Heesen Yachts, the Dutch shipyard based in Oss since 1978, has announced the launch of its largest yacht yet, the 70m Project Kometa, which has been christened Galactica Super Nova by her owners. The keel of the yacht was laid in 2013.
Galactica Super Nova is built one the fast displacement hull platform that was devised by van Oossanen Naval Architects and combines high speed with increased stability. The 70m yacht can reach a top speed in excess of 30 knots thanks to twin MTU 20V 4000 engines of 5760 hp each and a third additional booster jet.
The yacht has an exterior design by Espen Oeino and an interior by Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design and is built out of aluminium. According to the technical specifications, the yacht can cruise for up to 4,000 nautical miles at 14 knots and has a tonnage of 1,200gt with a beam of 11.9 meters.
Some key features of the 70m Galactica Super Nova include, according to Heesen, a touch-and-go helipad forward on the main deck that doubles as an outdoor cinema and a 13.500 litres pool with a contra-flow system for swimming. Tenders and toys (including a quad ski) are stored in the forward part of the hull, allowing room for a large beach club and swimming platform aft.
The yacht is able to accommodate 12 guests in 6 cabins with a master cabin, four guest cabins and a VIP on the upper deck.
The yacht will now undergo a testing period in the North Sea before being delivered to her owners in May 2016. She will then undergo her maiden voyage from the Netherlands to Montenegro. The yacht is expected to be showcased at this year's Monaco Yacht Show.
The fast displacement hull offers multiple advantages in terms of performance and efficiency. Conventional displacement hulls commonly perform well at low speeds, but as the yacht accelerates the wave resistance quickly builds up, thereby limiting the maximum speed achievable with a given installed power. The fast displacement hull, however, provides low resistance over the entire speed range, which means efficient cruising at low and high speeds. In the case of the new 70m, the maximum speed is projected to be around 30 knots, which is more like the performance of a semi-displacement or planing hull.
Sara Gioanola, Press Office Manager at Heesen Yachts.
This speed and stability is achieved through 5 critical factors, the shape of the round bilge and bulb bow, the position of the spray rails rails, the shallow transom and the interceptor positioned below the transom.
Photos by Guillaume Plisson and Dick Holthius.