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Coming in just below the 500 gross-tonne mark, despite a generous length of 55m, Vripack-designed Al Waab, built by Alia Yachts, challenges the norm and sets new standards. It’s this rule-breaking boldness and Vripack’s holistic design that caught the judges’ eye at Boat International’s coveted Design and Innovation Awards that took place this year in Milan on 22 June, culminating in a hat trick of awards.

Scooping ‘Outstanding Exterior Design, Motor Yachts 40m to 59.9m’, ‘Best Interior Design, Motor Yachts 499GT and Below’ and ‘Best Naval Architecture, Displacement Motor Yachts’, the judges singled Al Waab out for her holistic interior, exterior and naval architecture. It’s a design approach that Vripack has long championed and places Al Waab at the forefront of yacht design.
“Al Waab pulled ahead as a solid, smart design that’s slightly more efficient than its fellow nominees,” commented the judges. “Further tipping the balance in her favour was the holistic element of her naval architecture, exterior styling and interior arrangement.”

Build and delivered in 2021 by Alia Yachts, for an owner, represented by SF Yachts, who sought a family home at sea, Al Waab is slender for her size, extremely fuel efficient and reaches a top speed of 14.5 knots. The Dutch design firm Vripack’s expertise comes to the fore with an optimised interior that accommodates a split-level master suite forward, six large cabins and a glass-walled convertible gym-cabin aft.

This is thanks to Vripack’s naval architecture prowess, whereby a voluminous bilge and compact technical spaces create greater interior space for guest accommodation.

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