Reverse bows

[aergistal]

I remember first seeing this design on a Feadship Predator docked in Mallorca. At that time I thought it was pretty cool and the architect in me wondered if it's just for the aesthetic effect or it has a functional purpose. Or maybe both?

I'm no expert in ship design so I was wondering how these work. Do they work more like a bulbous bow? The design of a standard bow looks pretty intuitive as it serves to "split" the water in front of the vessel and reduce friction.

I've done a little research around but couldn't find anything in detail. I know the concept is not new and it goes back to the Vikings. There's also a ship building company, Ulstein, that patented its X-Bow design used for large container ships. According to them the reverse bow has considerable advantages over the traditional models.

If you ask me their ship looks a bit alien, it has a sci-fi aura.

So how does the reverse bow work and when should be used? Does it have the same benefits for smaller vessels? Is this the future for large ships?