A rose by any other name and all that, but there's no denying that naming a thing – any thing! – is key to revealing its essence to the world. In this case, where Project 821 might mean nothing even to superyacht watchers, a name like Breakthrough will instantly convey the breakthrough nature of this very special megayacht.
In May this year, luxury shipyard Feadship lifted the veil on its biggest and most secretive project to date, which had reportedly been commissioned by Microsoft co-founder and billionaire environmentalist Bill Gates himself. Project 821, as the project was called internally, was introduced as the world's first hydrogen fuel-cell megayacht, the blueprint for the yard's journey to becoming net-neutral by 2030.
Perhaps more noteworthy (at least for us common folk reading at home) than the innovative character of the megayacht was the news that it was already for sale. After waiting for more than five years, Bill Gates had decided to part ways with it before it was even completed, let alone delivered and taken out on its maiden journey.
It's to this decision that we can now attribute Feadship's rather unusual move to reveal more details on the project. Project 821 now goes officially by Breakthrough – and never before has a name been more fitting for a megayacht. With the official name also come a bit more details into the build.
Photo: Feadship/RWD/Edmiston Yachts
We already knew that the megayacht is 390 feet (119 meters) in total length, offering an interior volume of over 7,000 GT spread across seven decks packed with every luxury amenity imaginable – and even some you might not have imagined, like a dedicated hospital, a Nemo lounge, and private walkways where the owner can pretend he's not traveling in the company of other 29 guests and 44 crew.
Feadship is now revealing that Breakthrough will be able to top speeds of 17 knots (19.5 mph/31.5 kph), with a range of 6,500 nautical miles (7,480 miles/12,038 km) at cruising speed. These distances won't be covered on hydrogen alone, because there's not enough room onboard the megayacht to store it. Instead, Breakthrough is capable of running hotel functions at anchor for an entire week or to cruise at 10 knots (11.5 mph/18.5 kph) on hydrogen.
Propulsion comes from dual 3200kW ABB azimuthing thrusters, paired to a couple of 900kW MTU generators, three 2,500kW MTU generators, and sixteen 185kW PowerCell H2 generators.
Photo: Feadship/RWD/Edmiston Yachts
Breakthrough can't operate exclusively on hydrogen, but it's the only leisure craft in the world to be able to do so extensively. When the MTU gens kick in, they run on hydro-treated vegetable oil (HVO), based on a system Feadship developed for and perfected for the superyacht Obsidian, which was delivered in 2023.
Feadship confirms development on Breakthrough was a 5-year job, doubling as a concrete answer to the owner's inquiry, "What kind of green technology can you include?"
With Breakthrough, which has been listed at a reported €600 million (approximately $643 million at the current exchange rate), Bill Gates is also selling Wayfinder, the shadow cat he bought in 2021, sometime after work started on the mothership.
Elena has been writing for a living since 2006 and, as a journalist, she has put her double major in English and Spanish to good use. She covers automotive and mobility topics like cars and bicycles, and she always knows the shows worth watching on Netflix and friends. Full profile
Would you like AUTOEVOLUTION to send you notifications?
Google News