October Update: Busy times @ Van der Valk
We enjoyed a very successful Cannes Yachting Festival last month, with our newly delivered Raised Pilothouse Jangada being one of the stars of the show. Also given the red-carpet treatment was the launch model in our revolutionary BeachClub range, and we were delighted when she took home a World Yachts Trophies award in Cannes.
The good news kept coming as we then received a new order for a 26-metre Raised Pilothouse. And, having successfully completed a 27-metre motoryacht for LeVen Yachts, construction is now underway on the first Modern version of our successful Flybridge range. Here’s an update on these various stories as the Van der Valk adventure continues apace…
Jangada delivered to delighted owner
Jangada, the fifth superyacht in our successful Raised Pilothouse custom-series line, was recently delivered to a repeat client. This 32-metre motoryacht was designed in partnership with Nick Top and Guido de Groot and features a wealth of personalised components to meet the experienced owner’s very specific brief. In fact, the client visited several other top builders and found no other yard could offer him the same degree of customisation as Van der Valk.
Jangada’s minimalistic contemporary interior style is based on whitewashed European oak. The spacious galley and accommodations are particularly well thought-through. Clever details include a mechanism to close off the VIP suite bathroom on the main deck for use by guests after swimming without the need to pass through the bedroom, and electrically operated curved glass doors between the main deck aft and spacious saloon with its large windows.
The hull features a bulbous bow and Van Oossanen Hull Vane fixed foil for enhanced fuel efficiency. A VEEM 145 zero-speed gyroscopic stabiliser keeps Jangada nice and steady even when the sea is not. And the propulsion package consists of twin MTU 12V2000 M96L engines with a capacity of 1432 kW at 2450 rpm, providing a cruising speed of 18 knots and an invigorating maximum speed of around 22 knots.
New order for 26-metre Raised Pilothouse
The ongoing attractions of the Raised Pilothouse range have been reinforced by the order we just received for a new yacht measuring 26 metres. The European owner was impressed after meeting the Van der Valk team at last year’s Cannes Yachting Festival and was pleased to entrust us with this sensitive project. The hull and superstructure are due for completion soon with delivery expected in the summer of 2020.
The interior was inspired by the warm, sophisticated design of Van der Valk’s Grey Falcon and the clean, minimalistic appearance of Nicostasia. Built with four cabins with individual ensuite bathrooms and eight berths in all, the boat will have three crew berths and be used for sailing with the family in the Mediterranean, principally on the French Riviera. She will feature a comfy dinette for eight on the flybridge and in the main saloon.
The outdoor areas will host a helm station, a large tender and lots of sunbeds. The numerous technical tours de force will include a hydraulic swimming platform and the largest engines yet seen on a Van der Valk Raised Pilothouse 26M: twin MTU 12V 2000 M96L, 1920 hp strong and capable of producing a cruising speed of 22 knots and a very respectable top speed of 26 knots. A Seakeeper 35 gyroscope will ensure zero-speed stabilisation.
Award winning performances
This new Raised Pilothouse is one of five yachts currently in production at Van der Valk, including a 28-metre Explorer and the third BeachClub. The craftsmen working on the latter build have been given extra inspiration after the launch model for the BeachClub range won the prestigious World Yachts Trophies award at the end of the Cannes Yachting Festival. Impressed with the amount of space on her aft deck, the expert jury crowned the BeachClub 600 the ‘Most Innovative Yacht’ in the 45ft to 64 feet category. We have to agree?
Work starts on new Modern Flybridge
We have also just started building an exciting 24-metre Modern version of the Flybridge line. Designed by Cor D. Rover, the model introduces floor-to-ceiling windows that offer sweeping vistas of the outside world. Built in aluminium and fitted with triple Volvo Penta IPS1050 engines, the yacht will make excellent use of her spacious design, with four double cabins, four bathrooms and crew quarters. There are currently 15 Flybridge models in the Van der Valk fleet and the modern Flybridge complements your options with its extra easy operation.
New LeVen project launched
Just in time to make her public debut at FLIBS, we completed another brand-new motoryacht for LeVen Yahcts, the first project we have completed for this fledgling brand. Commissioned by the Fort Lauderdale-based YachtCreators, this 27-metre beauty has been built in aluminium to a design by Vripack Naval Architects.
One of many striking attributes of the LeVen is her smart 1.3-metre draught, making her ideal for cruising shallow waters: the experienced owner and his family will largely sail her among the Exuma islands in the Bahamas. The yacht also features lots of alfresco areas distributed across the 60 m² flybridge and the well-appointed main deck.
Indoor spaces benefit from high ceilings and an open layout with clear lines of sight. Built around the needs of the family, the whole indoor segment of the main deck is known as the Great Room, while the strategically placed eat-in galley is spacious and enclosed by windows that give an open feel. There are four guest cabins and two crew cabins below deck.
The LeVen is propelled by a Voith linear jet propulsion system enabling a top speed of 26 knots and range of 400 nautical miles. Solar panels help top up the lithium batteries that power the air conditioning and the boat for up to 12 hours of night mode. There is a sports deck featuring a Transformer platform for easy access to and launching of tender and toys.