Zeelander Z55

Our first look at the Zeelander Z55.

By Jason Y. Wood

April 18, 2016

Hot Take: How do you take measure of a megayacht? Is it by size alone? Or the level of luxury? Or perhaps by the way a design catches your eye? Before you answer, have a look at the Zeelander Z55.

She is striking at sea, at the dock, really any time you see her, this Zeelander Z55. The swooping, nearly-retro-but-not-really lines may stop you as would a Hispano-Suiza or other long-gone auto whose curves send the mind racing. But she’s anything but old as there’s some high-flying engineering included in this Dutch build.

Start with that reverse transom. It may at first glance seem a waste of space—perish the thought—until you see it unfold into a huge swim platform. Then there’s the dinette with white settee, large enough to bring along friends and family to enjoy the day. Forward of that, across a wee bit of open deck space, is a bar with four stools, served by a galley that nicely transitions from an open-air ambiance to the shelter of the helm deck. Inside this area is a dining area, ready to accommodate a full crew thanks to helm and guest chairs that swivel and adjust up and down to join the party.

Belowdecks the amidships en suite master has a luxuriously appointed head and some tall hullside windows, while the forepeak VIP and starboard guest stateroom share a dayhead.

Of course, with power coming from a pair of compact, 800-horsepower Volvo Penta IPS1050s, there’s plenty of room for accommodations, and even a tender garage in the hullside. Combine all that with 33 knots of top speed, clever use of the wood-grain treatment (satellite domes?), and an eye-catching metallic paint job, and she’s a package that will draw the attention of many, and maybe even a few who run in the 100-plus-foot set.

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