12 October 2023

Project YN 256: 45m Hoek Design superyacht sold and in-build at Royal Hakvoort Shipyard

The custom 45-metre superyacht Project YN 256 has been sold and is in-build. She was designed in full by Hoek Design Naval Architects and will be built by Royal Hakvoort Shipyard. Delivery is scheduled for 2026. Project YN 256 has an eco-conscious design that’s wheelchair accessible, capable of comfortable long-distance cruising, and equipped with a hybrid propulsion system. Her defining characteristic is her glass superstructure and the subtle sailing yacht traits found throughout.


Royal Hakvoort Shipyard and Hoek Design Naval Architects are pleased to announce the sale of a new full-custom 45-metre superyacht, YN 256. The concept, design and engineering are all by Hoek Design, and Royal Hakvoort Shipyard has already started construction, with delivery scheduled for 2026.

The clients came directly to Hoek Design requesting a yacht that was unique in style, bespoke, customised and with a design that was practical and wheelchair friendly. The clients also requested the yacht to be Dutch – built at one of the shipyards in the Netherlands. There are many great Dutch builders, but for this project, André Hoek, founder of Hoek Design, knew that Royal Hakvoort Shipyard would be a great fit due to their experience in this size for custom-built motor yachts and quality.
 
“Despite being located only a few kilometres from our studio, we haven’t had the privilege to work together before,” says Hoek. “They’re in a class of their own when it comes to mid-size full-custom yachts, and I just knew they’d be best suited for this project. And their expertise in this specific segment has already proven invaluable.”
 
Project YN 256 is designed for comfortable, long-distance cruising and she’s being built with a round bilge displacement hull with good deadrise and a level keel. Hoek employed many techniques and standards typically found with sailing yacht design for Project YN 256, such as CFD optimising her hull.  Much like a sailing yacht, the weight distribution, fluid flow patterns and hydrodynamic resistance of Project YN 256’s hull have been thoroughly analysed and optimised for performance and efficiency.
 
“It’s been a real pleasure working with such a prolific sailing yacht designer. The ‘outside the box’ thinking is refreshing and allows us to reflect on certain build and design principles that have become so entrenched,” says Klaas Hakvoort, owner and managing director at Royal Hakvoort Shipyard. “We pride ourselves on the diversity of our fleet and how when we say full-custom, we mean full-custom – and Project YN 256 is unlike anything we’ve built before.”
 
Project YN 256 has a distinct exterior styling that’s at once modern and retro. She has a slightly flared bow and features many metallic bronze-painted features and a cleverly designed funnel that acts as additional storage, minimising the size of the radio masts. Another idiosyncratic feature of Project YN 256 adopted from sailing yacht design is her hydraulic side boarding platform, with a side boarding ladder setup midships. But, without a doubt, her standout feature is her glass superstructure.
 
“The superstructure, all 360 degrees of it and entirely from floor-to-ceiling, is glass for improved views from all staterooms,” says Hoek. “Double-layered and double-insulated glass structures are supported by aluminium mullions, with rounded glass corners. The bulwarks on the main and bridge deck are also in glass.”
 
Despite having 380 GT of interior volume, her owner chose an unconventional three-stateroom configuration. A yacht of this size would typically have four guest suites on the lower deck, yet YN 256 has just two large full-beam VIPs that could just as easily have been four double cabins in the same place. The two full-beam VIP staterooms are just as voluminous as the owner’s suite and both feature a lounge area, flexible seating arrangements, and a large ensuite complete with a bathtub. There is also accommodation for up to seven crew on the lower deck.
 
The owner’s suite, located forward on the main deck and complete with a centerline king-size bed, walk-in wardrobe, and an ensuite, benefits greatly from the glass superstructure. Natural light illuminates the space and the owners have unobstructed views from anywhere in their suite. Glass sliding doors connect the suite seamlessly to an intimate foredeck with loose seating and a private conversation area.
 
Project YN 256 has a contemporary, modern and minimalist interior design. The salon cum dining area is open-plan, uncluttered and home to an eight-person dining table and C-shaped settee. Glass sliding doors connect the saloon directly to the large and transformable aft deck. Project YN 256 features a fresh saltwater pool that doubles as a garage for a five-metre tender. When the pool is covered, Project YN 256 can easily host large parties on her aft deck. The bridge deck is also generous in size and is where the alfresco dining and lounging area is located.
 
As accessibility was a key focus for the client, Project YN 256 has some unique features for a yacht of this size. She has an elevator that services all three decks, side decks wide enough for a wheelchair and a hydraulic transformer on its swim platform that can transport wheelchair users from the dock to the main deck. Another key feature is a gym fitted with aged oak parquet flooring and handy stowage for diving equipment midships.
 
Project YN 256 is being built at Royal Hakvoort Shipyard’s facility in Monnickendam, the Netherlands, to Lloyd’s commercial classification. She’ll be Cayman Island flagged and equipped with a MAN hybrid propulsion system consisting of two 200kW shaft generators/drives and a 500kW battery bank connected to a 750VDC bus.
 
Sustainability was incredibly important for the client, hence the hybrid propulsion system and CFD-optimised hull. Project YN 256 will be outfitted with natural, ethically sourced materials –including her teak decking. The added benefits of opting for more sustainable options means that it’ll be possible for Project YN 256 to stay at anchor in silent mode for up to eight hours. She’ll have a range of 3,500 nautical miles at 11 knots and a top speed of 14 knots.

Royal Hakvoort Shipyard
Royal Hakvoort Shipyard, a family-owned and Royal-designated business, was founded in 1919. With over a century of building experience and expertise, Royal Hakvoort Shipyard is one of the leading builders of full custom yachts in the 40-65-metre category. Royal Hakvoort Shipyard doesn’t strive to be the largest, it strives to be the best. Its most recent delivery is the 45m Milele and the yachts under construction are 61m Project Asia and 65m  Project YN 254. Sealion, the 32-metre motor it delivered in 1992, is also currently with Royal Hakvoort undertaking a refit.
 
Hoek Design Naval Architects
Founded in 1986 by Andre Hoek, Hoek Design is today one of the world’s leading offices for yacht design, naval architecture and engineering. Nowadays, Andre Hoek and Ruurt Meulemans are joint shareholders and run a strong design team with experts in the field. Hoek Design is specialized in Custom Sailing- and Motor yacht designs with a distinguished style and performance specialization. We offer complete Custom Designs including all naval architecture, structural engineering, exterior design, performance optimization and interior design.
 
Note to Editors
Royal Hakvoort Shipyard and Hoek Design both have stands at the Monaco Yacht Show and will be happy to discuss the project in more detail. André Hoek has also been invited to speak at the Design and Innovation Hub about Project YN 256. The talk will be held on Wednesday 27 September at 12.20 pm.
 
Further information about Project YN 256 is available via Royal Hakvoort Shipyard or Hoek Design. A PDF file or link to published work is highly appreciated.
 
Media contact at Royal Hakvoort Shipyard: Esther Lucas, PR and Marketing Manager at esther@hakvoort.com
Media contact at Hoek Design Naval Architects: André Hoek, Ceo at andre@hoekdesign.com or info@hoekdesign.com