Sweet spot – Heesen’s 55-metre platform

It seems that size does matter, but perhaps not in the way you would expect – for many owners, bigger isn’t always better. The 55-metre class occupies an interesting slot in the superyacht league table.  Having made the leap over the 500GT threshold to become a proper grown-up yacht, it still retains small enough spaces to be both intimate and cosy. The modern trend for ever-larger superyachts is hard to criticise when so many people want to buy one, but the fact is, numerous owners have found the superyacht sweet spot to lie between 50 and 65 metres – big enough to indulge in the full spectrum of superyacht activities, from partying to exploring continents, yet economical to operate, and compact enough to sneak into smaller harbours, rather than sit outside at anchor.

An excellent example of this category is Heesen’s 55-metre class, with its steel hull, aluminium superstructure, and fuel-efficient Fast Displacement Hull Form. Powered by twin 4000-series MTU engines, the design is comfortably capable of topping 15.5 knots, and when cruising frugally at 13 knots, her 85-tonne fuel capacity provides an ocean-crossing range of more than 4,500 nautical miles.

Heesen has sold seven of these yachts so far, from Azamanta, delivered in 2015, to Project Apollo, which is on target for completion in 2023. Built on a proven engineering platform, it is the only yacht of its size in northern Europe built as a speculative venture, in which the shipyard takes the initial risk while owners benefits from significantly reduced delivery times.

Konstantin Kolpakov of Arcon Yachts knows how important fast delivery can be, having introduced his client to the 55-metre Project Gemini while she was in build: “Heesen managed to arrange a visit to see the yacht under construction. This was a crucial experience, as our clients were able to appreciate in person the superb levels of organisation and quality that Heesen delivers.” The clients were also impressed by the shipyard’s willingness to accommodate customisation requests, according to Konstantin. Project Gemini will be delivered next year.

Luxury Yacht Group president Rupert Connor acted for the owners of Solemates, who took delivery of their 55 in 2020 .“Throughout the project the shipyard was meticulous on quality control, and the yacht just worked!  Heesen respect time like no other shipyard in this industry that I have worked with, and for clients like mine who have more money than time, that is gold.”

Although built on a common platform, every Heesen 55 Metre Steel has been personalised by its owners. “No two yachts in this class are the same,” says Thom Conboy of Heesen USA, “They have similarities, but all are customised to reflect their owner’s individual tastes and requirements.  Vida, for example, acts as a mothership to a fleet that includes a 23-metre sportfishing boat.  Since her delivery, she has cruised the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, enabling her owners to live out their sportfishing dreams.”

Each individual deck area offers a different way to enjoy life on board. Twelve guests can be accommodated in six staterooms, four of them on the lower deck. A full-beam owner’s apartment of some 82 square metres can be found forward on the main deck, and the private VIP suite on the wheelhouse deck is just steps away from the sky lounge, producing perfect panoramic views across the water.  Dining on board can be delightfully relaxed and alfresco on the wheelhouse deck aft, or more formally impressive on the main deck. When it’s time to relax or play, the beach club has space for a fully-fledged wellness area and plenty of room for toys and tenders.

Heesen’s yachts are seen more as family assets than as corporate baubles, according to Mark Cavendish, Heesen’s executive commercial officer. “They perfectly exemplify what yachting symbolises today – an opportunity for owners, experienced and new, to enjoy life at sea in comfort and safety surrounded by family and friends in a location of their choosing.”

Heesen’s 55 Steel epitomises this ideal .“Why have a sundeck big enough for 150 people when you can only have 12 guests onboard?” asks the owner of Solemates, the fifth 55 Steel to be launched. “She’s big enough to be a serious yacht, yet small enough to be able to have a calm conversation.”

Azamanta, Laurentia, Vida, Moskito and now Solemates are cruising the seven seas with their happy owners and families, and will soon be joined by Projects Gemini and Apollo. Heesen’s 55 Steel yachts uniquely combine the benefits of size with the class and convenience of a more compact design. Bigger is not always better.

By Frances and Michael Howorth