Building yachts on spec may seem like a big gamble these days, but Heesen Yachts is staying the course. Why? Because the yard had its highest order demand in its 31-year history last year, according to Fabio Ermetto, Heesen’s commercial and marketing director, but equally important, he says the yard wants to remain prepared for the eventual turnaround in buyer demand.
To that end, the new design pictured here, the 4000 Series, is being added to Heesen’s lineup.
If you’re familiar with Heesen’s offerings, you may recall that it has a 3700 Series, of which eight deliveries have been made to date and two more are under construction. You might therefore also assume that the 4000 will replace the 3700 – but that’s actually not the case. Heesen wants the new series to fill the gap between the 3700 and the 4400 Series.
“The 4000 is for those owners who look for more comfort but still prefer two and a half decks with a high level of customization,” Ermetto tells me. Plus, “our competitors build this kind of yacht in fiberglass, but ours is in aluminum.”
As the name suggests, the 4000 is a 40-meter (131’3”) megayacht. Being built to ABS classification, she features her own semidisplacement hull design, which, besides being longer than that of the 3700, is also half a meter (1’6”) wider, coming in at 8 meters (26’3”). She additionally has a full-beam flying bridge and a variety of interior layout options for four or five staterooms, including ones in which the VIP cabin can be full beam.
One thing that won’t change: the emphasis on good turn of speed. Thanks to twin 3,700-hp MTU 16V4000 M90s, the 4000 Series should see a 30-knot top end. Ermetto says that owners may be able to achieve up to 4 knots more if they select the optional M93 diesels. Regardless, scaled back to 12 knots, the yacht should see a range of 2,000 nautical miles. Zero-speed stabilizers – something the 3700 doesn’t feature – should ensure comfort.
While most buyers don’t pay much attention – if any at all – to how a yacht is designed, Heesen proudly points out that the 4000 Series is its first to be fully designed in 3D. It actually is a significant move, as any yacht builder that presently uses 3D can tell you. Three-dimensional models allow all the departments, from design to engineering to interior decor fit-out, to share information far earlier and therefore avoid potential errors before the first pipe, wire, or other elements gets put in place. This in turn, as Ermetto points out, “results in the rapid creation of complete interior layouts,” since lighting and the positioning of furnishings can also be incorporated. Heesen undertook a pilot program for CATIA, one type of 3D design, and was so pleased with the time saved that it is now implementing CATIA throughout the company. “We can deliver drawings faster and of better quality and are able to perform feasibility studies in a matter of hours thanks to the power of 3D,” Ermetto explains.
Delivery for hull number one of the 4000 Series is set for 2011. Given the unprecedented weakened global economy and the predictions from some economists for slow growth, that date may seem too far off for comfort, but it still doesn’t have Heesen concerned. “We’re in a better (financial) position because we don’t build a lot of boats in a year,” Ermetto says.
Leave a Reply