Aft front and centre
Van der Valk Shipyard in the Netherlands will shake up
the mid-size motor yacht segment with a focus
on making more use of the aft deck.
Written by John Doe
Photography by Kate Ricfort
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Van der Valk Shipyard aims to shift the mid-size motor yacht segment with the radical configuration of their new BeachClub line.
Van der Valk Shipyard has been constructing both steel and aluminium motor yachts since 1968 and has primarily earned its reputation from the award-winning semi-custom Continental series.
The new all-aluminium Van der Valk BeachClub line will provide owners and their guests an unrivalled amount of exterior and interior space by locating the engine room in the same area as the swimming platform. The first in a range of these innovative motor yachts, the 18.60-metre BeachClub 600, is in build.
With over 1,200 of its motor yachts launched to date, the Dutch Van der Valk yard has a proven track record in the sector for premium motor yachts between 15 and 40-metres.
Its recent successes include the 36.80-metre Santa Maria T, a finalist in this year’s World Superyacht Awards, a yacht that is testament to company's mission to continually push the boundaries.
Van der Valk also has the following new build projects are under construction at the shipyard: 18M, 23M and 27M Flybridge, 26M and 27M Raised Pilothouse and 25.5M Trawler.
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The BeachClub line is the product of many months of research and development with designer Cor D. Rover and Ginton Naval Architects,� explains Van der Valk sales director Patrick Lankhuizen.
“The aim was to create something that would be genuinely innovative and give clients not only an unprecedented feeling of space but far more space in reality. Most yacht concepts are focussed on either the exterior or interior volume – our goal was to optimise both.
“We achieved this by dispensing with the normal engine room and placing the revolutionary Volvo Penta IPS propulsion system in the swimming platform area, where the height is still around 1.6-metres. This, by patent protected, arrangement makes the most of an aft area of the vessel that is rarely used, freeing up a great deal of volume for interior and exterior facilities. As a result, the BeachClub line has the same amount of space that is usually found on far bigger yachts.�
The BeachClub line will be offered in a range starting from 18.6 metres. Construction on the first BeachClub 600 hull 18.6-metre version – will start in December 2016. The all aluminium BeachClub 600 is driven by a twin Volvo Penta IPS-950 drive train boasting a top speed of approximately 24 knots.
The BeachClub 600 will feature three main outdoor zones to optimise the alfresco lifestyle that Van der Valk owners enjoy. The enormous foredeck area spans some 25-square-metres and offers various layout options, including fitting a Jacuzzi. There is a 17-square-metre cockpit deck with an outside steering position. Last but not least, the beach club aft includes both a smart swimming platform and a sun lounge area within its 14-square-metres.
The interior of the BeachClub line also makes the most of the possibilities which this new way of design thinking opens up. The forward owner’s suite is a fabulous place and there are two separate saloons on the yacht. The spacious upper lounge has an inside steering position and panoramic views while the huge lower deck lounge includes a galley and dining area, all with
The overall roomy ambience is further enhanced by the liberal use of glass, with all-round views from the two lounges and the master suite. There are also various glass inserts in the hull, giving an additional air of class to an exterior profile which exudes modern elegance.
“When the first BeachClub is launched in 2017, it will represent a mini-revolution in motoryachting,� concludes Lankhuizen.
“As well as offering a true innovation in terms of space, the yacht will be completed to the highest standard of Dutch quality and detail that has made the Van der Valk brand so successful. The BeachClub line is a synthesis of rich experience with future-oriented thinking that takes the desires of today’s and tomorrow owners fully into account.�
