Turkish shipyard partners Project Mimer

Viken Group, which includes Tillberg Design of Sweden (TDoS) and Italian companies Hot Lab and Thalia Marine, has selected Turkish builder AES Yacht as its partner in the development of Project Mimer, a 60m, 6,000nm-range expedition platform. The project has been designed and developed by TDoS Yacht, while the AES team prepared technical specifications.

Milan-based studio Hot Lab has three superyacht projects ranging from 24-68m in development at Kocaeli-based AES Yacht, which has the capacity and a slot available for the Mimer project and can build it in 36 months from signing. Mimer is named after the Norse god who protected the well of knowledge at the base of the mythical tree Yggdrasil.

Antonio Romano, Hot Lab co-founder and Commercial Director of Viken Group, said: “The Viken Group is very happy about this new collaboration with AES Yacht. We’ve worked with them on other projects, we’re aware of their capabilities and we know the team.

“We’ve chosen this shipyard because it has one of the largest facilities in Turkey with very experienced naval architects and engineers. They can provide everything in-house, from steel and metal construction to furniture and interior.”

Erdem Bicer, Shipyard Manager and Partner at AES Yacht, said: “We are delighted to become partners of The Viken Group on the Mimer project. Mimer is a unique explorer superyacht that provides owners with unlimited experiences all around the world. As the shipyard, we’ll ensure the superyacht quality and comfort during this adventure with our experienced team.”

The team’s target client when they started the design was an owner in their 30s or early 40s looking for a family boat or platform to share with family and friends.

Daniel Nerhagen, Partner and Yacht Director at TDoS, said: “We’ve done a lot of expedition vessels before, and they’re all very masculine in their design. We believe an expedition vessel doesn’t need to look aggressive, so we wanted to create a ‘she’.

“We also wanted to showcase our Scandinavian design heritage, which is about simplicity, ‘less is more’. It should be somewhere you feel at home, calm and relaxed. I think we’ve really captured that with Mimer.”

Viken Group has also collaborated with two expedition companies, a yacht management company and UK-based naval architects Laurent Giles on Mimer. The yacht caters for up to 12 guests in five main-deck guest suites and an upper deck owner’s suite that includes its own forward terrace with spa pool, while there’s also accommodation for 17 crew and an owner’s staff member.

Social areas include a huge sundeck atop the superstructure and up to three saloons, two dining areas, and a gym and beach club in the stern.

Designed to carry a wide range of tenders and toys, Mimer is offered in three layouts – World Traveller, Adventure Explorer and Air Explorer. World Traveller offers a helipad aft, an additional guest lounge below on the main deck, and space for tenders and toys including a luxury electric tender, landing craft, two expedition RIBS, quad bikes, submersible, jet-skis, and even an amphibious vehicle and a beach buggy.

Air Explorer offers the same as the World Traveller but with a helicopter hangar in place of the aft guest lounge, making it suitable for high-latitude or trans-ocean cruising. Adventure Explorer uses the aft lounge/hangar area as an additional tender garage, adding further capacity for carrying toys such as a Range Rover, more quad bikes and a hovercraft.

Mimer is offered both with a full high-latitude hull built to Polar Code Category C, Ice 1-C standards, or with a conventional hull offering a more economical build solution for owners who don’t intend to cruise in extreme latitudes.

Propulsion configurations include pod drives with diesel-electric generators or conventional engines and shaft drives. Studies are being undertaken to consider alternative propulsion and power solutions.

Drawing on sustainable principles in all aspects of its design and build, Mimer will incorporate recycled and recyclable materials, eco-friendly antifouling and include measures to protect biodiversity.

“TDoS has been working on sustainability with our commercial projects for a very long time,” Nerhagen said. “For us as Scandinavians, it’s not a trend; it’s just something you do and it’s very much in our culture.”

www.vikengroup.se

www.tillbergdesign.com