Heesen has launched YN 19055 Project Castor at its facility in Oss, the Netherlands. By adopting corona measures early on, the company says there has been little disruption allowing construction of the yacht to progress on schedule for an August delivery.
According to the company measures were taken both in production processes and in the offices, which made it possible to ‘introduce the necessary physical distance’ and continue ‘work following the Dutch governmental guidelines with as little disruption as possible.’ The number of employees working in the shipyard at any one time was halved by working in two shifts.
‘We have been beyond impressed with how the Heesen team adapted to the COVID-19 pandemic,’ comments Rupert Connor from Luxury Yacht Group who represents the client. ‘They have adjusted their working hours to increase social distancing yet retain optimal man hours on our project and preserve an on-time, high-quality delivery which is no small feat in these challenging times.’
At 760 gross tonnage, Project Castor is the most voluminous 55-metre yacht currently offered by a Northern European shipyard. Powered by two MTU 8V 4000 M63 diesel main engines, it will reach a top speed of 15.5 knots and will boast a range of 4500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 13 knots.
Project Castor particulars
This performance is possible thanks to the design and engineering platform that sports the progressive FDHF (fast displacement hull form) hull devised by Van Oossanen. According to the yacht builder, the Heesen 55-metre FDHF Steel offers exceptional seakeeping qualities coupled with more frugal fuel consumption compared to any other yacht in its class.
Twelve guests are accommodated in six staterooms, with the master suite located forward on the main deck. Four spacious guest cabins (two double and two twin) are on the lower deck, while the VIP is on the bridge deck. Project Castor is the first in the class to offer the new layout configuration.
