Glider Yachts Limited, a British luxury yacht manufacturer, has announced the launch of a revolutionary high performance sports yacht, the 60-foot Glider Super Sports 18.

Set to bring a new dimension in high-speed luxury to the market, Glider Yachts guarantees unparalleled performance and comfort, giving owners the most luxurious sports yacht in the world today, it says.

“The Glider SS18 has been eight years in the making, with meticulous planning, design and world-class British engineering – using best practice and expertise from Formula One and the aerospace industry, including a proprietary Stability Control System (SCS). This will enable comfort whilst at anchor, cruising or at speed without the bumpiness associated with traditional sports boats, even in the choppiest of seas,” says the company.

Powered by four 270 BHP supercharged engines, the incredible stability and power delivers unprecedented cruising opportunities for owners, bringing previously out-of-range destinations within easy reach -- Monaco to Saint Tropez or Miami to the Bahamas in a claimed 45 minutes, carrying four passengers and a pilot at speeds of up to 56 knots (100 kph) in comfort and stability.

The shallow draft allows access to out of reach bays, anchoring close to the shore and even beach landings.

The SS18 is the first in a planned series of luxury superyachts, ranging from 18 to 80 metres, which will be hand-built by master craftsmen at Burgess Marine on the south coast of the UK. This follows a £100-million ($137 million) deal between the two firms.

The SS18 will incorporate Corbeau’s specially designed luxury sports seats which will subtly incorporate Glider Yachts’ “Atlantic blue” in soft leather for the seat outers with light blue quilted Alcantara inners. The leather cockpit lining will be fully coordinated with the seating in pale blue with a touch of grey for contrast in Alcantara. It will include stunning chrome edging for that sharp finishing detail.

JL Audio’s premium system has been acoustically engineered for the SS18, to gain the ultimate sound experience for its passengers.

Garmin has created a fully integrated bespoke dashboard, underpinned by its state-of-the-art navigation system, incorporating twin 7400 series navigational touch screens to control all of the vessel’s systems and navigation.

Aalco Metals supplied the highest marine-grade Alcoa aluminium for Glider Yachts’ SS18, from its dedicated high precision marine kit fabrication facility in Southampton, UK.

Robert McCall, managing director of Glider Yachts, says: “We are absolutely thrilled to be officially announcing our SS18 super sports yacht at Monaco. She has been eight years in research, design and development, so we’re excited to tell everyone about her daringly different design and revolutionary performance.”

Gliders Yachts’ unique hull form, propulsion and Stability Control System (SCS) actually tune to the sea conditions allowing the SS18’s passengers to “glide” over the waves in unprecedented comfort at up to 56 knots.

“The SS18 is unlike any other yacht seen in the market to date, with unparalleled design and technological capabilities - we’re sure she is going to be a real game-changer in the superyacht market,” says McCall.

The current lead time for delivery is seven months. Prices start $900,000.

The launch of the SS18 will be closely followed by the faster Hyper Sports (HS18), reaching speeds up to 100 knots. A stunning range of luxury sports limousines and the GT and SX-E range of superyachts up to 80 metres are also planned.