Feadship's Project Solent Seen for the First Time After Technical Launch in Alblasserdam
The 83-metre Feadship superyacht hull 830, known as Project Solent, has made her first public appearance following a technical launch from the NMC shipyard in Alblasserdam, the Netherlands. It is the first time the vessel has been seen since her sale was announced in September 2025, when brokerage firm Cecil Wright confirmed the commission with a repeat Feadship client.
The project brings together two of Britain's most respected names in yacht design. Exterior lines are the work of Malcolm McKeon of MMYD: a studio whose reputation rests primarily on high-performance sailing yachts, including the award-winning 59.7-metre Sarissa and the 63-metre Project Dreamer, both of which have established McKeon as one of the most rigorous hull designers working in the superyacht sector. Interior design is the responsibility of Mark Whiteley of MWD, who previously collaborated with McKeon on the 77-metre MM770 project for Feadship — making Project Solent a reunion of a creative team with a proven working relationship.
McKeon's move into motor yacht design has been a deliberate one. His studio recently announced a first collaboration with Benetti, producing the B.Neos 40M, and Project Solent represents another significant step in that direction... one where the sailing DNA is visible but fully adapted to the demands of a large motor yacht.
"Project Solent embodies MMYD's commitment to timeless design," McKeon said at the time of the sale announcement. "Her exterior profile is defined by clean, enduring lines, reflecting our belief that true elegance lies in restraint and proportion. This yacht captures the essence of the owner's vision, distilled into a concept that resonates with MMYD's design DNA, performance, innovation and a connection with the sea."
The profile reflects those principles precisely. The hull is long and low, with a gently sloping transom that draws from both sailing and motor yacht traditions. Round windows are set into the lower deck; a detail that connects directly to McKeon's sailing background. Above, the superstructure rises in clean, tiered layers, with full-height glass curving forward and aft, and stepped deck terraces designed to preserve sightlines from every level.
All other details of the commission remain private. BOATPro estimates an interior volume of 2,707GT across four decks, which would make Project Solent a voluminous vessel relative to her length: consistent with what Feadship and McKeon have delivered on previous collaborations. Cecil Wright remains embedded in the project as part of the owner's management team throughout the build.
Following the technical launch, Project Solent is now expected to move to the Royal Van Lent Kaag facility for outfitting, ahead of a slated summer 2027 delivery date.
The launch comes at one of the busiest moments in Feadship's recent history. The yard currently has 17 projects on order or under construction: a pipeline that spans from the mid-70-metre range to its 140-metre hull 831, whose bow was sighted for the first time just days before Project Solent's launch, emerging from the same NMC facility in Alblasserdam before transport to Greenport Rotterdam for continued construction. At 140 metres, hull 831 will surpass Feadship's current flagship Breakthrough, itself the world's first hydrogen-powered superyacht and the largest vessel ever built in the Netherlands at launch, by more than 21 metres.
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