Sailing Yacht Black Pearl: Behind The Project with Derek Munro | On The Bridge

What does it really take to help deliver one of the most ambitious sailing yacht projects ever built?

In this episode of On The Bridge, Alicia Store, Chief Operating Officer at dsnm Ltd, speaks with Derek Munro of Divergent Yachting, Project Manager and Owner’s Representative for sailing yacht Black Pearl.

Black Pearl is one of the most recognisable sailing yachts in the world, but behind her profile is a much deeper story of vision, engineering, experimentation, secrecy, pressure and persistence.

Derek shares how he became involved in the project, why the yacht evolved from an original 95-metre concept into the 105-metre Black Pearl known today, and what it was like working on a build where so much had never been done before.

The conversation explores the DynaRig system, the shift from hydraulic to electric power, the extraordinary performance of Black Pearl’s regeneration system, and the research that went into solar, battery storage and future technology.

Alicia and Derek also discuss the sustainability thinking behind the yacht, including reduced fuel use, technical water treatment, heat recovery, double insulation, double-glazed windows, reduced HVAC demand and the onboard culture that grew around the owner’s vision.

There is also rare insight into the owner himself: his engineering mind, his relentless eye for detail, his personal involvement in the design and build, and the way his vision shaped everything from major systems to the smallest interior and exterior decisions.

This is a conversation about yacht building at the highest level, but it is also about people. The owner who wanted to push boundaries. The shipyard that had to make the impossible possible. The engineers, designers and crew who carried the vision forward. And the project manager trying to hold all of those moving parts together.

Black Pearl is not just famous because she is seen.

She is significant because of what happened behind the project.

Guest:
Derek Munro
Director, Divergent Yachting
Project Manager and Owner’s Representative, Sailing Yacht Black Pearl

Host:
Alicia Store
Chief Operating Officer, dsnm Ltd

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