GROOT-AMMERS – For many, 2021 was the second year of COVID-19 lockdowns and travel restrictions. For Zeelander Yachts – the Dutch builder of high-end motor yachts of up to 22m (72ft) – it was “a year of great success.”
The company says it doubled its order book, expanded its build capacity, and found new clients in Italy, The Netherlands, the United States and Japan. Also, in 2021, the yard announced the Zeelander 5, “a project that took years of research and development,” and that quickly found a good market response.
The yard says it sold more than seven before the new model’s official introduction. The first Zeelander 5 will set sail in mid-2022.
In 2021, the yard also hired a new CEO: Grant Hooper, who held senior positions at Britain’s Fairline Yachts and LVMH-owned Princess Yachts.
Citing “promising growing demand worldwide,” Zeelander Yachts expanded its shipyard in The Netherlands, added new office space and reorganized its entire production hall to optimize efficiency and output.
Zeelander is a custom builder. In 2021, the yard says, it built a yacht for an owner “whose interior matched that of his private jets,” featuring exotic wooden details, topnotch leatherwork and a floor “that took over 27 coats of lacquer to be perfect.”
In March, Zeelander will be attending the Palm Beach International Boat Show to display the Z55 and Z72.
Zeelander Yachts was founded in 2003 by Sietse Koopmans, a businessman determined to create a high-quality sports cruiser yacht.
The first model, the Z44, was unveiled in 2008, drawing much attention at the Monaco Yacht Show that year. In the years that followed, more than thirty Z44’s were sold. The first Z55 was delivered in November 2015, and the flagship Z72 in March 2019.
