Oceanco has now proudly delivered its project Y722 Leviathan, a diesel-electric megayacht measuring a bold 111 meters / 363 feet that embodies a new yachting philosophy of yachting, emphasizing a more intentional way of building, owning & operating these luxurious vessels. This vision stems from her owner, video game visionary Gabe Newell’s ethos of community driven teamwork and community; with this mindset forming the basis of Leviathan’s revolutionary layout, ergonomic design and construction process. Combined with that generous length, her 58 foot beam makes her the world’s 50th largest yacht along with Oceanco’s biggest delivery thus far.

Conceived with close cooperation between Oceanco, its design team & co-makers, Lateral and YTMC, Leviathan incorporates several innovative solutions to enhance both onboard comfort & overall seakeeping. She offers a truly unique experience both for those living and working onboard thanks to a combination of hull testing and optimization, technical platform configuration & concerted efforts to reduce noise and vibration.

Oceanco CEO Marcel Onkenhout said of the project, “What makes Leviathan so unique is the way she came to life. From the very start, we knew nothing about her would be done in a traditional way. We were welcomed into the team alongside Gabe and everyone who would ultimately be involved in operating her. It is this level of collaboration that sets Leviathan apart from anything we’ve built before. We’re incredibly proud of the way she was developed, and following her successful sea trials, we can now say she’s the most comfortable yacht ever designed, built, and delivered by Oceanco.”

Indeed her owner Gabe, who had also purchased the Dutch shipyard just this August, was closely involved throughout Leviathan’s design, development & build processes, encouraging openness and collaboration between all involved parties throughout the journey which he found just as rewarding as the end result. He commented, “We knew we were asking for unusual things, and Oceanco embraced it with open arms. Not only have we designed a very unusual yacht that leans into Oceanco’s strengths of innovation and design, but the team has also been willing to collaborate with us on evolving the process.”

As a lasting symbol of this truly collective achievement, a glass panel engraved with almost 3,000 contributors’ names is installed in the vessel’s main staircase: just one of many gestures of appreciation rarely seen in the yachting realm, initiated by the team. Her interior layout was designed to foster a sense of shared experience among up to 26 guests & 37 crew members. Prime locations usually designated for exclusive guest use are reimagined to welcome crew equally alongside them, reflecting the owner’s belief that a yacht should feel like a community and enable mutually enjoyable experiences that uplift the well-being of all aboard.

A communal gaming lounge takes pride of place on the bridge deck where an aft saloon is more typically located, fully equipped with 15 gaming stations, two race simulators and ample lounge seating. The main deck saloon itself is converted into a generously proportioned communal mess accommodating up to 54 people at once in combined dining. Beyond enhancing the onboard communal guest experience, this approach also further improves crew wellbeing with an eye towards long-term retention.

In line with this, even the crew accommodation is elegantly finished with oak & deep wenge elements. Leisure areas including a basketball court and recreational sun deck with whirlpool are available for everyone’s enjoyment, while the gaming lounge can also become a quiet space for crew learning & development. Further well equipped amenities include two gyms, a 250-square-meter beach club with spa & bar, and diving platforms.

Operational efficiency without compromising quality was another key driver behind many of Leviathan’s design and material choices, supporting Gabe’s goal of freeing up more crew time from routine maintenance. This enables them to really focus more on higher-value tasks, from enhancing guest experiences to improving their own self-development & wellbeing. He added, “We adopted a crew-centric approach that really digs into how Leviathan is operated and maintained. The goal was to consider where the most valuable experiences occur for the community of people onboard. By increasing crew productivity, we can enable them to focus more on engaging with guests and creating meaningful experiences for everyone.”

Featuring a custom pattern inspired by the yacht’s exterior, her fully synthetic Bolidt decking was selected for its durability and low maintenance. Bead-blasted stainless railings & synthetic handrails minimize the need for polishing, while even the off-white exterior paintwork was an intentional choice to reduce cleaning. The compound decking was also developed specifically to improve heat dissipation on Leviathan to improve heat dissipation, another example of the collaborative efforts behind Oceanco’s drive to push industry innovation forwards.

The overall exterior design itself was the work of Gilles Vernhet and the entire Oceanco Design team, boldly blending functionality with a strikingly forward-leaning silhouette & strong prismatic forms. A smooth sense of fluidity is maintained throughout Leviathan with distinctively combined materials, finishes, and colours which elevate her design, into that of a truly avant-garde vessel.

For her interior spaces, Mark Berryman Design partnered with Leviathan’s crew to incorporate operational insights into the creation of efficiently practical workspaces. Leathered & honed stone finishes were chosen for both their durability and ease of cleaning, while natural wool carpets were equally selected for their resilience & low maintenance needs.

The megayacht’s beam, waterplane shape and GM targets have all been refined for optimal roll period and comfort, giving her exceptional seakeeping performance both at anchor & underway. Her natural roll period of over 12 seconds, and a stabilization system comprising both Quantum MagLift & XT Fins endow Leviathan with superlative onboard comfort even across widely varying operational conditions. An integrated seawater ballast system further enhances the yacht’s performance by enabling her to maintain optimal loading conditions.

Main propulsion drive comes from 2 ABB DO980P Azipods which balance exceptional noise and vibration comfort with optimal propulsion efficiency. Their podded arrangement & custom 5-blade propellers were precisely engineered with ABB to deliver ultra-low pressure pulse levels; while scaled cavitation testing enabled the final propeller design to be precisely fine-tuned according to exacting performance goals. Both high- and low-frequency hull vibrations are also minimized thanks to the steel Azipod foundations’ stiffness.

Further enhancing onboard comfort, a 5.5 megawatt-hour battery system enables silent operations at night. Its peak shaving capabilities also optimize engine performance, improve fuel efficiency & extend required maintenance intervals by reducing engine running hours. The diesel-electric drive also enables a more forward positioning of Leviathan’s engine room than on more conventional yachts of similar size. This allows her layout to be more flexible, enabling more guest accommodation to be positioned in the aft areas that are typically one of the most comfortable yacht sections in motion terms.

Leviathan’s Captain, Alan Pike remarked, “Sea trials have given us great confidence in the vessel. She handles beautifully and truly shows her full capabilities at sea. What stands out most is just how remarkably quiet she is, the low noise and vibration levels are extraordinary, even at full speed. She’s an absolute pleasure to be onboard. The entire crew all worked on this project for quite some time, and seeing her out on the water and preparing to deliver her to the owner is a wonderful moment for everyone involved.”

Other refinements made to reduce onboard noise and improve comfort include extensive lab testing to minimize sound traveling from the central ventilation unit through HVAC ducting into the cabins, and even reduce window noise. Meanwhile, a bespoke air filtration & monitoring system by air cleaning and purification specialist VFA Solutions is integrated to improve onboard air quality; with Leviathan being one of the first yachts to implement it at a larger degree of scale and complexity.

As a catalyst for sustainable impact, Leviathan joins Gabe’s Inkfish organization operated aboard his fleet of vessels to support marine exploration & scientific research; sustainable causes that remain close to his heart. Via Inkfish, researchers gain access to more remote environments while being able to utilize the advanced technology aboard its vessels. One of its truly unique scientific offerings is R/V Dagon’s full ocean depth submersible, which has journeyed to the ocean’s deepest known regions while continuing to make breakthrough discoveries with each of its dives.

In line with this, Leviathan’s onboard scientific facilities include a fully equipped dive center, laboratory, and even an onboard hospital housed where a beach club would more normally be placed. There is also a 3D printing workshop with which the crew can produce spare or replacement parts while underway, further boosting the megayacht’s self-sufficiency when embarking on extended remote cruises.

“Yachts have great potential to serve as platforms for scientific research,” Gabe enthused. “It’s about recognizing that you’re part of a broader community and ensuring the yacht’s presence adds value to the communities around it.”

Indeed this is a forward-thinking example of how yachts can be used beyond leisure to strengthen onboard communal living, foster industry development, and consciously contribute towards science even after they’re delivered. A true symbol of how yachting can evolve to make the world a better place, Leviathan’s potential to re-shape the industry’s future is compelling indeed.