When he hit upon the result — a beamy 78ft fast-displacement vessel with five staterooms — Cor set off for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and stopped by the Horizon Yachts booth. Horizon Yachts CEO John Lu examined the drawings and liked what he saw — the FD Series had been launched.
Currently being built in sizes from 75 to 125 feet, what sets the FD Series apart is not just a wealth of volume for the waterline length, but also a proprietary bow design. Horizon’s High Performance Piercing Bow (HPPB) delivers a shallow draft, comfortable ride, lower resistance and excellent stability in comparison to a traditional fast displacement, hard-chine hull design.
The significant advantage of this bow is how it works at both high speeds, for enhanced performance, and low speeds, for efficiency. The result is less wave-making resistance and more stability, potentially saving a fair amount of fuel over long distances.
The latest FD87 Skyline recently had its Australian debut, so Trade-a-Boat magazine found time for a chat with the originator of these innovative vessels, Cor D. Rover.
Trade-a-Boat: What was the thinking that led to you designing the first FD Series yacht?
Cor D. Rover: It started off as a rainy Wednesday afternoon brainstorm session where we raised the question, “How much floating real-estate volume can we create on a sub-CE24m-hull length, without having it look like a London bus?”
In the past, Wednesday was our no-client day. We had time to work on the projects that nobody asked for and nobody paid for. We were trying for ‘out of the box’ thinking — trying to come up with something the market was not asking for or was not there yet.
We have always said, “Nobody asked for the smartphone until you saw it.”
Ok, we won’t compare ourselves to the iPhone, but as a designer, it’s good to come up with something no one is asking for.
So, we worked from the inside out, starting with the interior blocks and providing five staterooms which you’d normally only find on a superyacht of 40m. Then we began chafing these ‘blocks’ off and making it all look as pretty as possible. All the while, not knowing at this time if this idea would ever really appeal to the market.
TAB: Did you feel like there was some leap of faith involved with that initial concept?
CDR: I was brave enough to propose it, but (Horizon CEO) John Lu was even braver by building it on spec! It is easy to dream up something, but in this case, John Lu really is the star, because he saw it, he recognised the potential of the concept and said, “Well, let’s just start building and see if we can sell these yachts.” So he is the real brave guy of the two of us.
TAB: What sort of design parameters did you have in mind at the time?
CDR: The FD series started with the maximum hull length of 24m, which is very important here in Europe. Above this length, a lot more cost and complexity is involved in building, but even more so in running and crewing the yacht.
In terms of beam, we opted for a maximum beam that would be allowed to still move in a fast displacement mode, hence the FD abbreviation. We were not interested in full-planing speeds for comfort and economy reasons. It just had to be quick enough to make a long voyage bearable or to escape unexpected bad weather.
TAB: Is the High Performance Piercing Bow (HPPB) inextricably linked with the FD hull? Can you have one without the other?
CDR: Yes, you can do without the HPPB, but you will lose the waterline-length and corresponding extra speed. On top of that you will have less buoyancy forward and you will experience some more slamming. So it’s better to leave it on!
TAB: Why do you think the FD range has proven popular with owners all around the world?
CDR: I think the volume in the FD series is absolutely the driving force behind the sales, but of course, the looks of the boat are important too. Features like the forward-raking windows might be a matter of taste, but they’re also very practical. All of the commercial vessels that make a living on the ocean have forward-raking windows. So this is a very practically-designed boat, but also very user-friendly we think, too.
This goes to show that overall, volume is king. And besides that, Horizon builds a fantastic value-for-money product, and they treat their customers well. I have met a whole lot of Horizon repeat-clients over the years. That for me is the best sign on the wall.
TAB: Do you believe Horizon’s willingness to customise individual boats helped make the range attractive to buyers?
CDR: Yes, for sure. In 2021, there is no such thing as your typical client any more. Every customer has his or her individual way of vacationing on the water.
Big groups, small groups, many toys, zero toys, big champagne festivities, zen-style living on green tea – you name it. We want to cater for all these dreams, and the available real estate volume of the FD series gives us a lot of options to subdivide and play with the available spaces
TAB: Do you have any further designs upcoming that you are working on for Horizon?
CDR: For sure! This morning I was just finishing a design customisation of the new FD125 which was requested by a potential buyer. Fingers crossed, but you will definitely see the range expand upwards.
BEELINE TO THE SKYLINE
Among the many boats this year, it will be hard to overlook the Australian debut of this particular Horizon Yacht – the FD87 Skyline.
The five-stateroom layout and full-beam master suite on the main deck are still present, but what sets this Skyline variant apart is the enclosed Sky Lounge on the upper deck, incorporating both a comfortable helm and entertaining area, safe from the elements.
As Trade-a-Boat writer James Dumergue noted in his review of the smaller FD80 Skyline last year, the open bridge is certainly inviting for Australian conditions, but when you consider the impressive displacement range of these vessels, an enclosed helm begins to make more sense. Suddenly Tasmania, New Zealand, even the South Pacific loom as potential destinations, and all in absolute comfort.
Since the launch of the first FD87 in 2016, more than 30 hulls of this size model have been completed, each embodying various customisations that the yard has implemented as per client requests.
The boat recently debuted has been built on spec by Horizon in this case, but that’s not to say she doesn’t have a few unique inclusions to really set her apart.
There are four spacious ensuite guest staterooms on the lower deck, that full-beam master suite up forward, crew quarters and a glorious aft beach club. But that enclosed bridge hides something truly special.
The lightweight hardtop actually doubles as a touch-and-go helipad and this is paired with a hydraulic telescoping radar arch that folds out of the way when your VIP guests are ready to touch down.
AUSSIE OPTIONS
Australian boaters quickly embraced the FD Series motoryachts from Horizon, where the blend of rugged styling, bluewater performance and acres of entertaining space found legions of fans.
Combine this with Horizon’s penchant for customisation, where your severy whim can become reality, and the FD yachts make real sense on
local waters.
One of the first to catch our eye in 2019 was a West Australian ‘hybrid’ that paired the FD87 Skylounge with topsides from the slightly shorter FD85. This vessel benefitted from the 87’s longer hull, while the open-air bridge of the 85 was better suited to the WA climate.
The considerable 7.07m beam on that FD87 hull, meant the lower deck was split lengthways with double staterooms either side. The claims from the factory that the FD87 has similar total floor space to the RP110 model were very believable for Trade-a-Boat writer Tim van Duyl.
“As you wander between the VIP, twin doubles and twin single staterooms – all with their own ensuites – the volume of the lower deck of the FD87 is seriously impressive,” he said.
Fellow TAB scribe James Dumergue jumped onboard the first FD80 Skyline in Queensland last year and found another great entertaining platform, with massive amounts of space created by via multiple independent zones that encouraged conversation and connections.
Horizon designer, Cor D. Rover, looked at the under-utilised real estate of the foredeck and raised the hull sides for the owner’s benefit to create not just an entertaining Sky Lounge area up top, but also below, the evolution of a main deck master suite – unrivalled in the sub-80ft market.
“For spending long stretches onboard, the position of the master on the main deck is something that is an enduring highlight,” James said. “Positioned a few steps from the galley, it has immediate access to the helm and the ability to move outside from midships. Another masterstroke in the design, this cabin will change your onboard living for the better.”