Astra Nord will be capable of carrying out various reift services for the vessels up to 295 m long, and its first project will be the 78-metre Neon, created by T.Fotiadis Design in collaboration with Lateral Naval Architects
Ethnic Greek Theodoros Fotiadis, who relocated to Berlin quite a long time ago, owns a design studio in the German capital and specializes in developing interiors for luxury mansions and yachts over 100 meters long. Moreover, T.Fotiadis Design also has some experience in creating luxury cars – for example, the three-axle SLT Range Rover 6x6 pickup truck unveiled in 2018, where SLT stands for Superyacht Land Tender. And now Theodoros has decided to take up yacht construction and refit.
The new Astra Nord shipyard is located in the city of Stralsund, on the coast of Pomerania, the Baltic Sea, opposite Rügen, which used to be one of the key ports in the medieval Hansa.
The facilities take up 97 000 sq.m of fully covered and heated space, including the main shed (300 m x 110 m x 75 m), 24 000 sq.m of workshop areas and 32 000 sq.m of office space. Among other important features, one should mention the 800-tonne crane and the 270-metre ship lift.
There is a plan to make the Astra Nord brand stand out due to a comprehensive after-sales service, which Fotiadis believes to be an insufficiently developed market in Germany. “Whether it's routine maintenance, upgrades or technical assistance, our global network of skilled technicians and support staff are always on hand to ensure your yacht performs at its best", he said. The yard has already taken on its first refit client, the 47.2-metre Ocean Dreamwalker III.
However, the studio’s work on its own projects ranging from 65 to 96 m is in progress, too. The debut project is the 78-metre Neon, whose concept is “Free as the sea itself”.
At its core there is an open-plan layout without traditional bulkheads, enabled by the “FFB” platform by Lateral Naval Architects. “The FFB platform gives us many options to configure not only the outdoor areas but also the interior. Our platform is ready to adapt to the owner’s lifestyle, whether this means using the boat in the Med or the Caribbean, or taking it to the poles. The aft area can either be configured as a full spa and relaxation area as it is now, or it can be configured as a heli-ski preparation area or even include a decompression area when the owner and guests return with the private submarine”, said Theodoros Fotiadis. “It’s a lifestyle, a sanctuary, and an experience of pure elegance on the water”.
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