There are few more exciting challenges for a shipyard than an owner telling you to impress them. This happened during the build of Blue Jeans, a sleek and very blue motor yacht built by Van der Valk in southern Netherlands and based in Hong Kong since early 2023.
At her home in Aberdeen Marina Club, the all-aluminium yacht is easily recognisable due to sporty, dynamic lines and a hull in a custom deep-blue metallic paint developed with Alexseal, with the new coating named ‘Blue Jeans’.
The 33.74m tailor-made raised pilothouse is an attractive addition to Asia’s resident superyachts and an eye-catching testament to Van der Valk, the Dutch shipyard that specialises in bespoke 25-40m builds and offers semi-custom ranges including the BeachClub line.
The builder clearly rose to the Hong Kong client’s challenge, judging by the smile on his face as he took delivery in late 2022 before the yacht’s maiden voyage took in Belgium, France and the UK, where some iconic photos were captured in front of London’s Tower Bridge.
However, it’s worth noting that the custom build is a true-blue team effort, with Van der Valk collaborating with two Dutch studios, Guido de Groot Design on the exterior and interior, and Diana Yacht Design for naval architecture.
Van der Valk described the project as both enjoyable and challenging. So challenging that it also billed Blue Jeansas one of the most complex superyachts it has created to date. Building the yacht during the COVID-19 pandemic added an extra challenge to the project, as the shipyard tried to keep the owner as involved as if he was able to physically visit the yard.
The owner required the shipyard to create a fast vessel able to reach 28 knots and cruise for longer periods of time at 25 knots. To achieve this, Van der Valk worked with Diana Yacht Design to develop a semi-displacement hull with a hard chine V-shape, propelled by two 2,600hp MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines. Two tunnels over the propellers were designed to make space for bigger props and increase efficiency without increasing the draft.
The engine girders were strengthened to support bigger engines, while the gearbox and drivetrain were modified to transfer that extra power to the propellers. Using larger-diameter propellers improved efficiency and enabled power to be used optimally. To help create the space for the expansive engine room, the 4m aluminium tender is stored sideways in the aft garage. Created in-house, the fully-custom tender matches the mothership and has a 50kW Torqeedo 50 electric outboard engine connected to a 40kWh BMW i3 battery pack.
SHARP EXTERIOR
While much of Diana Yacht Design’s impressive work is hidden below the surface, Guido de Groot’s exterior work is not only notable but a star attraction. The Dutch design studio was tasked by the owner to create a sleek-looking yacht yet one with plenty of interior and exterior entertaining space and lots of headroom, which required a tall flybridge and raised bow.
It’s hard not to stare when you’re in the presence of such a stunning superyacht, which looks fast and slim yet houses expansive volumes that include ceilings that rise to almost 2.5m in the saloon. The blue used on the hull and flybridge base is an attention grabber, while the client’s request to not have any hint of white was achieved by a silver-grey flybridge structure and blackout surfaces on the glass.
The dark glazing used all along the main deck, in strips along the bottom of the bulwarks and for the long hull windows even helps Blue Jeans appear as a widebody yacht from some angles.
The outdoor areas include a long cockpit, which includes square loungers side by side and facing coffee tables and loose chairs, making the covered area more suitable for relaxing, cocktails and nibbles than alfresco dining.
Two symmetrical side decks lead to the foredeck, where innovative design presents guests with a C-shaped sofa, a pop-up table and a sunbathing area integrated into the forepeak, with Diana Yacht Design helping create a flush surface by locating the anchoring equipment below deck.
The naval architect’s influence extended to the sun deck, as it worked for the first time on designing a retractable dive board, which is integrated near the aft end of the port bulwark.
ASIAN FUSION INTERIOR
At the brainstorming stage, the forward-thinking client asked Van der Valk and Guido de Groot Design to surprise and impress him with interior concepts. The shipyard presented a range of options and was thrilled when he opted for the most intricate and radical, which included incorporating beautiful natural materials.
With the design scheme reflecting a fusion of Northern European and Asian styles, the interior includes a wide variety of materials including multiple marbles, metals and woods. Liquid metal was used for walls and doors, copper accents are seen on walls, light fixtures and furniture, while reconstituted teak is used in wooden trims for the walls and ceilings.
Letting natural materials speak for themselves was a core ethos of the project, although some metals proved particularly challenging to integrate. The use of liquid metal was new to Van der Valk, which created bespoke panels onto which the alloy was poured and transformed into a pattern prior to solidification.
The overall layout of Blue Jeans was designed around the need for multi-functional use and to accommodate multiple generations of the owner’s family, so is equally suitable for large groups on day trips and extended voyages.
From the cockpit, large sliding doors open to welcome guests to an interior that starts with a hallway and counters in White Carrara marble. Forward is a quite stunning saloon, offering stunning views and natural light through tall windows and sliding glass doors on both sides.
The saloon is also illuminated by one of the yacht’s signature interior highlights, a fully lit Barrisol ceiling, attractively arranged in diagonal square panels lined by copper detailing that gives guests another reason to cast their eyes above.
Recessed lighting is used cleverly throughout the interior, from shelves in the day head to the dining area.
The saloon is laid out in a ‘walkaround’ design, with custom Poltrona Frau sofas and chairs set in a long rectangle around marble-topped coffee tables. The seats can be moved to make the most of the outdoor views, such as when the sliding doors are opened or even placed outside on the drop-down balconies. The furniture can even be rearranged or partially removed to make space for a dance floor.
To cater to groups of day trip guests, having enough areas to shower during the day was a requirement. To meet that demand, the day head accessed by the starboard hallway doubles as a shower area, while the large bathroom on the lower deck in-between the two guest cabins can be used by day guests.
On the main deck, the starboard hallway leads forward past the door to the galley and onto the formal dining room. This magnificent space offers spectacular views and daylight through long windows on both sides but also four large, square skylights, which are positioned directly above the round, eight-seat Fletcher Capstan dining table that can be downsized to a smaller table for playing games.
Forward in each corner are symmetrical doors to full-height wine fridges that flank a long, dark counter in Nero Marquina marble, with storage cabinets above and below. Grey Fior di Bosco marble is used for a hip-high cabinet in the aft port corner.
From the saloon, the port hallway accesses the stairs down to the lower deck, which lead first to the full-beam master suite midships. The room features a sofa along the port side, a desk and storage on the starboard side, and a forward-facing bed flanked by grey, textured liquified-metal doors.
The port door leads to the walk-in shower featuring a striped bench, while the starboard door leads to the twin-sink bathroom and walk-in wardrobe, with both rooms featuring rare Lapis Lazuli Blue marble.
The guest cabins include a twin and a double aft and fore of a shared bathroom to starboard, while the VIP to port has an en-suite bathroom. Forward, accessed from the galley, is the crew area including a crew mess and two en-suite cabins, each with twin bunks. Blue Jeans has won multiple awards, although the biggest reward is an owner’s smile after seeing his challenge met.
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