Alban, manager of the design team at Allures Yachting
Hello Alban, could you tell us a bit about your role within the workplace of the Allures shipyard?
As manager of the design team, I work between the production team and the external architectural team. The key role of the design team is to develop new models which correspond perfectly to the expectations of our clients, specifically in regards to security, comfort, performance and reliability.
Allures Yachts owners generally have an expedition programme which is off the beaten track and the yachts that we offer respond to the necessary requirements for these conditions. For this type of navigation it is important that the boat has been designed down to the smallest detail.
The Allures 52 is the new model and flagship of the range. Which characteristics make this yacht well adapted for a blue-water voyage?
For me, the main characteristic to point out is that the Allures 52 is a centre-board yacht. With her incredibly resistant aluminium hull, her water-tight bulkhead and her centre board tilt up which allows for a low draft, this boat offers a high level of security throughout and the ability to sail in the most remote places.
Furthermore, the capacity for storage and the possibility to integrate numerous systems (energy, electric, watermaker, comfort, leisure, etc) are equally important within this type of boat. In regards to the owner’s navigation program, we can for example offer to design a technical work area and make arrangements for the materials, which can even include a diving compressor. The rear aluminium arch, as well as supporting the dinghy, has the capacity for solar panels, a wind turbine and communication equipment. Everything has been thought through with the aim of improving both autonomy and life on board.
Finally, the interior design, ergonomics, and a good accessibility between the different living quarters are essential. The owners of this type of boat spend several months on board and therefore it is vital that they feel ‘at home’ because that is also what makes a good boat.
The challenge is therefore to offer marine interior design (minimal depth, exterior visibility, hand railings, etc) as well as being elegant and being a nice place to live. The boat needs to be comfortable and safe in navigation as well as at anchor.
In regards to the number of people on board and the navigation programme, one would imagine that the requirements of your clients vary from one to another. What are the solutions to this which are proposed by the shipyard?
Essentially, our clients prepare navigations for the tropics as much as they do for high latitudes. Therefore we have to be able to personalise the design and the functions of the boat to meet their needs. For example, the owner of the first boat that was commissioned wanted to be able to bring aboard his children and his grandchildren for family trips. Thanks to the use of our 3D digital system we were able to offer him a custom-made design, with bunk-beds, which corresponded perfectly to his requirements. The configuration of the boat is designed for the requirements of each owner, which is what makes our yachts unique.
The first Allures 52 is already in construction within the shipyard. Can you talk us through this process?
Before the start of construction, there is a step which is perhaps in my opinion less impressive but which is however crucial. This step is the development of the digital 3D model. For a boat like the Allures 52 attention to detail is what this step is all about, and that takes place over nearly a year– which translates into several thousand hours of work for the engineers in the team.
We work in collaboration with Berret-Racoupeau Yacht design and a cabinet of marine architects with whom we have worked throughout the Allures range, and with whom we review all the key requirements, which includes, material, security, performance, the layout of the deck and equipment, etc. Over the years we have constructed, for each job, a data base of efficient and trusted technical solutions as part of the collaboration of the Grand Large yachting group. With the synchronisation of our ship yards, there are now more than 600 of our boats navigating around the world.
Afterwards, we hand the process over to the metalworkers for the construction of the hull. It is at this point that we define with the client their structural and technique requirements. For example, the bow thruster is added at this step, as well as the equipment which can be welded to the arch.
After finishing the metal work, in correspondence with the position of the cables (more than a kilometre within the Allures 52!) the hull is isolated. An Allures can be used to navigate in all types of conditions – whether hot or cold. In order to guarantee the highest level of comfort for the crew, the aluminium structure is re-covered with a high quality insulating foam which is both thermic and phonic.
This is followed by the installation of the interior systems (the electrical mains, watermaker, etc.) and the installation of the wood furnitures.
The Allures 52 n.1 will be launched into the water for the first time this summer. The boat will then leave for Cannes where it will be presented for the first time to the public in September.
