The 11th largest superyacht in the world, the 141-metre YAS arrived at Damen Shiprepair in Rotterdam last month. She has now left Holland for Kristiansand in Norway. Meanwhile, the vessel is famous for being one of the largest conversions in martime history.
The superyachtyacht was previously known as a frigate of the Royal Netherlands Navy, Hr. Ms. Piet Heyn. Initially measuring 130 metres in length, she was launched in 1978 by the Koninklijke Schelde Groep. The frigate was sold in 1998 to the United Arab Emirates Navy where she operated under the name Al Emirat.
The vessel was decommissioned in 2008 and sold to Abu Dhabi MAR shipyard, that conceived her complex conversion. It took nearly 5 years to complete the conversion and at the time of her re-launch, YAS was the sixth in the ranking of the largest superyachts in the world.
ADM Shipyards in cooperation with naval architect and marine engineer Johan Valentijn and Paris based Pierrejean Design Studio, restyled the yacht with the latest technologies in addition to modern interior and exterior design.
YAS accommodates up to 60 guests and a crew of 56. Her alluring features include an automatic stern platform, amazing outdoor pool and spa, a helipad, a highly-sophisticated audio-visual entertainment system, a garage for water toys, as well as door made of carbon-fibre functioning as a boarding or swim platform.
As for the performance, YAS reaches a top speed of 26 knots thanks to her modern twin MTU diesel engines, and a cruising speed of 20 knots.
According to media sources, YAS is rumoured to belong to Hamdan bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, a member of the Emirati royal family, the emir’s representative in the western region of Abu Dhabi.
Photo: Dutch Yachting.