DAR (now Luna)

• Builder: Oceanco, Alblasserdam, Netherlands
• Length: 90 metres (90.1m)
• Type: motor yacht, built under the project name Project Shark
• Delivered: 2018, later renamed Luna
• Gross tonnage: approximately 2,926 GT
• Exterior design: Luiz DeBasto, interior Nuvolari Lenard
• Construction: steel hull, aluminium superstructure, around 390 square metres of glass
• Performance: two MTU diesels, top speed around 20 knots, range around 4,500 nautical miles

A compact yacht with an outsized presence

At 90 metres DAR is smaller than most of Oceanco's headline projects, yet she draws attention out of proportion to her length. Her silhouette was drawn to read as a shark cutting through the water, an approach that set her apart from the rounded profiles common at the time. That distinctive look made her one of the more recognisable Oceanco deliveries of 2018. She showed the yard applying its engineering to a stronger design statement.

She also demonstrated how much yacht could be packed into a 90 metre hull. Her amenity list and glass area belong to vessels well beyond her size. For buyers who wanted an Oceanco without moving into the 100 metre-plus bracket, she offered a route in. That efficiency of packaging is one reason she has stayed sought after on the brokerage and charter markets. That positioning has kept her in demand through more than one change of ownership.

A silhouette drawn as a predator

The exterior by Luiz DeBasto is the yacht's signature. A dramatic fin-like mast and a low, tapering profile give her the aggressive stance the design set out to achieve. Almost 400 square metres of glass wrap the superstructure, much of it glued in place without visible fasteners for a seamless surface. Achieving that meant repeated three-dimensional measurement of the superstructure as it was built.

The glass is doing more than styling work. It floods the interior with daylight and opens long views from inside the yacht, which is one of her most praised features on the charter market. The steel hull and aluminium superstructure follow standard Oceanco practice, but the surface treatment is anything but standard. The finish is what turns the shark concept from a sketch into a coherent vessel.

Almost 400 square metres of glass, most of it glued on without a visible fastener.

Glass, structure and speed

Wrapping a superstructure in that much glued glass is a structural problem as much as an aesthetic one. Each panel had to be positioned precisely on a surface that flexes and settles as construction progresses, hence the repeated 3D surveys. The engineering had to keep the glass watertight and sound while preserving the fastener-free look. That work is invisible in the finished yacht, which is the point.

Beneath the styling she is a capable motor yacht. Two MTU diesels give a top speed of around 20 knots, which is brisk for her size, and a range near 4,500 nautical miles. Her displacement hull carries a bulbous bow for efficiency at cruising speed. The performance supports the aggressive image rather than contradicting it.

Amenities beyond her length

Inside, DAR carries features usually reserved for larger yachts. The list runs to a beauty salon, a cinema, a spa, a gym, a beach club and a lift connecting the decks. Interiors were created by Nuvolari Lenard, working with the volume that the 14.6 metre beam allows. Underwater lights and a fold-out swim platform extend the yacht's use of the sea around her. The daylight from the extensive glazing shapes the mood of the main spaces.

Accommodation supports around twelve guests with a large crew in support. The layout suits both private use and charter, which is where she now sits. Water access through a beach club keeps guests close to the sea. For a 90 metre yacht the sense of space is unusually generous.

DAR becomes Luna

The yacht was delivered as DAR and has since been renamed Luna. Ownership at this level is rarely confirmed by the yard, and reporting has named more than one owner over the years. She has been offered for charter, which places her in front of a wider audience than most private yachts of her size. That exposure has kept her profile high since delivery.

Whatever the ownership record, her design has aged well and remains a talking point. The shark silhouette still looks current several years on. For Oceanco she stands as proof that a strong visual identity and serious engineering can share the same 90 metre hull. She remains one of the yard's most photographed deliveries.

Design

• Exterior: Luiz de Basto Designs
• Interior: Nuvolari Lenard (with Valentina Zannier Interiors)
• Naval architecture: Oceanco / Azure Naval Architects

Who it is for: An owner who wants a distinctive Oceanco with the amenities of a larger yacht, without moving beyond 90 metres.

Guide price: Delivered 2018 as DAR, later renamed Luna; reported value approx. US$215 million (SuperYachtFan). No official asking price.