Exactly one year ago, during a boat show in Fort Lauderdale, we had a photo shoot of supermodel Adriana Lima on board a yacht we did not know at the time. The boat looked so that we wanted to get to know her - a rare «color», bright design - a beauty, in short.
Title Zeelander gave her away as a Dutchwoman, although her origins were not so simple. The roots, as it turned out, she really has a strong hold on the Netherlands, but in 2011, the production of these motorboats immigrated to the U.S., where he settled ... in the U«.S. Holland» - the city of Holland, Michigan (Not far from the Michigan Holland is located and the city of Zealand). Marketers at the shipyard emphasize that wherever Zeelander boats are made, they are made to Dutch quality standards. It sounds meaningful in this context, although it is clear when you see the care taken in every detail on board.
In the meantime, the shipyard has not left the European market and is promoting its boats not only in the USA, but also in Europe, participating in all the iconic boat shows, particularly in Cannes and Monaco, where we got to know her better.
In Cannes we only had the chance to «see the furniture» - the boat was moored so that it was not possible to go out to sea. The appearance of the Zeelander 44 is easily recognisable: the smooth lines of the hull with its characteristic gold «metallic»colour . The boat looks catchy and at the same time neat.
The transom hinges at an angle of 45 degrees to form a swimming platform. When mooring the stern, it can be used as a ladder to get on board.
The shipyard has given preference to Esthec composite coating. It's lighter and more practical than a tick. But you can't tell it from a tree and it's nice to walk on it barefoot. There is another detail on the boat that is successfully «mowed» under the wood - the rim (slat) under the leatherette fence that surrounds the boat. It looks as if it is made of dark wood, but is actually made of synthetic material: it looks flawless, but does not suffer as much from salt, wind and water.
The main deck can be divided into two zones - aft there is a sofa for 8 people with a table, opposite there is a bar. Under the hardtop, the captain's company can easily accommodate five people, and there is also a table to which you can turn the skipper's chair. In total, up to 14 people can be taken out on the Z44 day trip. Below there are two cabins (the master cabin with king-size bed), a galley and a bathroom. A nice surprise for the boat at 13.5 meters - nowhere will you have to bend in three perils.
At the Monaco Boat Show, the boat was also a working tender, and here we were already able to go out to sea and test its sailing characteristics.
«When we went out on Z44, it was a bad day. It was cloudy, light rain drizzling, and the wind was not the strongest, but enough to disperse the unpleasant wave. The Monaco raid is one of the most uncomfortable, chatting here almost always. But the boat acted like it didn't do her any good. We were cruising at about 17-20 knots in transitional speed. And it felt like you were walking on Dutch, but displacing and steel. Very confident and strong. In general, this is a rare case when the ideal quality of the finish is combined with excellent driving characteristics», - says Nikita Gorchakov, founder of itBoat.
Summary: The Zeelander 44 motor yacht belongs to the very type of boat that «everyone at the marina is talking about». It is a yacht more about love than practicality. If you «have a crush» on her appearance and then come on board and take a ride, you're lost. This boat was undoubtedly designed for weekends on the water. The price tag for this class is not small ($1.3 million), but it is compensated by the fact that for Zeelander «there are»no trifles, and every detail on the boat will please its owner. These are, of course, words, but here are the numbers. Since 2008, the shipyard has built 29 yachts of this model - 19 in the U.S., 10 in Europe, and only one of them entered the brokerage market. That's not an indicator.
