UPDATE, DECEMBER 22, 2021: Heesen has sold Project Apollo. Delivery will take place in the fall of 2023. Read on for our original article.
Since Heesen has met with success with its 55M Steel class, a 180-foot series, it has started yet another hull on spec. The keel laying for Project Apollo took place this week at the Dutch shipyard.
Being part of the series means that Project Apollo can rely on a proven engineering platform. She has the same Fast Displacement Hull Form that other 55M Steel superyachts have had. Additionally, she has a pair of MTU engines, which should permit a 4,500-nautical-mile range at a comfortable 13 knots. Furthermore, volume is a healthy 760 gross tons.
While the profile resembles that of other Heesens, thanks to longtime stylist Frank Laupman of Omega Architects, Project Apollo switches things up a bit. “As much as we love our original design with the vertical windows, we felt it was time to make an evolutionary step,” Laupman explains. Firstly, he continues, the design team went with a larger amount of floor-to-ceiling glass, without mullions, in the main saloon and sky lounge. Also, somewhat more forceful lines characterize the megayacht’s overall look, to grab your attention. “We retained the family look and feel, but gave it an elegant touch,” he concludes.
The profile isn’t the only difference. Luca Dini Design, which is also working with Heesen for Project Gemini, has revamped the customary layout. Specifically, the master suite now includes a French balcony. Furthermore—something guests will certainly enjoy—a bar wraps around the hot tub up on the sundeck. The sundeck is a bit longer, too. Back on the main deck, meanwhile, the central main staircase is wider, for more comfort moving from level to level. And, finally, yet another stairway leads from the wheelhouse directly to the sundeck, for the convenience of the captain and crew.
Project Apollo, a.k.a. YN 20255, her hull number, is available for sale and, of course, full personalization.
Heesen Yachts heesenyachts.com
Luca Dini Design lucadini.com
Omega Architects omega-architects.com
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