Generally speaking, it’s in very bad taste to go for too much gold. Whether we’re talking fashion, art, jewelry, interior design, or superyachts, it justdoesn’t doto opt for too much gold.
The only exception seems to be that ofRussian oligarchs, for whom gold is a way of life when it comes to expressing themselves thɾօυɢҺ their possessions. While Khalilah has been linked toone or two oligarchs(depєɴԀing on which source you believe) and it is definitelygold, neither of these things is what sets it apart as a piece of outstanding naval design.
Khalilah is not among the world’s biggest or largest superyachts, and it is not among the most expensive either. At 49 meters (160 feet) in total length, it’s certainly dwarfed by the kind of superyachts Russian oligarchs seem to prefer:vessels the size of football fields, with more amenities onboard than a 5-star resort, and an entire army of crewmembers to tєɴԀ to every whim.
What Khalilah lacks in size, it makes up with a very unusual blєɴԀ of opulence and, to a certain extent, shamelessness, and naval innovation, with more than just a hefty dose of personality and fierceness. Delivered in 2014, Khalilah is the most daring project to come out of U.S.-basedPalmer Johnson, after spєɴԀing more than four years in development.
PJ founder and owner Timur Mohamed set out to create something that wouldbreak the moldin the “boring” landscape of superyacht design: something that would defy expectations by meeting all of them, something that would look good and perform even better, something that the world would talk about for years to come. Eight years later, here we are.
Khalilahstands out from afar: with a golden pearlescent finish in a special type of paint called Cordova Gold, and a certain abstract structural quality to its silhouette, it’s the kind of superyacht you get when you want people to look at you. Better said, it’s the kind of yacht you get when you want people to not be able to take their eyes away from it.
As strange as it might sound when talking about a gleaming, golden superyacht that would make even an ostentatious James Bond villain think”eh, maybe this is a bit of overkill,”it’s what inside that matters. Despite its size, Khalilah has a beam of 36 feet (11 meters), which gives it an interior volume comparable to that on a twice-as-large superyacht.
The second in the Supersport series from the shipyard, Khalilah is unique from all the other builds in that same series, in that it comes with a carbon composite hull and superstructure. At the time of its launch, it was the first privately-owned superyacht to be built from the material, which makes it very lightweight and more durable thanaluminum hulls.
The choice of material was a necessity: in his quest to deliver something new, Mohamed had set his sight on delivering a racer in the body of a displacement yacht. He called it a new breed of a superyacht, one that would be able to easily top 30 knots (34.5 mph / 55.5 kph) with zero compromise on stability, comfort, fuel efficiency and, perhaps even more importantly to the owner, luxury features.
Power comes from twin 16V MTU diesel M94 engines that deliver a maximum output of 5,200 hp and a top speed of 32 knots (36.8 mph / 59.2 kph). At a cruising speed of 15 knots (17.2 mph / 27.8 kph), Khalilah is twice more fuel efficient than other vessels of its size and, with the addition of an extra tank, it offers transatlantic range. Regardless of speed or whether it’s an anchor, stability and comfort are a guarantee: the sharp, slєɴԀer hull with the inverted bow (and the wave piercer) comes with one sponson on each side for enhanced stability, roll dampening, and more space onboard.
Performance aside, Khalilah is a luxury yacht. The interior design by Luxury Projects is described as playful and modern, a sort of contemporary spin on Art Deco, with surprising splashes of color and patterns, unexpected combinations of materials, and lavish elements. Gold, of course, is a prevailing theme, down to the custom finishes on the engine blocks in the engine room.
Accommodation onboard is for 11 guests in five staterooms, each finished in a different theme but sharing in common floor-to-ceiling windows to take in the spectacular views. Khalilah uses Glasshape’s DuraShield Marine Glass, and the panels needed to create the kind of glazing the owner had in mind were,at the time, second-largest only to those that were usedon Venus, the superyacht that Steve Jobs commissioned.
Like most superyachts, Khalilah comes with the laundry list of superyacht features: a spa pool, two salons, entertaining room, the generous beach club, a sundeck, a bar,fancy artworks, and a tєɴԀer that matches the mothership in both silhouette and golden paintjob. Unlike the other superyachts, Khalilah offers the chance of owning one of the most visually striking builds of modern times, paired with impressive performance and a gorgeous interior. James Bond villains mayscoff at how shiny it is, but you’ll be laughing the last laugh in your$31 million superyacht.
