Lateral unveils 88.5m Outlier I platform breakthrough
Lateral Naval Architects has introduced the 88.5-meter concept Outlier I, built on a new technical platform developed in collaboration with Foster + Partners. The firm positions the Outlier platform as a strategic shift for the sub-2000 GT market: a technical foundation intended to deliver vessel capabilities and internal volume normally associated with yachts well over 5000 GT, while remaining within the smaller regulatory and tonnage bracket.
Outlier I serves as the initial demonstration of that platform. The concept’s exterior presents sharp, rugged lines and a configuration expressly designed to maximize usable volume and operational efficiency, signaling a deliberate move away from conventional superyacht layouts toward an architecture optimized around the new platform.
Outlier platform delivers 5000GT-class volume sub-2000GT
The Outlier platform, created with Foster + Partners, is described by Lateral as a breakthrough for yachts under 2000 GT because it concentrates more living and exterior space into a hull that remains in a lower tonnage band. By rethinking machinery placement and overall arrangement, the platform aims to deliver interior and exterior areas comparable to much larger vessels without incurring the greater gross tonnage.
Key spatial gains come from relocating a smaller hybrid propulsion system forward, eliminating the typical two-level machinery arrangement found in many 75–78 m yachts. Lateral reports this approach increases liveable volume by 16%, dedicates the more stable amidships region to accommodation, and expands exterior deck areas by about 40%, improving both amenity and onboard flow.
Ultra-Efficient Hull III boosts space, cuts fuel use
The Outlier platform represents the third generation of Lateral’s Ultra-Efficient Hull series. Ultra-Efficient Hull III challenges traditional naval-architecture compromises by integrating hull form, propulsion placement and internal arrangement to reduce onboard power needs and improve seakeeping characteristics, enabling more of the hull’s midship volume to be used for guests and amenities.
Performance and efficiency targets published for the concept include a provisional top speed of 17.5 knots and a cruising speed of 15.5 knots. At an eco speed of 11.5 knots the yacht is reported to achieve a range of up to 5,500 nautical miles. Lateral adds that the platform reduces power demand by about 20% and fuel consumption by roughly 17%, figures that underpin the volume-for-efficiency argument.
Outlier I: scalable, customizable and efficient superyacht
The 88.5 m Outlier I concept showcases specific architectural features enabled by the platform: a three-level atrium, extensive glazing, generous exterior deck space, and an internal layout designed to support both owner-driven customization and comfortable guest–crew interaction. The hull form and arrangement also maintain a beam of 12.9 m and a draft of 3.5 m, parameters that contribute to the reported habitability and seakeeping targets.
Lateral stresses that Outlier I is not merely a visual concept but a platform demonstration that can be scaled to different tonnage targets, including 1,500 GT and 950 GT projects, allowing owners and yards to apply the same principles across a range of sizes. As senior naval architect Ollie Cooper summarised: “Outlier is more than a platform, it’s an invitation to rethink a yacht from the inside out.” The immediate next steps will be refinement with builders and owners to convert platform benefits into client-specific projects.
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