Five of the Most Gorgeous Yachts By Feadship

Feadship’s heritage is grounded in the De Voogt Naval Architects and the De Vries and Van Lent yards. These two formed an association in 1949, which was called First Export Association of Dutch Shipbuilders, which is Feadship. This Netherlands based association has been focused on pursuing perfection since its beginning. It is because the De Vries, De Voogt and Van Lent families have been crafting and launching boats since the 1800s. For generations, the traditions of superb shipbuilding have been observed and handed down to the descendants of the original families.

After World War II, it was difficult to find buyers for ships. The world economy was not strong. But the association presented at the New York Boat Show in 1951, selling three boats on the spot. The very first new order was received just one month later for the Hilda V. Following in 1953 was the Capri, which earned the title of Queen at the International Motor Boat Show for that year.

Since the public was impressed with Feadship’s steel construction, orders flowed in for motorboats built from steel and aluminum. At that time, the association built their last wooden yacht, the Souris II, in 1955. Customized yachts became the primary work of Feadship since then. The best Feadship builds of the golden era of motoryacht cruising in the 1960s can be found today as members of the Feadship Heritage Fleet.

By the 1980s, Feadships were incorporating the skills of exterior and interior designers, such as Pierre Tanter for Lac II in 1975; the first to feature such work. Also notable was Susan Puleo’s glass interior for Circus II in 1983. By the 1990s, innovative engine designs allowed Feadship to develop ships capable of crossing the Atlantic, achieving high speeds with jet propulsion and sturdy construction exemplified by owners who took their yachts to voyage up the Amazon in 1997.

The next century brought the demand for superyachts and custom yacht build requests of the most luxurious and personalized nature. Perfectionism, craftsmanship, vision, persistence to make their work the best it can be. Feadship believes that owners and builders share these same qualities “deep down”, and this has brought the association continued success and many repeat customers.

Today, the association has yachtbuilding facilities in Kagg, Aalsmeer, and Makkum. It also has an engineering and design center in Haarlem. . Through the years, it has built more than 250 exemplary luxury yachts of highest quality, and continues to maintain its leadership role as the global, premium yacht builder.

A Select Five of the Feadship Fleet

Sea Owl

Feadship regards Sea Owl as a stellar example of bespoke interiors and artistic inspiration.

The Sea Owl started her life on the seas with a journey to explore the fjords of Norway. She was handed to her owners in a ceremony held in front of the National Maritime Museum of Amsterdam. The Sea Owl’s owners wanted to keep her length to 62 meters, but they also wanted clear views and open spaces. The extraordinary results are the huge 1,500-ton yacht with its distinctive Jade Mist green hull and Oyster White superstructure. Both are Awlgrip shades.

But the exterior is just a hint of the interior design. Andrew Winch worked closely with family members to personalize the yacht’s rooms, which are inspired by great children’s literatures. Drawing on favorites Peter Pan, Alice in Wonderland, the Philosophia Naturalis Principia Mathematica of Newton, and the experiences of Charles Darwin’s sea journeys, the interior décor is full of references to pirates, fairy tales and nature.

Trompe l’oeil murals depict garden scenes and the family’s dog. Ceiling frescoes depict a circa 1800 world map. Beautiful woods cover the floors and central staircase. A Steinway grand piano in custom rosewood is securely fastened to the deck and can play itself. Other features include WiFi, multiple charging ports throughout, a chandelier by glass artist Chihuly above the dining table, and a positioning system which keeps the yacht secure without using anchors to hold its place. The entire vessel is kept secure with fingerprint keypads and security cameras in unexpected locations. It is perfection for the family who lives there.

Venus

Feadship notes Venus as an excellent example of using glass in amounts never requested by an owner before.

The Venus garnered public fame as the $250 million USD yacht of Steve Jobs, who tragically died before he was able to sail in it. He had worked together with designer Philippe Starck for five years. Jobs was significantly detail oriented, and it was the interior which drew his attention. The designer mentioned that refinements were requested for each millimeter; each detail.

Venus is a masterpiece of minimalist design. Jobs wanted simplicity in the extreme. Nothing useless was included. What was added was enormous amounts of glass. Large, reflective windows fill the vessel; shimmering in daylight and moonlight. It is an 80 meter-long, linear masterpiece.

Tango

Feadship views Tango as a superior example of what can be achieved when builders, designers, architects and owners cooperate through the entire yacht-creation process.

The Tango was built at the Van Lent yard. She was delivered to Russian billionaire and philanthropist Viktor Bekselberg in 2011. She was built with a metallic gray superstructure over a white hull. Her design is Eidsgaard Design. Tango has 22 crew members and has 7 cabins for 14 guests. Her top speed of 22 knots is provided by four, 1,7390 hp MTU diesel engines. Compass Tenders custom built a nine-meter limousine yacht tender for her.

She won the World Superyacht Awards in 2012. Tango impressed the judges because she is a vessel which has pushed beyond the norm. She was designed for performance, exceptional beauty and luxury from the very first. The judges considered that she should win in her category for best displacement motor yacht and for best motor yacht. Feadship developed a testing program using specialized computer fluid dynamics to ultimately provide Tango with speeds up to 21 knots. The design team conducted extensive tests which gave this success.

The judges rewarded Feadship with high praise for Tango’s supreme construction and engineering and elegant appearance. They also approved of the layout of her exterior decks and the comfortable and distinguished interior design. She was considered to be a higher level of accomplishment in the yachting world.

Her special features include:

• An outdoor movie theater
• A contra-flow pool, gym and massage salon on a spa deck
• A private owner’s deck
• A Jacuzzi on the sun deck
• A full beam main lounge
• Rolls Royce stabilizers which prevent queasy guests

Savannah

Feadship recognizes Savannah not only for her hybrid motor, but for her stylish flair.

The superyacht Savannah was built by Feadship and delivered to Swedish billionaire Lukas Lundin, her new owner, in 2015. She began her life as project #686 until she was christened as Savannah.

Savannah was a significant point of departure in terms of her 274 foot long size and energy use. She was the first vessel of her size to be powered by a battery pack, one Wartsila diesel engine and three diesel-electric generators all working together in combination. The separate technologies were not new, but the way they were combined was. Savannah was given the designation of hybrid yacht for this reason. The battery pack alone is one million watts of lithium-ion batteries. She was built with steel and an aluminum superstructure and with a hull design streamlined for performance. This, combined with a propeller 40 percent bigger than is customary, gives the yacht a better engine load than any other in its class. Adding the electro-mechanical components allowed for savings of nearly 30 percent fuel when compared to yachts of similar size.

In addition to her first-ever hybrid engine status, Savannah is an extravagant vessel. Her entire structure, excluding her mast domes, are painted with metallic paint. This includes her ceilings and fixed deck furniture. She has an underwater port side lounge which allows passengers to view fish swimming by. She has a movie theater and a swimming pool which is nine meters long. She has 6 cabins to accommodate 12 guests. Her crew is 22 in 10 cabins. Her value is approximately $100 million USD.

Ecstasea

Feadship regards Ecstasea as one of its most distinguished, purely custom creations.

The luxury yacht Ecstasea was built in 2004. At the time of her build, she held the distinction of being the largest yacht Feadship had built. Her owner was Roman Abramovich, the Russian oligarch billionaire. The Ecstasea was sold to HH Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, the Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi in 2009 for $125 million USD. In 2014, the yacht was sold again to Alshair Fiyaz, the Pakistani billionaire for $75 million USD.

The Ecstasea was built in Holland by Feadship Yacht builders of Royal Van Lent & Zonen, and her launch was at De Kaag. Her hull is steel with a superstructure of aluminum. She is 281.99 feet long. Her exterior design is the collaborative result of De Voogt Naval Architects and Terence Disdale. Disdale designed the interior, which has been described as having Asian influence and beach house style. The interior design has won many awards.

She can accommodate 14 guests in separate cabins. The yacht has a movie theater, a massage room, a gym with a sauna and steam room, and multiple bars. She carries a crew of 24. Her aft deck and an enclosed hangar on the fore deck will hold two helicopters. With a maximum speed of 35 knots, her power comes from a 2500 General Electric LM gas turbine and four MTU engines, for 43,287 hp. She is quite fast for a large yacht.

She also has the capacity for carrying several toys, such as windsurfers, paddleboards, kayaks, water skis, wakeboards, kneeboards, doughnuts, several models of Sea-Doo vehicles and mountain bikes.