Project Alba launched by Heesen and named VanTom

The 49.8 metre Heesen motor yacht Project Alba has been launched in Oss and named VanTom.

Sold in December 2015 and ABS compliant, this all-aluminium yacht features exterior styling by long-term yard collaborator Omega Architects. As with many Heesen projects she was started on speculation, but there was still plenty of room for customisation with the owner brought in just five months later.

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In a statement, the yard said: “The owner and his wife worked closely with Francesco Paszkowski, Margherita Casprini, and the shipyard’s engineers to create an interior design that reflects their taste and the lifestyle of their family: a contemporary and unique aesthetic of understated elegance where they can enjoy peace and relaxation and feel like home.”

Accommodation is for up to 12 guests split across six staterooms, including a main deck master suite and five lower deck guest cabins. Meanwhile the crew quarters allows for a staff of up to nine people.

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Space, sportiness and elegance were key to the brief and this was achieved through the use of continuous sheets of triple-laminated glazing, giving the windows a seamless look. Her vital statistics include a nine metre beam, 2.5 metre maximum draught and a total interior volume of 499GT.

Power comes from a pair of 3,860hp MTU 16V4000 M73L diesel engines that should allow for a top speed of 23 knots and a 3,100 nautical mile range at 11 knots. Heesen will now put these calculations to the test in challenging North Sea conditions before VanTom’s January 2018 delivery date.

Other superyacht projects currently under development at the Dutch yard include the 51 metre Heesen 18151 — a Harrison Eidsgaard design that is due to launch next year.