There’s no question that Philippe Briand is a star in the nautical firmament. And there is equally no doubt that he’s a bright star often able to overturn traditions with a stroke of genius and innovative design models.
Thus it’s no surprise that his new creature is a daysailer (so far, nothing striking) – with a length of 30 metres (which is a little original), called Egoist. 100 feet long, this yacht is entirely made of carbon and hosts just one master cabin forward.
Last summer, Briand announced he was working on a new sailing superyacht concept and now his staff has finally revealed its first renderings and details. The project has been commissioned by a rich owner looking for a big yacht, very classic in lines but advanced in terms of material and construction processes and, above all, steerable by only two people.
Renderings clearly show how Philippe Briand focused on his customer’s desires.
The result is a yacht with sleek classic lines, an aerodynamic deckhouse totally absorbed by a very clean deck, and a central cockpit which recalls the traditional style of North-European recreational boats. The stern, too, is sleek, as befits a vintage cruiser, and the right ahead presents no angles but very thin sections like we can see on racers.
The carbon fibre is the material used for both the hull and deck of this sloop.
Interiors are absolutely innovative for a boat of this size. The 30 metres of the yachts are used to house just one fore master cabin forward, equipped with a kitchen, and a double cabin for two crew members aft.
Philippe Briand explains the phylosophy which inspired his pencil and, maybe, the “Egoist” name: “Owning this boat – claimed Briand – must be a pure pleasure for the owner, with no compromises. The concept of Egoist is to become an owner’s self-indulgent fantasy; it should be the yacht that they have always dreamed of owning”.
According to the designer, the boat could touch the water in two years.
Egoist is the latest in a long line of sailing superyachts from Briand’s drawing boards, including the Perini Navi yachts.
Born in La Rochelle, Briand signed his first IOR Quarter Ton design at the age of 16. His projects include the eight boats which have joined America’s Cup, many sailing superyachts and countless boats for Jeanneau and Beneteau yards.
