Ambitious, adventurous owners seek more than voluminous tender garages and on-deck space to hold a plethora of toys. They’re commissioning support vessels to cruise in tandem with their traditional yachts. Even when that traditional yacht measures 241 feet (73.5 meters). Such is the situation with the superyacht 6711, just the second Damen Sea Axe yacht-support vessel when delivered in 2014. More than “just” a support craft, she is an adventure yacht unto herself.
The owner, a client of Imperial Yachts, benefitted from the nearly decade-long relationship the team has with Amels and Damen, its parent company. (If you’re unfamiliar with the Fast Yacht Support Vessels line, Damen builds it, and Amels markets it.) Imperial Yachts’ clients have taken delivery of eight yachts from Amels in eight years. Julia Stewart, Imperial Yachts’ director, says that Damen’s naval experience and overall maritime achievements played big roles in the decision behind the superyacht 6711.
With a 220-foot (67.15-meter) LOA and a 37’7” (11.5-meter) beam, the support craft certainly looks militaristic in profile. She can take on demanding conditions, too, due to her hull design and engineering. Her reported top speed of 21 knots and cruise speed of 13½ knots mean she can venture well ahead of her mothership. In fact, it lets the crew deploy the virtual armada of tenders and toys in anticipation of the guests’ arrival.
And oh, those toys. This adventure yacht handily accommodates a 41-foot (12.5-meter) limo tender, a same-size beach-landing tender, and a boat for towing water-skiers or wakeboarders. Then there’s a personal sub, plus a few PWCs and dive gear. Imperial Yachts’ Stewart is quick to point outLand craft are in the mix, too: a handful of scooters, along with a large helicopter. Indeed, the helipad aboard the superyacht 6711 has a D-value of 14 meters, meaning it accommodates some of the biggest helis around.
To overlook this adventure yacht’s interior would be a mistake. Mark Berryman Design penned the 22-person crew’s accommodations, including a gym. A good-size galley keeps them, and guests playing on the watertoys, well fueled. So, too, are the crew cabins all good sizes. While guests may not spend much time aboard, they can venture up to the cozy lounge in the bridge. All-around ports provide quite the views.
Look for the superyacht 6711 in Imperial Yachts’ display on T Central, next to Project 783, at the Monaco Yacht Show. (Project 783 is the owner’s other yacht, which 6711 has followed “everywhere she goes,” Stewart says, since delivery.) Get an advanced look here:
CREW MESS AND DIVE STORE PHOTOS: Rif Spanhi; OTHER PHOTOS: Guillaume Plisson
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