Lürssen delivers the 102.4 metre NIXIE

Lürssen has handed over NIXIE, a 102.4 metre motor yacht that set out on her maiden voyage on 26 June. The German builder counts her as its sixth delivery of the year and calls 2026 a record year of new construction. Previously known as Project JASSJ, she was due to make her global debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.

A grey that moves with the light

The design is by RWD, and the idea behind it is fluid rather than architectural: deep contours and broad convex forms in the superstructure, shaped so that light runs over them instead of stopping at an edge. Hull and superstructure carry the same bespoke warm grey, a light-responsive finish with a faint pearlescent quality. On a hundred metres of steel that is a brave choice, because one colour from the waterline to the mast leaves the shape with nothing to hide behind.

The glazing follows the same thought. Every pane has its own shape and a gradient tint, so the line where glass ends and steel begins is deliberately hard to find. The engineering and the naval architecture were done in house, as on every yacht Lürssen builds.

The pool that hangs over the sea

The detail most guests will remember sits aft on the main deck: a glass swimming pool six metres wide, semi-suspended so that it reaches out over the swim platform. It has a privacy screen and an adjustable water level, which turns a showpiece into something a family of several generations can actually use. Lürssen describes it as an architectural space rather than an amenity on its own.

Directly beneath it lies the beach club, with a gym and a cryochamber, taking up a major part of the lower deck. Four large sea terraces and the transom hatch lie flush with the Indian teak, and the result is 270 square metres of living space at the waterline. Lürssen calls it one of the largest beach clubs on any of its yachts to date. Delicate stonework and rich woods run throughout, and RWD sourced all the furnishings and fixtures as bespoke artisanal pieces from around the world.

Quiet by design

Beneath the curves runs a diesel-electric propulsion system supported by an advanced energy storage system. Lürssen's case for it is efficient running across a wide range of cruising profiles and more comfort on board through less noise and vibration. For a yacht that will spend much of her life at anchor with guests aboard, the second point matters more than a top speed, which Lürssen does not state.

What it means for a charter guest

NIXIE is designed for extended cruising and entertaining on a grand scale, with large social spaces and a private owner's area kept well apart from them. She is also coming to the charter market, with Edmiston as her central charter agent. For anyone weighing a week on a boat of this size, the Raneris fleet table is the place to start: above one hundred metres it puts the crew at 28 to 36, which is why the number to ask for is not the weekly rate but what the week includes.

At a glance