Need for speed

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF HEESEN.

Peter van der Zanden – Head of Design & Development at Heesen.

Hull type Exterior design Interior design Hull Length over all Beam over all Draught (half load) Tonnage Crew Guests Maximum speed (half load) Range Fuel capacity Fresh water Main engines

Maximum power

Displacement Omega Architects Owner Steel 46.70m 8.85m 2.91m approx. 499GT 10 10 15 knots

4,000Nm at 12 knots 60,000l 20,000l 2 x MTU 8V 4000 M63 2 x 1,000kW

BOOTH NO. JS9

MYS 2022

Book Ends is a thoroughbred racehorse of a yacht with a top speed of over 23 knots. True to the Heesen philosophy, her performance comes not from brute power but from smart engineering.

Heesen’s 50m Aluminium Semidisplacement Series is the frst of its kind below 500GT to comply with IMO Tier-III regulations. An optimised, low-drag, lightweight aluminium hull with a reduced transom depth brings efciency gains of around 12%.

She is sporty yet elegant, spacious yet perfectly sized to access shallow Bahamian creeks and the smallest Mediterranean ports, thanks to her reduced draught of just 2.15m. Book Ends is comfortable for both quick island-hops and long passages. And with a cruising speed of 11 knots, she boasts a transoceanic range of 3,10nm.

The owner, an experienced American yachtsman, and his family have worked with the shipyard engineering team to personalise the interior to suit their tastes and lifestyle requirements.

“Building a new boat on time and on budget is always a challenge. This past year was particularly challenging with the remnants of Covid and Various Sanctions. Despite what seemed like overwhelming odds, the Heesen team continued working closely with the Book Ends team in Oss to make the dream a reality”, comments Mr Book, the Owner. “Thanks to an extraordinary, combined team efort, this state-of-the-art vessel has been delivered on time with the highest Heesen standards of excellence. This boat is not a ‘Race Horse’, it is a Race Car.”

Twelve guests can be accommodated in fve staterooms, with the master suite on the main deck forward and the spacious remaining suites found down on the lower deck. Book Ends also ofers plenty of outdoor areas for her owners, family, and friends to enjoy life at sea. The beach club will bring them close to the on-water action, while the generous sun pad area on the main deck terrace is perfect for postswim relaxation. Al-fresco dining can take place either on the bridge deck af terrace or up on the spacious sundeck. >>

Hull type FDHF

Exterior design

Omega Architects Interior design Cristiano Gatto Design Hull Aluminium Length over all 49.80m Beam over all 9.10m Draught (half load) 2.15m Tonnage approx. 499GT Maximum speed (half load) 19.5kn Range 3,750Nm at 12 knots Fuel capacity 45,000l Fresh water 16,000l

“Being entrusted for the second time in under four years by such an experienced yachtsman is a source of great pride to our shipyard”, comments Friso Visser, Chief Commercial Ofcer at Heesen. “Everyone worked tirelessly to ensure the owners and their family could enjoy their new yacht this summer. May their days onboard Book Ends be flled with fun and joy wherever they may cruise!”

Heesen hasn’t been standing still in the past years. Last summer, in July 2021, Heesen announced the delivery of YN 19550 MY Ela, formerly known as Project Altea. This magnifcent yacht set sail from the Netherlands in July 2021 with her crew, and afer meeting her owners in Gibraltar, she spent the summer cruising in the Mediterranean. Primarily intended for family use, Ela will also join the charter feet of Zarpo Yachts to be available for selected clients.

At 50m overall with a lightweight, aluminium, fast-displacement hull, she is the second in Heesen’s sub-500GT Nova Plus class, a design that emphasizes performance and efciency, powered by twin MTU 2000-series M72 V12s. Her remarkable maximum speed of just under 20 knots, frugal fuel consumption, and a draf of just 2.15m, makes her the most efcient yacht of her type built in the Netherlands.

A distinguished yacht with a striking profle characterized by a vertical bow and bold spray rails, along with her Dutch pedigree as a guarantee of premium quality, ELA was also available with a remarkably short delivery time when she caught the attention of her owners. With just three months between purchase and delivery they worked with interior designer Cristiano Gatto and the Heesen team to personalize the yacht to suit their family requirements.

“Together with the client, we revisited all the loose furniture, inside and out, selecting new materials for all the upholstery and the key items from Paola Lenti, B&B Italia, Poltrona Frau, and Promemoria”, says Mr Gatto. “But more importantly, we designed bespoke pieces, such as tables, sofas, and lamps, all beautifully crafed by Italian ateliers, who delivered them in record time.”

Ela’s twelve guests are accommodated in six staterooms, with the owners’ suite on the main deck forward and the remaining fve cabins – a full beam VIP, two doubles and two twins – on the lower deck.

Besides the beauty of her design, Ela is also the frst Heesen to sport a peak-shaving battery system. “This, in my opinion, makes the yacht genuinely efcient and more sustainable”, says Peter van der Zanden, Head of Design & Development at the shipyard.

There are numerous practical advantages ofered by this so-called ‘virtual generator’, such as a seamless storage of energy and improved generator efciency with lower emissions, lowering fuel and maintenance costs.

“At Heesen, we believe in continuous research and constant innovation”, says Mr van der Zanden. “We strive to refne our yachts and present the owners with solutions that are at the forefront of technology, to improve efciency and enhance the on-board experience.”

Friso Visser, Heesen CCO, comments: “ELA is a magnifcent addition to the Heesen feet. We are very strong in this particular segment of the market – 50m allaluminium yachts below 500 GT – and ours are recognized as the best in this market sector. Our delivery team worked seamlessly with Captain Antonio Gerini and Tony Lovec Management to deliver the yacht without fuss and on time for the summer season.”