Boat International - June 2018

PHOTOGRAPHY: SAVVAS BALTZIS; ANDREY CHEPAKIN

A power management system is responsible for generator loads,

constantly optimising them to achieve efficient running and

discharging, and recharging the batteries where necessary.

The HVAC system on board is arguably the most advanced ever

installed on a yacht. It’s all run by software designed to save energy

wherever possible – limiting air-conditioning in unused spaces, for

instance. “We can push a button for when crew are on alone and shut

down A/C units, laundry systems, the lift motors, refrigeration – all

sorts of stuf to limit use of power. We then crank it up when the

owner’s on board,” say Munro. The air on board is mostly recycled,

again to save energy, with UV purification to eliminate odours,

pollutants, smoke, bacteria and viruses. The waste heat recovery

system, meanwhile, warms spaces and also water on board – from

showers to the pool. “We’re not aware of any other superyacht that

can claim to have pushed current technology quite as far as [Black

Pearl] with regard to waste heat recovery,” says James Roy from

BMT Nigel Gee, which helped develop the system as well as

the hybrid powertrain.

Thermal hull insulation has been maximised throughout the

yacht to keep things toasty when

cruising in cold climes and limit HVAC

demands. This extends to all hull glass

on board, which is double and

sometimes triple glazed. Black and grey

water, meanwhile, are treated and

purified to the extent that solid waste

can be landed ashore and used as fuel,

and liquid waste goes back into the

sea as water. But it’s really what’s aloft

that ticks the biggest eco box. “The wind

is free, freely available and completely

clean,” the owner says. “By bringing

21st century materials and technologies

to the art of sailing, the DynaRig system

allows modern vessels – even vessels as large

as Black Pearl – to take advantage of this free, natural

power source.”

Inevitable comparisons will be drawn to 88 metre

Maltese Falcon, which was the first superyacht to be

fitted with a DynaRig. The two boats also share

designers – Ken Freivokh and Dykstra Naval

Above, from left: Richard Tatlow, Chris Gartner and AJ Sutherland on the deck of

their new vessel. Tatlow, the chief engineer, hopes that the rest of the maritime industry

can benefit from the energy-saving technologies that Black Pearl is introducing

Architects worked on both. The similarities end there, though,

because while Maltese Falcon’s hull already existed when its owner

decided on a DynaRig, Black Pearl was conceived from the keel up

for the novel sailing system – and, as a result, she’s a

genuine thoroughbred.

Captain Gartner, who previously served as

skipper on the Falcon, says: “Black Pearl is not as

tender, she handles much better, and as far as sailing

is concerned, it’s 12 years later and you can really feel

all the different modifications that make a

diference.” The biggest of these is the masts on Black

Pearl rotate electrically instead of hydraulically as on

Maltese Falcon, meaning manoeuvres can be

completed in a fraction of the time – especially tacks.

“Tacking was definitely a big issue on the Falcon.

With the hydrodynamics of the hull shape and the

rigs turning so much more quickly, it’s incredible

how much better this boats tacks. She’s just so much

Derek Munro

owner’s rep

I’m used to the size of Black Pearl

• I’ve walked around it every day for
  six years! But seeing it on the water
  and sailing in it, I think you still kind
  of get awed by it all. You walk down
  the side deck when you’re under
  way, just understanding and
  appreciating what’s going on – it’s
  a great feeling. It’s definitely the
  greenest superyacht on the water.