Glider Yachts Limited, the British luxury yacht designer and manufacturer, is excited to unveil its much anticipated first ever Glider at the London On-Water boat show from 8th to 11th June at St Katharine Dock in central London. As the most revolutionary high performance craft available in the world today, Glider’s debut model, the 18-metre SS18, named ‘M’, brings a new dimension in high speed luxury travel, offering owners unparalleled performance and comfort.
As the brainchild of Rob McCall, Glider’s Managing Director, the Glider SS18 has been eight years in the making, with meticulous planning, design and world-class British engineering, using best practice and expertise from Formula One and the aerospace industry, including a proprietary Stability Control System (SCS). This will enable the ultimate comfort whilst at anchor, cruising or at speed without the bumpiness associated with traditional sports boats, even in the choppiest of seas.
Powered by four 300BHP supercharged engines, the incredible stability and power delivers unprecedented cruising opportunities for owners; bringing previously out of range destinations within an easy reach. A trip from Monaco to Saint Tropez or Miami to the Bahamas will take just 45 minutes. The shallow draft allows access to out of reach bays, anchoring close to the shore and even beach landings.
The SS18 is the first in a series of luxury superyachts, ranging from 18 to 80 metres, to be hand-built by master craftsmen at its cutting-edge build facility in Southampton.
Glider Yachts has received the highest level of boating industry accreditation, having been assessed by both HPi Verification Services and the Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and Industrial Aerodynamics during the design and build of its debut luxury yacht.
Alasdair Reay, Managing Director, HPi Verification Services said: “Craft as innovative as Gliders were not in the minds of the various committees when they wrote the technical standards for the boat-building industry. HPi Verification Services has, therefore, worked closely with Glider Yachts to ensure their boats not only meet the regulatory requirements, but exceed industry standards.”
Dickon Buckland, Principal Research Engineer at Wolfson Unit for Marine Technology and Industrial Aerodynamics said: “The concept of travelling at speed in a sea way with a reasonable degree of comfort is best addressed with this kind of hull-form.”
Glider Yachts has partnered with the world’s elite in materials, design, software and engineering to global sales and has primarily selected British products and services. All have committed to being part of the global Glider Yachts team, delivering the world’s most advanced high speed luxury yacht.
The SS18 incorporates Corbeau’s specially designed luxury sports seats, which are more akin to a racing car and subtly incorporate Glider Yachts’ atlantic blue in soft leather for the seat outers with light grey quilted Alcantara inners. The leather cockpit lining is fully coordinated with the seating in pale blue with a touch of grey for contrast in Alcantara. It includes stunning chrome edging for that sharp finishing detail.
JL Audio’s premium sound system has been acoustically engineered for the SS18, to gain the ultimate entertainment experience for its passengers. The SS18 was the first craft in Europe to be fitted with JL Audio’s highly anticipated MM100s MediaMaster head unit and the bespoke audio system has been fitted to complement Glider’s minimalist interior.
Garmin has created a fully integrated bespoke dashboard, underpinned by its state of the art navigation system, incorporating twin Black Glass Bridge series navigational touch screens to control all of the vessel’s systems and navigation. The dashboard is the epitome of simplicity with embedded touch screens providing an uncluttered appearance with clear and intuitive control. The underlying technology enables effortless management of all vessel systems and navigation.
BlueFin Yachts, which has an enviable reputation for sublime yacht finishes, has achieved the ultimate high gloss finish for the SS18 using traditional processes and hand-finished coatings, coupled with the latest technologies.
Aalco Metals supplied the highest Lloyd’s marine-grade Alcoa aluminum for Glider Yachts’ SS18, from its dedicated high precision marine kit fabrication facility in Southampton, UK.
Robert McCall, Managing Director of Glider Yachts, said: “We are absolutely thrilled to finally show-off the first Glider to the world. She is one of the most exciting marine developments in recent years, with nine years in research, design and development, we’re incredibly excited to reveal her daringly different design and revolutionary performance. The SS18 is unlike any other yacht seen in the market to date, with unparalleled design and technological capabilities, so we’re sure she is going to be a real game-changer in the superyacht market.”
Glider’s unique hull form, propulsion and Stability Control System (SCS) actually tune to the sea conditions allowing the SS18’s passengers to “glide” over the waves in unprecedented comfort at up to 50 knots.
London headquartered Glider Yachts has a clear mission to become the world’s leading supplier of high performance luxury yachts and to deliver a more cost-effective and ultimately more comfortable, efficient and sustainable way of navigating our oceans.
The launch of the SS18 will be closely followed by the faster Sports Xtra (SX18) powered by turbines, reaching speeds up to 100 knots. A stunning range of luxury sports limousines and the GT and SX-E range of superyachts up to 80 metres are planned.
The SS18 will make its world première at the London On- Water Show, St. Katherine Docks from 8-11 June, with a special media launch at 10:00 am on the first day. As Glider’s European sales partner, Inwards Marine will manage the client engagement and sales at the show. They will be responsible for the sales of all of Glider Yachts up to 35 metres, including the limousine range and the GT & SX-E 35 range.
General Technical Specifications:
Length overall: 18m (60ft)
Maximum beam: 5.3m (17ft)
Draft @ 1/3 laden: 0.32m (1ft)
Construction material: Aluminium & Composites
Homologation category: RCD Category B (CE)
Fuel tank capacity: 560 litres
Engines: x 4 Yamaha @300bhp
Total horsepower: 1200bhp
Speed: 50 knots (923 kph)
Long range tank range: 340nm (optional)
Range @ 50 knots 130nm
Safety equipment for 6 Max passenger (8)
Glider is a new British luxury yacht manufacturer, headquartered in London with build partners in Southampton, England. The company has a clear mission to become the world’s leading supplier of high performance, luxury sports yachts, and to deliver a more cost-effective and ultimately more comfortable, efficient and sustainable way of navigating the world’s oceans. See www.glideryachts.com
