Meet Oceanco’s 295-foot shark-shaped superyacht “Dar”

Published on July 4, 2024

Large Yachts

Oceanco’s 295 feet Darwhich means “gift” in Russian, made its world debut at the 2018 Monaco Yacht Show. Robb Report I boarded and toured the yacht with Valentina Zannier, head of interior design at Nuvolari Lenard, who was tasked with creating a subtle and one-of-a-kind interior. In addition to 120 different fabrics and 24 saddle leathers, the interior features maple veneer, bleached ash, and gray-stained sycamore.

The boat’s exterior design was conceived by Miami-based designer Luiz de Basto Design and takes inspiration from nature, including a hammerhead shark. The interior focuses on detail and craftsmanship, using some of the world’s best outfitters and craftsmen to bring the original owner’s vision of a marine-centric environment to life. The focus is on balancing sea views with guest privacy. The owner’s aft deck is the best example of this, featuring a rotating sofa that can rotate 360 degrees to capture the best views. It is flanked by “privacy” glass railings.

Settled in Monaco for the summer, Dar is currently listed for sale by Large Yacht Corp for approximately $223 million. Here are 10 things you didn’t know about one of the largest yachts on the brokerage market.

Transparent design

Image credit: Large Yacht Corp.

When Dar Completed in July 2018, it benefits from the latest advances in glass technology. The aluminum superstructure is covered in 4,300 square feet of dark, reflective glass, which allows the owner to see out but keeps onlookers from seeing in. The six-foot-by-ten-foot glass panels are attached to the superstructure using a special glue and sealant, a new process that had to be approved by Lloyd’s. The superstructure has 186 windows, 28 of which are double-curved. The recurring theme of glass is also evident throughout the interior, particularly in the floor-to-ceiling windows and glass elevator floor by Benvenuto Artglass.
Shark attack

Photo credit: Large Yacht Corp

The natural world has been a key source of inspiration for Dar’The yacht’s exterior designer, Luiz de Basto. “The yacht’s curved main superstructure is made of a black, continuous organic shape that reminded me of a shark, so I decided to shape the mast like a dorsal fin, and everything else flows from there,” de Basto explains. Robb Report“When you look at the boat from above, the wings look like those of a hammerhead shark.” Rightly so, Dar was known as Project Shark until its delivery.
Marine world

Photo credit: Large Yacht Corp

The owner’s brief called for a “balanced combination of visual themes from nature,” such as flowers, feathers, and marine life: Italian studio Nuvolari Lenard responded with fish, leaves, olive trees, flowers, and waves in a myriad of materials. There are glass artworks, sculpted leather wall panels by English artist Helen Amy Murray, and a theatrical staircase with bas-relief fish made of Venetian plaster (pictured) by DKT Artworks. The guest hallway walls are clad in oak, carved from plaster using a special spatula technique and then hand-painted.
Game room

Photo credit: Large Yacht Corp

The Sky Lounge cinema offers over 1,300 films. But if that’s not enough to keep guests entertained, the games table (pictured) in the main lounge is guaranteed to keep the party going until late into the night.
Waiting in style

Photo credit: Large Yacht Corp

The side lobby, clad in organic forms of marine life, is a welcoming space for guests as they enter and exit the yacht, with high interior ceilings that reach up to nearly eight feet in some areas.
Being served

Photo credit: Large Yacht Corp

The formal dining table in the main saloon seats up to 18 guests and is adorned with stunning resin and metal panels by British company Based Upon. There’s further alfresco dining on the upper deck aft, where chunky taupe knit chairs and pops of bright red and soft furnishings bring style to the table.
To own it

Photo credit: Large Yacht Corp

Dar The ship accommodates 14 guests in six cabins, including two VIP cabins and four double cabins, each with an en suite bathroom. The private owner’s suite on the upper deck has a bathroom, a palladium-finished dressing room and a private terrace with a Jacuzzi encased in tinted glass. Other flourishes and finishes include “flower art glass” by DKT and ornate glass surfaces by List GC.
Free transport

Photo credit: Large Yacht Corp

Dar The vessel is equipped with two custom 34-foot “mini-me” tenders by Hodgdon Yachts, one covered and one open, that echo the design of the mothership. When covered, the upper deck pool, which features a waterfall and swim jet, doubles as a helipad for guests arriving by air transfer.
Pamper perfectly

Photo credit: Large Yacht Corp

On the lower deck, the family wellness area includes a large hammam, a sauna with sea views, a gym and a spa and massage room decorated with wall paintings and embroidery. A beach club at the stern gives passengers access to the ship’s many toys.
Technical innovations

Photo credit: Oceanco

The 22 tons of glass weren’t the only technological first on board DarOceanco was also the first yacht in the Netherlands to have the official Lloyd’s Register Integrated Bridge System (IBS) notation, designating her forward wheelhouse.

Transparent design

Shark attack

Marine world

Game room

Waiting in style

Being served

To own it

Free transport

Pamper perfectly

Technical innovations