Running down Narragansett Bay off Newport at 39.8 knots on an early summer afternoon, the only sound I could hear at the helm of the new Zeelander 72 flagship was the action of the water. After a few minutes, I realized that this iconic-looking, Dutch-built, low-profile cruiser was one of the most solid and smoothest-riding boats I’ve ever been on.
It also was quiet, my sound reader showing only 72 dB(A) at that speed. At 13 knots (and who wants to go only 13 knots on this boat?), the sound level was 62 dB(A), the level of normal conversation. These readings were all the more remarkable because there were 13 people on the boat at the time, and we were heading into a 14-knot wind and two-foot chop.
I mentioned all this to Sietse Koopmans, the founder of the company who was driving the boat, and he smiled a bit. “Yes,” he said. “I know.” He also mentioned that the boat was full of fuel and water at the time, in addition to the crowd on board, and said that it had hit a top speed of about 40.4 knots earlier, powered by three 1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives.
Koopmans founded Zeelander in 2002 in the Dutch province of Zeelander. He started out in the oil equipment business, and had run half a dozen companies. He also loved cruising; indeed, he cruised around the world in 2009-2010 on a 127-foot Vripack expedition motoryacht. Lately he has turned his other companies over to their CEOs, to run Zeelander himself.
And he clearly knows how he wants to identify his boats, often referring to Porsche or Rolls-Royce as comparisons, when not taking advantage of his Dutch heritage. “We believe true yacht building is a form of art,” Koopmans says. The Zeelander 72 is available in four color schemes, including Bentley Blue and Porsche Rhodium Silver.
The new Zeelander definitely has its own looks, inside and out, something of a contemporary take on the famous commuter boats of yachting’s gilded age, except with even more curves. The 72 has a more sporty look than previous Zeelanders, probably helped by the large wraparound windshield (visibility from the helm is excellent), the larger reverse transom and gorgeous tumblehome. The almost-plumb bow is high and proud, and the sheerline just sweeps back to the stern.
The teak swim platform, all 100 square feet of it, folds out from the clamshell transom, creating an enormous beach or lounging area. The boat’s garage is on the starboard side, just forward of the engine room; you can deploy the tender without disturbing anyone enjoying the swim platform.
You can walk on the boat from the swim platform or through megayacht-quality doors built into the hull in the cockpit, which has convertible seating aft (a settee facing forward can be converted into a sun-lounge facing aft), a beautiful table on stainless steel pedestals and another sofa facing aft. Under the overhang from the coachroof, four bar stools are set up facing a table that, when the curved glass window is open, becomes an extension of the galley at the aft end of the salon. When the glass door on the starboard side also is open, the salon and cockpit all become one unit.
The interior is all done in soft white colors and curves; there’s not a straight line anywhere. There’s a wide settee aft facing a dining table (that can be lowered to form an extra sleeping area), and a bench seat on the port side. The three helm seats can be adjusted to face aft, becoming part of the dining/salon area.
The helm itself, with three display screens, is in elegant leather. Volvo’s IPS joystick is on the starboard side, and Koopmans used it to walk the boat away from its dock. A curved staircase on the starboard side leads down to the accommodations deck, with three elegant staterooms, all with en suite heads.
The master is in the bow, with a centered king bed, a seat on the port side and a large head with walk-in shower. Two matching staterooms are aft, with entry doors set at an angle to make use of space. A door in the middle can be opened to connect the two, or closed for privacy. And each stateroom has three large hullside windows for lots of natural light. They also have lots of storage space, and an extra seat near the foot of the bed.
Power options for the Zeelander 72 range from triple Volvo IPS950s to this boat, with its three IPS1350 pod drives. The company says that with the IPS1350s, the boat’s range is 673 nm at 29 knots. Price for this boat is $4,850,000.
Specs.: LOA: 72’4”; Beam: 19’7”; Draft: 4’9”; Disp.: 99,000 lbs.; Fuel: 1,585 gals.; Water: 396 gals. Power: 3×1,000-hp Volvo IPS1350 pod drives.
