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Having come and gone more than once over the past 150 years, hydrofoils are all the rage again and here to stay this time. The latest technology has overcome many of the shortfalls of older systems, but are foiling superyachts feasible?<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/308780/image/large-abca08ac22ef3c76d219eca23c4a28dd.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/308780">Over the past two decades foiling has taken off, literally and figuratively. It started with the innovative boards designed by surfers, followed by the specialist one-man classes like the foiling International Moths. Then came the high-performance sailing projects such as the 60-foot foiling trimaran l’Hydroptère, which broke the 50-knot barrier in 2008 and hinted at an exciting if highly specialised future for foils. But the idea of foils on mainstream leisure boats and superyachts has always seemed somewhat remote.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/308784/image/large-93508982c0f2307aa183db514c6f8972.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/308784">More recently, the advent of electric propulsion in tandem with the rising interest in foils, thanks largely to their adoption by the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6878" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="SailGP (Company)">SailGP</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/190" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="America's Cup 2024 - 37th America's Cup Barcelona">America’s Cup</a> sail racing programmes, has again brought foiling to the fore because they resolve a very basic problem. For boats with electric propulsion, or experimental hydrogen fuel cells in the case of the new <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/190" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="America's Cup 2024 - 37th America's Cup Barcelona">America’s Cup</a> chase boats, hydrodynamic drag means that displacement hulls and (to a lesser extent) planing boats struggle to attain a practical range for the given power-carrying capacity between charging. It is here that foils offer a clear advantage: if you can get your boat to emerge from the water and ‘fly’, you don’t need to worry so much about drag and the given power you are carrying in your battery banks can take you that much further. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/255101/image/large-3c47262ba3d15266b43994009e44c595.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/255101">“Our strategy is go faster to go further,” says Michael Jost, former Chief Strategy Officer at the VW Group who oversaw the start of the Group’s long-term transition away from fossil fuels. It’s a game plan Jost is employing with his new venture, eD-TEC, which has developed the all-electric eD-QDrive system. SilentYachts is coupling the system with a foiling 28-foot HYSUCAT multihull design to create a 40-knot electric boat that the catamaran builder claims still offers a range of 70 nautical miles.Electric avenue&nbsp;Across the spectrum, the combination of foils and electric drive systems is taking hold. Small boat builders such as Swedish brand <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5799" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Candela Speed Boat (Company)">Candela</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5737" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Enata Marine (Company)">Enata</a> in the Middle East, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6284" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Navier (Company)">Navier</a> in the US and Eldorado in the Netherlands, among others, are already building foiling leisure, passenger, water taxi and workboat vessels. The water toy world is alive with eFoil boards and the personal watercraft segment is also getting wise with projects such as the Valo Hyperfoil that adds retractable active foils to electric-drive jet skis.However, things get a little more complicated when it comes to larger craft. The advent of high-speed hydrofoil passenger vessels in the latter part of the 20th century was followed by a marked decline as the limitations of larger foilers became apparent – notably, the need for flat hulls with limited viability in bigger seas, and the potential for striking waterborne objects that could damage or destroy foils made from materials that were not as advanced as they are now.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/308788/image/large-eb9a1f3f86b23adca1520c7e78078250.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/308788">Considerable progress has been made in sailing with vessels such as the F50 used on the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6878" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="SailGP (Company)">SailGP</a> circuit, the new AC40 and AC75 yachts for the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/190" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="America's Cup 2024 - 37th America's Cup Barcelona">America’s Cup</a>, along with the Ultime trimarans and IMOCA 60s. All these boats show how consistent 40-to-50-knot-plus performance is possible through the extreme application of surface-piercing foil technologies. Indeed, there has even been a crossover with sailing yacht projects like <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6478" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="King Marine S.A. (Company)">King Marine</a>’s FlyingNikka&nbsp;mini maxi and sailing superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10936" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Raven34.0m (111'7&quot;)Baltic Yachts2023">Raven 111</a> from <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Baltic Yachts (Company)">Baltic Yachts</a> that use foils to mitigate some of the displacement rather than making the hull fully fly. At the same time, however, they have also highlighted some of the limits to mainstream adoption.The foil wing tips are one. Even when the arms are folded under the hull for docking, they project more than two metres either side the yacht. Then there is the complex (and expensive) structural engineering needed to build and mount the arms into the topsides. Finally, there’s the sailing aspect, which requires precision and experience when powered up in foil-assisted flight.Practical limits&nbsp;For Seattle-based naval architect Paul Bieker, one of the world’s foremost experts on hydrofoiling, sailing foilers will always be limited by these constraints: “I would be surprised if fully foiling configurations find a significant place in mainstream, non-professional sailing yachts,” he says. “They require a lot of sailing skill and focus, high maintenance, expensive equipment, and they have a significant potential for personal injury.”&nbsp;Retractable foiling systems like the Dynamic Stability System (DSS) developed by Hugh Welbourn, Gordon Kay and Will Brooks, offer advantages such as improved righting moment, reduced heel and better motion in a seaway, plus more stability for big-boat, big-sea sailing. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/308786/image/large-d78769a2b71c292caceeab81b0112753.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/308786">“<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10936" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Raven34.0m (111'7&quot;)Baltic Yachts2023">Raven</a> is not a yacht you could imagine relaxing in – it’s a balls-to-the-wall affair,” says Henry Hawkins, Executive Vice-President at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Baltic Yachts (Company)">Baltic Yachts</a>. “But we used the DSS on the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Baltic Yachts (Company)">Baltic</a> 142 Canova and it’s a completely different kettle of fish. There was a wish for a &nbsp;performance increase, but it wasn’t the driving factor behind the owner’s decision to install it.”The design demands of creating a full-flight vessel are, for the most part, incompatible with larger luxury yachts. Weight is a critical issue, for one, and while that can be overcome by adding larger foils, which in turn offer a greater aspect ratio and therefore greater lift, but there is an upper limit to the practical design of hydrofoils.“In general, the weight of a vessel scales with the length squared and the amount of lift that you can get off a foil scales with length squared – this reality means that there is a point where hydrofoiling gets more difficult with increased size,” says Bieker. “That said, the control of active hydrofoils tends to get easier with size because the actuators do not have to move as fast as they do in a smaller boats with smaller foils.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/308860/image/large-a60ff05e451e2cee5403bcbd867c7901.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/308860">Bieker thinks there is more potential for moderate-sized foiling motor yachts: “The operating parameters for motor yachts are better defined and there is great potential for improving fuel consumption and comfort,” he says. “That said, they will still be significantly more expensive than non-foiling vessels.”Romain Ingouf is Technical Director at Artemis Technologies, a maritime engineering firm that emerged out of the Artemis Racing team that competed in the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/190" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="America's Cup 2024 - 37th America's Cup Barcelona">America’s Cup</a>. The Belfast-based company has partnered with Condor Ferries to develop the 24-metre Artemis EF-24, a commuter ferry equipped with electric eFoiler propulsion able to carry 150 passengers at a top speed of 36 knots with a range of 95 nautical miles. Ingouf suggests that 24 metres in length overall with a displacement of around 75 tons is the sweet spot for a foiling monohull powerboat design.“You don’t want to have a boat that has foils sticking out at the sides because you need to get alongside docks and manoeuvre around marinas, and so forth,” he says. “You can certainly go bigger, to as much as 36 metres most likely, but then very rapidly you need a very beamy boat to have the aspect ratio on your foil so you are more efficient at creating lift without adding too much drag. Is foiling the solution to everything? Very likely not, although it’s fantastic in some applications.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/308857/image/large-849e3ed467e7f08e313e6c73c4f635a4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/308857">The future for foils?The future for foils beyond smaller vessels may be limited when it comes to full-flight solutions, but that doesn’t exclude potential for foils in large yacht design. Indeed, appendages that can improve efficiency and comfort – particularly when combined with stabilisation systems to offer multi-axis motion control – have been available for more than a decade. The Hull Vane, a fixed foil or wing designed and patented by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/460" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van Oossanen Naval Architects (Company)">Van Oossanen Naval Architects</a> that was first fitted on the 42.4-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4639" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ares42.4m (139'1&quot;)Heesen Yachts2014">Alive</a> in 2012, has proven itself on more than 65 yachts as well as commercial and military vessels.“The Hull Vane is derived from a device we developed for the French America’s Cup campaign in 2002,” says Perry van Oossanen, the studio’s Managing Director. “It’s not really intended to make a boat a foiling vessel as it’s designed for displacement hulls; we’ve taken a different approach by taking the vessel as it is and trying to enhance performance where we can.”&nbsp;The effect is less radical, but so is the technology involved. The location of the Hull Vane under the transom is important relative to the centre of gravity and works best if there’s a steep upcoming flow, which means quite steeply angled buttocks to the transom, but it can be retrofitted on any type of displacement hull.“It works well for a Froude number [the resistance of a partially submerged object moving through water] of 0.2 and upwards,” says van Oossanen. “For a 50-metre boat you’re there at five or six knots, and for an 80-metre boat you’re there at around 13 to 14 knots. We’ve installed it on a 100-metre patrol boat, but essentially the bigger the yacht the faster it needs to go to gain maximum benefit of the Hull Vane.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/308778/image/large-e6090620180e08c2025c730977695724.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/308778">Hull Vane BV has also developed Foil-Assist, a partial foiling solution mounted amidships on fast planing vessels that applies the same concept to fast hulls and was first used two years ago on a Wajer runabout. It should be noted that both the Foil-Assist and Hull Vane increase not only efficiency but also onboard comfort – an important consideration for any yacht owner. &nbsp;“However, although applications for foils are definitely increasing, there are a lot of owners out there who are not really interested in the foiling stuff,” warns van Oossanen. “They want to have volume, space and luxury and they don’t necessarily want to cruise at 30 knots.”While that may be true, foiling technology is set to grow, particularly as the superyacht industry enters its own energy transition. Even if methanol in reformers for fuel cells or multi-fuel engines becomes the energy carrier of choice, its energy density is considerably lower for a given volume compared to conventional diesel. So while the fuel may be cleaner, yachts will need to burn less of it for a given volume of tankage to avoid losing too much practical range, while adding more tanks means taking volume away from guest areas. In this scenario, non-flight hybrid foiling solutions could find their niche in mainstream yacht production and there may be a place for more extreme solutions for owners who want a more engaged boating experience.&nbsp;“There is potential for hydrofoil-assisted, non-flying boats, but there is no substitute for flying,” says Bieker. “Once you feel the acceleration that occurs when that last bit of hull leaves the water it is hard to stomach partial foiling solutions.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/285014/image/large-1afb80631a7886e71900e1011ca9ab77.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/285014">Getting over the humpWhen the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Baltic Yachts (Company)">Baltic Yachts</a> 111 <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10936" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Raven34.0m (111'7&quot;)Baltic Yachts2023">Raven</a> hit the water for sail trials in the summer of 2023, all eyes turned to this sleek, foil-assisted superyacht. As the team gradually edged the yacht towards its performance limits, the yacht started hitting consistent speeds in the high 20-knots range, and the sailing world was abuzz. However, this style of yacht will probably remain an outlier and while great for exhilarating performance on the water, it is not ideal for coastal cruising with the family. The leeward foil is designed to carry up to 60 per cent of the yacht’s displacement at speed, but the engineering that has gone into creating a structure capable of handling the extreme loads has been immense.“The fitting which is bolted to the hull-deck joint of the foil arm is one metre long and made of machined titanium, for example,” says Kenneth Nyfelt, Sales Director at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Baltic Yachts (Company)">Baltic Yachts</a>. “The tolerances on all those fittings are incredible fine; you cannot allow any rattling or any vibration from it because then you are dead.”Even with Canova’s DSS, Henry Hawkins believes it will take time for most owners to gain confidence in the technology: “Look at how long it took us to get carbon rigging and canting keels onto boats; they’re still the unknown, and what people have taken from the racing scene is that the foils are always breaking,” he says. “So there’s a hump to get over, but I think there is a realisation that there is something to be offered by foiling technology, and it’s a question of how long it will take to find its way into the mainstream.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/308861/image/large-11b3b0797fa572b289df3d06472924b7.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/308861">Tender trendsSmaller foiling boats and RIBs, whether using full-flight foils or foil-assist solutions, offer plenty of potential as standalone leisure boats, chase boats or tenders, particularly as alternative drive systems come on stream. Among many pioneers in this field is Gordon van Hardenbroek, an industrial designer and co-founder in 2015 of foiling boat company Edorado.“We started with a basic design premise of taking a planing hull, taking out the combustion engine and putting batteries in,” he says. “There weren’t many people doing it at the time, but we found as soon as you start going fast the range plummets. And I don’t believe that battery tech will improve enough to solve that problem. We realised that adding foils – in our case an active system made possible thanks to advances in sensors and computation – could double our range. Finally we realised that market demand was for retractable foils.”In addition to creating their own 8.35-metre 8S model, Edorado is also planning to release a pre-engineering platform that targets the superyacht sector. “The 8S is very much about flying,” he says. “It’s not about getting you from A to B, but rather the goal is the flying itself.”

Are foiling superyachts feasible?

The latest technology has overcome many of the shortfalls of older systems, but are foiling superyachts feasible?

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Flight Club: Are foiling superyachts feasible?

Written for the 3rd Issue of&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-3" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">How to Build It</a>&nbsp;magazine by Ralph Dazert and Justin Ratcliffe.&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen Yachts</a> has gone from strength to strength since Frans <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> acquired the local yard Striker Boats in 1978. According to our own market intelligence, over the last 10 years the shipyard has delivered an average of three to four yachts per year with an annual turnover of around €200 million.A small industrial town in the southern Netherlands about 90 minutes by car from Amsterdam’s Schiphol Airport and far from the sea, is not the most likely place to find one of the world’s top superyacht shipyards. Nevertheless, the municipality of Oss is home to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen Yachts</a>, one of the area’s biggest employers with approximately 500 staff on its payroll and up to 500 more engaged as external contractors.Following the war in Ukraine and the sanctioning of one of its UBOs, last year <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> announced that the company ownership “is once again 100 percent Dutch” and controlled by a Dutch foundation presided over by former <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> CEO Arthur Brouwer, now Niels Vaessen and Chairman of the Supervisory Board, Anjo Joldersma. Coming in the wake of the Covid crisis, the shipyard handled a tricky situation speedily and transparently with no effect on production or sales.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/187162/image/large-2a66a2332500b5f0ebf24d96a5d4a8a4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/187162">“The transition to a Dutch foundation has not impacted <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>'s day-to-day operations,” says Mark Cavendish, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>’s CCO, who returned as a board member after Friso Visser stepped down from the role earlier this year. “The change in ownership structure was primarily aimed at ensuring long-term stability. And yes, we do expect this structure to remain in place in the foreseeable future.”While the yard’s original shed is still in operation and currently houses the 50-metre full aluminium, semi-displacement Project Jade, there are no fewer than seven other construction halls, of which six contain covered drydocks. During our visit, there were nine new-build projects in various stages of construction at the shipyard. Another four projects were in earlier stages of construction elsewhere in the Netherlands and two further yachts were undergoing sea trials.While <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> outsources the construction of its steel hulls in the north of the country, it builds its aluminium hulls in-house in Oss (the aluminium superstructures are made close to the yard by a local subcontractor). In 2000 the shipyard established its own furniture factory, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen Yachts Interiors</a>, when it acquired the Oortgiese company close to the Dutch-German border, but it also works with external contractors for the interiors.The science of speculation<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen Yachts</a> is a leading exponent of building superyachts on speculation, but the practice requires deep pockets and brings inherent risks. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> CCO Mark Cavendish explains: &nbsp;“The decision-making process for starting a new spec build involves many factors, such as – but not limited to – the level of inquiries for certain yacht models or sizes, the availability of capacity in our sheds, financial considerations, the capacity of our workforce – you name it. Our management team will make the final decision, but all departments give their input in order to have full buy-in when we make the choice for a new speculation yacht to start. However, in the end, the choice always remains somewhat of a calculated risk. At <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>, we’re well prepared to take this risk, as we have shown over and over across several decades that we are very good at selling yachts.”The fact that even its series yachts have custom interiors by established international designers would seem to add an extra dimension to speculation projects in terms of costing. Series yachts are sold at fixed prices, but presumably some designers cost more than others?<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/294877/image/large-307f5ade526df2ad8caa0e1bc2c05b02.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/294877">“The choice of a certain designer over another for a new speculation project does not really have a significant impact on the price of a yacht,” continues Cavendish. “We set a budget for the designer and some parameters for them to work with. However, if the designer has a particularly good idea, but it would stretch the budget, then we can be flexible if we think it will make for a more attractive yacht commercially.”The power of threeOver the years, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>'s product strategy has evolved to suit market needs but has generally aimed at combining series, semi-custom and full custom production. The current business model is centred on three distinct product lines: Series, Smart Custom, and Full Custom, which offer varying degrees of personalisation and speed of delivery. At first glance, this is confirmation of the way the company was already operating, but the difference lies in the messaging: “The aim was to bring more clarity to our product offering by refining our terminology,” explains Cavendish. “In a competitive market, a clear proposition is vital for success.”There is a lot of fudging when it comes to defining what terms like ‘series’, ‘semi-‘ and ‘full-custom’ actually mean in the superyacht world and the lack of clarity can sometimes be misleading. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> likes to keep the record straight, not least as an aid to managing its own clients’ expectations.“For instance, if a client arrives late in the build cycle and wants all kinds of changes, we have to gently explain what we can and cannot do,” says former CEO Arthur Brouwer. “We have to be very careful that these instances don’t start a snowball effect in our production that takes up too many resources. If there is a significant delay in the build cycle of one project, it can affect others and that can be very risky for the shipyard. We have managed significant changes without issues, but there have been others where we felt we couldn’t accommodate all the changes requested and had to let the customer go.”Series production has traditionally been <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>’s bread and butter, accounting for up to half of its production. It is important to note, however, that the interiors are always customised and only six to 12 units in each series are built. Moreover, as in the automotive world, a life-cycle change is introduced after every fourth to sixth hull (the latest in these periodic changes is the new 50-metre Steel series designed by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/168" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Harrison Eidsgaard (Company)">Harrison Eidsgaard</a> announced at FLIBS last year). This allows products to be adapted to the market and technological developments, while avoiding over-supply of the same yachts down the line when they enter the pre-owned market.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> has the in-house engineering capacity for one or two full-custom project like Project Skyfall (now <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/8982" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ultra G60.0m (196'10&quot;)Heesen Yachts2023">Ultra G</a>) and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/9081" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sparta67.0m (219'10&quot;)Heesen Yachts2023">Project Sparta</a> per year. Any more and it has to start in-sourcing some expertise as the lead times for the engineering are that much longer. Alongside that it can handle a Smart Custom project and two or three series yachts.&nbsp;“We can adapt our workflow, but the stretch starts when we have two Smart Custom projects that begin close together, for example, because we have to scramble all our resources at the pre-production stage,” says Brouwer.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/294878/image/large-134a4ef8a5985318779ba1a4b4302e50.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/294878">Bright ideasEver since Frans <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> agreed to build <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2547" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Octopussy 43.58m (142'12&quot;)Heesen Yachts1988">Octopussy</a> that broke the 50-knot barrier and was the fastest yacht in the world when delivered in 1988, technical innovation has figured strongly in <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>’s make-up. Nowadays that innovation is focused less on raw speed and more on combining performance with fuel economy. In 2013 it launched 65-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3676" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Illusion65.0m (213'3&quot;)Heesen Yachts2013">Illusion</a> (previously Galactica Star), the first yacht with a Fast Displacment Hull Form (FDHF) devised by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/460" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van Oossanen Naval Architects (Company)">Van Oossanen Naval Architects</a>, which offers resistance values that are typically 20 per cent lower than a well-designed hard chine hull form at semi-displacement speeds. In 2014 it was the turn of 42-metre Alive (now <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4639" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ares42.4m (139'1&quot;)Heesen Yachts2014">Ares</a>), the first yacht with a Hull Vane, a patented foil also by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/460" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van Oossanen Naval Architects (Company)">Van Oossanen</a> that is fitted below the transom to reduce water resistance and pitching motions. Model tests at the towing tank of Wolfson Unit in Southampton showed fuel savings of 20 per cent at 12 knots and up to 23 per cent at 14.5 knots. In 2017 the yard delivered 50-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5959" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Home49.8m (163'5&quot;)Heesen Yachts2017">Home</a>, the first hybrid-powered Fast Displacement yacht (the entire <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> range is now offered with hybrid propulsion). Last but not least, 80-metre all-aluminium <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/7394" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Genesis80.07m (262'8&quot;)Heesen Yachts2023">Genesis</a> (previously Galactica), its largest yacht to date, features a patented ‘Backbone’ structure for additional rigidity with zero weight penalty.Upcoming deliveries&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> has sold 37 yachts in total since 1 January 2013 for an average of 3.7 sales per year. These comprise 10 projects started for the client (Full Custom or Smart Custom) and 27 on speculation. 20 of the total number of sales were for yachts between 40 and 50 metres, 12 between 50 and 60 metres, and five over 60 metres LOA. At the time of writing, the company had 14 projects in build.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/256089/image/large-cb8b97e5eae6f99bd6b763a450a7df8e.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/256089">Starting on specWithin its three product lines, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> builds fast displacement and semi-displacement motor yachts in steel or aluminium between 49 metres (up from 37 metres not so long ago) and 80 metres, with a sweet spot somewhere in the middle. But the business strategy that <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> excels at is building yachts on speculation, a potentially risky practice that it has honed to perfection.These are the projects that the shipyard finances and starts building itself with the aim of selling them at a later point during construction (half of the projects currently in build were started on spec). The advantage is that owners don’t have to wait for so long for delivery and means the yard can guarantee availability to the market in the future. This proved especially true in the immediate aftermath of the Covid pandemic when demand exceeded supply. “Yacht building has changed insofar as you used to be able to plan a year or two in advance,” Brouwer notes. “Now you have to look four or five years ahead.”Key to the success of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>’s on-spec build program is the close relationship it enjoys with the brokerage community. The annual <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> Ski Cup in the Italian Dolomites, for example, is a coveted trip among brokers. The event is all about having fun, but has a serious side too as a ‘thank you’ to their hard work during the course of the year. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> has good reason to be thankful as the vast majority of sales, whether new-builds or pre-owned yachts, are concluded through brokerage houses. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/274630/image/large-1811b8f522d4b7b1daec47c955e8b180.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/274630">Bigger is not always bestThe current facilities in Oss, as well as the surrounding bridges and waterways, mean the shipyard cannot build much over 80 metres, but this is not seen as a drawback. The market for 90-metre plus superyachts is smaller and driven by a handful of yards like <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lurssen</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/64" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oceanco (Company)">Oceanco</a>. Attempting to break into a new category would also risk impacting the yard’s margins: “We are content with our current facilities in Oss and have no plans for a second facility,” says Cavedish. “We are committed to optimising our operations and delivering exceptional yachts from our existing premises.”Although no longer a family company, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> retains a familiar design DNA and a strong brand identity. This may be one reason why it has avoided joining the trend for building catamaran and explorer yachts. Its XV67 concept, for example, began life as the Xventure, a 57-metre expedition yacht, but has been restyled as a bluewater voyager that will inspire owners to venture into new terrain in 7-star comfort.“The XV67 designed by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/69" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Winch Design (Company)">Winch Design</a> is not a rugged explorer with a utilitarian look as we’ve come to expect from explorer yachts,” says Cavendish. “On the contrary, it’s a concept design that belongs to our Full Custom yacht proposition, and is a refined luxury yacht with exploring capabilities.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/294879/image/large-f713b89adbd0ef6e231956b39a08b3cb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/294879">It is well known that superyacht sales are hard-wired into the global economy. With an ongoing war in Europe, shifting inflation and widespread recession on the cards, the economic outlook is far from rosy and SYT iQ registered a drop in new motoryacht sales over 40 metres of about 40 per cent during the first quarter of 2023 compared to the same period in 2022. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>’s CCO, however, is confident that the company is better prepared than most to weather these market fluctuations and is not unduly perturbed by the uncertainty.&nbsp;This article was originally published in Issue 3 of How To Build It, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-3" target="_blank">download the magazine for free here</a>.

Heesen Yachts business brief

By changing its ownership structure and refining its product offering, Heesen Yachts has put out a very clear message to the market.

Resilience, growth & customisation: Exploring Heesen's business approach

The 42.4-metre<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">&nbsp;Heesen</a> yacht<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4639" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alive42.4m (139'1&quot;)Heesen Yachts2014">&nbsp;Alive</a>, listed for sale by Fergus Torrance from <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/307" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Torrance Yachts (Company)">Torrance Yachts</a>, has been sold, with Onur Erardag from <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4569" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nautique Yachting Turkey (Company)">Nautique Yachting Turkey </a>representing the buyer. <img src="/uploads/store/photo/54037/image/large-f7981196ac4c8092c735a83a0a02dc7d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/54037">A custom superyacht delivered by the Dutch yard in 2014, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4639" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alive42.4m (139'1&quot;)Heesen Yachts2014">Alive</a>&nbsp;was designed inside and out by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/55" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Omega Architects (Company)">Omega Architects</a>, with naval architecture by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/460" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van Oossanen Naval Architects (Company)">Van Oossanen Naval Architects</a>, who fitted their patented Hull Vane foiling device into the vessel for a significant reduction in fuel consumption as well as an overall increase in comfort thanks to its roll-damping effect. <img src="/uploads/store/photo/48513/image/large-7ec7239c879783030f82df9660df328d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/48513">In terms of power, twin MTU 1448hp diesel engines allow motor yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4639" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alive42.4m (139'1&quot;)Heesen Yachts2014">Alive</a> to reach a top speed of 15.9 knots and cruise comfortably at 12 knots, with a range at cruising speed of 4,000 nautical miles. On board accommodation is for up to 12 guests who are looked after by up to 10 crew members.&nbsp;The most recently known asking price for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4639" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alive42.4m (139'1&quot;)Heesen Yachts2014">Alive&nbsp;</a>was&nbsp;€18,500,000.

42m Heesen motor yacht Alive sold

The 42-metre Heesen yacht Alive has changed hands. See more about the deal on SYT.  

42m Heesen motor yacht Alive finds new owner 

<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4639" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alive42.4m (139'1&quot;)"><img src="/uploads/store/photo/54037/image/large-f7981196ac4c8092c735a83a0a02dc7d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/54037">Alive</a> is a 42-metre custom superyacht built by Heesen Yachts in the Netherlands to a design by Omega Architects. Van Oossanen Naval Architects is the firm behind the project’s naval architecture who fitted their patented Hull Vane foiling device onto <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4639" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alive42.4m (139'1&quot;)">Alive</a> which provides the vessel with a significant reduction in fuel consumption as well as an overall increase in comfort thanks to its roll-damping effect. Get a closer look and learn more about this device <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Article/43945" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Proven success for Hull Vane application on superyacht Alive (2015-03-31 00:00:00 +0200)">here</a>.

The Heesen motor yacht Alive at anchor

Each year the Dutch Maritime Awards seek out the most innovative product within the maritime industry in the Netherlands. This year, the Maritime Innovation Award was awarded to Hull Vane; a hydrofoil designed by Van Oossanen Naval Architects that generates a lift force in the upward flow underneath the stern of the vessel, where the device is attached.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/157059/image/large-c2ef0a98883ae6c84f932069f05f2f4b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/157059">This is the second time Hull Vane has been nominated for the prize, but as the requirements for the award dictates the application to be proven at full scale, which was not yet the case in 2013, the award evaded them back then.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/157060/image/large-78fd509a7fb4171981f876a1d09c1940.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/157060">Since then the underwater device has been applied to three vessels with the 42m Heesen superyacht Alive being the first luxury yacht the Hull Vane has been applied to. The award will be on display at Hull Vane’s stand at the METS in Amsterdam, which starts on Tuesday 17th November 2015.By Charl van Rooy

Hull Vane wins Maritime Innovation Award

Created by the Dutch company Van Oossanen Naval Architects, the third full-scale application of the fuel saving device Hull Vane has been successfully completed. The 42 metre Heesen built superyacht Alive is the very first luxury yacht equipped with a Hull Vane, following a 30 metre passenger catamaran in addition to a 55 metre offshore supply vessel. Hull Vane reports that full scale test results have proven fuel savings averaging 20% in the yacht’s useful speed range of 12 to 16 knots.<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background-image: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/153157/image/large-27b9d4621e5a0dcf14537e4a554349b8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/153157">The Hull Vane was incorporated into the design of Alive from the beginning, apparently saving money and space throughout the construction as smaller main engines and fuel tanks could be installed to achieve the same transatlantic range. On board new builds, the Hull Vane is a particularly attractive option for new owner’s, as the cost of savings on the main engines often outweigh the cost of the Hull Vane.<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background-image: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/153158/image/large-7e5674bf3ac5c442316c21073d964a2d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/153158">The main working principle of the Hull Vane is forward thrust: the hydrofoil generates a lift force in the upward flow under the aft ship. As this lift force is angled forward, a net forward thrust force is developed. The Hull Vane sometimes has been called “the bulbous bow of the stern” as it also reduces the stern wave created by the vessel and therefore the energy put into the wave system. Due to the vertical lift, the running trim is also influenced beneficially. As the Hull Vane dampens the pitching, rolling and yawing movements, the savings percentage is higher when sailing in waves as the added resistance from ship motions is reduced.<strong style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: 0px; background-image: none; color: rgb(102, 102, 102); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: 16px; text-align: -webkit-center;"><img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/153159/image/large-d6a422bc1fc9678967eab693450d738b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/153159">The patented Hull Vane is sold exclusively by Hull Vane BV and its appointed sales agents, and is not exclusive to any design office of shipyard. Besides superyachts, suitable ship types are ferries, naval and coastguard ships, offshore supply vessels, midsize container vessels and small cruise ships.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/19gnbPaYeag" width="560"></iframe>By Gemma Fottles

Proven success for Hull Vane application on superyacht Alive 

Heesen Yachts has announced that the sea trials of Alive were successfully completed in open waters in a slight sea state (0.70 metre waves) with 3-4 SW winds. She was delivered in the first week of November.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/151674/image/large-e02778bab9b0d23a2af91a06e7379824.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/151674">The contractual fuel consumption prediction proved to be correct, and is 30 per cent less than on a conventional displacement yacht.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/151675/image/large-ec26bb95212d0179dc252ab9eed88a53.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/151675"> <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/151676/image/large-0c7d695287a62363154b435da320259a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/151676">This is an important achievement and statement for this Dutch shipyard, as Alive is the first luxury vessel equipped with Hull Vane, an under water foil that harnesses waves to produce power.By Maarten Janssen

Heesen superyacht Alive ​delivered

Heesen's latest launch, superyacht Alive, is the first to be Equipped with an under water foil, called the Hull Vane, developed by Van Oossanen Naval Architects.<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" scrolling="no" src="//www.youtube.com/embed/19gnbPaYeag" width="560"></iframe>This video shows the sub-sea wing, which is designed to harness waves to produce power. As a result, Alive is 35 per cent more efficient than any other yacht of her size, in flat sea conditions. In seas with 1-2 metre waves, the Hull Vane generates 20 per cent more thrust and comfort is improved as the pitching is reduced by 40 per cent.By Maarten Janssen

Video of Van Oossanen Naval Architects' Hull Vane

Heesen Yachts has launched project YN 17042, on Friday 29th August, at their facility in Oss. During a private ceremony the Owner christened his new vessel Alive. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/150725/image/large-2a117933e6bd1b6a79bc72d215d86d2b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/150725">The yacht is the first to be Equipped with an under water foil, called the Hull Vane, developed by Van Oossanen Naval Architects. This sub-sea wing harnesses waves to produce power. As a result, Alive is 35 per cent more efficient than any other yacht of her size, in flat sea conditions. In seas with 1-2 metre waves, the Hull Bane generates 20 per cent more thrust and comfort is improved as the pitching is reduced by 40 per cent.Perry van Oossanen comments: “We are delighted and proud to see that the first luxury vessel equipped with Hull Vane® is ready to sail the oceans. Heesen Yachts is proving once again to be a shipyard that dares to innovate by investing in smart technology.”The yacht is designed by Omega Architects, who are also responsible for her interior design. Alive can accommodate up to twelve guests.The captain commented on the launch of M/Y Alive : “She is a wonderful vessel that combines the latest achievements in the world of technology and design. For three years we have worked closely with the team at the shipyard to build a vessel that is truly personal and created to meet the highest standards of lifestyle at sea.”Alive will be delivered to her Owner on October 31, 2014.By Maarten Janssen

Heesen launches superyacht Alive

Report by Maarten Janssen, edit by Gemma FottlesSuperYacht Times’ Maarten Janssen visited the Heesen shipyard recently, and was warmly welcomed on a tour of project 17470, project 17255 and project 17042.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/148895/image/large-941dfef9c5cf0742fa7b747949ec9930.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/148895">Both projects 17470 and 17255 will feature a Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHD). The innovation was designed by Van Oossanen, and is so called because the hull does not rely on the development of hydrodynamic lift for efficiency, but stays in displacement mode.This is a hull form that, compared to a hard-chine hull form, is 30% more efficient at cruising speeds and 15% more efficient at high speeds. In comparison to traditional round-bilge hull forms, significant improvements were also obtained both at cruising speeds and at higher speeds. Model tests confirmed these results and also revealed that a hard-chine hull form is only more efficient than the FDHF counterpart at fully planing speeds.Project 17470, a fully custom 70 metre all aluminium motor yacht of 1.200gt, will feature the FDHD innovation. The Owner has chosen Espen Oeino International to design the exterior lines and Sinot Design for the interiors. Twelve guests will be accommodated in six staterooms. The large Owner’s suite is traditionally located forward on the main deck, whilst the four guest cabins will be located on the lower deck. A VIP cabin on the wheelhouse deck will boast stunning views.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/148896/image/large-fac3283dba24fd208678b9751a7d2c81.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/148896">The propulsion package provides for three main engines driving two wing propellers and a central booster water-jet, giving a trial speed expected to be over 30 knots. The details of the 70 metre superyacht are still very much being kept quiet by Heesen, and Maarten was impressed by her progress and volume on his tour of the project. She will be fully presented this September at the 2014 Monaco Yacht Show and is due for delivery in Spring 2016.The second yacht featuring FDHF technology is Heesen Yachts’ first ever 55 metre steel motor yacht, project 17255. The shipyard announced the hull and superstructure were joined together at the Heesen facility in Oss earlier this year. Frank Laupman from Omega Architects created the elegant lines of this new Heesen yacht, and she boasts extensive outdoor spaces.Dutch designer Sinot has also been appointed to design the elegant interior of this boat, where twelve guests are accommodated in six cabins. YN 17255 will be delivered to her Owners in Summer 2015 after intensive sea trials in the North Sea, and will reach a top speed of 16.5 knots, with a range of 4,500nm at a cruising speed of 13 knots.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/148897/image/large-c307c2222c5feb48566e70b30eebc395.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/148897">The final project SuperYacht Times had the privilege of viewing was the first yacht of a 42 metre series for Heesen Yachts, featuring the first application of the Hull Vane.The Hull Vane consists of a foil positioned below the hull of a ship or yacht in a specific location by means of struts or sponsons. The device changes the pressure distribution on the hull thereby reducing the resistance. The foil also generates a thrust force. Studies for a number of displacement motor yachts have resulted in fuel savings of up to 25% and averaging 20% over the total speed range.Hull Vane also reduces the motion and acceleration of the yacht in heavy seas due to the damping effect of the foil below the hull. When the bow pitches upwards on a wave the foil produces an opposing upwards force at the stern, and vice versa when the bow pitches downwards into a wave trough.In addition to the three projects presented to SuperYacht Times at Maarten’s recent visit, Heesen Yachts has several other projects in various stages of construction, including the 50 metre fully custom motor yacht, project 17350, and the custom x-bow superyacht, project 16750.

Visiting ongoing superyacht projects at Heesen

Heesen has announced the sale of the first motor yacht to be equipped with Hull Vane even before the official presentation of this innovation to the yachting community. Created by Piet van Oossanen from van Oossanen Naval Architects, Hull Vane is a foil fitted below the hull that can reduce resistance through the water by 24% at maximum speed, achieving an average reduction in drag of nearly 18% over the entire speed range. In addition, Hull Vane also reduces the motion and acceleration of the yacht in heavy seas due to the damping effect of the foil below the hull. When the bow pitches upwards on a wave the foil produces an opposing upwards force at the stern, and vice versa when the bow pitches downwards into a wave trough. The result is a much more comfortable motion in heavy waves.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/139409/image/large-0b6ea686e6f5a77044af2b8025a784d8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/139409">At a design displacement of 350 tons, YN 17042 will achieve 15.9 knots with 2 x 1080 kW of power from the engines. At the cruising speed of 12 knots, the power requirement is only 2 x 240 kW: the fuel consumption figures are correspondingly low.  The exterior lines of this 42-metre motor yacht have been designed by Frank Laupman from Omega Architects. Laupman has created a new bow design that combines a lower hull profile and matching seakeeping behaviour with a relatively short overall length, because of a characteristic ‘knuckle’ at half height of the bow. Big windows of continuous glass further enhance the guests’ proximity to the ocean. Twelve guests sleep in six cabins: the Owners have two suites: one positioned on the upper deck aft, which includes a gymnasium; the second is traditionally located on the main deck fore and has a balcony on the starboard side, a studio and a large walk-in closet. The guest area on the lower deck features two twins and two double cabins all with private ensuite bathrooms.This innovative yacht is due for delivery in 2014 and the project is going to be presented to the yachting community at the Monaco Yacht Club on September 19, 2012.