When Sunseeker displayed its 90 Ocean with its 88 Yacht and three smaller ‘Famous Five’ models at last September’s Cannes Yachting Festival, the Poole builder showcased its ongoing focus on upgrading its range inside and out but also its desire to branch out into a new sector — a fresh way for owners and guests to use their boat.
After all, the 90 Ocean is more than a new model. If not the first of a new range, it’s the first of a new design philosophy at Sunseeker, an Ocean series of models that span the Yacht and Superyacht ranges, spearheaded by designs for the 42M Ocean and 50M Ocean.
Seen from the side, the more upright bow on the 90 Ocean is the most obvious indication of an increased focus on volume, but it’s from the back that you really see what the Ocean concept is all about. It’s wide — really wide.
Beach Club Supreme
With a vast beam of 23ft 6in, the 90 Ocean is a full 2ft wider than the 95 Yacht — and just 6in slimmer than the 116 Yacht!
Add in the fact the beam is carried further forward than is typical and the 90 Ocean offers a 20 per cent increase in volume and 25-30 per cent more deck space than the yard would traditionally offer on a yacht of this length.
This extra deck space is best illustrated in the vast beach club, where the 90 Ocean features a double X-TEND sunbed, a Sunseeker innovation that CEO Andrea Frabetti has called “a game changer”.
Built into the transom door, the X-TEND can fold out and down to create a large sofa cum sunbed in the beach club, while the raised position creates a raised lounging area that faces into the aft cockpit.
Douglas Culverwell, Sunseeker’s Director of Distributor Development, says the X-TEND has proved a “huge hit” with owners and prospects.
“The X-TEND is a great innovation and we’re delighted by the response from the clients. In the up position, it creates space that was simply not there before and adds to the social aspect of the cockpit,” says Culverwell, who has overseen Sunseeker in Asia since 2016.
“In the lower position, it’s simply an amazing place to relax, enjoy the beach club and watch the sun go down. It’s difficult to say which mode is used more, so it’s great that our clients have the choice.”
The beach club measures about 20ft wide by over 13ft deep and includes a large hydraulic platform big enough to carry a Williams SportJet 460 tender. The remaining part of the beach club can house a jetski and includes two self-draining Seabob deck lockers, while there’s further storage inside the transom for other water toys.
In the fixed part of the platform to port, there’s a retractable Besenzoni stairway that can be used for water access or as a passarelle, while there’s a fold-out barbecue with countertop on the starboard side, well away from the indoor areas.
Outdoor Hubs
The aft cockpit extends the beach club vibe onto the main deck, with moveable furniture that can be arranged to face the sea, while the glass side gates and central bi-fold doors can be fully opened for a completely clear view over the beach club. And if the sun gets too much or ‘in your face’, a sunshade can descend from the flybridge overhang.
Port stairs lead up to the flybridge, an enormous space that Sunseeker estimates is 25 per cent larger than on a comparable yacht. It’s covered by a lightweight, advanced composite hardtop with a full-width retractable canopy and contains an extendable sunshade that’s able to cover the aft area of the upper deck.
To port are the twin-seat helm and a long wet bar with grill, drawer fridges, ice maker and optional stools, but otherwise the deck can be customised. One Sunseeker proposal includes an aft infinity spa pool flanked by sunpads, a fixed C-shaped sofa and a table to starboard, plus more sunbathing area forward.
Alternatively, the deck can be cleared for loose furniture, such as a dining table and wet bar under the hardtop, with the aft zone left free for the likes of sofas, chairs, sunbeds and coffee tables.
The foredeck is another fun outdoor zone and can accommodate a large group of people on three fixed sofas — each with a ‘mood-lit’ table — and on a central triple sunpad with electrically adjustable backrests.
It’s set up for guests to stay a while as there are drinks fridges under each end of the long, forward-facing sofa and slots so a sail canopy can be erected if the sun is too much. The foredeck can even transform into an open-air cinema with the option of a laser projector and an enormous 94-inch screen.
Indoor Options
While the 90 Ocean is distinguished by its large, multi-functional outdoor areas, the interior also benefits from the large beam, with the overall internal volume matching that of the 95 Yacht. Sunseeker offers a range of interior finishes including lacquered inner deckhead panels and perimeter LED lighting.
Well over 18ft wide and 29ft long, the spacious saloon starts with an adjustable 65-inch QLED TV to port, while furniture can be arranged how the owner wishes.
Options include a large L-shaped sofa and chairs around a coffee table, with a dining table forward before the galley and maybe a chaise loungue in the port corner, by the main stairs to the lower deck. Another option is having the dining table lengthways on port side, forward of the TV.
For natural light and views, there are floor-to-ceiling windows on both sides and glass bulwarks by the saloon, while Sunseeker also offers the option of sliding doors both port and starboard. Looking forward, there’s even a direct view through to the windscreen from the saloon or aft cockpit.
In terms of layouts, the main fixture is the galley to starboard, which can be either open, enclosed or fitted with partition screens, while there’s also a side-deck door. Lively options include a 34-bottle wine cooler.
“The 90 Ocean offers so much flexibility with the layout,” Culverwell says. “The galley can be open, enclosed or even have sliding shutters for the best of both worlds, with the saloon and dining arrangement quite often driven by this selection. Popular options include the sliding shutters with an extended galley bar top, the dining table to port and extended sofa to starboard.”
Suite Arrangement
Sunseeker hasn’t been predictable with its lower-deck layout, where the master cabin is neither midships nor in the bow, while the private stairs are for the VIP suite. The port stairs in the saloon lead down to a hallway that runs across the width of the yacht to a spectacular wooden feature wall, where there’s a forward door to the full-beam master stateroom.
The bedroom has a forward-facing bed with stowage below, sofa to starboard and vanity desk to port, plus plenty of light from 8ft-long hull windows.
A decorative bulkhead mirror houses the television, which is located centrally. To port is the elegant en-suite bathroom, which features backlit framed mirrors, twin porcelain sinks, a large vanity unit, plenty of storage and a roomy rain shower. Starboard of the TV is the walk-in wardrobe with ‘his and hers’ pivot-hinge wardrobes, drawers and feature shelving behind panelled full-height mirrors.
The two en-suite guest cabins are aft of the hallway and each features a large hull window, a huge TV and inward facing beds that can be arranged as twins or a double. Sunseeker explains that this cabin arrangement allows the owners to be close to their children, parents or other generations.
The private stairs down to the VIP suite are forward on the main deck, between the twin-seat helm to starboard and the portside chart table or dinette, which sits a couple of steps above the saloon floor.
The breadth of the VIP suite in the bow — and the size of the foredeck above — result not only from the full beam extending far forward but also the bow’s more rounded shape.
“The beam and the how far the beam is carried forward is a critical part of the design as it allows more space to be created,” Culverwell says. “The 90 Ocean is an incredibly innovative yacht and every area inside and outside has its features. It’s very well balanced, with every area feeling right.”
At the other end of the yacht, the crew area includes two twin-bunk cabins, a bathroom, galley and L-shaped dinette, with a door to the engine room and stairs leading from the aft end of the port side deck.
New Models Drive Demand
The 90 Ocean is also available in an enclosed version, which means that with the 88 Yacht and the upcoming 100 Yacht, four of the six models in Sunseeker’s Yacht range (76-100ft) have been launched in the past year.
Following last year’s ‘Famous Five’, 2022 launches include the 100 Yacht, Predator 65 and Superhawk 55. Now offering over 20 models compared to the 11 on offer when Frabetti arrived in 2019, Sunseeker says new models have helped drive the builder’s largest forward order book — over US$660 million — since China’s Wanda Group took ownership in 2013.
“The new models are driving that demand and they pull the whole range with them,” Culverwell says. “The 90 Ocean has had incredible success and we’re sold through to the autumn of 2023. This is a mix of retail and wholesale yachts, so the good news is there’s availability for clients through our distribution network.”
In Asia, Japan dealer Unimat Precious has secured record forward orders, while NextWave Yachting opened a stunning Sunseeker Showroom in Repulse Bay late last year following its appointment as Hong Kong dealer.
Culverwell says he expects the 90 Ocean to strike a chord in this region, due to its roomy interior and huge outdoor spaces that can be covered when necessary.
“There are many interested parties in Asia for the 90 Ocean. We feel the boat is very well suited to the market with a great balance of inside and outside social space. All the outside space can be under shade and the access to the water from the beach club is terrific,” he says.
“Furthermore, the 90 Ocean Enclosed provides an alternative for clients looking for an even larger main deck facilitated by having a single helm station upstairs in front of a comfortable sky lounge. Sunseeker and our dealers have high hopes in Asia.”
The article first appeared on Yacht Style.
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