Few yachts are instantly recognizable from a single silhouette. Ocean Emerald is. Conceived by Foster + Partners for the YachtPlus fleet and launched at La Spezia in April 2009, the 41-metre superyacht pairs radical architecture with a warm, light-filled interior that was purpose-built for modern charter life. (fosterandpartners.com)
Foster + Partners’ vision
Ocean Emerald was the first in a series of 41-metre yachts designed by Foster + Partners for the fractional-ownership brand YachtPlus (her near-identical sisters are Ocean Pearl and Ocean Sapphire). The brief was clear: maximise space, daylight and views, and deliver a guest experience that felt more like a glass-walled modern home than a conventional yacht.
Signature silhouette
Her signature is the sweeping, arched superstructure set forward on an all-aluminium hull and superstructure—an arrangement that creates generous terraces and uninterrupted interior sightlines. It’s a striking departure from traditional profiles and the reason Ocean Emerald regularly turns heads in any anchorage.
Space, light & flow
Inside, floor-to-ceiling glazing floods two salons with daylight, while a sculptural glass spiral staircase links the decks and draws light down through the guest areas. Teak planking runs from exterior decks through the main salon to enhance the feeling of indoor-outdoor continuity—classic Foster detailing translated for the sea.
Guest-first layout
Ocean Emerald sleeps up to 12 guests in five suites. The full-beam owner’s suite sits forward on the main deck and opens to two private side terraces—rare at this size. Below, two VIP doubles and two twins (each with an additional Pullman) complete a layout that works equally well for families and friend groups.
Indoor–outdoor living, dialled in
Life on board centres on expansive deck spaces: lounges cascade aft beneath the arches, and an upper-deck Jacuzzi makes the bow a social focal point. Inside, the informal upper salon has a beach-house feel with bar, games station and a large movie library; there’s also a dedicated cinema room on some charters, plus Wi-Fi throughout and a compact gym. Water toys typically include jet skis, tenders, towables, kayaks, waterskis, snorkel/scuba sets and more—ideal for island-hopping days.
Engineering & class
Built by Rodriquez Cantieri Navali in 2009 and refitted in 2015, Ocean Emerald is classed to RINA and compliant with LY2 commercial code. Power comes from twin Caterpillar C32s. Published performance varies by source and loading, with a brochure top speed around 16 knots, economical cruising about 12–14 knots, and a range near 2,400 nm at 12 knots—numbers that align with her SE Asia mission profile.
A proven platform (and a film cameo)
As one of the three Foster-designed YachtPlus sisters, Ocean Emerald has been a proven charter platform for more than a decade—and even nabbed a cameo in the 2015 remake of Point Break, where her futuristic lines doubled as a party set piece. (Motor Boat & Yachting)
Charter lifestyle in Southeast Asia
Today, Ocean Emerald is a familiar sight in Thailand and the broader Gulf of Thailand/Andaman region, running one-day and multi-day itineraries from bases such as Koh Samui, Pattaya and Phuket. Expect flexible routes (weather permitting) and a seasoned crew—often nine—who can pivot from quiet castaway coves to cinema night on deck without missing a beat.
Ocean Emerald at a glance
- Designer: Foster + Partners
- Builder / Year (refit): Rodriquez Cantieri Navali / 2009 (2015)
- Type / Material: Motor yacht; aluminium hull & superstructure
- Length / Beam / Draft: ~41.0 m / 8.4 m / ~2.4 m
- Accommodation: 12 guests in 5 suites; full-beam main-deck owner’s suite with two private terraces
- Crew: typically 7–9
- Power / Speed / Range: 2 × CAT C32; ~16 kn max, ~12–14 kn cruise; ~2,400 nm @ 12 kn
- Amenities: upper-deck Jacuzzi, dual salons, cinema/movie library, Wi-Fi, gym; broad toy set (tenders, jet skis, kayaks, towables, scuba/snorkel, etc.) (Koh Sanuk)
Why her design still feels “next”
What makes Ocean Emerald endure isn’t just the dramatic arch. It’s the way the architecture solves for how people actually use a 41-metre yacht: big social decks, a true indoor-outdoor salon, daylight-rich circulation via the glass stair, and a main-deck owner’s suite that points straight down the yacht’s course. It’s functional theatre—elegant, efficient, and relentlessly guest-centric.