We are proud to announce Kommer Damen’s receipt of a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Dutch Maritime Awards Gala in Rotterdam on 7 November. This prestigious award is a recognition of Kommer Damen’s years of service to the maritime industry.  


KOMMER DAMEN – A MAN WITH A VISION 

Kommer Damen’s father and uncle started building boats in a shed next to the family home in the Dutch town of Hardinxveld-Giessendam and established Damen Shipyards in 1927. In 1969 Kommer (78) bought the shipyard from his family members. He had a vision: his idea was to produce vessels in series for stock. In this way, vessel operators would have rapid access to proven technology.  

This philosophy revolutionised shipbuilding. Building on its success, Damen Shipyards Group went global. Today, the group operates 35 newbuild and repair yards, as well as numerous maritime equipment suppliers, and employs 12,000 people all around the world. 


SUCCES STORIES

In 1991, the Damen Shipyards Group acquired entered the world of yacht building with the acquisition of Amels. Here, Kommer Damen’s vision was once again applied, with custom yachts being built on proven platforms. It was this approach that led to Amels’ Limited Editions becoming one of the superyacht industry’s greatest success stories.  


FAMILY BUSINESS

Today, Kommer Damen maintains an active role in the family business, serving as group chairman. He is also a keen sailor, husband, father and grandfather. His son, Arnout Damen, is CEO of Damen Shipyards Group. Daughter Annelies sits on the company’s board as a non-executive, while son Bear combines his career as a film director with being an active shareholder. Daughter Rose heads up Damen Yachting. The Damen Shipyards Group remains 100% family-owned. 

This latest award adds to others gained over a lifetime of committed service to the maritime industry, including the Seawork Lifetime Achievement Award and the royal Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau.

Rose Damen: “I am amazingly proud of my father to receive this special and well-deserved award. My father has been the visionary for this business and is still very involved. Behind the scenes, he is in Monaco every season, he likes to talk with clients. As a family, we also enjoy life on the water when we get the chance. As a family-owned yacht builder, we don’t see delivery as the end of a project. We see it as the beginning of a long-term relationship between two families. My father has always put clients first and that goes throughout the organisation. My father is a ‘people person’ – a defining trait I was happy to inherit, and a key aspect of the yachting market where everything revolves around relationships. It is so important for clients to know they are dealing with key family members, and they pick up such signals very quickly. My father has taught us that trust and stability are at the core of Damen’s principles. He is incredibly proud to have such loyal and dedicated employees. They form the heart of the company and we really see them as our extended family. I am grateful to have the opportunity to work in our family business and for the values my father set out, I cannot think of a more solid base for even greater success in the future.”  

Kommer Damen honoured with Lifetime Achievement Award at Maritime Awards Gala 

Launch season is officially under way at Damen Yachting. The latest Amels 242 has emerged from the drydock in the Netherlands. A milestone which marks the start of her final build phase ahead of her delivery in a few months’ time. 

SEVENTH IN SUCCESSFUL 242 LINE  

This 74-metre (242 ft) Amels is the seventh yacht to be launched from this successful Limited Editions design which features the signature exterior lines of Tim Heywood. The Owner has been represented throughout the build by Imperial. 
FEATURING UNIQUE CUSTOMIZATIONS AND EQUIPPED WITH THE LATEST IMO TIER III PACKAGE 

Featuring custom interiors by Winch Design, Amels 24207 is a wonderful example of the Amels Limited Editions concept. Amidst a market where fast delivery times and build slots are becoming more challenging to come by, she will be delivered ahead of the summer season and within 18 months of her Owner stepping into the project whilst still featuring a number of unique customisations.

With a Gross Tonnage of 1,790, Amels 24207 accommodates 12 guests and 19 crew. She features a dedicated Owners Deck with foredeck jacuzzi and an increased capacity helicopter deck. The yacht is equipped with the latest IMO Tier III clean emissions power and propulsion package. 

INTO THE NEXT PHASE 

“Seeing Amels 24207 head out of the shed, into the daylight and onto the water for the first time is a proud moment for the entire team at Damen Yachting. We are now looking forward to the next phase as we embark upon the final build stages and sea trials ahead of delivery to her Owner, ready for a summer of adventures at sea.” Peter Dijkwel, Project Manager Damen Yachting   

The Amels Limited Editions range of superyachts offers a proven technical platform with custom interiors. Damen Yachting has delivered more than 40 Amels Limited Editions yachts since 2005.  

74-metre Amels 242 Launched

The Xplorer team at Damen Yachting has unveiled the latest design from the Dutch builder’s award-winning range of luxury expedition yachts. The first Xplorer 60, featuring hybrid propulsion, is now under construction for delivery in 2024.

The Xplorer team at Damen Yachting has unveiled the latest design from the Dutch builder’s award-winning range of luxury expedition yachts. The first Xplorer 60, featuring hybrid propulsion, is now under construction for delivery in 2024.

After months of intensive design, the new Xplorer 60 is now fully engineered and steel cutting will take place at Damen Yachting’s building facility. By starting the Xplorer build up front, Damen Yachting is following its successful Amels Limited Editions approach by offering reliable, customisable luxury explorers with the shortest delivery times on the market. 

New Xplorer 60 unveiled and under construction

A year after arriving at Amels and Damen Yachting shipyard in the Netherlands, the Amels refit HERE COMES THE SUN has been successfully launched following a large scale rebuild. In a milestone moment for the largest Amels delivered to date, the now 89-metre HERE COMES THE SUN unveiled her stunning new colour scheme and extended length.

Originally delivered in 2017, the Tim Heywood designed HERE COMES THE SUN returned to Amels and Damen Yachting in 2020 under new ownership for an extensive refit. Not only has she undergone a full respray with colour change, there have been a number of significant design modifications. These include an extended Sun Deck aft now with helicopter landing area, extended Bridge Deck Aft accommodation to allow for 2 VIP suites with exterior balconies and alterations to a number of deck and interior areas and layouts. The 6-metre extension to the Main Deck Aft also provides a larger beach club, spa facilities and a large 7-metre swimming pool.

Captain Colin Boyle comments: “there’s been great excitement amongst the Owner’s Team and Crew in seeing such a complex project come together over the past year. The yacht’s Owners have been fully involved with the restyling of every aspect of the exterior, and her new sleek lines and curves complimented by her bold colour scheme has certainly not disappointed. Nothing on paper or the occasional glimpse of a section in dry dock could have pre-empted the full effect of seeing her emerge onto the waters of Vlissingen in glorious sunshine. She truly is a spectacular superyacht!”

Damen Yachting Project Manager Sander Peeters, has worked closely with the Captain and Owner’s team during the refit. “A rebuild of this scale and complexity has required a very dynamic approach and good, open communication has been key. The Captain and Owner’s team’s operational approach has been a big contributing factor to the progress of this time critical project. Seeing her head back outside for the first since all the works started is a wonderful moment, achieved by the teamwork of all those involved.”

The refit of HERE COMES THE SUN is an excellent example of the real value in returning to the original builder. The engineering and production teams’ knowledge of the yacht from the build has been key for a rebuild of this scale. The strength of the Damen Shipyards Group resources and experience has also played its part having been tapped into for the fabrication of the Main Deck aft section. And for the refit design and naval architecture, the Owner appointed the yard’s original partner for the naval architecture, Azure Yacht Design, to re-pen this iconic Amels from 83 to 89 metres.

Damen Yachting Sales Manager Michel Coens explains what this refit launch means to the shipyard. “Welcoming any of the fleet back to the yard is always done with pride but for HERE COMES THE SUN, it runs even deeper. She represents the first step back towards full custom and bigger projects. Many of the same craftsmen and women who were meticulously involved in the original build have been working on her during this refit, remoulding and reshaping her into the new masterpiece she is set to become. Her launch is a very proud moment  Her additional length and brand new colour are stunning and we look forward to the final stages of the refit now coming together for delivery to her Owner later this summer.”

Amels Refit HERE COMES THE SUN Unveiled

Everything that drives us to be leaders of the luxury expedition yacht market. This magnificent vessel combines the very best features of luxury yachting with true explorer capability.

everything that drives us to be leaders of the luxury expedition yacht market. This magnificent vessel combines the very best features of luxury yachting with true explorer capability.

Our in-house Xplorer design team has combined the feedback and experience from our Xplorer clients to create the top of the line Xplorer yacht.

Together with input from our exterior design partners at Azure Yacht Design and operational design partners EYOS Expeditions, the concept is an evolution of the best of the previous Xplorer 90, Xplorer 95 and Xplorer 100 designs.

“The Xplorer 105 is a fully developed design,” says Enrique Tintore, Xplorer Design Manager at Damen Yachting. “However, the scope for client customization is massive – that’s a key part of our proposition throughout the design process.”

Next to the 13-metre chase boat, the yacht can carry four 8 to 12-metre tenders (eg limousine, RIB, landing craft, sports tender) stored in the forward garage and tender bays. Among the yacht’s huge collection of toys, she can also carry a submarine, and has a scuba dive deck with watersports centre and waterline embarkment.

DISCOVERY ON THE WORLD’S OCEANS

The Xplorer 105 has a true luxury expedition-sized volume with a Gross Tonnage of 6,500 and 5,775 square metres (62,162 sq ft) over her 8 decks. She offers large staterooms for 24 guests, including two expansive Owner Suites, built under PYC rules making her fully charterable. She has huge onboard stores for all provisions, luggage parts as well as heli fuel, tender fuel and tanks for 8,000 nautical mile (Trans Pacific) range.

As part of the Xplorer expedition yacht range, the Xplorer 105 shares the unique Observation Lounge with outside bow point deck – but on a big scale with 123 square metres (1,324 sq ft) devoted to enjoying spectacular views. The space includes a bar and multimedia centre.




POLAR CODE

Together with the latest hybrid diesel-electric pod propulsion to reduce the impact on our oceans, the SeaXplorer 105 complies with the IMO Polar Code category B requirements for polar safety and environmental protection. Her hull is built with Polar Class 7 ice strengthening with double-acting stern icebreaking for maximum safety in fast-changing ice conditions.

The powerful stabiliser fins retract where difficult-to-detect ‘growlers’ (truck-sized fragments of icebergs or glaciers) float beneath the surface – significant hazards for yachts with weak hull appendages such as fixed fins.

Below deck the garbage stores and large greywater tanks ensure her zero-discharge operations for long periods between port calls.

HELIDECK, PARTY OR ROUND OF TENNIS?

The fully certified twin helideck (primary surface and standby area) is suitable for two fast and reliable twin-engine helicopters. Below deck a weathertight double hangar with hydraulic lift system keeps both aircraft protected from the elements. Two helicopters offer increased flexibility, redundancy and safety when out of range of rescue services. Plus in Antarctica, regulations require two helicopters when flying far or landing in the mountains for skiing.

Having a 300 square-metre twin helideck (3,229 sq ft) also means the Owners can host unprecedented parties for 200 guests with an ultra lounge layout. There is also plenty of room for an outdoor cinema, full size doubles tennis court or basketball half court. The transom is not only a swim platform, but also an open bar area with upstairs lounge.

Equal in size to the huge twin helideck is the indoor SeaXplorer Spa. In this approximately 300-square metre (3,229 sq ft) Main Deck wellness space, let sea breezes and the sound of the waves revitalise your body and spirit. The indoor Swimming Pool is 8 metres in length, while the space also includes a gym with folding terrace, whirlpool, steam room and sauna, with folding terrace, massage room, hairdresser and beauty salon and treatment room.

Unparalleled expedition yachting with the Xplorer 105

The team at Amels and Damen Yachting has confirmed the sale of the 55-metre Yacht Support GENE CHASER. The name of the yacht was unveiled during a private ceremony held at the Dutch builder’s shipyard in Vlissingen. Complete with stunning custom fleet colours and a research laboratory, the Yacht Support will be used alongside the Amels 180 GENE MACHINE.

Intense Transformation

GENE CHASER, from Damen Yachting’s YS 5009 Yacht Support range, was originally launched in late 2020 as BLUE OCEAN. Over the last two months, she has undergone a period of intense transformation to meet the owner’s exacting requirements for setting up the interior as a working research laboratory and hub for ongoing scientific projects. The main salon was converted into a working wet and dry laboratory, and other interior areas have been designed for conferences and educational purposes. Guest suites allow for eight visiting researchers and experts, while the crew areas can now accommodate a crew of seven and four full-time scientists. The substantial 225 square-metre exterior deck, with a high-performance knuckle-boom 13 tonne capacity crane, provides ample space for GENE MACHINE’s Fjord 42 and a Hatløy Maritime Oxpro AL8 landing craft, as well as additional mission-specific equipment.

SCIENCE AND RESEARCH

Matthew Gow, Captain of the owner’s 55-metre yacht GENE MACHINE, represented this repeat client during the sale. “We’ve achieved an incredible amount of work in a short period of time, and the collaboration with the team at Damen Yachting has been excellent. Watching the transformation take place has been very special and I cannot wait to see GENE CHASER alongside GENE MACHINE.”

Captain Matt goes on to explain the benefits GENE CHASER will bring. “Extending the scientific and research side of GENE MACHINE has been on the cards for a while, and this Yacht Support provides the ideal solution. The owner and his team can dedicate GENE CHASER and its onboard operations to the bold, extensive projects they have planned. It provides more lab space and room for essential equipment; importantly, it also enables them to separate this work from their family time on GENE MACHINE.”

NEXT GENERATION LAB

Owner Dr Jonathan Rothberg sums up the motivation behind GENE CHASER. “Coronavirus reminded us of the fragility of our world. Whether it’s a global pandemic or global climate change, each of us must rise to the challenges we face, as we are best prepared. For my family, this means Gene Chaser and her onboard Gene Lab – a next generation lab to address mankind’s greatest challenges. Gene Chaser will be the tip of the spear as we deploy never before available technology to characterise, understand, and expand our knowledge of biodiversity, and identify nature’s solutions – within her genes – to the world’s greatest existential threats.” Dr Rothberg confirms this is also the origin of the name GENE CHASER. “We are going to go after genes to combat global warming and clean up the oceans and the air. That’s why it’s the Gene Chaser. In our planet’s very genes lie the answers to our biggest challenges and the key to our salvation.”

PROVEN PLATFORM

Damen Yachting commercial executive Jan van Hogerwou collaborated closely with the owner and his team throughout the sales process. “GENE CHASER really sums up what a Yacht Support is all about. It’s taking the proven platform and adapting it to work to your own yachting needs. For this owner, it really is about using the yacht to support and facilitate the great work he does and using it towards fulfilling a very personal drive to find solutions within nature for the good of those around him and the world we all live in.”

GENE CHASER is the eighth Yacht Support to be launched from Damen Yachting’s YS 5009 design. As with all Yacht Supports, of which fifteen in total have already been delivered in the last ten years, she features the successful Damen Sea Axe hull form delivering unrivalled sea-keeping capabilities. What sets GENE CHASER apart from the seven YS 5009s before her is the large multipurpose Main Deck hangar, which can be used for submersibles and dive operations, or as a vehicle garage and workshop. GENE CHASER’s new layout features suites for eight guests, as well as accommodation for seven crew and four onboard scientists






Damen Yachting confirms sale of 55-metre Yacht Support GENE CHASER

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