arlier this year, high fashion house Hermès and iconic Monaco yacht brand Wally unveiled a revolutionary mega yacht named WHY, an acronym for Wally Hermès Yachts. This 58 metre-long, 38 metre-wide motor yacht is supposed to redefine the art of living on the sea with a low environmental impact. The resulting form and function is quite impressive: photovoltaic panels on the glass hull sides, a massive roof opening that operates like Venetian blinds, a 25 metre-long forward end swimming pool (with thermo regulated water, obviously), and a massive promenade on deck.

While altogether super rad, I’m not quite sold on the interior. My main critique is that the spiral staircase looks too Guggenheim-y of the Nora Roberts variety, you know, the kind of stairs that would be staged with chintzy romance and roses. I had expected a more minimal straight-flight design. I’m sure all the discriminating billionaires out there would customize everything to their own needs though, equipped with the necessities of diamonds and ponies. My only question is, where is the helipad?

In terms of sustainability, WHY requires less power at cruising speed than a boat of equal size. Its diesel-electric propulsion is the most efficient motorization today, and the surface of the photovoltaic panels, almost 900 square metres, covers most of the boat’s auxiliary system needs. If I were to spend mad scrilla on a WHY yacht, I wouldn’t feel so bad knowing that I’m saving up to 200 tons of diesel per year. Maybe in a few years, the Colorcubic headquarters will be cruising at a lovely twelve knots, saving diesel while redefining the art of working on the sea. I won’t hold my breath.