Luxury Yachts: If you had to choose between owning the ultimate home or a dreamboat of mega yacht, which one would it be? While there is no Hobson's choice either way, nonetheless, it is an intriguing choice for decision-maker seeking to maximize value. Is it better to go for the comforts a house provides, or latch on to a luxury-latent vessel and cruise the world whimsically? The designers of the Wally Hermes Yacht have the ideal solution: Why choose when you can have both?

The WHY 58X38 is a collaboration of two of the foremost luxury brands, Wally Yachts and Hermes, that will evolve the utile of mega yachts to an unprecedented plateau of all-encompassing excellence. At first glance, it appears to be a fantastical island-like residence that somehow is magically afloat. After all, it is approximately 125 feet wide (38 meters) and more than 190 feet long, or more than 23,750 square feet from forward to aft, port to starboard.

The idea officially set sail in June 2008 subsequent to Luca Bassani Antivari, president of Wally Yachts, meeting with Hermes' artistic director Pierre-Alexis Dumas, in the fall 2007, to "accessorize" the interior of one of his boats.



"What I've always liked about Hermes, aside from its intrinsic quality, is its audacity and radicalism; its desire to go beyond trends, to make no compromises and to maintain the authenticity of the house. Wally shares the same values, Hermes on land, Wally on sea," said Mr. Antivari. He also said that it was inevitable that their paths would cross.

The WHY is built on a sturdy and stable Norwegian Ramford hull, which is vital for a ship with an 82-foot swimming pool on its forward and a 118-foot deck beach on its aft. The promenade is approximately 10 feet wide and wraps around the upper deck. The mega yacht sleeps 12 and has accommodations for a 12-man crew. The "58x38" represents length and width in meters.

Along with being lavish and spacious, the WHY also is a mega-size lean green machine with an estimated annual fuel savings, comparatively speaking, of 160,000 liters of diesel. The energy-saving photovoltaic panels on the sides of the glass hull and the roof open like Venetian blinds to allow as much natural light to enter as possible.

"We are very interested in creating a yacht that will have a low environmental impact, said Hermes' Pierre-Alexis Dumas. Its relationship with the sea must be respectful and easy. WHY intends to offer a new way of moving over water by creating an innovative way of managing and recycling its resources and uses of energy."

The cruising speed of the WHY 58x38 is 12 knots and maximum speed is 14 knots. Understandably, speed is not really a top priority in this joint endeavor. Why would it be? WHY, indeed.

For JustLuxe James Rothaar