Three well-known yards have launched new yachts in recent months. At Feadship’s Scheepsbouw yard, Drizzle took to the water with style, Heesen’s Serenity—their largest displacement vessel to date—has been delivered to her owners, and Oceanco’s still top-secret Y707 Top 100 worthy vessel is undergoing sea-trials in anticipation of her delivery in April.
Feadship Drizzle
Feadship has launched the 67.27m (220’8”) Drizzle at the Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw yard in Aalsmeer, the Netherlands. The yacht was created for clients who were inspired by the 2005 Feadship Twizzle. They were the second owners of the yacht, which they had renamed Drizzle. Although taken by the World Superyacht Award-winning vessel, they decided to create their own new Drizzle, custom-built to reflect their personal tastes and specifications. Drizzle is almost 12 meters longer and proportionally wider, higher and deeper than her 55m (180’5”), De Voogt-designed predecessor.
Drizzle’s exterior offers a blend of classic and modern, with a traditional low profile and contemporary feel. “Taking Twizzle as the design template, it was a major challenge to retain her classic light lines while extending the vessel by over 20 percent,” says Ruud Bakker from Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects. “We also added further refinements in terms of functionality, such as the central staircase that facilitates both guest and crew access to the sun deck.”
Redman Whiteley Dixon created a contemporary, warm and rich interior that again takes Twizzle as a reference point before being tailored to the principals’ bespoke taste. “Only months after handover of Twizzle to the new owners, we were discussing the perfect larger version,” says Henk de Vries, “and within months we had defined the new version in detail.”
The interior was made to feel like a home-away-from-home. Crew quarters are taken to an exceptional quality level even by Feadship’s standards. “This reflects the owner’s concern for crew welfare and a wish that their facilities should be finished to the highest possible standard,” says Drizzle’s Captain James Duggan.
For more information, visit feadship.nl
Heesen Serenity
Heesen Yachts has delivered Serenity, its largest displacement vessel to date. With a length of 55 meters (180 feet), Serenity represents a milestone for the Dutch shipyard known for its all-aluminum, semi-displacement, fast yachts. Heesen made its debut in the steel displacement market in 1992 when it launched the 50-meter (156’6”) Achiever in collaboration with Oceanco. Since then, Heesen has built 15 full-displacement vessels.
Serenity’s exterior lines bear the stamp of Frank Laupman/Omega Architects and express the bow shape that has become the shipyard’s trademark. Naval architects at Van Oossanen and Associates worked closely with the Heesen technical department to develop Serenity’s hull, which provides comfortable navigation and a range of 6,000 miles at 10 knots. Twin MTU 12V 4000 M60 diesels propel Serenity to a top speed of 15 knots at half-load. Sea trials in severe weather conditions affirmed her seaworthiness. “We had a sea trial on the North Sea with force 6-7 winds and 3-meter swells,” said Hans Doodkorte, the owner’s technical manager. “It was commented by all on board how well the boat handled in a big sea. She easily exceeded her design speed. I am very happy that we delivered a yacht that will be well suited for world traveling.”
The guest accommodations include a full-beam VIP stateroom, two doubles and two twin cabins on the lower deck. The owner’s suite is on the main deck forward. The circular master bedroom has balconies on both sides and floor-to-ceiling windows bathe it in natural light. A bathroom with a central oval tub completes the master suite. Comfortable outdoor areas provide spaces for al fresco dining, lounging and sunbathing. There is a mosaic, custom Jacuzzi pool outside. Guests can also relax in a spa complete with steam bath, sauna and massage room.
Serenity’s interior decoration by Frank Laupman boasts high-gloss and polished maple with burled maple veneers for both paneling and cabinetry. Eleven different types of marble have been crafted into concave and convex curves creating dramatic interior features. The atmosphere is enhanced by glass decorations by Glass Déco. A leafy motif has been used for decorating the top of the partition that divides the main saloon into lounging and dining areas, while the ceiling above the bed in the owner’s stateroom has been re-imagined as a sky adorned with fluffy clouds. The motifs were designed by Omega Architects and realized at Glass Déco by gluing together multiple glass and mirror layers.
For more information, visit heesenyachts.nl
Oceanco Y707
The latest superyacht to make the World’s Top 100 list was launched January 29 by Oceanco in Rotterdam, The Netherlands. Australia-based Sam Sorgiovanni Designs is credited with exterior styling and interior design of the yard-coded Y707. Boasting a length of 88.5m (280’6”) and a beam of 14.2m (46’7”), Y707 is a yacht of harmonious proportions and extraordinary volumes. Much effort went into accommodating all of the owner’s requirements without any sacrifice to a stunningly sleek and elegant profile.
The yacht’s contemporary interior features eucalyptus wood, teak and white onyx interspersed with natural materials, fabrics and colors. Her versatile and extensive layout includes a large garage equipped with limousine tenders and the latest watersports equipment, an outdoor oval pool with height-adjustable floor, a spa pool and a sunbathing area, as well as a dedicated indoor 3D cinema. Final fit-out and sea trials are on track in anticipation of delivery in April.
For more information, visit oceancoyacht.com
