Redefines luxury sportfishing

Special One is an industry milestone. This innovative 171-foot vessel is positioned as the world's largest sportfishing yacht, combining unprecedented performance with the opulence of a true superyacht

Capable of speeds in excess of 30 knots, she was designed and built by Royal Huisman to operate in the most demanding conditions, marking a before and after in luxury yachting.

Special One's owner had a clear goal: to own the ultimate sportfishing yacht without sacrificing speed or comfort. An avid fisherman and lover of family expeditions, he had outgrown his old Viking 92 Sportfish. He wanted a boat that could accommodate his entire family on long trips, with all the comforts of a superyacht without sacrificing sportfishing capabilities. To achieve this, he assembled a team of naval architects and sportfishing experts, including Pascarelli Consulting, Bush & Noble and Hampshire Marine.

 

Revolutionary naval design and architecture

From the start, the design of the Special One was an engineering challenge. With its distinctive American sportfishing profile, Vripack engineers knew they could not simply scale up a traditional design. The semi-displacement hull, optimized for reduced drag, breaks away from the conventional deep-V configuration, allowing for more efficient displacement and lower fuel consumption.

Furthermore, the Alustar aluminum hull –a material 12% lighter and stiffer than conventional alloys– provides the necessary strength without compromising weight. Tests at the Marine Institute in the Netherlands confirmed that the yacht could meet the demanding speed and stability specifications.

 

 

Technological Innovation

One of the most revolutionary aspects of the Special One is its exceptional maneuverability. Its control system allows it to perform tight turns with a maximum heel of only 3.1 degrees, even at full speed, thanks to the combination of 6.5 tons of gyroscopic stabilizers and an advanced hull design. It also features a five-blade superimposed propeller system that maximizes thrust efficiency by reaching a maximum speed of 181 mph.

Among its innovations is the installation of the first commercial 3D sonar fishfinder on a vessel.

 

 

A superyacht interior

In addition to being a masterpiece of engineering, Special One boasts a luxurious interior, including a three-person pneumatic glass elevator that elegantly and functionally connects the three decks, walnut woodwork, Italian marble and custom furniture.

Designed for multi-generational living, she offers five staterooms, including two full suites, and multiple social spaces on three indoor and six outdoor decks. Her Sky Lounge, with a backlit bar and custom blue glass chandelier, is the centerpiece of the ship's entertainment experience.

The interior design follows a restrained yet sophisticated aesthetic, with a neutral color palette and leather and wood accents. In addition, the Focal Naim hi-fi sound system with more than 150 strategically placed speakers provides an unparalleled acoustic experience.

 

 

Sportfishing without limits

The Special One is equipped with everything you need for deep-sea fishing: a special cockpit with tuna tubes, LED lights, saltwater ice machines and a bait preparation station. Its fighting chair is a custom work of art, and its custom stabilizer system allows bait to be pulled farther away from the hull, maximizing fishing opportunities.

Its design also includes an articulated ladder that facilitates access to the water and can be converted into an alternative gangway to the dock. Thanks to its ability to navigate in reverse at 8 knots, the yacht allows efficient fishing even in extreme conditions.

 

 

A cinema under the stars and state-of-the-art technology

The foredeck not only houses a tender garage, but also an open-air cinema. A large screen protrudes from the garage roof, accompanied by a waterproof projector with its own cooling system. For privacy, a carbon-fiber canopy creates a windbreak.

Another innovative element is the exterior lighting system based on laser-driven fiber optics, which avoids the glitches and gaps of conventional LED systems.

Royal Huisman's engineering team committed to a twin-engine design for its feasibility and stability studies. Although the shipyard's engineers were somewhat intimidated by the ship's height, working with Vripack's naval architects and their own calculations soon gave them confidence in the yacht's stability.

The solution was to rely on the specifications of MAN's V20 engines, which were still in development and would become the most powerful marine engines to date, capable of taking the ship from 0 to 30 knots in just 46 seconds. Importantly, the compactness of the units would allow them to fit into the relatively tight spaces of the ship's engine room.

In addition, the yacht has been designed to the stringent "Gulf Specification", which guarantees its operability in extreme temperatures of up to 11 °F and water temperatures of 100 °F, with an advanced ventilation and air conditioning system that ensures a comfortable environment on all decks.

 

Text: Amura ± Photo: Royal Huisman, Guillaume Plisson,Guy Fleury