Dutch shipyard Heesen is set to launch four major superyacht projects this year, including its most powerful project to date and the first hull in its restyled 55 metre Steel series.
Due to splash at the end of the month, the 59 metre Project SkyFall will be the first of the four projects to see daylight. Described as a “sport fisherman in yacht disguise”, the project has been designed as a sportfishing mothership complete with a fighting chair and storage for 40 rods. A power package totalling 22,000 horsepower, with four water jets, is set to deliver top speeds of 37 knots in light load conditions.
Exteriors are courtesy of Omega Architects while the shipyard has teamed up with Harrison Eidsgaard for the interiors, which remain under wraps. Engineering has been overseen by Van Oossanen Naval Architects.
The remaining three launches of the year include the full custom 67 metre Project Sparta, the 55 metre Project Apollo and the 55 metre Project Oslo24.
Project Sparta, its second custom launch of the year, was first presented at the Monaco Yacht Show in 2018 and marks the shipyard's second collaboration with Winch Design. The 67 metre Steel FDHF vessel features an “elegant sheer line” and “strong bow” with an “inviting transom characterised by a steeped aft deck area,” the yard said. The Fast Displacement Hull Form comes courtesy of Van Oossanen Naval Architects while the project is being overseen by Arcon Yachts.
Also underway at Heesen is the 55 metre Project Apollo – the first in the restyled 55-metre Steel series. Her muscular exterior profile and bands of tinted glazing are once again the work of Frank Laupman’s Omega Architects. Unlike its sisterships, the sundeck on Project Apollo has been extended and features a bar and Jacuzzi. Meanwhile, the interior concept was created by Luca Dini Design and Architecture and features a number of modifications such as the central atrium on the main deck.
And lastly is the 50 metre Project Oslo24, commissioned by “an experienced yachtsman” in 2021 who selected a hybrid propulsion package for his Smart Custom vessel. The project is a highly customised motor yacht based on the proven platform of the 50 metre Steel Class with an exterior penned by Clifford Denn Yachts and interiors by Luca Dini Design and Architecture.
Heesen reported a total of 15 yachts currently on order and under construction at the Dutch shipyard, with promises of new projects set to be revealed in Dubai and Palm Beach, and more "ground-breaking news" to be revealed at the Monaco and Fort Lauderdale shows.
Reflecting on 2022 a statement by Heesen said that it has been "a tumultuous year" for the shipyard. “The war in Ukraine continues to inflict challenges on many people and this very sad situation shatters the entire world. The yachting industry suffered from its consequences, and our shipyard even more so. We overcame challenges that we never imagined we would have had to face – as of May 2022 – we are a 100 per cent Dutch company."
With its 45th birthday coming up, Heesen shows no signs of slowing down and has said it “looks forward to many more years of designing, engineering and building cutting-edge motor yachts at the forefront of innovation and breakthrough technology.”