Superyacht Erica completes her North Sea trials
Luxury yacht Erica has a top speed of nearly 20 knots and, when cruising at 12 knots, has a range of 3,750 nautical miles.
The 50-metre superyacht Erica, formerly known as Project Boreas, competed her North Sea trials and is being prepared for delivery to her new owner.
Peter Wilson co-founder of MCM Yachts – which acted as surveyors for the project as well as the owner’s representative – told Superyacht Investor the sea trials were now compete ahead of delivery to the yacht’s new owner later this month.
Construction of the 500GT all-aluminium motor vessel by Heesen Yachts was begun on a speculative basis on the design and engineering platform of the 50-metre Nova Plus. The design is said to offer fast yet very efficient performance; thanks to her slippery Fast Displacement Hull Form which has a draft of just 2.15 metres.
One year into the construction, her new owner personalised the pre-engineered design platform, which considerably shortened the delivery time. A key priority was to maximise the connection with the outdoors. For example, the smaller overhangs of the superstructure allow natural light into the interior. Glass panels with integrated blinds have been incorporated in the roof of the sundeck to allow more light on this area.
Pre-engineered design platform
An Isinglass clear vinyl screen is said to protect the sundeck from the wind without blocking the views. Large openable windows in the sky lounge enable fresh air to circulate indoors and are controllable remotely. In addition to the gym located on the lower deck, there is a fixed swim platform where two Technogym running machines are rigged on each side of a wide staircase that leads to the main deck aft.
Up to 12 guests sleep in six cabins. The owner’s stateroom is located forward on the main deck. On the lower deck, five suites accommodate the remaining guests.
The exterior design is by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects while interior design was by Mark Whiteley.
Match the colour of the owner’s car
Selected to match the colour of the owner’s car, both hull and superstructure wear a custom metallic Mountain Grey by Awlgrip. The metallic paint finish took 10 months to complete.
Powered by twin MTU 12V 2000 M72 engines (rated at 1,080kW each), Project Boreas has a top speed of nearly 20 knots. Cruising at 12 knots, the vessel has a transatlantic range of 3,750 nautical miles and what is described as a “frugal” fuel consumption of about 98 litres an hour, excluding generators. That was said to be: “remarkable for a 50-metre yacht of 499GT displacing 320 tons”.
MCM said this was its second major project for the owner. “The yacht looks to be headed for an on-time handover and promises years of comfortable cruising for her owner and his family,” said the company.
Meanwhile, earlier this week, Superyacht Investor reported six key questions to ask before buying a luxury yacht, based on advice from Heesen Yachts’s CEO Arthur Brouwer.
