Heesen Yachts’s new build Sibelle was delivered to her owner following sea trials in which the yacht proved to be stable, extremely manoeuvrable and very quiet.

A 50-m fully custom motor yacht, below 500 gross tonnes with an aluminum hull and superstructure, Sibelle was delivered on March 20, the Dutch builder said.

The sea trials took place in the North Sea in February in waves ranging between 0.5 m and 1 m in a fresh to strong wind (Force 4-5). 

During the trials, Sibelle exceeded the contractual speed and proved to be extremely manoeuvrable and very quiet, the yard said.

Naval architect Perry van Oossanen comments: “The first of a kind. A fast displacement hull form with a radical styling that includes a vertical stem and very strict requirements from the owner, has really pushed the boundaries in yacht design. To see all this come together so beautifully after five years of hard work of designing and building, is a great feeling. All of us at Van Oossanen Naval Architects are proud to be part of this unique project!” 

The build captain of Sibelle reports: “We are very pleased by the behaviour of Sibelle at sea. The speed trials – conducted without the use of stabilizers – took place in slightly uncomfortable seas with waves ranging from 0.5 to 1 meter, hitting us on the beam: the vessel proved to be stable and extremely manoeuvrable. The most remarkable feature is her frugal fuel consumption: at top speed (19 knots on the GPS) she uses 600 litres an hour, and at cruising speed (15.1 knots) it is only 220 litres an hour!”

The design of Sibelle proves that high speed cruising can be achieved without sacrificing either luxury or efficiency.

Sibelle’s exterior lines are by Frank Laupman from Omega architects, who was assisted in the refinement of the design details by Mikhail Labazov and Andrei Savin from Architectural Bureau A-B Studio. 

The oxymoron ‘complex simplicity’ best describe the philosophy that led the design team in the development of this project, says Heesen Yachts. 

Sibelle’s elegant exterior lines are emphasised by contrasting bands of wraparound glass that give her a very distinctive look.The exterior lines look like they are running parallel, but in reality they are not! It is all about small adjustments that give an impression of parallelism to the eye, it points out. 

Mark Cavendish, Sales and Marketing Director at Heesen Yachts, comments: “Sibelle exemplifies Heesen’s ability to create fully custom yachts that reflect the individuality of the client. We help our visionary owners to craft their unique vessel and provide them with the highest standard of engineering developed in over 35 years of experience.”

Founded by Frans Heesen in 1978 in Oss, Heesen Yachts was the first Dutch shipyard to employ aluminium for the yacht hulls. Since then it has become a world leader in design, engineering and construction of high-performance motor-yachts. In 1992 it expanded its business to include the construction of traditional displacement yachts, and today it delivers superyachts within the 34-75 m size range, and beyond. In 35 years it has delivered nearly 170 yachts.

Nine yachts are currently in construction and their deliveries span through to 2017.