How Phathom Studio Turned Gulf Craft's Majesty Model into an International Brand
The Dutch designers discuss their work on the Majesty 100 Terrace and Majesty 112 models in the April 2025 issue of the newsletter.
How do you take a yacht model that has long been designed with a specific region in mind and expand its appeal to owners in Western markets? That was the briefing Dutch-based design agency Phathom Studio was tasked with when handed the keys to Gulf Craft’s Majesty series, the UAE-based builder’s flagship line. In the feature below, the brain trust behind the interior and exterior chronicles the journey behind the success of the Majesty 100 Terrace and Majesty 112.
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When Gulf Craft sought to reimagine the Majesty 111 to cater to Western markets in 2022, the UAE-based shipyard pinned its hopes on Phathom Studio to take the reins - and the choice reaped fruitful results. The emerging Dutch agency infused the flagship line with a lungful of fresh air. The yacht carried a modern feel, open spaces led the way, and natural lighting bathed every room. These were changes that felt new, all while preserving Gulf Craft’s DNA.
Therefore, it is no surprise that the builder has alighted on Phathom Studio once again to pen the designs of their newly launched boats: the Majesty 112 and the Majesty 100 Terrace, which debuted at the 2025 Dubai International Boat Show. With features such as a foredeck with a jacuzzi, including a glass floor that doubles as a skylight for the master cabin and a plunge pool on the M112, it was hard for anyone who stepped on board either of the vessels to be immune to the charms of the emerging designers' work.
Speaking to The Maritime Observer, Phathom Studio discussed the process behind collaborating with Gulf Craft for the Majesty pair, agilely straddling the line behind designing a yacht to serve both private ownership and charter functions and the simultaneous challenges and thrills of incorporating sustainable materials into their work.
The Majesty 111: Ushering in a new era for the flagship line
Talks for the Majesty 112 started to take shape following the success of the Majesty 111 - garnished with multiple awards and nominations for its ingenuity - and the studio sought to retain the vision statement of internationalizing the brand in the ensuing projects, “With the Majesty 111, we really wanted to continue the line, creating it with other boats that have similarities but don’t compete with other models,” said Raquel H Grijota, Design Partner at Phathom Studio. With this in mind, outlining the main aspects of the Majesty 112 started with taking input from the people who know these yachts best, the Captain and crew. “After a thorough briefing from the Captain and crew of the inaugural M111 hull, we realized that some commercial aspects of the layout needed to be modified to improve the overall efficiency of future Majesty models in this size segment,” wrote Sean Bekeschus, Design Partner at Phathom Studio. The principal takeaway from this tour? The unbalanced crew-to-guest ratio led to the first amendment incorporated in the Majesty 112, an additional captain’s cabin on the upper deck.
As for the Majesty 100 Terrace, which bears its name from the multiple outdoor terraces, it was in the shipyard’s initial briefing to depart from the raised pilothouse model and build a tri-deck. A noticeable change lending credence to this directive is the skylounge that replaced the raised wheelhouse, and a Phathom Studio -hallmark retained from the Majesty 111: natural lighting. “The success of the Majesty 111 in maximizing natural light through large windows and skylights has been further developed in the new models,” said Grijota.
The M100 Terrace possesses the same flow as the M111 but finds a brand new semi-displacement hull. “The new semi-displacement hull is a major factor. It's designed to provide a balance of efficiency and stability, crucial for long-range cruising in diverse sea conditions. This allows the hull to have a wider beam translated directly to more interior space in the lower deck to create more spacious and comfortable guest areas,” added Grijota.
Both the M112 and M100 Terrace place an emphasis on open spaces, capitalizing upon the lauded design considerations first seen by the M111. “The Majesty 100 Terrace and 112 feature expanded deck areas, further emphasizing the importance of outdoor living and the seamless connection with the interior,” said Grijota. This, in fact, is a stark contrast to their predecessors in the Majesty 100 line. “Before, Majesty yachts were much more focused on closed spaces for privacy, and now the spaces are more open to enjoy the water and the views.”
This shift from closed to open spaces points to the changing tides in the demographics of superyacht ownership, where clientele is observingly getting younger, and their stylistic choices illuminate the change in what they would like to make use of in their vessels and their perception of luxury. “The demographic has changed. You look 10-15 years back, and ownership of a yacht was really very exclusive, and they were like over-the-top palaces with rare materials, and it was making it more appealing at the time. For the younger generation that is coming up it’s really about the experiences rather than having rare species, for example. The values are really changing in that sense. The quality time that you want to spend with your guests and family is all changing,” said Fabian Henke, Design Partner at Phathom Studio. In addition, crafting open spaces in both of the Majesty designs has proved to be instrumental to a further consideration that Phathom Studio was tasked with engineering: walking the tightrope between ensuring a charter-friendly layout while keeping the owners happy.
The Duality of Charter-Friendly and Uncomplicated Private Use
How can a yacht simultaneously serve the needs of charter guests and those of the boat's proprietors? The answer lies in an adroitly penned layout. “The key part of this is that you need to consider that these two groups have different needs. You have to be flexible in the layout and outdoor areas. You also need to see what is getting more popular and what the guests are making the most use of,” said Grijota. This concern was crystallized with the addition of a flybridge in the M112. “The inclusion of a flybridge or sundeck on the M112 offers valuable added space for both private and charter usage of the boat, while not compromising the performance,” added Bekeschus. To strengthen the yacht’s charter appeal, the designers increased storage areas onboard - a change that played to one important point: crew efficiency. “If the crew is happy, the charter is going to go really well. The talks we had with the crew for the [Majesty] 111 helped us make these designs more friendly to having good crew quarters and good flow around the boat,” added Grijota.
Meanwhile, the Majesty 100 Terrace boasts its own charter capabilities, a far cry from previous iterations of the Majesty 100 line, which were not built with anything beyond private use in mind but unexpectedly turned into a hot commodity amongst charter listings. “For the previous model of the Majesty 100, they were never designed to take in mind charter but ended up becoming a popular model in the charter market. For the shipyard, it was important to take over the things that were making it a good charter boat,” explained Henke. And with the generous exterior space, a large aft deck, and an expansive flybridge, the yacht is able to cater to the needs of the current guests onboard. “These spaces are designed to be adaptable, allowing for various activities. This versatility is crucial for charter operations, where guests have diverse needs,” said Grijota.
Speaking to Different Markets At Once: The Pursuit of International Appeal
Speaking to the dexterity of the layout is the Majesty’s ability to accommodate six guest cabins instead of five, a technical feat previously unheard of for vessels below 40 meters. Certainly, all these hallmarks converge to allow the Majesty Line to evince global resonance, to be able to be enjoyed by clientele from all over the globe. “From a guest's and owner's perspective, you have a broader audience; it’s not for one person. It needs to appeal to many different markets; it should be relevant in the US, but at the same time, Europeans should also like it. That is the difficult zone that we have to navigate through,” said Grijota. How is this balance achieved? Through the deployment of multi pronged design strategies, “The designs cater to the diverse needs of international clientele, whether for private cruising or charter operations, that resonate with a global audience, such as emphasis on open-plan living creating flexible layouts, adaptable spaces, and features that enhance the overall yachting experience, maximizing natural light.”
And while Phathom Studio remains pivotal to the new era of Majesty Line, the team effort with Gulf Craft’s in-house design team was crucial to the shipyard’s overarching vision. “It's teamwork because those decisions, like the shape of the hull, are really strategic for which markets they want to appeal and where they want the yacht to be cruised,” said Grijota. This same strategy applies to the inside space, where the yacht's itinerary is a principal consideration. “The layout needs to work, so we really think about how it is going to be used. How do they use it, whether it is in the Emirates, in Asia, in Europe, or in America? How can we bring similarities together? What can we welcome for some and what cannot? What can be adapted or changed, even from one charter to another.”
The Circuitous Route towards Sustainability
Featured in the Majesty 100 Terrace is the host of eco-friendly materials shaping the interior: reclaimed fishing nets to make the carpets and recycled fibers in the loose cushions. Although the incorporation of sustainable materials is proving to be the future of yacht design, the novelty of the idea in the maritime industry remains a logistical and technical climb - an assessment that Phathom Studio can very well attest to. “Everything was quite new. Most of the marine suppliers who use traditional materials are starting to use more eco-friendly alternatives; it is slowly growing from where it was 2-3 years ago, which was a challenge,” said Henke, highlighting the difference between on-the-water and residential projects. “Some of these materials are used in residences, but for the marine industry, you need more quality in the product because of humidity, vibrations, and other considerations to take into account that were not faced in residential projects,” added Grijota.
Therefore, it is more impressive to see the designers taking charge and leading the way with crafting the formula through trial and error. Consider, for instance, their work for another of Gulf Craft’s offerings: the Nomad 101, where Phathom Studio ran the gamut of eco-conscious supplies, resulting in a 100% sustainably furnished vessel. “For the Nomad 101, every single material was sustainable. We were able to find alternatives for every part of the boat,” explains Grijota, who did not shy away from detailing the learning curves this affair brought to all parties. “And that brought some challenges because they are new materials, so the shipyard needs to learn how to use them. For example, things that you don’t think about, like leather, were not synthetic and not natural either. It was leather made from natural fibres. Because it is a natural product, you really need to think about what you use to fix it to the panel. If the product between the natural leather and the panel was synthetic, it would not work. You need to go deep in.”
Phathom Studio - Tastemakers:
Back at the Dubai International Boat Show, the unmistakable profiles of the M112 and M100 Terrace were two of the 16 vessels displayed by Gulf Craft against the backdrop of Dubai Harbour. Observing this view, it is not hard to determine that the shipyard has become a metonym for luxury yacht manufacturing in the UAE. And Phathom Studio’s involvement with the Majesty series has only propelled the shipyard to international heights, which brings up the question: How is the studio able to meet the moment in their work when the moment is in constant flux and tastes are changing frequently? While prospective owners are touring the newly built boats, Phathom Studio is already in the future, presciently anticipating how life onboard will look in a few years' time. “What we do is that we cannot look at what is being done, because that has been determined years ago,” proclaims Grijota. “You need to look for future trends and how the aesthetics are shifting with all that’s happening. One thing is for certain: modern yacht design will remain the province of Phathom Studio for years to come.