Heesen Unveil Newly Christened 55m Vida

By Anna Solomon

News from the Heesen facility in Oss: the shipyard have excitingly unveiled 55m Vida. Formerly called Project Antares, the Steel class yacht was re-christened today, and has captivated the superyacht industry.

M/Y Vida was launched by Heesen Yachts at the beginning of 2019, signalling a strong start to the year for the shipyard, and is now entering the systems commissioning phase in preparation for sea trials. She features a powerful exterior form masterminded by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects. A lack of fashion plates gives the yacht a certain cleanness which is emphasized by floor-to-ceiling windows which welcome in an abundance of natural light,

The owner of the 55m is an experienced nautical enthusiast, who collaborated closely with Heesen during the yacht’s build. Vida will act as the ‘mothership’ to the owner’s sport fishing fleet and entailed many customized features to fit this role, including the ability to re-fuel and re-charge two smaller boats, therein mitigating the need to return to base for days on end.

Vida’s interior was architected by Be Design Associates, a firm hand-picked by the owner after a previous collaboration, who worked on an architectural skeleton constructed by Francesco Paszkowski and Margerita Casprini. The use of natural materials and a warm colour palette creates a home-away-from-home feeling, culminating in a deeply sophisticated and comfortable yacht. Central to the work of all Vida’s contributors was environmental performance and long-term durability in the marine environment.

The Heesen build can sleep 12 guests across five suites, of which the majestic 80m owner’s stateroom takes the crown. Another standout feature is the stunning backlit onyx arh in the main saloon which instantaneously draws the eye when boarding, announcing Vida as a yacht of luxurious quality.

She is also a boat of impressive capability - at 740GT she offers a maximum speed of 16 knots frugal fuel consumption that gives a remarkable range of 4,500nm at 13 knots, thanks to the progressive hull design devised by van Oossanen Naval Architects.

Vida will soon commence sea trials in the North Sea before being delivered to her owners in Spring 2019 and making her official Monaco Yacht Show this year. This comfortable, optimised, high-performance vessel will undoubtedly make a splash.

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By Anna Solomon
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