MONNICKENDAM – The venerable Royal Hakvoort Shipyard is building a 45m superyacht whose concept, design and engineering are the work of the Andre Hoek Design studio. The boat is to be delivered in 2026.
“Despite being located only a few kilometers from our studio, we haven’t had the privilege to work together before,” says Hoek. Royal Hakvoort, he adds, “is in a class of their own regarding mid-size, full-custom yachts.”
Project YN 256 has an eco-conscious design, is wheelchair-accessible, designed for long-distance cruising and has hybrid propulsion. Her defining characteristics are a glass superstructure and sailing yacht traits throughout.
The clients asked Hoek Design for a yacht unique in style, customized and with a practical, wheelchair-friendly design. It will have a round bilge displacement hull. Hoek employed many techniques and standards typically found in sailing yacht design. Much like a sailing yacht, the weight distribution, fluid flow patterns and hydrodynamic hull resistance have been thoroughly optimized for performance and efficiency.
“It’s been a real pleasure working with such a prolific sailing yacht designer,” says Klaas Hakvoort, owner of Royal Hakvoort Shipyard. The yacht’s exterior styling will be modern and retro, with a slightly flared bow and a hydraulic side boarding platform.
“The entire superstructure is made of glass,” says Hoek. “Double-layered and double-insulated glass, supported by aluminum mullions.”
Despite having 380 GT of interior volume, her owner chose an unconventional three-stateroom configuration. The two full-beam VIP staterooms are just as voluminous as the owner’s suite, and both feature a lounge area, flexible seating arrangements, and a large ensuite complete with a bathtub.
The salon and dining area is open-plan, uncluttered and home to an eight-person dining table and C-shaped settee. As accessibility was a key, Project YN 256 has some unique features for a yacht of this size: an elevator that services all three decks, side decks wide enough for a wheelchair, a hydraulic transformer on the swim platform that can transport wheelchair users from the dock to the main deck.
Another key feature is a gym fitted with aged oak parquet flooring and handy stowage for diving equipment midships. She’ll have a range of 3,500 nautical miles at 11 knots and a top speed of 14 knots.
