It’s been nearly two years since Heesen Yachts announced the 65m FDHF, then known as the 6500 Fast Displacement Hull Form. Construction on the all-aluminum megayacht began in December last year, and just recently the hull and superstructure were welded together. She’s now sitting in a dry dock at Heesen for full outfitting.
But YN 16465, as the project is called, is more than just a 213-footer (65-meter) that will eventually accommodate 12 guests and 12 crew plus a captain. The FDHF shape is a marked departure from the typical round-bilge, hard-chine hull of most megayachts. For one, it has a more slender shape. Tank tests show that it kicks up smaller wakes, has good seakeeping abilities, and requires less fuel consumption throughout the speed range. Van Oossanen & Associates developed the hull form, and Omega Architects worked closely with the team to ensure the technical and aesthetic needs would be met. Frank Laupman, principal of Omega Architects, describes the superstructure as being helmet-shaped, with no side-deck overhangs and a slope aft. It’s freestanding, too, containing just the sundeck and bridge deck. How is this self-supporting setup possible? “We found a way to integrate the hull with the main-deck element of the superstructure, by eliminating its normal overhang of the aft deck,” Laupman says.
This time-lapse video shows how the hull came together and was then welded to the superstructure. Heesen used the friction-stir technique, common in a variety of industries, ranging from aerospace to automotive and shipbuilding. In brief, friction stir allows aluminum plates to be joined without melting the metal during the process. Instead, it involves softening the metals and clamping them together, among other things. It forms a more even surface compared to fusion welding.
The results impressed Dickie Bannenberg of Bannenberg & Rowell Design, overseeing YN 16465’s interior: “Looking at the metal work, you can sense the precision at the yard and see the result of immaculate teamwork. Even sitting in the water in bare metal, the yacht exudes speed and intent. We can’t wait for our interior to go in.”
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