Tim Saunders,

Tim Saunders Yacht Design, Illusion Plus

I have been significantly involved in the concept origination and design of the Illusion Plus project from the very start. My role, while I was partner at Rainsford Saunders Design, was to create a winning exterior design and to innovate a worthy hull platform. The design brief made reference to the Rolls-Royce automobile. As a trained automotive designer, I was delighted to identify selected lines, curves and proportions embedded deep in the DNA of the Rolls-Royce brand that give their owners the feeling and perception of power, presence, performance and prestige.

The challenge lay in creatively translating these automotive elements into something which would positively augment the aesthetic, practical and safety attributes required on board a yacht. At each step of the concept design spiral, there was evaluation and discussion. I knew it was essential to create an exterior design that would stand the test of time and strike the correct balance between cutting-edge aggressive lines—which typically suggest the future—and the softer, more feminine lines, which tend to offer a more timeless quality.

The vessel’s internal layout, guest/crew circulation, and placement of machinery was essential: a 21st-century megayacht can be likened to a small city rather than a yacht of yesteryear. The carefully considered design offers her guests vast internal sun-kissed suites and public spaces with unparalleled views. To follow in the automotive philosophy, Illusion Plus is fitted with a powerful and cuttingedge diesel-electric Rolls-Royce power plant and Azipull pod drives. This hybrid vessel is capable of great speed, efficiency and agility, not to mention a dynamic positioning system, all of which may be precisely controlled at the touch of a joystick. timsaundersyachtdesign.com