Zeelander just announced that it’s building a new 79-foot-long Zeelander 8 flagship in its recently expanded plant in Holland.
This latest Zeelander will be launched this summer, and it will carry the same unmistakable low profile reminiscent of America’s commuter boats of the 1930s and the company’s tapered transom and extendable beach club that set new standards for creating more space on the water.
The Zeelander fleet already has a model 5, at 48’ 3”; a 6, at 55’ 9″; and a 7, at 66’ 7”. They all have the same lines, and the new 8 will have the same drive-in garage that started with the 6 and 7. (It’s on the starboard side aft so it doesn’t interrupt the beach club aft.)
The new 8 will have three double staterooms below, ready for six people, and accommodations for three crew. Standard power is four 900-hp Volvo IPS1200 pod drives; four 1,000-hp IPS1350s are options. Top speed is expected to be about 40 knots, with a range of 475 nm at a lower cruising speed.
The exterior of the new Zeelander was done by Cor D. Rover Design with studios in Rotterdam and Amsterdam; he often works on superyachts. Zeelander did the interior, and Sea Level – Amsterdam was the naval architect.
We don’t have a lot of details yet, but the beam will be 20’ 9” to create a large amount of interior volume. Draft is 3’ 3”. Zeelander’s fit and finish are generally superyacht-quality. But the yacht’s looks, with an S-shaped sheer, raked wraparound windshield and curves everywhere, set it apart.
“When we are finally able to share details of the interior it should become clear that this yacht represents the absolute peak of understated performance and comfort for the world’s most demanding owners,” said Sietse Koopmans, Zeelander’s founder and owner.
One thing is clear: Koopmans insists on reducing noise and vibration on all his boats. A few years ago, I was with him on his then-new 72 flagship in Narragansett Bay off Newport, Rhode Island, and it was one of the most solid and smoothest rides I’d had in a long time. And quiet. Indeed, my sound meter showed only 72 dB(A) t the helm at 39.8 knots.
Koopmans has invested in expanding his yard in Groot-Ammers in the province of South Holland, a bit east of Rotterdam, so he can build larger yachts. Stay tuned.
Read more: http://zeelander.com
