Heesen has announced the launch of its 50-metre superyacht Project Sophia, which hit the water on 14 March 2026 at the yard’s Oss facility in the Netherlands.
The fourth unit in Heesen’s 50-metre, hard-chine aluminium yacht class, Project Sophia is currently for sale with delivery scheduled for June 2026. She is shortly expected to begin sea trials in the North Sea.
A streamlined, sporty exterior profile by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects features an optimised, low-drag hull design and reduced transom depth for improved speed, range and flexibility. The model is also the first of its kind below 500GT to comply with IMO Tier-III regulations.
“At Heesen, we believe that smart naval architecture underpins a yacht’s true value. With Project Sophia, our engineers have improved hull efficiency by 12 per cent,” said Peter van der Zanden, director of Design & Development and Engineering at Heesen. “This is more than a technical metric; it translates directly into lower fuel consumption and a quieter, more enjoyable experience at sea. The result is a highly optimised yacht that reflects our Dutch heritage of building for performance.”
Accommodation is across five cabins, including a master suite on the main deck forward. The remaining guest cabins are found on the lower deck. Cristiano Gatto styled the interiors, with renderings revealing a pared-back, contemporary aesthetic that incorporates dark wood accents, curved furniture and a palette of sage greens, mustard accents and warm bronze.
Exterior highlights include al fresco dining on the bridge deck terrace and sundeck, and a custom elevated aft deck that allows for a lofty tender garage-cum-beach club. There is also a shallow pool housed on the main deck aft, with floating sun loungers looking out onto the horizon.
“The whole superstructure is slightly curved, giving her a more elegant aft end, while the use of wrap-around glass and loose exterior furniture means deck spaces have generous seating, but remain airy, light and well-detailed,” Laupman stated previously.
Powered by twin MTU 16V 4000 M65L engines, Project Sophia will have a maximum speed of 23 knots and a transatlantic range of 3,100 nautical miles at 11 knots. Other key specifications include a nine-metre beam and a draught of 2.15 metres.
This follows the recent delivery of Project Sophia’s sistership, ALP. Her other sisterships, Aquamarine and Book Ends, were delivered in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
