A new era in sustainability and superyachts: 183m expedition yacht REV Ocean leads by example
YachtCharterFleet
During a private tour of the 182.9m / 600ft expedition yacht REV Ocean, the YachtCharterFleet team got an exclusive insight into an owner’s mission to create a catalyst for change and give something back to the oceans that built him his fortune.
REV Ocean will soon become the largest yacht in the world. Eager to get a closer look at the superyacht breaking new ground in design, function and technology, the YachtCharterFleet team headed out to Norway for a private tour of REV Ocean last year.
As the yacht is still under construction at VARD Shipyard, we were expecting nothing more than a rough outline of what the yacht will look like when completed in 2021. But we came away from the tour with something far more valuable.
Through talking to the Project managers and getting some first-hand insight into the yacht's owner, we learnt that REV Ocean is a landmark in yachting that's hoping to usher in a new era of superyachts.
She is a catalyst for change that's set to ignite a revolution among superyacht owners; here's how.
REV Ocean is a state-of-the-art superyacht that will be committed to pioneering oceanographic research.
The yacht will be equipped with scientific equipment never before seen on a superyacht. She will play host to eight cutting-edge research laboratories, a pelagic trawl, a dive centre and a Moonpool, enabling her to catch and safely release fish species from 3,000 metres below the surface of the sea.
She will also have a range of submersibles, both autonomous and remotely-operated, for extreme underwater exploration. There will be a 36-person auditorium on board, plus 3 pools, 2 helipads, an on-board helicopter and its own hangar.
Kjell Inke Rokke is the owner of REV Ocean. Rokke grew up close to VARD facilities in Brattvag where REV Ocean is being built. He learned to fish in the waters around Brattvag, and he began his career as a deckhand on board a fishing yacht.
He went on to operate a fleet of fishing vessels and fisheries, and he has been a major stakeholder in several shipyards that specialize in fishing vessels. He then moved into offshore drilling, and now owns an oil and gas company. In 2018, he was considered the richest man in Norway.
During our shipyard tour, we're told that Rokke's family has lived for many years in Molde, a small town just across the water from Brattvag. He is a well-known member of the local community.
Mr Rokke has taken on Nine Jensen, the former head of the World Wide Fund for Nature in Norway, to be the Chief Executive of REV Ocean.
This yacht is not intended to be a one-off project; instead, it’s hoped she will pave the way for a new era of superyacht.
Rokke’s mission is simple; save the seas.
His motivation to build REV Ocean comes from a lifelong reliance on the ocean.
Fishing is how he made his fortune; and now it’s time to give back. Building REV Ocean is philanthropy in its finest form- if REV Ocean encourages other yacht owners go down a similar route, then Rokke’s legacy will live on for decades to come.
Fishing is also vital to Norway’s economy as a whole, with fish making up one of the country’s largest exports. Norway is also leading the way in the fight against climate change, with the country listed among the greenest on the planet and the second-most eco-friendly country in the world.
During our shipyard tour, we had the chance to chat to Lawrence Hislop, Marketing Director of REV Ocean.
“What we are hoping is that [REV Ocean] can provide inspiration for other wealthy people to reconsider how they're spending their money to some extent.” He explains. “We’d like other owners will go down this route.”
By redefining how superyachts are put to use and setting out to take serious action to save our seas, the owner of REV Ocean is putting a plan into motion.
This yacht is not intended to be a one-off project; instead, it’s hoped she will pave the way for a new era of superyacht.
“We’d like other owners will go down this route.” States Hislop. “If we do a good job and we start to save the oceans and allow wealthy people to come on board to see what it is that we are doing, we really hope that other owners will be inspired by that and want to do the same.”
By building the world’s largest yacht, Rokke and the REV Ocean team will create maximum exposure for their cause. The world’s largest yacht will cause a stir far beyond the realms of the superyacht industry and this will create a vast platform for Rokke and the Rev Ocean team to share their message and push their mission forward.
REV Ocean will be available to charter to research teams free of charge.
For the REV Ocean team, ‘Healing the ocean with data’ is a core part of their ethos. By allowing the most advanced oceanographic study tools to be accessed by research teams across the globe, the initiative hopes to create a global ocean data platform for the common good.
These research expeditions will be funded by private yacht charter.
Not only does this mean that Mr Rokke is giving back to the environment through facilitating this unique charter format, it also allows charterers to directly impact positive change. By chartering REV Ocean, they'll be making these research missions possible.
Charterers will also be able to charter the yacht alongside the research teams, allowing them to experience a truly one-of-a-kind vacation where they can participate in research and observe the work being carried out in front of them.
The initiative hopes to create a global ocean data platform for the common good.
REV Ocean is currently in the final stages of construction at VARD shipyard in Brattvag. In the coming months, she is set to head off to Lloyd Werft in Germany, where her exteriors will outfitted and fared.
Faring is still reasonably uncommon among explorer yachts; but this detail nods to her superyacht qualities. Her exterior styling comes from award-winning yacht designer Espen Oeino, and her interiors have been helmed by London-based studio H2 Yacht Design.
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