The Digest | New Jersey Magazine
Issue link: https://magazines.vuenj.com/i/800610
BY TED CHRISTODULIDIS At first glance, any record of the uniquely shaped Kormaran K7 seems to resemble a craft from a galaxy far, far away crash landing into a body of water or some sort of Transformer rushing to save the world. Only after further investigation is it made clear that the K7 is, in reality, a six-in-one super-luxury speedboat; truly the product of any young boy's wildest dreams. While many of us hold fond memories of playing with spaceships and Transformers in our early childhood, a Salzburg, Austria-based company has been working diligently to turn these toys and memories into reality. The ultimate goal, to create a vessel which maintains performance under varying configurations, has been chased wildly by naval architects for decades; none of which succeeded. Enter the first-of-its- kind, $1.7 million, 23-foot Kormaran K7. After working in the German automotive industry for over a decade, Dr. Oliver Kormann and his wife, Jutta, founded Kormaran in July of 2010. Kormann leveraged his experience from the automotive world as a guiding force in both the construction and design of his vessels, utilizing state-of-the-art materials from Formula 1, America's Cup, and the aviation industry. Kormann mentioned that: "The goal was to combine the experience of driving a cabrio-styled supercar with the precise construction techniques used in aviation. [It's] a real eye-catcher, technologically unmatched, promising a thrilling experience." In its hydrofoil "flightmode," the K7 will be cruising at roughly 38 knots (44 mph), but at the touch of a button morphs into a monohull, a catamaran, a trimaran, and even features a "bathing" option which unfolds the front of the boat into an 11-foot platform, allowing sea-goers the opportunity to relax and take in the sun while dining or diving. The company even states that "007 would land his one-man helicopter on the platform." The accompanying "nightmode" also features a green and blue LED light to mark the boat's position as well as baby blue strip lighting, providing optimal stargazing conditions while sitting anchored or resembling a comet shooting atop the water. V U E N J . C O M 124 VUE ON TECH