Akula

• LOA: 59.4 m
• Beam: 11.3 m
• Draught: 3.45 m
• Gross tonnage: 1,215 GT
• Hull: Steel hull, aluminium superstructure, teak deck
• Naval architecture: Arrabito Naval Architects
• Design: Gian Paolo Nari (exterior), FM Architettura d'interni (interior)
• Propulsion and delivery: Diesel-electric, delivered 2024

Rossinavi turns explorer

Akula, delivered in 2024, marks Rossinavi's move into the expedition category at real size. At 59.4 metres with a steel hull, she is built to reach remote and demanding water rather than to lap the Riviera. The name, Russian for shark, fits a boat with a purposeful, workmanlike stance. The explorer look is not a costume here, since the vessel is genuinely built to carry guests to places most yachts never reach.

She followed the larger Polaris in showing that the yard could build serious go-anywhere yachts. Where Polaris chased ice class and outright range, Akula reads as a more approachable explorer, still rugged and tuned for a broader set of owners. That places her in one of the fastest-growing corners of the market. Delivered in 2024, she also arrived with propulsion far cleaner than the old workboat conversions that once defined the explorer scene.

A rugged profile with soft edges

The exterior came from Gian Paolo Nari, with naval architecture by Arrabito Naval Architects. Nari gave Akula the raised bow and generous freeboard of a proper explorer, along with the deck volume owners want for tenders and toys. The steel hull and aluminium superstructure follow the yard's usual pattern for a boat built to take weather. That deck volume is the practical heart of an explorer, since it carries the gear a remote trip demands.

FM Architettura d'interni handled the interior, softening the tough exterior with a warmer, more domestic feel below. The contrast is deliberate, giving guests a calm base inside a boat designed to venture out. Teak decks and clean detailing keep the look current. Guests step from a rugged exterior into rooms that feel settled and calm, which is the balance a long expedition needs.

A steel explorer with diesel-electric power, built for owners who want the quiet anchorages.

Comfort for the long haul

Akula is set up to carry guests in comfort across long passages, with an interior planned for extended time aboard rather than short hops. FM Architettura's scheme favours natural materials and a relaxed palette that wears well over weeks at sea. The layout keeps social spaces generous so a group can spread out. Weeks at sea expose any weakness in a plan, so the designers gave real thought to how people live aboard day to day.

Explorer yachts are judged on how well they hold people far from shore, and Akula was drawn with that in mind. Storage, deck access and easy movement around the boat all reflect a brief built around real cruising. The finish is high, in keeping with Rossinavi's custom standards. None of that comfort counts for much if the boat cannot reach the anchorages, which is where the engineering earns its keep.

Diesel-electric for quiet miles

Akula runs a diesel-electric propulsion package, part of Rossinavi's wider push towards cleaner and quieter power. That arrangement smooths out load on the generators and cuts noise and vibration, both of which matter on long passages and at anchor in quiet places. It also fits the explorer mission, where efficiency buys range. Quieter machinery lets guests enjoy the remote settings the boat is built to find, with less generator drone at anchor.

The steel hull and 1,215 gross tonne volume give the boat the strength and stores capacity an expedition owner needs. This is a yacht for someone who wants to leave the crowded anchorages behind and stay away for a while. The diesel-electric setup means she can do it with a lighter footprint than an older explorer of similar size. It is a sign of how far the category has moved, from converted trawlers to purpose-built custom yachts with modern power.

Riding the explorer wave

Demand for explorer yachts has climbed steadily, and Akula lands Rossinavi squarely in that current. She offers custom build quality and modern propulsion at a length that suits owners who find true 70 metre expedition boats too much to run. Owners in this bracket often step down from larger yachts they found costly to operate, and a 59 metre explorer answers that neatly. She gives them capability without the crew and fuel bills of a full expedition ship.

For the yard, Akula broadens a fleet that already spans fast yachts, flagships and green catamarans. It shows a builder willing to follow owners into new territory rather than repeat past successes. As a recent delivery with current systems, she should hold her value better than older boats in the same class. Sitting alongside the fast Utopia IV and the green Seawolf X, she shows a yard that refuses to specialise in a single kind of boat.

Design

• Exterior: Gian Paolo Nari
• Interior: FM Architettura d'Interni
• Naval architecture: Arrabito Naval Architects

Who it is for: An owner drawn to expedition cruising who wants modern, quieter propulsion and custom quality in a manageable sub-60 metre explorer.

Guide price: Reported brokerage asking price ~EUR 62M (per listings incl. Fraser). 59.4m ice-class steel explorer, delivered 2024.