A yacht that looks like a flying saucer? Say what? Say yep! A team from Italy has designed the Unidentified Floating Object and is looking for an investor to create the first prototype.
No, this isn’t some “pie in the sky” idea.
Ah the Italians.
They sure know how to make a great espresso, a hearty bowl of pasta, and boy are they great at dialling up the drama in a game of soccer.
And now they can add another speciality to their skill set: the ability to design UFO-shaped yachts that have their own gardens and stunning underwater viewing decks.
Yep!
A team of designers from Naples have been busy throwing back espressos in the hope of turning their concept watercraft, called the UFO (Unidentified Floating Object), into a reality.
The UFO, which has two half-spherical shells as passenger compartments, which are divided by a floating disc that doubles as a sun-deck, is intended to be a two-storey floating house with a middle disc measuring 12.55 metres and a waterline length of 40 metres.
In addition to housing a garden and underwater viewing deck – which has space for an underwater shower, allowing guests to wash themselves as they admire sea life – the UFO, which will be produced by the firm Jet Capsule, will also feature a running/cycling track, and is completely customisable to the client: the interior can be fitted with a kitchen, a games room, a lounge and even a bar!
The UFO is also environmentally friendly and entirely self-sufficient, using solar panels or wind or water turbines for energy, and an electric engine and a water generator that turns salt water or rain into drinking water.
According to the lead designers and company co-founders, Pierpaolo Lazzarini and Luca Solla, the UFO will be aligned with a compass and a GPS system to keep it on course.
The floating home is also designed to be able to maintain its position and stability even in rough seas, thanks to a special elastic anchor system.
How cool is that?!
However, unlike a Ferrari, this machine isn’t built for speed: the UFO will have a top speed of just three knots (3.45mph).
But boy, the future of sailing is looking pretty sweet indeed.
