Dutch shipyard Van der Valk has launched its 35.3-metre custom build yacht, Lalabe, previously known as Project Samba. The motor yacht will now undergo final outfitting and sea trials before her delivery, which is expected in summer 2025, and will make her debut at the 2025 Cannes Yachting Festival in September.
The yacht was sold to an "experienced owner" in 2023 and is based on the same hull design as the award-winning Lady Lene, with naval architecture by long-time collaborator Guido de Groot. Lalabe's highly experienced owners attended the launch and were closely involved in all aspects of her design. Once delivered, she will "provide three generations of a family with the most relaxing rhythms of life on the water", according to the shipyard.
Guido de Groot is also responsible for the interiors of the new build, in collaboration with her owners. Initial renderings reveal a "pretty and practical" aesthetic that incorporates curved, low-profile furniture, light woods and mood lighting alongside integrated LEDs. Accommodation is across five cabins, including a main deck master with an office and lounge seat.
The outdoor leisure spaces are the main focus of Lalabe's design. This includes integrated balconies next to the wheelhouse, a large custom swimming platform and the aft deck, which has been configured to include a "relaxation lounge zone" complete with an aft-facing sofa and a formal dining table. Below is a beach club arranged with a secondary lounge space, a sauna, a day head and washer/drier capacity for towels.
Meanwhile, the galley is expected to be used regularly by the owners and offers plenty of worktops and a cooking island, while a central staircase from the lower deck to the bridge deck will serve as "a piece of art in its own right", according to the yard.
The clients for Lalabe were introduced to Van der Valk by Will Noftsinger from Denison Yachting.
“Lalabe is another perfect example of the Van der Valk difference – the highest levels of Dutch build quality and craftsmanship combined with the highest levels of custom design opportunities for owners to completely tailor their yacht to their needs,” said Van der Valk's head of sales, Yoeri Bijker.
He continued: “This is no semi-custom yacht – Lalabe has been custom conceived and constructed from the waterline up and that’s reflected in the incredible layout of exterior and interior spaces. We can’t wait to display her at the Cannes Yachting Festival – she’s going to be a real star of the show.”
This follows news of Van der Valk opening a new 2,540-square-metre construction hall in the Netherlands earlier this year. The Dutch yard also offered a first look inside the custom, 34.1-metre One following the yacht's delivery late last year – a yacht whose sale was announced at the same time as Project Samba.
Read More/First look inside custom Van der Valk yacht One