Project Ananda: Heesen unveils largest Steel superyacht to date

1 June 2026 • Written by Emily Dawkins

Dutch shipyard Heesen Yachts has unveiled the 72.3-metre Project Ananda: its largest Steel superyacht to date.

Developed in collaboration with Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design, the yacht joins the yard's on-spec approach to construction and is said to represent the inaugural build under Heesen's new strategic direction, following its acquisition by Laurens Last last year.

According to the yard, the project, which will begin construction in November 2026, reflects a "highly client-focused approach to yacht building" in its Smart Custom platform and will offer flexibility and personalisation throughout. Launch and delivery are anticipated for 2030.

Ananda means “inner joy”, which the yard has chosen as a nod toward the yacht’s onboard experience

Collaboration between the design studio and Heesen’s in-house engineering team began early to ensure a profile that could be "realised without compromise". As a result, the yacht showcases Heesen's signature profile, though it is set apart through softer lines and a "more organic" design language.

Designed with a focus on guest wellbeing, the yacht features several design elements aimed at ensuring a hassle-free experience. Guests will step on board via a docking platform on a midships shell opening door, before ascending with ease inside via a central glass lift. Her five decks prioritise "fluid movement and layered privacy", with a customisable layout that offers two configurable owner’s deck arrangements, including a forward-facing private deck or an aft-focused "deck experience".

A foredeck master suite (with a private office and panoramic views ahead) has been designed as an apartment-like environment, with the second master, located on the bridge deck, offering equal comfort and scale for charter operations or multi-generational families.

In terms of amenities, highlights include a travertine-clad swimming pool area, which is connected directly to a Teppanyaki-style bar in the main lounge. Here, the designers opted for flooring that extends from one area into the other, blending the indoor living with the outdoors and making the space easily capable of transforming into a party space. Notably, the deck is also entirely flush and free from visible mooring equipment.

Developed in collaboration with Heesen’s Human Health Engineering department, another standout on board is the midship spa and beach club on the lower deck, which spans nearly 100 square metres. Here, guests can enjoy a sauna, steam room, ice bath, snow shower and a hyperbaric chamber, with a massage and medical treatment room and a bar completing the offerings.

Designed by Sinot, all of Project Ananda's interior spaces – approximately 1,750 GT – will be created in-house at Heesen Interiors in Winterswijk, the Netherlands.

Project Ananda will be constructed on the yard's ultra-efficient steel hull and fitted with a hybrid propulsion system that incorporates twin MTU IMO Tier III engines and PTI/PTO gearboxes for silent cruising for up to four hours. She is expected to have a range of 5,000 nautical miles at 12 knots and a maximum speed of 16 knots.

According to BOATPro, Heesen has nine superyachts on order or in build, the largest of which is the full-custom 57-metre Project Setteesettanta, scheduled for launch this year. The shipyard also recently waved goodbye to another new build, celebrating the christening of its 55-metre Steel superyacht Project Frida, now Pa’lante.