Simon Wittenberg takes a look at the Amare II, Heesen’s latest masterpiece which has recently been handed over to a private customer to spend summer cruising the Mediterranean.

Amare II, formerly known as Heesen Yachts’ Project Electra, has been delivered to her new owners after successfully completing intensive trials in the North Sea last month.

This is a milestone which probably requires a greater level of celebration, as the shipyard in the Netherlands has had to overcome additional challenges posed by the Coronavirus pandemic for YN 19150 to reach open waters.

Styled by Omega Architects, the 500-tonne, 50-metre superyacht, whose name means “to love” in Italian, is the second vessel to join Heesen’s hybrid line-up, and we had the privilege of seeing an unpainted Electra in construction when we toured Heesen’s Dutch facility in Oss in May 2019.

The delivery of this yacht was kept on track thanks to the reorganisation of the shipyard’s meticulously planned schedule, which had to be swiftly re-worked in order to meet strict governmental and safety guidelines in the Netherlands.

The tests at sea, which saw Amare II reach a top speed of 17.2 knots in diesel mode, and 10.2 knots during silent running, were performed with Captain Brenden Scott at the helm, alongside minimal crew, in order to guarantee that the necessary social distancing measures were adhered to.

Amare II offers the ideal combination of silent cruising coupled with frugal fuel consumption thanks to her lightweight aluminium Fast Displacement Hull Form. Created by Van Oossanen and engineered by Heesen’s in-house team of experts, the hull of Amare II was welded to the highest tolerances.

The buyers of the newly-christened Amare II superyacht appointed Sabrina Monte-Carlo to craft the interior décor, which is characterised by highly contemporary pieces in soft pastel colours.

Italian marques, such as B&B Italia, Paola Lenti, Giorgetti and Porta Romana got back to work after the COVID-19 lockdown to deliver the furnishings carefully selected by the Monegasque decorator with just a minimal delay.

The fine furniture was the brainchild of Italian designer Cristiano Gatto, who has also been responsible for styling the cabins of “Project Altea”, one of Amare’s sisterships.

Heesen Yachts – Where and How?

For more information on Heesen Yachts and Amare II, visit www.heesenyachts.com.

Aerial photography of Heesen Amare II courtesy of Dick Holthuis.

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