Manoeuvring of megayachts - performance through model testing

For luxury motor yachts, aesthetics, comfort and operability are of major moortance. Designers and shipyards have to meet the challenge of reali sing the owner's dream but at the same time they Ilave to work wIthIn technical and financial constraints. Aesthetics of the superstructure and the profile of the yacht must go hand-in-hand with technical requirements related to the expected operation of the ship. A yacht owner must be confident that his vessel can sail freely and safely in any part of the world and that it will also be comfortable and able to realise the required range and speed. Regarding the manoeuvrability of the ship, several aspects may be distinguished. When sailing between ports or anchorages, the course-keeping ability of the yacht determines the amount of rudder action that is required to maintain the course of the ship. When entering congested waterways, the controllability of the ship determines the safety of the passage. And finally, when entering the harbour. the slow-speed manoeuvring abIlity of the ship is of importance. With the current trends of everinc reasing sizes of motor yachts and increasing service speeds of these ships. better performance and improved safety are required lor luxury megaayachts. These trends lead to new technologies being implemented into the design. such as podded propulsors or hybrid propulsion systems. These systems all have their own characteristic influence on manoeuvring properties.