Heesen Yachts is a Dutch ship building company that specialises in custom built superyachts. Founded in 1978, it has launched more than 170 yachts since its inception, many of which have won awards. It is considered one of the world leaders in the design, construction and engineering of all-aluminum yachts.
The company was owned by Russian billionaire Vagit Alekperov through his Cyprus investment vehicle Morcell. On May 18, 2022, Alekperov transferred his shares to an independent Dutch foundation.
History
Heesen Yachts was founded in 1978 by Frans Heesen, an entrepreneur who at the time was best known for his work in the plastics industry. Heesen purchased the Striker Boats shipyard site in the Netherlands as a potential home for another business, but decided to retain the property as a shipyard and continue its operations. One year following the purchase, Heesen launched the 20-metre (66 ft) Amigo, a luxury yacht that was the first to bear the Heesen name.
Octopussy - the breakthrough project
While Heesen had built a number of relatively advanced yachts in its first decade, 1988 would prove to be the yard’s breakthrough year. The yard had been commissioned by American entrepreneur John Staluppi to build a superyacht that could do more than 50 knots. The challenge was not inconsequential – at the time, being able to reach 25 knots with a large yacht was considered a feat of engineering, and the thought of doubling that was, for most, inconceivable. Staluppi had already purchased his propulsion package – three MTU engines with a combined output of 7,500 hp, and three KaMeWa waterjet units – and the German engine manufacturer put him in contact with Dutch naval architect Frank Mulder and Frans Heesen. The contract had a penalty clause that included a rising financial penalty for each tenth of a knot the yacht missed the 50-knot target, and a clause that said Staluppi could walk away altogether if the yacht didn’t reach 48 knots. Undeterred, Frans Heesen and his – at the time – small team took on the project. The resulting 44-metre yacht – delivered in 1988 – was named Octopussy after the 1983 James Bond film. Octopussy actually exceeded her contractual speed (thus earning the yard a bonus in the process) and was at the time the fastest superyacht on record, registering a top speed of 53.17 knots. Octopussy was refitted and lengthened by another company years later and, due to the weight the works added, she fell out of the rankings of the world's fastest yachts.
Into the 1990s
By 1990, Heesen had built more than 25 yachts over 27 metres (89 ft) in length, earning it a reputation as one of the world's leading custom yacht builders. Mirage, formerly El Corsario – considered a sister design to Octopussy – was launched by Heesen in 1991. It used triple waterjets as propulsion and was ranked as the 16th fastest yacht in the world by Boat International. It has a cruising speed of 45 knots and can reach a top speed of up to 48 knots.
In 1992, the company expanded its business to include the construction of traditional-displacement, long-range, steel-hulled yachts. This was marked by the launch of the 50-metre (160 ft) motor yacht Achiever in collaboration with Oceanco.
In 1996 Heesen, already known for its earlier Striker sport fishing boats, entered the market for large sport fishing yachts with the delivery of the 37-metre (121 ft) Obsession, a yacht that could reach a speed of 33 knots. At that time she was the world's largest sport fishing yacht.
The new millennium
Heesen expanded in 2003, the same year it launched its 3700 and 4400 yacht series which marked one of the earliest examples of superyacht building on a shared hull and engineering platform. The expansion included the building of a new construction facility.
Frans Heesen sold the yard to Russian billionaire Vagit Alekperov in 2008 for a reported $150 million. Heesen Yachts was featured in Voyages of M/Y AlumerciA, a 2011 book written by Andrew Rogers. The book documents the voyages between 2001 and 2010 of the eponymous motoryacht that was built by Heesen. In 2013, Heesen launched the 65-metre (213 ft) Fast Displacement yacht Galactica Star, a custom-built yacht with a top speed of 28.8 knots. It has received nine awards including a World Superyacht Award. Heesen also launched another World Superyacht Award winning yacht – Satori – in 2011. Frans Heesen retired from the company in 2012, 35 years after founding Heesen Yachts.