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PETRA: One Platform, Three Ways To Explore
RMK Yachts has lifted the curtain on PETRA, a new 50-metre explorer series developed in collaboration with Hot Lab, bringing a sharper edge to the yard’s proven credentials. The series is defined by three distinct versions, AURA, CORE, and INFINITE, each offering a tailored take on modern explorer ownership.
Long recognised for their engineering-led approach, RMK Yachts uses PETRA to introduce a more nuanced balance between capability and liveability. The project builds on the shipyard’s established partnership with Hot Lab, following earlier collaborations, though here the emphasis shifts towards versatility and owner-driven customisation.
Hot Lab’s exterior design avoids trend-led gestures in favour of a controlled profile. Inspired by the form of an anvil, the yacht’s lines are purposeful and assured, with a distinctive ‘C' shape at the stern giving PETRA a recognisable signature. The overall effect is one of quiet confidence; a yacht designed to endure rather than attract attention.
The platform itself has been conceived with flexibility at her core. AURA presents a more social, lifestyle-led configuration, with increased guest accommodation and dedicated entertainment areas. CORE, by contrast, offers the most balanced interpretation, prioritising privacy and day-to-day usability while staying closest to the original design intent. And then INFINITE pushes decisively into expedition territory, incorporating ice class notation, an optional hybrid propulsion system, helideck, and expanded storage for tenders and water sports equipment.
Across all three, the material language is consistent: natural and deliberately tactile. Interiors favour wood, stone and technical finishes, creating spaces that feel composed and enduring.
Technically, PETRA remains firmly rooted in the explorer category. A steel hull and aluminium superstructure deliver an approximate range of 4,000 nautical miles, with a top speed of 16 knots. Practical features such as a generous tender garage, which converts into a beach club via fold-down bulwarks, reinforce the yacht’s focus on extended cruising and time spent on the water.
Offered for sale with Denison Yachting and SuperYachtsMonaco, PETRA is positioned as a platform rather than a fixed concept, and one that allows owners to align the yacht closely with their own style of use, for buyers seeking a more considered approach to the modern explorer yacht.