Heesen Lays Keel on Eighth 55m Project Venus 

T503 Venus Caraibi - Heesen Lays Keel on Eighth 55m Project Venus

Dutch shipyard Heesen Yachts announced the keel laying of its latest 55m motor yacht called Project Venus (YN 20655). The eighth keel from the shipyard’s hugely successful Steel Series. 

The shipyard describes the yacht as ‘bold and masculine’ and is the work of Frank Laupman of Omega Architects. In a statement to the press, Heesen described the yacht as “[a vessel that] stands out on the water for her sturdy yet elegant profile, with a distinctive ‘shark tooth’ motif behind the wheelhouse windows to lend it an extra twist of personality. Project Venus is the third 55 to benefit from this model’s major restyling.” 

Project Venus has an enclosed volume of 760GT. Interior yacht designers Luca Dini Design and Architecture worked closely with the shipyard’s engineers to optimize Venus’s layout. Twelve guests can be accommodated in six staterooms, and her yacht design includes an impressive 82 square meter owner’s stateroom on the main deck.  

Heesen explained that the layout of Project Venus prioritizes an outdoor-indoor connection, with plenty of natural light via sliding windows. Other notable design features include tender and toys conveniently stored on the main deck forward, a split aft deck terrace overlooking an infinity pool and a large fixed-swim platform. 

Project Venus has been built with efficiency in mind, with two MTU4000 M63 (IMO Tier III) engines to propel her to a maximum speed of 15.5 knots and provide a transatlantic range of 4,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 13 knots. 

“We are excited to celebrate this milestone in the construction of YN 20655, Project Venus,” commented Friso Visser, Heesen’s CCO on the launch. “Our 55m Steel Series is one of the most successful in Heesen’s history. We pioneered the construction of superyachts on speculation in the 2000s with the launch of the 37m series. Today, we have mastered the art of building superyachts in series on proven engineering platforms and offer no fewer than five different designs ranging from 50 to 57 meters. At 55 meters, Venus is among our Crown Jewels.” 

At the Monaco Yacht Show and Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, the Heesen team offered further insight into the shipyard’s business proposition. The shipyard clarified the recategorization of its projects into ‘Series’ where building starts on speculation, ‘Smart Custom’ where the construction of the yacht hull can begin while the design of the superstructure is still underway and ‘Full Custom’ where the projects start from scratch.  

YN 20655, Project Venus, will be available for delivery in Spring 2025. 

Browse new and used Heesen Yachts for sale here. 

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