The varied shapes of yacht bows have a lot to do with aesthetics, but as the part of the hull that first meets waves when underway, choosing the right one is also dictated by performance requirements and cruising expectations.

Raked bow 

A traditional raked bow has a stem that is slanted forward from the keel to the tip of the bow. Popular because of their classic good looks, the vast majority of Feadships have a raked bow. When used in conjunction with a flared hull they help to keep water off the decks and increase the width of the foredeck. Further, raked bows raise the centre of buoyancy, which in turn increases the metacentric height (GM) – one of the pillars of hull stability. On the downside, they pick up a large increase in buoyancy when riding big waves, which can lead to less comfortable pitching and slamming motions and slower passage through the water. 

Plumb bow 

As its name suggests, a straight or plumb bow is almost perpendicular to the water. Because a plumb bow maximises waterline length, it helps to increase hull speed and reduce fuel consumption. It also augments interior space in the forward part of the hull. With a narrow point of entry, a vertical bow slices through waves rather than ride over them for smooth, fuel-efficient passage-making. Often thought of as a modern design feature, prior to WWII relatively slow and stately motoryachts often had vertical bows in order to maximise waterline length for optimal displacement speeds. In fact, if you look at the yachts built by De Vries and Van Lent before they joined forces with other Dutch boatbuilders to become Feadship in 1949, many had vertical bows. 

Reverse bow 

A reverse or inverted bow has its most forward point at the waterline, which clearly maximises waterline length but also reduces the forward deck area. Considered ultra-modern, reverse hulls are actually not new at all, as evidenced by Roman triremes or the dreadnought fleets of WWI. By offering less lift and wave resistance than a conventional bow with a forward flair, a reverse bow has some piercing attributes and waves basically dissipate over the top. This often means a wetter foredeck so a pronounced spray rail is sometimes added. Feadship has built superyachts with all three types of bow shape. In each case, the decision to go with one form or another is based on a combination of technical considerations, client preference and pure aesthetics. Feadship’s 72.80-metre Predator launched in 2008 is a case in point as one of the very first yachts of the modern era with a reverse bow. The yacht’s distinctive profile was the result of the owner’s brief for a high-speed yacht capable of 25 knots or more when equipped with four conventional diesel engines delivering 23,000 horsepower. With a standard hull form this would have resulted in excessive loads on the propellers. So Studio De Voogt came up with two solutions to lower hull resistance and bring these loads back to acceptable levels. The first was a traditional hull with bulbous bow, and the second was a reverse bow. In the end, the owner liked the aggressive styling of the latter, so it was both a technical and an aesthetic decision.