Commuter boats were once all the rage. In 1937, the dashing Wall Street financier John “Jock” Hay Whitney zipped on his 74-foot boat, Aphrodite, from his house in Manhasset, Long Island, down the Long Island Sound though the East River to his office in Manhattan. Today, Netherlands-based Zeelander Yachts has taken a page from this era of genteel boats of yesteryear and upped the ante for the 21st century. “Our biggest market for Zeelander Yachts is the United States,” says Sietse Koopmans, Zeelander’s founder. Zeelander Yachts, established in 2002, has recently launched its new flagship Z72.
Designed in collaboration with Dutch designer Cor D. Rover, the Z72 features curvaceous swooping exterior styling—not dissimilar from Aphrodite. “Our design for the Zeelander 72 is a subtle departure from the smaller models of the Zeelander range,” says designer Cor D. Rover. “Still elegant, she has a more prominent ‘butt’ and a bolder, sheer line with a more outspoken S-curve.”
All exterior lines are lusciously round; even the seamless wraparound windshield is one curved piece of glass. From the main salon, the yacht features a 360-degree vantage point as the entire deckhouse is enclosed by glass. With a sliding sun roof and retractable aft sliding window, you feel as if you are riding in a cabriolet convertible. And while this stylish Zeelander does indeed look very much at home in the Northeast, without a doubt she would turn more than a few heads if she were cruising down Biscayne Bay or buzzing along the waterfront on Brickell Avenue.
The Z72 has three 1,000-horsepower IPS 1350s that propel her to a top speed in excess of 40 knots. Even at high speeds, she has incredible maneuverability facilitated by the Volvo Penta integrated joystick system. For extra comfort at sea, The Z72 has Humphree trim tabs and is gyro stabilized. The aft bulkhead window dividing the galley from the cockpit retracts to service the aft-deck bar, which has four fixed stools. The cockpit deck space has a step down pair of settees with a cocktail table between. Side decks offer easy access to the forward deck lounging area.
Aft, the curving transom unfolds, and the backrest of the aft settee folds down to create an enormous sun pad handy to the swim platform. The large swim platform serves as a beach club and there is a clever sun awning that can be fixed overhead via four removable carbon poles that fit into the deck. A Jacuzzi is an option and can be installed on the aft deck under the sunbed. An all-white U-shaped-Corian topped galley serves both the cockpit—when the aft window is completely lowered—along with the raised central dining table. The dining table is built so that the multi-position pedestal can raise and lower to bunk level (should an extra berth be needed) as well as coffee table and dining height. The helm console consists of an angled, ergonomic pod on centerline with glass-bridge electronic navigation displays. Below deck are three staterooms including a forward-facing master suite and two guest doubles amidships plus crew accommodation adjacent to the tender garage.
The current range of Zeelander Yachts includes three models. In addition to the new Z72, there are the Z44 and Z55. Zeelander Yachts has built and sold over 35 semi-custom yachts, most of them on the US market. Commuting to work via the water seems a lot less stressful than fighting the traffic on I 95. But then, maybe you want to bypass your office altogether and head to the Keys.
DRIFTER Specs
LOA (with swim platform extended): 72 ft., 5 in. (22.07 m)
BEAM: 19 ft., 8 in. (6 m)
DRAFT: 4 ft., 11 in. (1.5 m)
SPEED (max./cruise): 40/24 knots
RANGE: 630 nm at 24 knots
CONSTRUCTION: Composite
EXTERIOR STYLING: Cor D. Rover/ Zeelander Yachts
INTERIOR STYLING: Cor D. Rover/ Zellander Yachts
BUILDER: Zeelander Yachts
zeelanderyachts.com
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