On April 28th the latest Heesen yacht was christened. The eighth 47 metre Heesen superyacht, Hull No 15747, is now called Lady Petra.
Ordered in 2010 by Frans Heesen, the founder and former owner of the yard, she's the successor to My Petra (now renamed Hayken), a Heesen 44 metre delivered in 2009. Designed by Omega Architects and the in-house team, Lady Petra is a full-displacement motor yacht built in steel and aluminium.
The interior is designed by Bannenberg & Rowell with the collaboration of Omega Architects for the general arrangement. Lady Petra has the master suite on the upper deck, giving more privacy to the owners when the family is on board. The usual site of the suite on the main deck is used for a media and games room, while the guest cabins are located on the lower deck.
Dickie Bannenberg of Bannenberg and Rowell Design commented: 'Designing a yacht for someone who has built his shipyard into an industry-leading force is an honour and, at the same time, a great responsibility. But we have had a wonderful couple of years working closely with the Heesen family and the Heesen team.'
Frank Laupman of Omega architects adds: 'We are proud to have the opportunity to be part of the Heesen world by creating the lines for their yachts for some twenty years. Today we are even more proud because this new 47 metre has been conceived for Frans Heesen, the founder of this great shipyard.'
Lady Petra will be delivered in time for the coming season and the ceremony was also the opportunity for Frans Heesen to announce his retirement from official functions in the company that bears his name, saying, 'It is time for me to enjoy life with my family and friends.' He will, however, continue to be the Brand Ambassador of his company, founded in 1978.