OKTO Super Yacht - 66m (217ft) - Info & Cool Fun Facts

📉 THE OWNER DOWNGRADED?

The yacht was built for Theodore Angelopoulos, a titan of the Greek shipping industry and founder of Metrostar Management, a leading operator of oil tankers. Angelopoulos was not a novice owner; his previous vessel was the 82-meter Oceanco ”ALFA NERO”, delivered in 2007. ”ALFA NERO” is widely regarded as one of the most influential yachts of the 21st century.

However, by 2010, Angelopoulos’s yachting philosophy had shifted. Despite the acclaim of ”ALFA NERO”, the sheer scale of an 82-meter vessel presented logistical and personal challenges. The owner reportedly expressed fatigue with the ‘floating hotel’ vibe of the larger vessel. In a revealing anecdote provided by his representative, George Mourkakos, Angelopoulos noted that he was tired of seeing ‘new people, new crew’ every time he boarded the larger boat. The rotation of a massive crew complement meant the onboard experience lacked the personal, familiar continuity he desired.

The brief for ”OKTO” was paradoxical: the owner required a significant reduction in length (down to 66 meters) to allow access to smaller, more exclusive Mediterranean harbors, yet he refused to compromise on the silence, stability, or build quality of his previous Northern European giant.

📉 THE OWNER DOWNGRADED?

The yacht was built for Theodore Angelopoulos, a titan of the Greek shipping industry and founder of Metrostar Management, a leading operator of oil tankers. Angelopoulos was not a novice owner; his previous vessel was the 82-meter Oceanco ”ALFA NERO”, delivered in 2007. ”ALFA NERO” is widely regarded as one of the most influential yachts of the 21st century.

However, by 2010, Angelopoulos’s yachting philosophy had shifted. Despite the acclaim of ”ALFA NERO”, the sheer scale of an 82-meter vessel presented logistical and personal challenges. The owner reportedly expressed fatigue with the ‘floating hotel’ vibe of the larger vessel. In a revealing anecdote provided by his representative, George Mourkakos, Angelopoulos noted that he was tired of seeing ‘new people, new crew’ every time he boarded the larger boat. The rotation of a massive crew complement meant the onboard experience lacked the personal, familiar continuity he desired.

The brief for ”OKTO” was paradoxical: the owner required a significant reduction in length (down to 66 meters) to allow access to smaller, more exclusive Mediterranean harbors, yet he refused to compromise on the silence, stability, or build quality of his previous Northern European giant.

🔇 AMAZING ACOUSTIC ENGINEERING:

The most defining characteristic of ”Okto” is her acoustic signature. The owner’s brief contained explicit, penalty-backed clauses regarding noise and vibration levels. The target was to make the yacht feel stopped even when cruising at 16 knots.“Okto” ’s underbody was the subject of an exhaustive four-month tank testing regime at the MARIN facilities in the Netherlands. This is an unusually long testing period for a 66-meter yacht, underscoring the custom nature of the project.

The testing protocols included:

• Sea Keeping Analysis: Evaluating the hull's response to various wave heights and frequencies to minimize vertical acceleration (seasickness)

• Zero-Speed Stability: Testing the interaction between the hull form and the stabilizer fins while at anchor

• Aerodynamic Smoke Tests: Wind tunnel simulations were conducted to map airflow over the decks. This was critical for the aft deck pool area. The design team needed to ensure that engine exhaust gases would be carried away from the guest spaces regardless of wind angle and that the ‘al fresco’ dining areas would remain ‘fresco’ (you have to know Italian to understand this joke)

To achieve this, the engineering team employed a ’box-in-box’ construction method for the accommodation areas, where cabins are essentially floating modules isolated from the steel structure of the hull. Resilient mounts were used for all rotating machinery and the piping systems were flexibly mounted to prevent structural-borne noise transmission.

The ‘toilet flush" anecdote: The owner’s representative, George Mourkakos, brought a journalist to the lower deck guest cabins - the area typically most susceptible to engine noise due to its proximity to the machinery spaces. While the yacht was underway with engines running at high load (nearly 5’000 horsepower active), Mourkakos stood in one cabin and the journalist in the adjacent one. The sound level was so low that the journalist assumed they were stationary. To prove the soundproofing between cabins, Mourkakos went into the next room, closed the door and flushed the toilet. Despite being separated by only a single bulkhead, the journalist heard absolutely nothing. This confirmed that the isolation was not just effective against engine noise, but also against domestic noise transfer.

The ‘door test’ anecdote: A second anecdote illustrating the door sealing technology involves the Master Suite. The doors on ”Okto” are massive, weighing 120 kilograms each to provide mass-damping against sound. They feature automatic rubber drop-seals that deploy when the door closes. During a demonstration, Aretha Franklin music was played at 70% volume in the owner's study. When the heavy door to the sleeping quarters was swung shut, the music was ‘instantly muted’, rendering the bedroom entirely silent.

🔇 AMAZING ACOUSTIC ENGINEERING:

The most defining characteristic of ”Okto” is her acoustic signature. The owner’s brief contained explicit, penalty-backed clauses regarding noise and vibration levels. The target was to make the yacht feel stopped even when cruising at 16 knots.“Okto” ’s underbody was the subject of an exhaustive four-month tank testing regime at the MARIN facilities in the Netherlands. This is an unusually long testing period for a 66-meter yacht, underscoring the custom nature of the project.

The testing protocols included:

• Sea Keeping Analysis: Evaluating the hull's response to various wave heights and frequencies to minimize vertical acceleration (seasickness)

• Zero-Speed Stability: Testing the interaction between the hull form and the stabilizer fins while at anchor

• Aerodynamic Smoke Tests: Wind tunnel simulations were conducted to map airflow over the decks. This was critical for the aft deck pool area. The design team needed to ensure that engine exhaust gases would be carried away from the guest spaces regardless of wind angle and that the ‘al fresco’ dining areas would remain ‘fresco’ (you have to know Italian to understand this joke)

To achieve this, the engineering team employed a ’box-in-box’ construction method for the accommodation areas, where cabins are essentially floating modules isolated from the steel structure of the hull. Resilient mounts were used for all rotating machinery and the piping systems were flexibly mounted to prevent structural-borne noise transmission.

The ‘toilet flush" anecdote: The owner’s representative, George Mourkakos, brought a journalist to the lower deck guest cabins - the area typically most susceptible to engine noise due to its proximity to the machinery spaces. While the yacht was underway with engines running at high load (nearly 5’000 horsepower active), Mourkakos stood in one cabin and the journalist in the adjacent one. The sound level was so low that the journalist assumed they were stationary. To prove the soundproofing between cabins, Mourkakos went into the next room, closed the door and flushed the toilet. Despite being separated by only a single bulkhead, the journalist heard absolutely nothing. This confirmed that the isolation was not just effective against engine noise, but also against domestic noise transfer.

The ‘door test’ anecdote: A second anecdote illustrating the door sealing technology involves the Master Suite. The doors on ”Okto” are massive, weighing 120 kilograms each to provide mass-damping against sound. They feature automatic rubber drop-seals that deploy when the door closes. During a demonstration, Aretha Franklin music was played at 70% volume in the owner's study. When the heavy door to the sleeping quarters was swung shut, the music was ‘instantly muted’, rendering the bedroom entirely silent.

🖤 THE CHALLENGE OF THE BLACK PAINT:

Painting a steel superyacht black is one of the most difficult technical decisions an owner can make.

• Thermal gain: Black surfaces absorb up to 90% of solar radiation. On a steel hull, this creates significant thermal expansion and contraction cycles. If the underlying fairing compound (filler) has a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the steel, the paint system can delaminate or crack

• Print through: As the steel heats up, the structural ribs and frames behind the plating can become visible on the surface, creating a ‘washboard’ effect known as print-through

• HVAC load: The heat absorption significantly increases the thermal load on the yacht’s interior, requiring upsized air conditioning compressors to maintain the interior climate

• Surface perfection: High-gloss black paint acts as a perfect mirror. Any imperfection, wave, or ripple in the fairing is instantly visible. The fairing on ”Okto” had to be executed to a ‘piano finish’ standard, far exceeding the smoothness required for a white hull

To mitigate these issues, the paint system used on ”Okto” involved specialized primers and fairing compounds designed to remain flexible at high temperatures. The metallic flake in the paint also serves a functional purpose, helping to reflect a fraction of the solar energy that a flat black would absorb.

🖤 THE CHALLENGE OF THE BLACK PAINT:

Painting a steel superyacht black is one of the most difficult technical decisions an owner can make.

• Thermal gain: Black surfaces absorb up to 90% of solar radiation. On a steel hull, this creates significant thermal expansion and contraction cycles. If the underlying fairing compound (filler) has a different coefficient of thermal expansion than the steel, the paint system can delaminate or crack

• Print through: As the steel heats up, the structural ribs and frames behind the plating can become visible on the surface, creating a ‘washboard’ effect known as print-through

• HVAC load: The heat absorption significantly increases the thermal load on the yacht’s interior, requiring upsized air conditioning compressors to maintain the interior climate

• Surface perfection: High-gloss black paint acts as a perfect mirror. Any imperfection, wave, or ripple in the fairing is instantly visible. The fairing on ”Okto” had to be executed to a ‘piano finish’ standard, far exceeding the smoothness required for a white hull

To mitigate these issues, the paint system used on ”Okto” involved specialized primers and fairing compounds designed to remain flexible at high temperatures. The metallic flake in the paint also serves a functional purpose, helping to reflect a fraction of the solar energy that a flat black would absorb.

🎨 ALBERTO PINTO’S FINAL WORK:

The interior of ”OKTO” was among the final projects overseen by the renowned French designer Alberto Pinto before his death. The studio, subsequently led by his sister Linda Pinto, delivered an interior that strictly adheres to the ‘simple yet dynamic’ brief. The layout emphasizes a seamless flow between the exterior and interior, facilitated by massive glass doors in the main salon that open to a width of five meters, dissolving the barrier between the aft deck pool and the main lounge.

The interior aesthetic is monochromatic, relying on texture and sheen rather than color for visual interest. The materials list is a study in light manipulation:

• Whitened Sycamore: This pale wood is the dominant veneer in the owner’s suite. It is finished with a high-gloss varnish that reflects natural light, maximizing the brightness of the space

• Lacquered Surfaces: Dark woods in the common areas are treated with deep gloss lacquers, creating reflective surfaces that mirror the sea

• Stainless Steel: Polished steel detailing frames the joinery, adding a sharp, industrial precision that matches the exterior profile

• Mirrors: Extensive use of floor-to-ceiling mirrors in corridors and cabins visually doubles the width of the spaces (+)

🎨 ALBERTO PINTO’S FINAL WORK:

The interior of ”OKTO” was among the final projects overseen by the renowned French designer Alberto Pinto before his death. The studio, subsequently led by his sister Linda Pinto, delivered an interior that strictly adheres to the ‘simple yet dynamic’ brief. The layout emphasizes a seamless flow between the exterior and interior, facilitated by massive glass doors in the main salon that open to a width of five meters, dissolving the barrier between the aft deck pool and the main lounge.

The interior aesthetic is monochromatic, relying on texture and sheen rather than color for visual interest. The materials list is a study in light manipulation:

• Whitened Sycamore: This pale wood is the dominant veneer in the owner’s suite. It is finished with a high-gloss varnish that reflects natural light, maximizing the brightness of the space

• Lacquered Surfaces: Dark woods in the common areas are treated with deep gloss lacquers, creating reflective surfaces that mirror the sea

• Stainless Steel: Polished steel detailing frames the joinery, adding a sharp, industrial precision that matches the exterior profile

• Mirrors: Extensive use of floor-to-ceiling mirrors in corridors and cabins visually doubles the width of the spaces (+)

OKTO

Build/code name(s):

Project H / Model name: ISA Gran Turismo 66

OKTO

Build/code name(s):

Project H / Model name: ISA Gran Turismo 66

FOR CHARTER

FOR CHARTER

Estimated value

$45,000,000

Estimated value

$45,000,000

Main Specs

Length

66.4

m

/

217.8

ft

Beam

11

m

/

36

ft

Volume

1,180

GT

Categories

Build type

1-of-1 Custom build

Based on a production hull

Custom-made

Vessel type

Yacht

Super yacht

Amenities

Indoor cinema room

Elevator

Swim platform

Tender garage

Observation Lounge

Spa

Sauna/Steam room/Hammam

Massage room

Gym

Swimming pool

Jacuzzi

Helipad

Design

Exterior

Andrea Vallicelli

Main Color

BLACK

Interior

Alberto Pinto

Build

Shipyard

ISA Yachts

Year

2014

Hull type

Mono-Hull

Full displacement

Hull material

Steel

Superstructure material

Aluminum

Last Refit

2023

Show more about refit(s)

Main Specs

Length

66.4

m

/

217.8

ft

Beam

11