Heesen Yachts 50mt Home

It was the windows that first attracted the owner to this 50 metre Heesen. The rectangular floor-to-ceiling glazing is the first thing you notice from the outside on this yacht, which was started on spec as Project Nova, and it commands your attention inside as well, the panoramic glass pulling your gaze to the natural world beyond.

“He bought the boat because of the windows,” confirms interior designer Cristiano Gatto. “He told me, ‘my idea of being on board is to wake up and see the sea around me — I don’t want to be in marinas very much.’ We worked to simplify and minimise the interiors so that the windows are the artwork.”

It’s fitting also that this is the first hull to couple hybrid propulsion to the proven Fast Displacement Hull Form by Van Oossanen Naval Architects, allowing an owner who loves looking at nature to reduce his impact on it.

Home is another success story for Heesen’s spec-built business model. The owner bought his previous yachts on the brokerage market and didn’t want to wait three years for a new build. So when Heesen’s Thom Conboy showed him a project that had the lines, space and views he was looking for, with the ability to customise the interior within a short delivery time, it was game on.

The yacht’s lines were inspired by another Heesen, 50 metre Sibelle, says Frank Laupman of Omega Architects. The two boats share the aggressive bow, which might be right on trend but also serves a purpose, providing progressive buoyancy when carving through waves. The bow shape also means the crew accommodation can be set further forward. In order to stay under 500GT, Omega created walkaround decks, while also giving the master suite forward on the main deck the full beam.

“This worked quite well,” says Laupman. “We chamfered the superstructure and gave little knuckles in the glass, so the walkaround starts wide then gets narrower — it makes a difference psychologically.” Uninterrupted sightlines from inside are achieved with cut-out bulwarks topped by specially designed handrails.

The interior was started on spec by Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design, but the original motif didn’t appeal to Home’s owner. Gatto was called in after coming recommended. The layout, main partitions, sub-construction and some furniture were already completed; Gatto’s task was less a gut job than carefully laying his ideas on top of an already fixed skeleton.

“We had to study the design that was done and transform it,” he says. “If we needed to redesign everything completely that would have been easier, but then would have caused a six month delay. But the owner is a very fast decision maker. I met him and we redesigned [the concept for the interior] in three weeks.”

To the credit of all involved, she was delivered right on time. Her captain, Nigel Jenkins, who has served as a build captain five times, was brought in to help make this so. “Heesen were on track, but the external contractors were slow in providing information required, and so I was brought in to try and turn it around again. Straight away Cristiano and I hit it off, both with similar standards, both looking for the same thing — to produce a good boat, and a good-looking boat,” says Jenkins.

The owner’s brief was for a modern, comfortable interior; the keyword was simplicity, not minimalism. “The owner used her for seven and a half weeks back-to-back, straight from taking delivery,” says Jenkins. “He wants to be able to live on board about seven months of the year. That’s why the name Home came about.”

The style of Home’s furnishings is similar to what you’d see in the owner’s properties on shore — low, deep sofas, for instance, and usable art in the shape of chaises longues — and the palette is refined to four main hues: white, black, grey and maroon to give a splash of colour. The white materials range from wood and marble to leather and metal.

Texture, tactility and reflection were used to transform spaces. “Materials that have the same colour react differently in light, so the same colours can be transformed by the lighting, particularly white, because of the reflection and the way it absorbs light,” says Gatto.

Although all of the sub-construction of the ceilings, including the lighting, was in place, Gatto edited the lighting plan, a process that proved to be the most challenging. Focused LEDs, custom wall lamps, loose lighting and strip lighting were designed to capture the reflective nature of each of the chosen materials.

Though Gatto spent six months sourcing artworks for the interior, the owner selected just three pieces. The purposeful absence of art on board is powerful and effective as the eye is instead drawn to the scenery outside. The owner plans to use the boat in the colourful cruising grounds of the Bahamas, primarily the Exumas. “When you’re spending time in cold destinations or want to put your focus inside, you need more art. But the nature you see outside is the real artwork,” says Gatto.

The owner will use Home for work as well as play, and two offices that precede the master cabin are designed around his business needs. An inner office, connected to the cabin, is dedicated to the owner’s use, while an outer office has a desk for two so staff can work alongside.

When work finishes, however, play can start. The furniture on the sundeck is all low-slung Paola Lenti pieces, which are also functional — Jenkins points out the yoga mats stored beneath the sunloungers.

Everything is sea-fastened for safety, but movable to create more space for entertaining. There is a projector and a screen set-up, turning the deck into an outdoor cinema. The superyacht spa pool is much used, says Jenkins, and he also points out the dancing pole. “After a few drinks, if you’ve got the party wigs and silly hats on, it’s just for a bit of fun…”

But the real hotspot for dancing on board is the upper saloon. This space is the one that perhaps best shows off the holistic indoor/outdoor ethos that Gatto and Laupman pulled off with such aplomb. “We took out everything, we erased the drawings and made an extension of the outside deck — inside,” says Gatto.

The only built-in furniture is a small bar, and everything else is loose Paola Lenti outdoor pieces that can be used inside or on the aft deck. With full height windows, it’s a lovely place to sit and watch the world roll by, and the glass doors open completely so that the lines between inside and outside are blurred. Or close the doors, remove all the furniture and add a mirror ball and smoke machine to create an epic party room.

More fun can be found on Home’s foredeck, in a telescopic seat that rises from the bow, allowing uninterrupted 360-degree views. It can even be used under way if the conditions are right. It’s the ideal spot to watch dolphins riding the bow wave, especially in the clear water of the Bahamas.

It can’t be forgotten that Home rides on Van Oossanen’s Fast Displacement Hull Form. This is the third optimisation of the design, and one that the naval architect says makes her 48 per cent more efficient than other 50 metre yachts, and with a superior level of comfort. Upping the ante on efficiency is the use of hybrid propulsion.

Home’s captain enjoys the variety afforded by the four engine modes: basic diesel cruising, ideal for quicker passages; quiet mode with electric motors; boost mode, which combines diesel and electric for an added surge of power; and the fourth, which is Jenkins’ favourite: eco mode.

On our sea trial from Monaco to Antibes, we put Home’s various engine modes to the test. On the mains, the captain takes her to 17.2 knots. Boost mode kicks things up a notch, just a bit faster to 17.7. But it’s her silence that speaks volumes. We cruise at 9.3 knots on electric power, the air con louder than the engines.

Wandering into the master cabin, the quiet is disarming as we cut through the water, gazing out of the massive windows and watching the waves move by in soundless bliss. It’s easy to see how the owner will make this yacht his sanctuary, truly his home at sea.




Heesen Yachts

( www.heesenyachts.com )

Heesen 45mt Amore Mio

The rewards of delayed gratification can far outweigh the frustrations, something that the owner of Heesen’s custom-built aluminium 45 metre Amore Mio learned firsthand. Just as the serial yacht owner was due to take delivery of another Heesen yacht, 40 metre Galatea (now called Taurica), an offer came in that was too good to refuse. He sold the 40 metre and found himself at square one and boat-less, a frustrating position for any yacht owner.

Luckily, there was something ready on the shelf at Heesen. The Dutch builder’s first ever 45 metre sportster, then known as Project Necto, was a year into build at the yard. Started on spec, all the aluminium — hull, deck and bulkheads — was finished. Taking the financial gains from the quick sale, he turned his 40 metre into a 45 metre.

“It’s a great stage to come into a build, because you save all the time it takes for that rough construction process, as long as you like the general layout — and we did, the owner loved it,” says Amore Mio’s Captain Tripp Hock, who has worked for the owner on various builds, including multiple Heesens, for 16 years. The spec-built semi-displacement 45 metre motor yacht was at an ideal stage for the owner to come along and put his stamp on her while not having to wait too long to enjoy her.

What he had on his hands wasn’t just any Heesen, but a unique blend of high-performance and long-range capabilities, bold exterior lines and a layout that put a priority on outdoor living. The latter was perfect for this owner, who was looking for a summer house on the sea, to be enjoyed by the family and used for outdoor fun, with a bulging toy box that far exceeds what you’d find on other yachts of similar size.

Amore Mio might be the first Heesen of her kind, but she has a strong familial heritage. Designed by regular collaborators Omega Architects, who have penned more than 90 designs for Heesen including concepts and builds in progress, that’s no surprise.

“We combined the comfort of a three-deck yacht, like 42 metre Alive, with the sportiness of a raised pilothouse yacht like 40 metre Galatea,” says designer Frank Laupman of Omega Architects.

“Furthermore, Alive’s exceptional bow was used as inspiration.” The result is a 2.5-deck yacht, as Laupman describes it, with aggressive exterior styling, dominant knuckle bow and bold angles. Family likeness aside, Amore Mio has no problem standing out amongst her kin.

“This is the next generation,” says Laupman. “The sporty rocket-style exterior with chiseled lines and the long hard chine forward emphasises her sharp and edgy appearance.”

Laupman used window placement artfully and expressively in Amore Mio’s exterior design. The bridge is set between the main deck and superyacht sundeck, with wheelhouse windows wrapping around like a heavy black brow. “The upward curving glass windows give her the character of an open sportster,” he says. “They were created from three straight windows instead of five — beauty goes with functionality, non-curved glass prevents distortion and offers a less obstructed view.”

The main deck glazing that looks like one continuous swathe of glass stretching from master to aft deck is, in fact, two distinct sections that parts midway on the side decks, marking the path to the bow and the entry to the crew quarters on the port side. The bulwark is lowered to encourage excellent views from inside. Amore Mio’s hewn lines and a black stripe along the bulwark flow all the way back to the gently sloping transom.

Amore Mio is one of those boats that looks fast when she’s sitting still. Powered by twin MTU 16V diesel engines, she packs a punch to match her energetic exterior profile, reaching top speeds of 30 knots. Sitting up top at the open helm on the sundeck when she’s moving at speed, it’s evident that Heesen’s largest sports yacht to date is designed for performance. She’s also intended for longer-range excursions, with a range of a 2,750 nautical miles allowing her to pootle around the Med or cross the Caribbean without having to fill up the tank.

However, Amore Mio’s owner has spent most of his time since taking delivery bobbing off Malta and using his summer home at sea as intended. The owner arrived on the build scene at the point where it wasn’t too late to change a few things he wasn’t in love with, such as the superyacht spa pool and bar on the flybridge. The owner preferred to rip these out for more deck space where he and his wife could roll out their yoga mats, part of their daily routine when on board. As far as the owner is concerned, what’s the need for a spa tub when the sea is right there?

Instead, the toy box is ample, with everything from Seadoos to flyboards and high-flying towables to stand-up paddle boards. A 5.9 metre Boesch mahogany tender is stowed in the garage. The 90 square metre sundeck seems massive without a spa to clutter the way. The hardtop shades an al fresco dining table and teppanyaki grill station.

“The exterior spaces are vast for a 45 metre boat,” says Captain Hock. “I think it’s smart; minimise the interior to what you need, and all the emphasis goes to the beautiful outdoor space, massive sundeck, great aft deck for a 45 metre, having both a dining table and a separate aft seating area.” There’s also a bow seating area, with a sofas and sunpads.

While the priority is placed on the exterior, there isn’t any skimping on the interior with a total of ten guests accommodated. The forward main-deck owner’s suit is full-beam and has a dressing room and bathroom with tub. The lower deck arrangement is traditional but ample, with two equally sized VIPs and two twin guest rooms. Space is intelligently used — by creating a smaller lobby on the lower deck, 6.5 square metres were able to be saved and redistributed amongst the guest rooms.

The elegant interior is designed to match Amore Mio’s beach house purpose, as interior designer Cristiano Gatto tells it. “The owners arrived on the project in quite an early stage, and we developed the colour board and the material selection in close collaboration,” says Gatto, of his fifth collaboration with Heesen. “[Amore Mio’s] designed to be contemporary but without the modern trappings of cold, impersonal interiors.”

Gatto’s interior is all about consistency and harmony, with a subdued palette, linear shapes and round edges all meant to convey softness and warmth. Calnetto walnut and white lacquered wood blend with leather, parchment stone and steel details, while cushions and throws in blue, green and red provide pops of colour.

The simple interior design belies her many nuanced details. “Take a look at the dining table edges,” says Gatto. “The table corners are four half spheres of leather whose stitching has been executed manually by extremely skilled artisans. And all marble surfaces on board Amore Mio come from a single block of Breccia Sarda. What I’ve tried to do with this project is to make consistency and coherence win over complexity.”

A special feature is the guest staircase set abeam in the main saloon. Topped by sliding glass at its apex on the bridge deck, there is an atrium affect with light filtering into the living spaces below. The superyacht staircase is fronted by a wall of floating walnut beams supported by polished stainless steel columns and sanded glass, all giving a further illusion of height and openness, and adding a wow factor to the dining room.

The layout is planned so guests and crew avoid collision, with this separate guest staircase leading from the lower deck through the main deck saloon to the sundeck. The separate crew stairway is placed forward, creating an easy thoroughfare from the crew accommodation, past the galley and through the bridge to the top deck.

Based on his years of experience, Amore Mio’s captain added in his own innovative solutions and storage requirements. He points out panels that move away to reveal storage where you’d least expect it. One interesting feature he promoted is a bespoke man-overboard system. When such an incident occurs, a life-saving device is instantly deployed to the victim in the water while the spot is marked and tracked via GPS so the captain can easily find them. It’s a safety measure that’s sure to assure a family cruising with young children.

Combining high-performance, long-range capabilities, expansive outdoor living and singular style, it’s easy to fall in love with Heesen’s new 45 metre aluminium motor yacht. So will Amore Mio see sisterships in the near future? While the aluminium 45 metre was started with the intention of being a series, the builder may be looking to even larger yachts for its spec-built offerings and a second hull isn’t yet in the works. But any would-be Heesen owner could certainly order this hull. Or for those to hate to wait, they could buy Amore Mioherself.

Her owner’s love affair has been on the passionate but short side. After only one season enjoying his summer house on the sea, Amore Mio is offered up for sale as her owner is already looking ahead and building his next — and bigger — yacht with Heesen. Once again, he’s choosing to delay gratification for greater rewards.


Heesen Yachts

( www.heesenyachts.com )

Heesen 70mt Galactica Super Nova

The largest Heesen superyacht ever built, 70 metre Galactica Super Nova, has been delivered to her owner, following four days of extensive testing in the North Sea.

This is not only the biggest superyacht built by the Dutch shipyard to date, but - with the benchmark of yachts entering the Top 100 Largest set at 78.3 metres - Galactica Super Nova comes in just a few metres under the world’s largest rankings.

Size, however, has little to do with this yacht as this yacht offers far more. The revolutionary Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHF) technology by Van Oossanen Naval Architects and the addition of a third engine to power a booster jet, means Galactica Super Nova will be able to reach top speeds of more than 30 knots.

The design, drawn by Espen Oeino, and interior decor by Sinot Yacht Design is both an evolution of Heesen’s long experience in the superyacht sector and combines that pedigree into one incredible project.

Beyond size and speed is efficiency, and further more, luxury. Galactica Super Nova’s toys and tenders are housed in the garage located forward, which doubles as a beach club to bring owners and their guests much closer to the water.

Other key features include the 13,500 litre swimming pool on the main deck aft with contra flow system for swimming, a waterfall and integrated Jacuzzi - not forgetting the glass bottom which allows natural light to filter through to the beach club below.

Another feature, found forward on the main deck, is the touch-and-go helipad which doubles as an outdoor cinema, completing an enviable lifestyle which offers owners and guests the highest levels of luxury.

Twelve guests can be accommodated in absolute luxury across six stateroom with the master suite on the main deck forward, four guest cabins on the lower deck and a VIP found on the wheel house deck aft. All of this is enclosed in a beautiful Espen Oeino exterior which is built on an established engineering platform provided by Heesen in-house experts.

She will be undergoing extensive sea-trials in the North Sea before being delivered to her owners in May and journeying to Montenegro and the Mediterranean for the summer in time for her debut at the Monaco Yacht Show 2016.

Heesen Yachts

( www.heesenyachts.com )

Heesen Yachts 50mt Ann G

In the world of superyachts, patience is both a virtue and an anomaly, perhaps even an anachronism. In truth, many yacht builders prosper by understanding that their customers prefer, if not instant, then certainly speedy gratification.

It’s all the more interesting then, that Heesen, a company that started by building custom yachts but found a strong niche in semi-custom series boats, begun on speculation for faster delivery, courted a client with plans for a fully custom yacht, a more challenging journey that took them back to their roots. In doing so, the yard delivered one of the stand-out yachts of 2015, the 50 metre Ann G.

“It was a great experience to work with such a committed owner,” says Heesen’s sales and marketing director Mark Cavendish. “The yard and the owner’s team really worked well together on Ann G and the owner was at the yard frequently.” Of the 10 current projects at the yard, four are full custom, with four more in discussion.

The project came to Heesen by a rather unusual route – a designer the yard had never worked with – and developed in a rather unusual way – via collaboration driven by the owner and designer Clifford Denn involving naval architects from several yards.

Together they explored and rejected extras such as a helipad, revised the yacht through several lengths and beams – even considering both displacement and semi-displacement hull types – to arrive at the look, the layout and the technical envelope of Ann G that matched the owner’s vision.

It started in 2010 when a France-based broker asked Denn to meet a prospective client who wanted either a semi or full-displacement yacht around 50 metres. Denn, who worked for Foster + Partners and Martin Francis before setting up his own studio near Antibes in 2003, recalls the brief was “a unique yacht that stands out from other yachts of its size and has a real identity”.

Ann G was to be a five-cabin yacht with a side-loading tender bay to allow a beach club aft, as well as a large sundeck with a covered living area in the middle that could divide or unite the entire deck by means of sliding glass panels. The owner had seen an 85.5 metre Oceanco called Sunrays that was styled by the late Bjorn Johansson and wanted Denn to explore introducing that yacht’s floating deck look.

“He also mentioned the lines of the 47 metre Benetti Imagination Series, particularly the curving stern stairs,” Denn says. Designers were asked to present exterior styling and a preliminary GA for a 52 metre, with both the influence of Sunrays and original design.

By October the owner had chosen his favourite look from numerous Denn sketches. What emerged was a 55 metre concept more masculine than Denn’s original idea and more flowing than Sunrays. With a 3D CAD model for guidance, in spring 2011, Ann G's owner asked various yards to develop it based on their platforms – and all responded with larger plans and over-budget construction costs.

“The owner had been very clear about how much he intended to spend and the estimates were above that,” Denn recalls. “We received the rendering back from him with three distinct red lines on it to indicate how to convert the 55 metre into a 50 metre under 500 GT”.

At that point, the autumn of 2011, with the global financial crisis grinding on, the project stopped. “The next summer, I heard from the client again. He had a new manager and was ready to go,” says Denn. Designing resumed at the 50 metre/500 gross tonne limits, with Arcon Yachts managing the project and Heesen developing a new round-bilge hull form, combining the lines of its 47 metre displacement hull with the GA and beach club of 50 metre semi-displacement Satori.

Sketches went back and forth, but besides the dark blue hull and wide, gentle stairs, the one element that both the owner and Denn kept returning to was an “arrow” feature, a sharp downward and outward angle on the upper deck bulwark that creates a dramatic space for the bridge wing station. That taut curve became Ann G’s defining style line. Heesen’s only difficulty seemed to be fitting a six metre tender on the bow. Try as they might with the original sheerline, it would be peeking over the rail and impacting the helmsman’s sightlines.

In November 2012 the owner gave the OK to start building. “We had a very short time to transfer the exterior styling forms to the new Heesen platform,” Deen recalls. “I had two hours to transfer the actual 2D profile to the proposal before the owner arrived to sign the build contract. The breakthrough I had was to lift the wheelhouse to see over the tenders and raise the foredeck bulwarks to hide them in profile.”

The owner chose for his interiors Pascale Reymond and Andrew Langton– on the day they opened their London office. “He told us he liked the masculine and square elements of art deco, the colours blue and cream, and stainless steel,” says Reymond. “He made it clear he had high expectations but gave us carte blanche.”

Reymond picked up a vibe from the profile that reminded her of cars in the 1920s and 30s and began drawing an interior with lots of contrast; glass, steel, white onyx and ebony, but the client asked for the details to be “more square, more modern”.

Reymond Langton responded with chunky, masculine details such as the stainless steel inlays in the foot of each bed frame. It is a style more Gotham than Paris and perhaps London’s Daily Express building or New York’s Chrysler building as its godparents.

“The core of the yacht is the staircase. It needed to be a big story; it connects everything,” says Reymond. Its centrepiece is a custom light fixture by Crystal Caviar. Extending two decks, backed by macassar ebony and framed by leather and ebony stairs, this is more giant sconce than chandelier and looks unmistakably like a glowing skyscraper. The stair surround features an intersecting lattice of cool-toned LED strip lighting set in leather panels that projects a graphic design on the black Portoro marble at each landing. “Strong diagonal lines aren’t deco but we used them to freshen the style,” says Reymond. It is a theme that reappears throughout.

The main saloon of Ann G is designed for entertaining, with an intimate seating area adjoining a bar built of macassar and backlit onyx. Extending aft through sliding glass panels, it visually and thematically links the interior to the aft deck.

Forward, an elegant dining area is anchored by a three-tiered rectangular crystal chandelier, which contrasts with the planked floor below, while an ebonised tray ceiling detail and macassar window frames establish the homage to squares in the design.

The owner’s suite is forward on the main deck and incorporates an office, full-beam cabin and large bathroom flanked by his and hers dressing rooms. The primary design palette is white leather wall panels, cream carpet and macassar furniture banded in steel. Rich blue fabrics give relief to the contrast theme but the trump card is a silk velvet wall covering behind the headboard.

“We designed the basic motifs for this wall covering and those in the guest suites and Sabina Fay Braxton executed them as one-of-a-kind murals,” says Reymond. Braxton once worked as a textile designer for the fashion house Lacroix. Her love of colour and texture in fabrics is down to her parents – a painter and a writer – who carted their daughter along as they lived and worked around the world.

Braxton’s medium is a medieval Japanese wood block embossing process – called gauffrage in the West – that was used to mimic woven damask patterns in the 17th and 18th centuries. Coincidentally, the process was “rediscovered” during deco’s heyday and used to emboss 3D patterns on velvet upholstery.

Braxton’s take on the process, “gilded gauffrage”, embosses the silk pile with heated carved blocks, encrusts the fabric with metal powders and paints broad areas with inks to create a patinated and luminous effect.

“The pattern in the master is based on a compass, but with a sort of sci-fi, ‘After Earth’ approach,” says Reymond. “We picked the same compass circle motif but in concert with the geometry of deco for the mosaic tile surround in the master bath and paired it with honey onyx and black Portoro gold marble flooring.”

The upper deck saloon is subdued, with parchment wall panels. Here the dark/light contrast is downplayed to serve as a backdrop to the views through windows on three sides. The bar, instead of being a focal point, is tucked against the forward bulkhead.

As the original driver of the GA, the beach club on the lower deck is the most contemporary space in style and function, with gym equipment, steam room, bar and a seating area offering uninterrupted views of the horizon when the transom door is open.

Here, the joinery switches to elm and teak in sand-mimicking tones. The proximity of the water is reflected in the striking backlit blue agate of the bar face.

But Ann G is far more than a pretty face. On sea trials before delivery last July the yacht exceeded the contractual speed by 0.6 knots, reaching a top speed of 15.6 knots on a pair of 1,300hp MTU 8V4000 M63 engines.

Arcon’s project manager Konstantin Kolpakov says: “The entire project was a big challenge for everybody. It was the owner’s decision to push everything forward to save space for the beach club, even though it meant the tenders would ride atop his cabin. With Heesen, we did our best to build in efficient noise and vibration reduction.”

Of the fact that Ann G launched five years after the start of her design process, Kolpakov says: “We had a courageous owner who wasn’t afraid to try something new; we spoke night and day about the yacht. This is the kind of person [who] is moving the industry forward.” As well, of course, as creating a truly moving boat.



Heesen Yachts

( www.heesenyachts.nl )

Heesen Yachts 50mt Crazy Me

Heesen Yachts’ 50-metre superyacht Crazy Me was a head-turner and a head-scratcher during a 2013 tour of the Dutch yard. The allure of her unusual exterior design is piqued by the well-founded suspicion that an owner bold enough to commission this exterior may have made equally individual decisions inside. These include ceiling heights so tall they could have reduced them and fitted in another deck, sections of upper saloon superstructure that open hydraulically, and glasswork so complex it prompted innovation at Heesen.

Another highly bespoke aspect is Crazy Me’s custom audio visual system. ‘It’s through the whole boat, but the upper deck aft has become a professional-standard disco,’ says Hans Boerakker, Heesen production director. The pool can be covered to become a dance floor, with a bar and DJ booth nearby. High-spec custom speakers by California Audio Technology are built into the bulwarks. ‘They used it at our trial grounds near Rotterdam and they got complaints from five miles away,’ says Boerakker.

The yacht was inspired by a 40-metre penned by Nevada-based designer Gary Grant. The decision to translate this exterior look into a yacht 10 metres longer was a daring one that hints at an experienced and determined owner. But it’s success was down to Heesen. ‘Although a lot of people know us for building platform yachts, what most don’t know is that behind the scenes more than half of our production is custom, one-off boats,’ says Mark Cavendish, Heesen’s sales and marketing driector. ‘Because these are very private they don’t tend to see the light of day. So going far from the conventional is actually quite conventional for us.’

Three black stripes of glass accentuate the yacht’s sweeping lines. Most noticeable are the main deck glazing, which runs from the tip of the bow aft, and the flush upper deck stripe, which wraps around the wheelhouse. Compound curves made these complex studies. ‘If you look at the bridge, for example, the glass is curved in two directions,’ says Boerakker. ‘This meant the windows had to be produced in moulds and also built up in layers of glass, including tints.’ Because flush windows must seamlessly join a faired superstructure, the moulds could only be made once the boat’s surfaces were finished.

‘It has a sculptural influence,’ says Grant of his exterior design for Crazy Me. ‘It’s a form distilled into its essence, but it still incorporates maximum technology and engineering.’ Aerodynamic shapes are in evidence, particularly in the mast, with elements resembling wing sections and air foils. From the foredeck the wheelhouse looks strikingly like the cockpit of an aeroplane – Grant was inspired by the Boeing 787 Dreamliner. He also went to lengths not to break the spell he’d created. ‘We minimised obstructions,’ says Grant. ‘There are no protrusions or rails showing and we have details like retractable navigation lights.’

The 2.2m-high windows of the upper saloon curve into what interior designer Cristiano Gatto describes as a cocoon. In the centre is a round of seating facing a large television, while the upper aft deck teak flooring continues inside to connect the areas. Below, the open-plan main saloon and dining has 2.85 metres of headroom and huge windows – it’s an airy space of ballroom-like proportions. Forward is the full-beam master cabin (pictured below) with a dressing room opening onto an en suite bathroom with a central shower. The palette throughout is pale, with bamboo accented with mauves and soft greys.

The upper aft deck pool has spa jets, a current for serious swimmers, a shallow lie-down platform and a glass panel at the bottom. ‘The sun passes through and reflects water down to the main aft deck, so that you feel the connection between the sun and the water,’ says Gatto. On the lower deck there is a small spa, with sauna, steam room and a fold down swim platform.

Crazy Me may be all-aluminium, but she carries six tonnes of glass. While seriously high-performance was not in the brief, a top speed of at least 21 knots was. ‘We used a process that goes back 25 years to when we built ultra high-speed vessels like Octopussy,’ says Boerakker of the 38 metre, 53-knot motor yacht built for serial superyacht owner John Staluppi in 1988. ‘We have lightweight methods – honeycomb structures, door construction, we cut out any wood that doesn’t need to be there for strength.’ On sea trials Crazy Me did 22.4 knots and she has a range of 3,200 miles at 12 knots.

Specs
LOA: 50m
Beam: 10m
Draught: 3m (loaded)
Displacement: 430 tonnes (half load)
Gross tonnage: 715GT
Engines: 2 x MTU 16V 4000 M93L
Speed (max/cruise): 21/18 knots
Range at 12 knots: 3,200nm
Owner and guests: 12
Crew: 9

Heesen Yachts

( www.heesenyachts.nl )

Heesen Yachts 40mt Galatea

Dutch shipyard Heesen Yachts have announced the launch of their first 40 metre ‘sportster’, christened M/Y Galatea.

The yacht, which was launched during a private ceremony at the Heesen shipyard in Oss, features advanced aluminium hull technology, powerful performance, uncompromising interior design and peerless Dutch construction standards.

She has been billed as offering “the optimum balance of comfort and power”, with marble bathrooms among her luxurious interior design features, whilst boasting an impressive speed capability of 27.5 knots.

Built for private use, the vessel’s sun deck offers maximum space for relaxing and dining. Her open flybridge layout gives a huge 85 square metres of deck space that includes a helm station and a shaded dining area that is protected even underway by glass side panels.

Bespoke teak furniture, including a built-in teppanyaki grill, completes the upper deck. Inside, a 10 metre long saloon includes a large square lounge and a dining area aft adjacent to full-height glazed doors. With the doors open, guests can dine inside while enjoying fresh air and panoramic views.

A total of ten guests can sleep in five cabins, comprising a full-beam main deck master, two full-beam VIP doubles and two twin cabins on the lower deck, all of which house marble ensuite bathrooms.

Frank Laupman of Omega Architects has created an interior design that has a distinctive personality based on a theme of Dutch expressionism. Contrasting woods, simple clean lines, marquetry and glass detailing create an atmosphere of calm, contemporary elegance.

The ride will be as graceful and luxurious as the interior; comfort and handling are further enhanced by Active Interceptor stabilizers and the very latest zero-speed Seakeeper gyro stabilizers.

Galatea will be tested in the North Sea and be delivered to her owners at the end of next month.


Heesen Yachts

( www.heesenyachts.nl )

Heesen Yachts 65mt Galactica Star

Heesen Yachts has announced that Galactica Star, the revolutionary 65m FDHF (Fast Displacement Hull Form) all-aluminium motor yacht, has successfully completed trials in the North Sea and exceeded the top speed demanded by contract by almost two knots!

The vessel left the Heesen Yachts facility in Oss and sailed some 150 kilometres, at an average speed of 10 knots, on the Maas river to Merwehaven (Rotterdam harbour). On the way she had to pass under nine bridges, some of them with a very small clearance such as Keizersveerbrug where the gap between the yacht and the bridge was just 40 centimetres. On Monday, 13th May the mast with all the navigation and communication equipment, which had been transported by barge, were installed.

The sea trials took place on Wednesday 15th and Thursday 16th May in typical North Sea conditions with an air temperature of 11 degrees Celsius, wind force oscillating from 4 to 5 Beaufort and waves one metre twenty centimetres high. Galactica Star exceeded the contractual speed (27 knots) and reached the remarkable official average top speed (at half load) of 28,8 knots. Her revolutionary Fast Displacement Hull Form, jointly developed with Van Oossanen Naval Architects, in combination with two MTU 20V4000M93L engines (each developing 4.300kW at 2.100 rpm) and Heesen’s expertise in weight reduction made this stunning result possible.

The vessel performed well in a seaway, moving through the water very smoothly, and was found to be extremely manoeuvrable. At high speeds, in comparison with traditional semi-displacement hull forms,Galactica Star, with her revolutionary FDHF has a much smaller stern wave, demonstrating that her motion through the water creates low resistance, in accordance with her designers’ predictions. Guests’ comfort on board is further guaranteed by five Sea Keeper gyro stabilizers.

Twelve guests can enjoy Galactica Star’s design some notable luxury features, such as a duplex beach club (located aft on the main and lower decks) with a 10 square meter side-balcony (on the port side) and a 22 square meter swimming platform. On the lower deck of the duplex beach club there are a sauna, hammam, shower room, day head and a fully equipped bar. Another notable feature is the glass bottom of the swimming-pool located on the main deck; this allows the natural light to glimmer through the water to the bar area beneath. On the fore deck, the large sunbathing area can be transformed into a touch-and-go heli-deck. The tender garages with gull-wing doors are also located beneath the fore deck.

Heesen Yachts is the first shipyard in the world to build a yacht featuring this innovative hull configuration using aluminium for both hull and superstructure. The Fast Displacement hull configuration is the perfect platform for creating a new luxury yacht generation where increased performance and reduced environmental impact begin with the hull design.

Heesen Yachts

( www.heesenyachts.nl )

Heesen Yachts 50mt Ventura

Heesen Yachts announce the launch of their latest yacht in the 50m all-aluminium series introduced in 2011 with the World Superyacht Award winner Satori. This new sistership, sold by the yard at the end of 2011, is called Ventura

However, the layout of superyacht Ventura is completely different from her sister vessels. The owners chose to have two suites: A romantic one with panoramic 280 degree views on the bridge deck aft and a second “passage cabin” which will be more practical when under way, traditionally located forward on the main deck.

The owners chose a custom dark metallic grey for the hull and a light metallic grey for the superstructure. This innovative colour scheme gives Ventura a very elegant and distinctive look. In total twelve guests are accommodated in six cabins. As well as the two master suites, on the lower deck there’s a full-beam VIP cabin plus one twin and two double cabins.

Acclaimed Italian designer Francesco Paszkowski created the sophisticated minimalistic interior décor. The richly patterned polished ebony parquet floor contrasts with whitened oak panelling further enhancing this very chic environment.

Paszkowski comments: “I’m extremely proud to work with such an important and efficient shipyard I was honoured to work with a long-time ago. I’m also very happy to hand over the Italian design and the experience of our team abroad, for the excellent relationship established with the shipyard and the ideas we could share. Though we’ve always been keeping in touch since 1996, when we designed the first project for Heesen, the interior design of this 50m yacht looks very much like a dream I could achieve: feeling part of the Dutch group”.

One notable feature of Ventura is the attention paid to integrating the controlled ambient lighting. Every area of the yacht can be adapted to suit the mood and atmosphere required. Throughout the yacht the designer has purposely created focal points and niches for the owner’s artworks and sculptures.

Generous exterior areas allow the owners and their guests to enjoy life outdoors: The 70 square metre sundeck has been designed as a massive open-plan space where loose furniture can be removed if space is needed to host big parties. Ventura has three further outdoor areas including dining options on the main deck and bridge deck aft.


Heesen Yachts

( www.heesenyachts.nl )

Heesen Yachts Aurelia

Aurelia is an impressively styled superyacht which draws from an entire era of racing; using a paint scheme inspired by Gulf Racing colours, with a number 10 (relating to her hull number) on her quarters.

This exterior style, created by Dobroserdov Design, was also repeated on the decal of the 14’ Castoldi tender to match the owner’s true passion for sport and racing cars.

But it’s not just Aurelia’s exterior which has been designed to mirror the owner’s passion for racing: the name that she bares is a tribute to the first ever GT Lancia Aurelia. Her racing inspired theme is also carried out throughout her Bannenberg & Rowell designed interior, naming all of the cabins after racing car designers – Bertone (orange Lamborghini), Pininfarina (red Ferrari) and Zagato (green Aston Martin).

“We gave it a pretty low level streamlined style, slightly masculine… inspired by the Dunhill cigarette lighter aesthetic.” Explains Simon Rowell from Bannenberg & Rowell.

Aurelia’s main salon has been divided in two; consisting of a dining area with a large rounded table and a lounge space with an L-shaped sofa, two designer armchairs and an ingenious fire place that uses Bio-Ethanol.

Beside the distinctive interior, Aurelia is also an exceptionally comfortable yacht onboard, especially when at anchor, enhanced only by a pair of Seakeeper gyro stabilizers that are incredibly efficient under all conditions and require no through-hull fittings.

While the other 37m vessels sport five cabins, the Owner of Aurelia wanted to offer more comfort to his guests and more space for his crew, so, working with Heesen, a guest cabin was designated for the captain and more room for the laundry area was made.

Aurelia can accommodate eight guests in four cabins. The master suite is traditionally located forward on the main deck and the three double guests cabins – all with en suite – are positioned on the lower deck.

Heesen Yachts
+31 (0) 412 66 55 44

( www.heesenyachts.nl )

Heesen Yachts AIR

Heesen Yachts has announced the delivery of the sixth vessel in the 47-Metre displacement class, a design that resulted from the close collaboration of Heesen Yachts’ in house naval architects and Frank Laupman from Omega Architects, who conceived her stream-lined exterior design with its pelican beak bow – a style that is now Heesen’s very recognisable trademark.

The 47-Metre displacement class is renowned for its fine entry at the bow, which incorporates an efficient bulb, its notable top speed of 15,5 Knots and an excellent range of 4.000 Nm at 12 knots. The yacht’s elegant superstructure combined with the sloped wheelhouse windows give Air a particularly sleek appearance.

YN 15147, Air is sister ship to YN 12247, Yalla (2004), YN 13147, Let it Be (2006), YN 13547 Mon Plaisir (2007), YN 14047 Elandess (2008), and YN 14347, Blind Date (2009). Three further 47-metre yachts are currently in build: YN 15347 scheduled for delivery in 2011, YN 15747 and YN 16347 for delivery in 2012.

Air’s interior has been designed by Frank Laupman from Omega Architects, who created a classic contemporary style that makes use of ultra-modern loose furniture to create a cosy environment. The décor incorporates details in leather, brushed stainless steel and burl to make the atmosphere even warmer. Frank Laupman comments: “The aim of the design was to create a high-contrast modern interior, while avoiding a cold minimalistic theme. We used beige and warm accents throughout, blending these with a black-and-white overall mood and incorporating a few elements of intrigue, such as the frosted gemstone lights set into the leather column that strikes down through the central atrium.”

For strategic wood finishes, Laupman chose Japanese elm (Sen) veneer, an exotic pale timber whose strong veins have been brushed and lacquered in satin gloss, and skilfully positioned these adjacent to a darker American walnut to create a sophisticated and at the same time natural atmosphere.

Air accommodates the owner and ten guests in five cabins, four of these on the lower deck, and an owner’s suite traditionally located on the forward part of the main deck. Like the owner’s suite, one of the two VIP cabins that extend across the yacht’s full-beam offers a full bathroom, while all the other guests cabins have en suite shower rooms. The remaining two guest cabins are located on either side of a central passageway, with the cabin on the port side being a double, while to starboard is a twin cabin fitted with additional pullman beds that descend from the deckhead. For added versatility, the two single beds in this latter cabin can be easily transformed into a double.

The yacht’s eight crew members are accommodated in four cabins, all provided with ensuite shower rooms, while the captain’s cabin is located on the upper deck with direct access to the bridge.

The main saloon is divided into three areas, a lobby, lounge, and a formal dining area where all twelve guests are able to be seated around a rectangular table finished in matt wengé.

Perhaps the most striking feature of Air’s interior is the theatre room located on the upper deck. This incorporates a Panasonic 103" (262 cm) HD Plasma Screen (one of the biggest currently available on the market) complemented by a full 7.1 Steinway Lyngdorf Audio System. This unique audio installation, designed specifically for M/Y Air, includes two flagship Model D speakers standing nearly 7 feet tall on either side of the plasma screen. These speakers, together with the center and four surround speakers, are hand-finished in the same high-gloss black piano finish famously used on Steinway & Sons pianos and accented with 24k gold. To complete the system, are five Dual Woofers, three located below the plasma screen and two custom-built woofers in the deckhead to the rear. The system uses 6.400 Watts of power to provide flawless reproduction of music and movie sound tracks. A Custom iPad controls the whole system with both Crestron and Cisco.

Heesen Yachts
+31 (0)412 66 55 44

( www.heesenyachts.nl )