While we don’t know his name, we do know that an American with an affinity for megayachts has made a new purchase. She’s Project Maia, a 50M Steel about six months from hand-over from Heesen Yachts.
Reportedly, the buyer spent about a year researching his next step before deciding this was it. Heesen describes him as being “a serial yacht owner.” He took a liking to the styling penned by Clifford Denn, further becoming the owner of hull number one in that regard. Project Maia still retains hallmark Heesen elements, like pronounced, even muscular curves. Denn amped some of these up, further adding nods to automotive styling. For example, take a close look at the aft grill-like features in the rendering above. (They’re unfortunately too hard to see in the photo of Project Maia below.) Denn pays homage to famed car designer Henrik Fisker here, incorporating his renowned “Fisker whiskers.” (The term stems from the grills resembling a cat’s whiskers.)
Complementing, yet also contrasting with, the bold style, the owner wants a light-gray color scheme outside. Interestingly, complements and contrasts occur inside, too. Here, the owner and ReymondLangton Design are pairing bleached oak and stained walnut for paneling and other surfaces. In addition, light-taupe leather, along with other subdued tones of fabrics, set the backdrop. Bolder colors come into play in the artwork, in addition to some furnishings. Further of note, Project Maia will draw guests’ attention to specific areas and art pieces via LEDs.
The 164-foot (50-meter) Project Maia will entertain 10 guests along with the owner. Wherever they cruise, they can enjoy good range at displacement speeds. Heesen anticipates her hitting a 15-knot top end under MTU power. Range should be 3,800 nautical miles at a 12-knot cruise. Remaining below the 500-gross-ton threshold means simpler operations, and regulations as well.
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