Amels 78m Full Custom afloat
During a private event held at the Amels and Damen shipyard in Vlissingen last week, the Amels 78m Full Custom superyacht reached a major milestone in her build journey as she touched water for the first time since arriving at the yard in January last year.
In the presence of the owner’s team and the designers involved in the project, as well as the Amels and Damen Yachting team, the pumps to the dry dock were started. As the water flowed into the dock, the keel of this first Amels Full Custom to be built since the introduction of the Amels Limited Editions concept was submerged, floating her up off her dry dock. Andrew Tree of Superyacht Technical Services has been overseeing the build process on behalf of the Owner since day 1 and he shared his experience of the event. “Seeing the project take to the water for the first time since she arrived here in Vlissingen is a huge milestone. Today is a day all those involved in the build can be incredibly proud of and is the result of great collaboration and teamwork”, Mr Tree shares.
Witnessing this milestone event were both the exterior and interior designers behind this Full Custom Amels. Espen Øino and his team were appointed by the Owner to develop the exterior design and General Arrangement whilst Zuretti Interior Designers are the studio behind the custom interiors. When asked about the exterior design, Mr Øino explained, “It’s definitely a unique project. The large open top deck, large aft pool and very wide side decks that can be utilised as private guest balconies are features which come together to make this design very special.”
With a Gross Tonnage of 2,850, the Amels 78m full custom will be the largest Amels superyacht to date in terms of volume on delivery. Amels and Damen Yachting Project Manager Daan Langezaal explains what this milestone means to the shipyard team. “When we started the pumps and she floated for the first time here in Vlissingen, it really was a moment of great pride. As a full custom, this is a yacht that is very different to the last 40 that we have delivered in terms of design, engineering and project requirements. The success of the project so far comes down to the collaboration we have with the owner’s team, with us all working to the same goal, to create something magnificent for a happy client. This latest milestone was a major one and I am very much looking forward the next.”