Oceanco’s complete transformation of Indian Empress into H3 has catapulted an iconic yacht from the past into the future. Boasting an entirely new look and impressive technical credentials, H3 has emerged as a completely new yacht with a holistic approach to sustainability
by Bryony McCabe - ph. courtesy by Oceanco
ew builds offer owners a blank canvas from which to craft their dream yacht, and for this reason they can be the preferred choice. But existing yachts present exciting opportunities to be given a completely new lease of life while also respecting and preserving their history. When the 95m Indian Empress became available at auction, therefore, owner of Oceanco Mohammed Barwani saw the potential immediately, as did her new owner. Together with The A Group as the independent representative, the owner had the idea not just to refurbish her, but to carry out a total transformation.
The objective was to take a highly advanced yacht from two decades ago and upgrade her to meet today’s highest standards in terms of technology, safety, capability and sustainability. Oceanco was inspired to breathe new life into her design, going beyond superficial changes such as a surface-level facelift or a fresh coat of paint. Although the majority of the yacht’s original hull remains, practically every other element onboard – both technical and aesthetic – has been completely transformed and modernised.
A major part of the rebuild was to extend H3 by 10 metres overall, with eight metres added to the stern and two metres to the forward deck. Thankfully, H3 was originally built as a relatively high-volume yacht for her length, so her new dimensions could be well balanced. Using lighter building techniques, Oceanco removed 110 tonnes of steel and added 198 tonnes during the extension, increasing her gross
tonnage from 3,045 to 3,521. Although she now has an increased displacement, H3’s hull is more efficient and her cruising range has increased from 6,000nm at 14 knots to 7,500nm at 12 knots. The engineering equipment onboard was almost entirely replaced, this included a Tier III compliant set-up. As a result, H3’s operational footprint has been reduced by at least 60 per cent. Furthermore, figures suggest that carbon emissions related to the re-use of steel and aluminium for the rebuild saved approximately 2,000 tonnes of carbon – equivalent to 10 hectares of forest planted per year for 20 years.
With both exterior and interior design penned by Reymond Langton Design, H3 now displays a modern exterior look and a completely new superstructure design. The layout of the yacht centres around creating a multifunctional interior suitable for relaxing and entertaining, while ensuring that guest accommodation is separate from public areas to guarantee privacy. There are six guest cabins on the main deck, two multifunctional guest cabins on the owner’s deck that can also be used as the owner’s private beauty salon and private study, a generous VIP suite on the bridge deck, and a panoramic owner’s suite on the owner’s deck, all of which can comfortably accommodate up to 20 guests. Several luxurious lounge spaces and both formal and more intimate dining areas allow for the opportunity to entertain guests and encourage family gatherings. www.oceancoyacht.com
The transformation of H3 is allencompassing, featuring an entirely new superstructure and timeless exterior look that saw the yacht extended by 10 metres. The only thing that remains of the original yacht is part of the hull. Opening pages, the luxuriously comfortable main saloon
Above, eight metres were added to the transom, creating room for an infinity pool on the main deck. Left, a video corridor immerses guests in other worlds between the aft entry and main saloon. Opposite, above the main saloon is designed to be multifunctional. Below, the interior features a contemporary palette of ivory and taupe tones
Exterior Design
Reymond
Langton Design
Groundbreaking in its innovation and reborn as never seen before, H3 was going to be a trailblazer from the start. Unprecedented in its scale, the rebuild and subsequent re-design of the vessel obliged us as the designer to reflect this avant-garde approach, and the Reymond Langton team were thrilled to take on the challenge. On the exterior, straight lines softened into flowing curves, warm grey and white tones envelop the hull and sculptured
Although the majority of the yacht’s original hull remains, her exterior design has been completely transformed and modernised by Reymond Langton Design (left, the designers team). The original straight lines have been softened into flowing curves and warm grey and white tones envelop the hull and sculptured superstructure
superstructure, while the intricately thought-through exterior lighting design accentuates the automotive-inspired forms, ensuring that the profile is instantly recognisable both during the day and after sunset.
The refined and balanced proportions of the sleek profile provide generous deck spaces, encouraging guests to truly indulge in the extraordinary experience of being at sea –whether it’s at the panoramic Jacuzzi on sun deck, at the formal dining table of the secluded winter garden or by the open-air cinema on the owner’s deck, or from the sun-soaked sevenmetre infinity pool on main deck.
The rebuild works included increasing the vessel’s length by 10 metres at the aft end to not only integrate the new pool, but also to create a spacious beach club on the lower deck. The impressive grand entrance to the vessel, with its a dual staircase wrapping around the waterfall feature of the infinity pool, entices guests up to the main deck and into the interior.
Interior Design
Reymond Langton Design
Designed to create a warm, inviting and sophisticated family home, the interior features a contemporary palette of ivory and taupe tones with the use of fiddleback sycamore, light taupe oak, and soft nubucks and leathers, which are contrasted by bronze and nickel detailing, as well as bursts of colour and a selection of custom artworks designed and crafted especially for this project. These pieces bejewel the interior, and give each area its own individuality and character, together with a precious selection of light marbles, such as Calacatta vagli, crema delicato and backlit quartz. The perfect entertainment area welcomes you on board on main deck, starting with the welcome lounge and its state-of-the-art bar, leading into the statement video corridor that immerses guests into an other-worldly experience on their way to the luxuriously comfortable main saloon. On the owner’s deck, the climate-controlled winter garden can accommodate up to 32 guests in the formal dining space for seamless indoor-outdoor living, while the owner’s lounge features a more intimate dining space for 14, with a spacious lounge that doubles as a cinema at the heart of this space. H3 truly offers guests every luxury of ocean-side living and guarantees that each experience on board will be unforgettable. Perched on sun deck is the panoramic gym with cutting-edge equipment and sea views, whilst for a more relaxing experience guests can escape to the serene spa area on lower deck, complete with a hammam, sensory shower, hair salon and massage and beauty rooms to satisfy every well-being need. For the adventure seekers and those wanting to really indulge in the proximity to the ocean, the beach club offers vast array of water toys from or can act as the perfect place for a sunset yoga session on the waterside swim platform.
Reymond Langton Design was also entrusted with the interior design, which employs a muted palette ranging from ivory and tan to taupe. Throughout, woods such as sycamore and light oak are combined with leathers and metals such as bronze and nickel detailing. Light marbles, such as Calacatta vagli, crema delicato and quartz are also used in furnishings and countertops
The Shipyard
Paris Baloumis, Group Marketing Director
The owner came with the intention of wanting a new build, without the fouryear wait. Oceanco’s key to success is listening to our clients and developing solutions to meet their expectations. That’s how the idea of rebuilding H3 was born. We estimate that she benefitted from a year’s reduced timetable for completion; in other words a 25 per cent improved efficiency in lead time thanks to the decrease in time spent on engineering and hull construction. It’s a complex process to plan and execute such a large scope of engineering and construction work on an existing vessel. It was beneficial that the owner’s representative on the project has a long history of working with Oceanco. What’s more, many of the Oceanco team who originally worked on the construction of H3 in her original incarnation are still with us today and it was a great advantage having that knowledge already in-house. H3 is the only project of this size and scale that we have ever undertaken. She has been brought up to 21st century standards in terms of technology, safety, capability and sustainability. At a time when the yachting industry is increasingly mindful of the impact that newly built vessels have on the planet, it is pertinent to highlight that bringing an existing superyacht’s environmental profile up to date with contemporary standards can have as much, if not more, of a positive impact. It’s our ambition that this landmark project will inspire owners of existing yachts to benefit from the gift of time while adding value to their ownership experience as well as the planet. Through this approach, today’s yachts have the potential to become the new faces of tomorrow.
Group Marketing Director Paris Baloumis (right), stands alongside Dr. Barwani (left), Chairman of Oceanco. H3 is the only rebuild project of this size and scale that the Dutch yard has ever undertaken
