#Industry News
Zeelander building its fastest yacht ever
Dutch shipyard Zeelander is building its fastest boat ever, a 55-foot Z55 powered by twin Volvo Penta IPS1350 pod drives that produce the equivalent of 2,000 total hp.
The owner of the boat is a new Zeelander customer and he had one goal when he commissioned the vessel. According to the company, his directive was, “I want the fastest Zeelander ever built.”
The new motors did require some customization of the hull. “In order to install the new motors, we have further increased the hull strength around the engine room and additional lamination thickness from bow to midship according to new strength calculations,” said Leonardo van den Berg, commercial director at Zeelander Yachts, in a statement. “Despite the engines are more powerful than what we used before, it does not affect the high level of comfort on board. The new yacht is the quietest one, just like a Rolls Royce on the water.”
To ensure that the boat is quiet, the company hired an engineering consultant who added rubber matting at the chine and upgraded the engine-room insulation with the same materials used on superyachts. All pumps and motors are installed on “double flexible” mounts, which again are usually found on much larger, more expensive vessels. A gyrostabilizer is mounted to avoid structurally transmitted noises and special attention was paid to engine balance.