ROYAL EVOLUTION Royal Evolution Luxury Liveaboard Diving Yacht

OWNERS Paradise for Cruises S.A.E. BUILDERS Sayed Eissa ROYAL EVOLUTION NAVAL ARCHITECT Awad Zangeer INTERIOR DESIGN Mohamed Mohi Eldine

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The Red Sea is recognised as one of the fi nest diving grounds in the world. An increasing number of diving fans visit Egypt’s coastal resorts and charter a luxury vessel or a diving yacht to explore nearby reefs. The superyacht society is also discovering this Red Sea paradise. With the inauguration of the new diving yacht ‘Royal Evolution’, a new standard has been set in high tech, Red Sea, liveaboard luxury. Executive editor Dennis Vinkoert talked to Yasser El Moafi , managing director of Red Sea Paradise for Cruises S.A.E. about his new fl agship.

The Red Sea is one of the top diving destinations in the world, where the desert meets the ocean and is truly one of the planet’s most exotic and fascinating natural seascape environments. The underwater scenery is rich with colourful, coral- covered reefs, famous dive sites such as Ras Mohammed, Elphinstone and The Brothers, as well as historic wrecks, including the Thistlegorm. Here, you’ll have the very real opportunity to see exotic, marine life in their own environment including turtles, dolphins and sharks, as well as soft and hard corals and fi sh of every size, shape and colour nuance. A Red Sea Paradise for Cruises holiday is a much more fl exible an option compared to land based packages and are more suited to the adventurous diver. Sleeping in comfort aboard a yacht, you can indulge in the best of both worlds – the chance to explore remote and unspoilt reefs and the freedom to enjoy the more popular sites in the quiet of the night and early morning, when the marine world is at its best. The yachts on which these liveaboard trips are made are carefully designed with both safety and comfort in mind. There is little doubt that these yachts now offer superior living conditions comparable to a luxurious hotel. Many of the diving yachts have state-of-the-art diving facilities such as technical equipment and enhanced compressors. Such luxurious accommodation and modern diving facilities provide an overall enhanced vacation and diving experience in terms of relaxation, comfort, well-being and safety whilst still maintaining a sense of adventure.

Impressive Owned and managed by Red Sea Paradise for Cruises S.A.E., Royal Evolution’s maiden voyage took place in April 2006. This fi rst trip included a dive cruise itinerary of famous wrecks such as Giannis D, Carnatic and Marcus, Rosalie Moller in the north to Aida & Numidia at The Brothers and Salem Express on the homeward bound voyage. The diving industry has been waiting impatiently for the > launch of this stunning superyacht, which is without

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a doubt one of the most beautifully designed and Cummins, KTA38 M1 main engines to achieve a 14- technically advanced yachts to navigate the Red Sea knot maximum speed and 12-knot cruising speed. waters. Royal Evolution is a luxury, motor yacht Each main engine drives a 1,100 mm diameter fi ve- especially designed and built as a liveaboard diving blade Teignbridge propeller. Auxiliary power is vessel and offers her passengers a hugely, successful derived from three, Onan generator sets. combination of pure living comfort and a unique diving experience. New Era The specifi cations of the Royal Evolution are After years of preliminary study and research, impressive and mirror the extensive guest facilities. one of the most high-tech and sophisticated yachts Although fully registered to operate in all in the Red Sea has entered the Red Sea diving international waters, Royal Evolution is based in services. With no compromise in safety, facilities the Egyptian Red Sea where she sets many new and professionalism, this yacht has been built to standards of construction quality, safety and guest offer an increased level of luxury to its diving and accommodation. With her all-welded, steel hull and non-diving guests and will be able to access more enormous, twin 1,100 hp engines, Royal Evolution exclusive and remote dive spots in the complete Red provides smooth but fast sailings through even the Sea region – not just the Egyptian Red Sea area. heaviest seas. The amazing attention to detail to “Nine years ago, our ex-vessel Royal Emperor SOLAS requirements during her construction and marked the beginning of a new era of Red Sea extensive safety, navigational and communications diving yachts, built by divers for divers,” highlights facilities have earned Royal Evolution the Bureau managing director Yasser El Moafi . “Today we have Veritas, international, passenger ship seal of concluded our new project ‘Royal Evolution’ as one approval. She has signifi cantly increased the area of the most sophisticated and high-tech diving open to divers with a 2,000 nautical mile cruising yachts in the Red Sea. Much thought and many range and is licensed to operate up to 600 miles studies were conducted in the process to create each from refuge, so she can take her guests to some of and every part of ‘Royal Evolution’, bearing in the best dive spots in the region. mind every single need for our diver and non-diver The new, BV-classed, SOLAS compliant yacht is guests. The yacht is fully equipped for diving powered by a powerful pair of 1,100-horsepower, support operations and features an extremely, well-

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6 | SuperYacht Industry | January 2007 ROYAL EVOLUTION designed layout offering spacious comfort and smooth sailing. Maximum attention has been paid to reduce shipboard noise and vibration. This has been achieved by applying advanced technology and materials, resulting in an increased level of luxury and comfort. With Royal Evolution we have succeeded in designing and building an outstanding an extraordinary diving yacht with two, awe-inspiring, fi rst impressions. The fi rst is the sheer stature of this four-tier vessel as it towers over the water in purposeful style and the second is the enticing comfort and luxury class of the accommodation. The yacht has accommodation for 24 passengers in double and twin-share cabins, all with ensuites and all accommodation is air-conditioned. A secure and serene environment is always appreciated at sea and the cabins meet the ultimate standards. Interior décor pieces, featuring prints of tropical fi sh, confer a harmony to the accommodation that adds to the yacht’s overall appeal.

Accommodation The diving yacht creates an outstanding impression for her guests. The design of Royal Evolution features many deck settees and indoor lounge areas. Comfortable lounge areas are amply provided for in the air conditioned interior. Guests are provided with all the facilities of a fi rst class throughout the Red Sea, the characteristics of the hotel. Last but not least, in order to record the sea bottom vary greatly. The Gulf of Aqaba is very adventure to hard memory - underwater deep, reaching 1,600 metres in places, but its coasts photography is favoured nowadays by dive charters are sandy with coral formations. The end of the - Royal Evolution provides guests with fi rst class Sinai Peninsula is one of the most beautiful areas in equipment to pursue this rewarding pastime; a the whole of the Red Sea and Ras Mohammad, the specialist photographic viewing table and video sets extreme tip is classed among the top ten, most are popular facilities during cruises. beautiful, diving zones in the world. Space and grace are the hallmarks of the guest The Brothers Islands are situated slightly staterooms, each of them equipped with large beds, offshore and south of these lays the Deadalus reef, writing tables, windows and en suite bathrooms. considered real diving paradises. Nearer the shore Essentials such as washing machines, a drier and a rises the small, mythical island of Zabargad (called rotary iron are located on the upper deck. Topazos in ancient times) with its old olivine mines, Fine cuisine is served on board with guests which were mined from the times of the 18th enjoying gourmet meals in a spacious, dining area Egyptian dynasty). Here the seabottom has a very with fi rst class facilities and an ambiance where fi rm unusual appearance, with a series of coral friends can be enjoyed and new friendships be pinnacles, which rise up from the sea bed towards made. At the disposal of the chef are the best stoves, the surface like monolithic rocks. This is the ovens, fridges and freezers. kingdom of fi re coral and Alcyonarian soft corals.

Red Sea Encounters The Red Sea, with a width of 350 km (at its The Sudan area has experienced a lot of diving widest point) and a breadth of 2,350 kilometres tourism; Sudanese waters, with reefs rising like joins the Mediterranean Sea to the Indian Ocean. mushrooms from the considerable depths, are Despite the fact that it is so narrow, it is a very, possibly the most beautiful in the Red Sea and are deep sea, reaching almost 3,000 metres at its central certainly the wildest. Every trip to the Sudan brings point and dropping 600-800 metres in many points with it an aura of adventure and every dive the near the reef: a wall of water where scuba divers thrilling anticipation of meeting sharks and large fi nd themselves swimming. pelagic. Still further south in Eritrea are the Near the Gulf of Suez and the Bab al Mandab Dahlaks and approximately a hundred islands. The straits the waters are much shallower. Even though fauna is very rich and the opportunity for exciting it is linked to the Indian Ocean, the Red Sea can be encounters is guaranteed. regarded as a closed sea, and even its fauna is Finally there are the turbulent straits of Bab al considered belonging to the Indo-Pacifi c region. Mandab and the waters of the Seven Brothers, a >< Although the fauna is more or less the same little archipelago in the middle of currents and

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. Although exceptionally rich in fi sh, the water is not as limpid as it might be. The Red Sea is unique in several aspects; among them is its uniform distribution at the surface and at different depths. At the surface the temperature range is 26.2-30.5 degrees Celsius; at a depth of 150 metres the range is still a warm 23.9- 25.9 degrees. Moreover, its high degree of lucidity reaches up to 45 metres. These characteristics have made the Red Sea an ideal place for snorkelers, divers and photographers; comfortably warm, one can fl oat effortlessly and the visibility is better than in most other waters.

Shia’ab Featuring numerous embayment and gulfs the Red Sea has two prominent features - coastal lagoons, known locally as marsas and reefs, called shia’ab in Arabic. The marsas may be protected embayments of the sea or they may be cut into the coastal plain, well beyond the general coastline. Despite the heavy fresh water infl ux during the short rainy season, corals grow in the marsas and build coral knobs (from tens of centimetres to several metres in size) and patch reefs (up to tens of metres in size). As for the reefs, they are distinguished according to their shapes and position. There are the fringing reefs, which are immediately off the coast. They line the entire Red Sea coast, with the exception of the marsas and the Tokar Delta in the south. The fringing reefs are usually 1,000 metres wide and can extend up to 3,000 metres. Then there are the barrier reefs, which are generally separated from the coast and the fringing reefs by a ship channel. The barriers

Diving Gear & Facilities Scuba divers have good reason to be fussy about their gear and technical facilities on board. Safety is always on their mind. Meticulous attention to detail is evident in the dive racks, the back-up gear and on board the yacht. The dive deck, with state-of-the-art diving equipment and two showers, is fully equipped for and technical divers alike. Divers use comfortable and wide, boarding steps down to the water. The wide range of dedicated services and diving equipment includes:

– three, permanent, experienced dive instructors – a 50-litre emergency bottle and 2 x 7-litre bottles with face – one permanent photo-pro for mask and demand valve

& video courses – an O2 bank for supplying 100% O2 for & – individual storage lockers and kitting up areas – Helium supply on request for licensed, technical divers – tanks are fi lled on site, so no need to pack & unpack diving gear – PC for fi lm editing & editing courses connected with the 50” Plasma – the spacious, dive platform features fresh water showers at water level screen in lounge – a large, working table with two air guns for quick drying – Slide projector & screen – a battery & camera charging station (24 hours per day) – Nitrox and rebreather – six, complete sets of backup, diving equipment available for rent – backup dive accessories available for sale – 32 12-litre aluminium diving cylinders for normal air & Nitrox fi ll – ten 15-litre aluminium tanks for normal air & Nitrox fi ll available for rent – eight 15-litre steel tanks for normal air available for rent – two 5.5-metre RIB tenders fi tted with a 55-horsepower Yamaha outboard engine – one 4.2-metre RIB tender with a 25-horsepower Yamaha outboard engine – three 250 litre/min dive compressors – a 500-litre/min DiveMix Nitrox compressor

8 | SuperYacht Industry | January 2007 ROYAL EVOLUTION range from narrow, discontinuous reef walls, only several tens to a few hundred metres wide, to platforms of up to 14 km in width. Finally, there are the atolls, which are reef platforms located furthest offshore, several hundreds of metres to a few kilometres in width and surrounded by waters. All these types of reef provide shelter to a diversity of marine life. They also offer protected areas for snorkellers and shallow-water divers. One of the most magnifi cent features of the Red Sea, are its beautiful coral reefs. Corals, or more precisely, their skeletons, are the main components of which reefs are built. Coral is an animal, individually called a polyp, which is generally one to a few millimetres in diameter. Different kinds of coral occur in different areas of the reef; factors such as waves and light determine the nature of the coral, whether of delicate or solid structure. Thus, the distribution of corals refl ects their respective adaptation to the prevailing environmental conditions in various parts of the reef. Aside from corals, other elements are also instrumental to the structure of reefs, for example, worms and calcareous red algae, which are a form of marine plant.

Marine Life Surrounding the reefs and complimenting them in creating a breath-taking sight, is the wide spectrum of marine life. The Red Sea is famous for its plants and animals, many of which are related to those in the Indian Ocean, but some of which are exclusively found in the Red Sea. Among the common fi sh in the Red Sea are the tarpon, giant herring, salmon herring or milkfi sh, soldier fi sh, goggle eye and rock cod. There are also more than 250 species of shark, among them, predators such as the tiger shark and hammerhead shark. It should be noted, however, that unless irritated or attracted by blood, sharks are peaceful animals and, generally speaking, shark attacks along the Red Sea coast are very rare. In addition, several species of whales also call the Red Sea home, namely the blue whale, a 15-metre, long giant which feeds on plankton and the whale shark, which poses no threat to humans, but scares off sharks. The whale shark, 8 to 10 metres in length, is a jolly, plankton- Facts & Figures eating whale that befriends fi shermen. It has to be noted that the Red Sea contains the largest Royal Evolution collection of sea life consisting of hard and soft corals, marine life and many ship wrecks. Principal particulars Performance All these features make the Red Sea an Length o.a. 39.00 m Propulsion power 2 x 1,100 hp attractive location for the ultimate, relaxing Length on waterline 36.70 m Maximum speed 14 knots vacation and gain it the title of one of the most Beam on waterline 8.20 m Cruising speed 12 knots beautiful sites for sea and underwater lovers from Depth 3.60 m Range 2,000 nautical miles all over the world. Fans of , Draught 1.90 m snorkelling, yachting and various water sports will Tank capacities fi nd the best conditions possible to pursue their Tonnage Diesel fuel oil 47 t passions. Displacement 280 t Freshwater 22 t GRT 476 t Black & Grey water 11 t i. www.royalevolution.com Ballast water 14 t ><

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