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Adler YAcht’s supremA 76 delivers A fresh tAke on fuel efficiencY in A distinctive pAckAge.
Adler Yacht’s Suprema 76 proposes a fresh take on fuel efficiency in a distinctive package.
WWith so many midsize vessels putting on their best 100foot imitations, Adler Yacht’s 76-foot (23.1-meter) Suprema is a nice change of pace. This semi-custom hybrid yacht is a technologically advanced midsize vessel that embraces natural form to provide exceptional function.
“It began with a distaste for traditional yachts,” said Adler Yacht Chairman Alexander Vagacs. “We hated how much fuel they needed, how heavy they were, how environmentally harmful they were, how childunfriendly they were and how formulaic the designs had become ... but we love yachting. We didn’t want to reinvent the wheel. We wanted to reimagine it.”
The result was the first 76-foot flybridge yacht with a hybrid diesel-electric engine package; the first hybrid yacht from a team of automotive, aviation and marine specialists; and the first yacht in its class to be built almost completely of carbon fiber.
It’s also Adler Yacht’s first project since being acquired by a Swiss aviation firm in 2012. Even with the new ownership, the Suprema 76 is Italian designed and built, and German and Austrian engineered. For construction, Adler selected Monfalcone, on the Adriatic Coast of northern Italy, where it would benefit from centuries of shipbuilding know-how and Italian craftsmanship. For conceptualization, the builder turned to Venice-based Nuvolari-Lenard, a firm known for pushing yacht-design boundaries. Without an existing platform from the builder, the design took 18 months before tank testing and models.
“We are used to working with much larger companies, but it is important to try new things to move design forward,” Carlo Nuvolari said. “At older shipyards, you [often] have limited scope because you must stay on a certain track. With a [newer] company like Adler Yacht, you can try new things. We tried to give this yacht a personality, a DNA—not just for the boat, but for the shipyard itself.”
As Vagacs walked me through the yacht, I found unexpected indulgences: chilled cup holders, heated soles in the main-deck salon, galley, pilothouse and lower-deck bathrooms, anti-fog bathroom mirrors, one-touch privacy glass that becomes opaque, an infrared cockpit heating strip for chilly conditions, showers on the flybridge and swim platform, and fob (as opposed to key) door entry throughout. This yacht would put a Sharper Image outlet to shame. And all systems are managed with iPad controls, even when owners are not on board.
The Suprema also has substantial living space for LOA: 75ft. 10in. (23.11m) BeAm: 19ft. 10in. (6.04m) DrAft: 5ft. 8in. (1.75m) DispLAcement: 98,000 lbs. cOnstructiOn: carbon fiber, Kevlar and fiberglass engines: 2 x 1,150-hp Caterpillar C-18; 2 x 100 kW ATE E-unit speeD (max.): 30 knots speeD (cruising): 22 knots speeD (eco): 15 knots fueL: 1,374 gal. (5,200L) WAter: 232 gal. (880L) BAse price (hybrid): about $3.9 million
a 76-footer. Minotti leathers and Armani fabrics give the open-plan living and galley/dining area an elegant touch, and sliding doors and side panels introduce the outside elements. The salon has an 86-inch movie projector screen for nights on the hook. (And the 170kW lithium-polymer battery bank will power the boat’s electrical system for a day before recharging, so you can enjoy your movie without a generator humming.) The wheelhouse, designed for passagemaking, is partitioned. It can be kept dark for safe night cruising. A dayhead minimizes time away from the controls.
Belowdecks, the Suprema accommodates six to 10 guests depending on the optional three- or fivestateroom arrangement. With three staterooms, the full-beam master is amidships with a walk-in wardrobe and ensuite bathroom, while double ensuite guest staterooms are fore and aft. Also belowdecks are a utility room and a crew cabin for two.
The biggest living space is the flybridge, with twin U- and L-shaped settees, a second helm station, a bar and grilling station aft and room for a PWC.
According to Nuvolari, the exterior design’s driving factor was a plumb bow, a trend seen more prevalently on superyachts. The bow design increases efficiency by maximizing waterline length. Plans also called for a fullcarbon superstructure for weight savings, strength and stability, with Kevlar and fiberglass at key flex points.
The Suprema’s Hybrid Marine System—a collaborative propulsion technology by TTControl, Aradex and Akasol—has carbon propellers with twin diesel
Caterpillar engines and twin ATE high-efficiency 100kW E-unit generators, which provide three modes of cruising: electric, hybrid and diesel. In electric mode, the Suprema can run at 8 knots on battery alone for as long as two hours. (An enhanced “eco” cruise mode permits emission- and noise-free cruising at up to 15 knots.) Long-range hybrid mode at 8 to 10 knots burns just 2.9 gallons per hour for a range of up to 3,400 nautical miles. Running the E-units in generator-only mode produces sufficient power to recharge the batteries fully in less than an hour. When there’s a need for speed, the Suprema can hit 30 knots, and her fast-cruise sweet spot is around 22 knots. A fire alarm and suppression system, closed-circuit television, and infrared and underwater cameras allow peace of mind, while Adler promises 24-hour phone support.
Tough and rigid with big living spaces and one of the largest flybridges in her class, the Adler Suprema 76 fulfills a niche in the under-100-foot size range. She is worth a look for yachtsmen who value luxurious amenities and want get-there speeds with hybrid fuel efficiency.