Heesen celebrates delivery of VanTom

Heesen Yachts has announced the successful delivery of the sixth yacht in its popular 50-metre (164-foot) semi-displacement series, designed by Frank Laupman at Omega Architects. 

Launched in November 2017, VanTom – a 5000 Aluminium class Heesen – was delivered on Wednesday 14^th February 2018 in international waters, after intensive sea trials in what Heesen describes to be the “rough winter waves” of the North Sea. 

Captain David Burge commented, “During sea trials, the yacht handled extremely well and gave a very smooth ride, even whilst proceeding at a speed of over 20 knots with a sea running. I am most excited about our maiden voyage down to the Mediterranean Sea and very much look forward to the 2018 summer cruising season.”

Heesen reported that VanTom exceeded her contractual speed by 0.3 knots on her trials, reaching a top speed of 20.3 knots. At 11 knots she has a transatlantic range of 3,100 nautical miles.

With a gross tonnage of below the 500GT threshold, VanTom sports a highly efficient hard-chine hull and propulsion system that is both quiet and vibration-free, even at higher speeds.

Arne Ploch at Camper & Nicholsons, who represented the client’s commercial interests during the construction, said, “It was a real pleasure to work with Heesen throughout this new build for the past two years. It’s been a smooth relationship based on mutual trust and respect, the way it should be when building a new yacht. It has been a great experience for the owner and his team.”

In a statement, Heesen said, “The Heesen 5000 Aluminium class has proven to be a revolutionary offering. Hinging on a semi-custom platform, the pioneering concept enables clients to have a yacht they can customise that relies on proven design and technology, reducing both client costs and construction times.” 

For more information, visit Heesen Yachts.