Z164 superyacht concept from Zeelander

11 June 2014 • Written by Risa Merl

Zeelander Yachts has designed a 50m explorer yacht that it claims will only cost as much as a 30m superyacht to run.

The Z164 is the brainchild of Zeelander chairman Sietse Koopmans, who used all his experience circumnavigating the world to create a boat offering reduced fuel and energy consumption to achieve the coveted RINA Green Plus certification. Koopmans won the Voyager’s Award at this year’s World Superyacht Awards in Amsterdam, following an epic three-year, 50,000-mile, 39-country circumnavigation.

With naval architecture from Vripack, an exterior by Cor D Rover and an interior from the boards of Sinot, the result is a yacht that is recognisably a modern explorer but one with a hull shape and interior design that have a Jazz Age feel. Zeeland also offers ‘Style Contemporain’ and ‘Beach Comfort’ interiors.

Every facet of the boat has been engineered to reduce its environmental impact, according to the Dutch shipyard, from the HVAC systems and grey water right down to the smallest light bulb on board. Hull draught, too, has been kept to a minimum without compromising seakeeping to allow the owner to creep into bays denied to other superyachts in this class.

On the water, the 499GT explorer will have a maximum speed of around 14 knots and a cruising speed of 10 knots, giving a range of 11,500 nautical miles and a fuel consumption of 60 litres per hour.

Following the design’s introduction to the industry in Monaco, Zeeland’s global marketing director, Ylja Venema, said, ‘The story around the Z164 is truly amazing and will completely change the world of long distance yacht travel. All the industry professionals we visited were very enthusiastic about the Z164 and praised Zeelander for its innovation in this project. For an ambitious and revolutionary company like Zeelander, this is a positive boost!’

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