Lynx Yachts – Crossover 27 Avontuur

Superyacht 77 – Spring 2023

The design is somewhat weird. Externally she resembles a work-boat, Lynx Yachts’ peculiarity. By combining a supply vessel stowage room with a comfortable internal layout she possibly becomes a perfect main boat, as her American owner uses her.

“Explorers” have become more and more popular thanks to the energy they instill in terms of adventure, long voyages, thrilling discoveries, escape from everyday life and its boundaries. We may also say they significantly breed the owners’ and everybody’s longing for endless freedom naturally raised by sea and boats which is basically why we buy, hire or change a boat.

Dutch yard Lynx Yachts was funded in 2011 by mechanic engineer Slim Bouricha, who graduated at George Washington University in the US. Bouricha worked for mercantile yards at the beginning of his career, where he learnt the importance of maintenance and operational systems in commercial sailing. He went on to design and build equipment and structures for oil and gas companies, to finally unveil his superyacht Crossover 27 at Cannes Yachting Festival 2022, where a renowned Italian professional like Filippo Rossi works as commercial director.

As easily guessed, Avontuur is the Dutch word for adventure. One single word to take on the essence and the intention of this project, a yacht to explore. This is actually the first project for a totlly new category of yachts, something between explores and supply vessels. Lynx Yachts’ Crossover 27 combines the best of these two worlds: she provides a supply vessel’s strength, versatility and stowage capacity as well as a superyacht’s comfort and elegance.

This makes her perfect for a next generation of adventurous owners, who need to make the most of their time at sea through watersports or exploration. On launching, Slim Bouricha declared: “We are so pleased to launch Avontuur after greatly and fruitfully cooperating with her Californian owner. It’s an sporty, expert sailor, he was involved in every single step of construction and a true pleasure to work with”.

Concept design and engineering were internally developed, the ship’s external design is Dutch Studio Bernd Weel’s job, interiors are penned by French designer Franck Damet and naval architecture by Alkmaar based Studio Diana Yacht Design. 27.40 metres long and 7.10 wide, the yacht was designed to meet her sporty owner’s demand in terms of watersports.

Plenty of room and best adaptability for toys and any other comfort owners would wish, along with room and comfort to spend long time onboard with family and friends: this is all the ship has to offer. Other features include a beach platform and areas to provide direct access to the sea. True to her name, the yacht honours the underlying idea of stowage room for tender and toys, as she keeps the appearance and feeling of a superyacht. Franck Damet also explains the basis of internal design: “ We meant to create something pleasant to live, not only to drive.

This is a common, grounding feature of all our yachts, as I am a sailor myself and I’ve spent quite a long time on ships over the years! And besides this, we wanted something to furnish with high level materials, yet strong and easy to maintain.” Avontuur’s interiors show massive use of white durmast and stone, besides raw concrete shades in the bathroom for a clean, moder, timeless effect.

“The last thing I wanted was a fashionable interior”, designer says, “where everything turns useless after few years as it goes out of tendency. I feel Avontuur’s interior will stand the test of time and still look modern in 10 or 15 years”. “What I am mostly proud of” -Damet continues-“is the perspective you get when watching the boat from aft, to her prow. A complete aft view from the kitchen, which quite rare to find on a yacht.

This also involves natural light flooding the boat, for a wonderful atmosphere onboard”. The ship’s initial layout included four cabins: the owner’s suite, one Vip and two doubles, with crew accommodation behind the engine room. The owner, however, chose a different one: he limited guests’ cabins to three and integrated crew cabins within the guests’ area. Crossover 27’s internal layout now provides a large owner’s suite, two large guests’ cabins and as many for the four crew members.

Interiors are clearly dominated by a huge living room with large windows and direct access to the main deck; the latter, after launching toys, provides a 70 square-metre surface to sunbathe, relax after a day’s explorations, or enjoy a barbeque. Besides an Air Nautique 21 and a 5-metre rib, the main deck is home to a crane, two Yamaha Waverunners and two waterjets.

The toy compartment offers enough room for the owner’s watersports and his requirements: surfboards, Sup, canoes, snorkeling equipment and so much more. However pleased with wood panels, stone upholstery and other decorations, Avontuur’s American owner showed absolutely enthusiastic about the yacht’s stowing capacity, on seeing her in Cannes. “I’ve spent one lifetime struggling with room for my equipment”, he says, “this boat is gorgeous, she makes me feel free to have all I need onboard, to do what I want, whenever I want”.

Crossover 27 is powered by two 840cv/634kw Caterpillar C12, allowing for a remarkable 1800 nautical-mile range, rising to 3000 if sailing at a cheap 10,9-knot speed. Her 1.9-metre draught makes her easily reach shallow beaches. Lynx Yachts is based in Nilkerk, Holland. The yard produces both luxury yachts and supply vessels for Yacht-X-Tender branded yachts (YXT). The yard’s Crossover series will soon be featuring new models, all based on this successful type.

For further information Lynx Yachts