This 175-footer (53-meter) is not the newest Damen Yachting series, but also under construction. She’s the first hull in the Yacht Support 53 series.
The Yacht Support lineup, which includes deliveries like Bad Company (originally Pink Shadow) and Gene Chaser, dates back a little over a decade. The concept was to provide owners with a shadow vessel to hold far more watertoys, adventure-oriented vehicles, and even extra guests and staff. Interestingly, owners decided to use the vessel as their primary yacht. Regardless, Damen Yachting borrowed the design and naval architecture from its parent company’s workboats for the foundation. Owners could then collaborate with the shipyard and designers to outfit them as they so wished. To date, nearly 20 Yacht Support vessels have been sold.
The Yacht Support 53 replaces the Yacht Support 5009, which was the initial model. The new 175-footer breaks with tradition, though, in starting from a blank sheet of paper for design and engineering. Designers from Damen Yachting as well as Damen itself created a different hull and changed up the styling. “The YS 53 exterior design starts with a familiar functionality, but there is more than meets the eye,” says Wouter Kleijpoel, Damen Yachting’s design manager. “It’s playful, muscular, and emboldening.”
Furthermore, the 500-gross-ton project prioritizes flexibility of purpose. For instance, owners can request staterooms for 12 guests. As an alternate, they can have cabins for up to 16 staff, as well as the captain and 10 crew. Toys like personal submarines and large tenders can sit on the elongated, open aft deck, as seen at top. Launching and retrieving these heavier craft won’t be a problem, since Damen Yachting has already specified a 15-ton-capacity crane. For those who enjoy hosting big parties, up to 150 people can mix and mingle on deck when the toys are clear. The 30-foot (9.2-meter) beam makes that possible, too.
As for performance, the Yacht Support 53 should see a top end of 19 knots with twin MTUs. That allows the vessel to head out ahead of a mothership to an anchorage and get the toys set up. Whatever the purpose, though, the yacht meets the IMO Tier III emissions-reduction regulations.
Ultimately with the Yacht Support 53, “You believe anything is possible,” Kleijpoel says. “I think it’s an exciting design.”
Delivery takes place in 2023. The next available delivery is springtime in 2024.
Damen Yachting damenyachting.com
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