Heesen Yachts

Fast aluminium yachts and steel displacement yachts, from 40 to 80 m.

Frans Heesen founded the yard in Oss, in the Dutch hinterland, in 1978, and made a name with very fast aluminium yachts, including Octopussy, which exceeded 50 knots in 1988. The yard now belongs to investors and remains in Oss, far from the sea, the yachts reaching port by canal.

The range covers 40 to 80 m: semi-custom platforms in aluminium (50 m, 55 m, 57 m) and steel (Steel Class), full custom up to 80 m, and hybrid propulsion on several models. Usual designers are Omega Architects, Frank Laupman and Clifford Denn.

Strengths: short lead times for the category thanks to hulls started before sale, readable prices on known platforms, and aluminium yachts that resell quickly.