Heesen unveils new 50m superyacht

Dutch superyacht builder Heesen Yachts has unveiled its new 50m superyacht, which is the first in the new 5000 Aluminium Class. Named project Aquamarine, the new superyacht has been designed by Heesen’s in-house team, which worked in collaboration with Van Oossanen Naval Architects.

Having conducted the computational fluid dynamics (CFD) and optimisation of the hull shape, the 1:16 model of the new project was tested in the towing tank in Southampton. The composition of the hull has reportedly enabled an efficiency gain of 12 per cent, which was achieved by raising the yacht’s transom and incorporating propeller tunnels into the hull.

In turn, Aquamarine features raised propellers that have resulted in a reduced draught, which now measures 2.15m. Thanks to this arrangement, the project will also feature MTU’s new 16V 4000 M65L green oceanic engines, which have been specially developed to operate with a SCR unit (Selective Catalytic Reduction) to reduce NOx emissions. This will mean that 50m Aquamarine will be one of the first fast-cruising superyachts below 500gt to be IMO Tier III-compliant.

“The design we created for the new 5000 Aluminium Class combines our own heritage with that of Heesen as a builder of elegant and sporty aluminium motoryachts. The ‘integrated hull and body design’, which was first seen on the iconic 65m Galactica Star, gives a strong character to the yacht’s profile.”

- Frank Laupman, Omega Architects

With exterior design by Omega Architects, the technological focus of the project is something that was incorporated into the styling of the vessel and draws upon design cues previously seen on Galactica Star.

“The design we created for the new 5000 Aluminium Class combines our own heritage with that of Heesen as a builder of elegant and sporty aluminium motoryachts,” says Frank Laupman of Omega Architects. “The ‘integrated hull and body design’, which was first seen on the iconic 65m Galactica Star, gives a strong character to the yacht’s profile.”

Although the details of the interior styling are yet to be disclosed, we do know that Cristiano Gatto has created a tranquil Japanese-inspired interior with accommodation for 12 guests.

Aquamarine is currently under construction at the Heesen facility in Oss and has a scheduled delivery date of January 2021.

The data above was extracted from The Superyacht New Build Report, which is out now. For more information on Heesen and the state of the new build market, don't miss the Report and click here.

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Heesen Yachts

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Cristiano Gatto Design

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