With the first of Feadship’s five 33.6 metre superyachts launched yesterday, Hull 692, the Dutch shipyard has released the latest photographs and information pertaining to the exciting new vessels. SuperYacht Times’ were present in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands yesterday to witness the vessel emerge from the shed for the first time.
The 692 features a record amount of glass as a proportion of the exterior profile and, though Feadship usually concentrate on the 40 to 100+ metre segment, is a refreshingly smaller Feadship than what we are used to. The five superyachts currently under construction are a response to a specific request from a client. CEO Henk de Vries explains further, “Three years ago, the owner of a pure custom Feadship asked us to build a smaller yacht to Feadship standards. It needed to have a length and draught that would allow access to new markets where mooring facilities are restricted and facilitate cruising in shallower depths. We don’t like saying no to clients at Feadship so we decided to explore whether it was even practical to design and construct a 34 metre cruiser to Feadship quality within the boundaries of this compact size.
“Our research established that, while building such a custom yacht was indeed possible, it would only be economically viable for the client if we built three of them to the same design template. Turning normal market dynamics on their head, we therefore agreed to our client’s proposal as long as he could introduce two more clients who would like to order one of these unique Feadships while, of course, having flexibility in terms of the interior.”
“The superyacht owners’ community is a tight knit one, however, news spread among them of these super innovative projects,” continues De Vries. “Before long another client contacted Feadship to say he would like to have something similar, albeit a metre longer. And the same process recently played out with another owner who also twisted our arm to build the fifth and final one. Every owner with a vision for the exceptional is welcome at Feadship.”
Successfully recruiting an additional two clients, De Voogt Naval Architects soon got to work on developing the vessels. In addition to the visual effect of the unprecedented giant slabs of glass in her exterior profile, the lounge and dining areas inside also feel expansive due to their impressive 2.45 metre high ceilings.
Other features more normally found on much larger Feadships include a centralised air conditioning system and dry exhaust generators with catalytic exhaust filters. Hull 692 features interior design from Bannenberg & Rowell, and accommodates up to 10 on board over several cabins, including a large owner’s suite on the main deck, a twin suite which can be easily converted into a VIP stateroom, and two twin cabins on the lower deck. A crew of six are also accommodated for on board.
Hull 691 and 693 will be launched soon and will feature alternative accommodation layouts, whilst the remaining two vessels are scheduled to be launched next year.