Launched recently and now undergoing her maiden voyage Asya is the second in the restyled 47m class, a breed of yachts from Heesen Yachts whose exterior design by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects.
His work combines elegant traditional lines with contemporary flair, a marriage emphasised by the continuous glass windows and matching black paintwork on the main deck and upper decks.
The restyling includes a significant improvement in the housing of the rescue tender in an enclosed bay in front of the wheelhouse, no mean feat considering the yacht is under the 500GT threshold. This additional touch of grace means the lines of the forward section of the iconic yacht now looks smooth and clean. Another important design change concerns the crew accommodation, which complies with LY3 regulations.
Simplicity as the ultimate form of sophistication is the guiding principle of the interior design. Her sophisticated interior from the London-based and award-winning studio Bannenberg & Rowell has a distinctly Far Eastern, restful feel, inspired by the designs of Dieter Rams, Frank Lloyd-Wright and Tadao Ando.
The sea trials took place in the North Sea in relatively calm conditions, with average wave heights of 0.5m and south-easterly winds from 4 to 16 knots max. Powered by two MTU8V 4000 M63 diesel engines, Asya’s well-engineered steel hull with bulbous bow provided smooth passage and exceeded the contractual speed by 0.8 knots. At her cruising speed (12 knots) she has a range of 4,000 nautical miles.