 tonnes of diesel per year, its designers said.

The yacht also comes equipped with waste management systems made to handle both organic and inorganic waste.

The owners claim it could make four Atlantic crossings without any major maintenance.

It will be the first yacht created by Hermes.

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