A new charter from Heesen reduces fuel use and noise – and even promises to make food taste nicer, writes Arun Kakar
Silence is the word for Heesen’s latest charter yacht, the aptly named Home. It’s a vessel that the Dutch shipyard proudly calls the ‘first of a new breed’, and it might have a point. Home is the world’s first hybrid vessel with a fast displacement hull form, meaning a quieter, cleaner and more fuel-efficient cruising experience.
The tech also enables it to cruise in ‘silent mode’ at up to nine knots, where it produces just 46 decibels – roughly the sound equivalent of ‘softly falling rain’.
‘Her fast displacement hull form offers up to 25 per cent more fuel efficiency over another yacht in her class due to its slippery design and the use of lightweight aluminium,’ Heesen’s Sara Gioanola tells Spear’s.
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‘She also has a very shallow draft of 2.15 metres – the part of the hull that stretches below the water – which means she can head into shallower waters in the most beautiful locations such as Antigua and the Bahamas.
Heesen even enlisted the services of ‘sensory expert’ Professor Barry Smith, who conducted research on how noise affects the way the brain processes taste. The louder things are, the less our tongues are able to detect salt, sweet and sour flavours. Diners on board, then, can ‘enjoy food and drink to the full with no diminution of taste’, says Gioanola.
Home boasts more than technological prowess. Its striking exteriors, designed by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects, feature a vertical bow, swim platform with wide central stairs and floor-to-ceiling glass. Inside is a two-tone palette from renowned interior designer Cristiano Gatto.
Heesen invested in the hybrid propulsion system at its own expense.
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‘This commitment to investing in new technology, especially greener smart technology that is more ecologically friendly, embodies everything Heesen stands for as a company,’ adds Gioanola.
Image credit Jeff Brown
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