Zeelander, the upscale Dutch builder, just completed a Z55 for a new customer who said he wanted “the fastest Zeelander ever built.” With twin Volvo IPS1350s delivering 2,000 hp, the new Zeelander 55 tops out at 42 knots; the traditional Z55, with twin IPS950s and 1,450 hp, tops out at 33 knots.
To fit the larger engines, Zeelander had to customize the hull, adding more strength to the engine room and more lamination from bow to midship. It also upgraded the engine room insulation and installed double-flex mounts on all pumps and motors. As a result, the boat is quiet, as well as fast. “The new yacht is the quietest one, just like a Rolls Royce on the water,” says Leonard van den Berg, commercial director at Zeelander.
With its low profile, reverse transom and long sheer, the Zeelander is built to look like a modern version of a Golden Age New York commuter boat (but with a European flair). And it has some innovations that make it stand out from the crowd. The 75-square-foot swim platform, for example, folds down from the transom for easy access to the water, or just for extra relaxing space. And the garage, which is large enough to hold the new owner’s 100-hp Williams tender, is located amidships, between the master stateroom and the engine room, with an entrance in the side of the hull.
Below, the Z55 has three staterooms: the master, with an en suite head and shower; a VIP in the bow, which shares the day head and shower with a smaller guest cabin on the starboard side. The main deck is all one level, with no steps separating the cockpit from the salon. The cockpit has a large U-shaped lounge and table, which separate at the touch of a button to create a walkway to the swim platform, and a bar with three stools. The salon has the galley aft and a large L-shaped settee forward to port; the helm, with a captain’s and passenger’s seat, is centered.
Specs.: LOA: 55’7”; Beam: 16’4”; Draft: 4’11”; Disp.: 52,910 lbs.; Fuel: 870 gals.; Water: 198 gals.; Standard Power: 2×725-hp Volvo Penta IPS950s.
