The Striking And Fast Superyacht ‘Yaz’ Was Born From A 40 Year Old Dutch Frigate’s Hull

Updated Sep 17, 2018 3:01 PM EDT

Of all the world’s superyachts, Yaz stands out as one of the most exotic. The 463 foot long gleaming white and turquoise vessel is intended to resemble a dolphin. It’s hard to argue that its designers didn’t achieve that goal. But Yaz’s slender, sculpted hull didn’t emerge from the CAD software at a top naval architect’s office, it came from the past—literally. Yaz is built on the hull of the Kortenaer class frigate HNLMS

HNLMS Piet Hein was the fifth ship in her class and was launched in 1978. The ship displaced 3,900 tons and was equipped with a ‘ combined gas or gas propulsion ‘ system that allowed for highly efficient loitering and cruise operations by using small, lower powered turbines, while also having the ability to run at high speed with the help of larger gas turbines. This was a particularly relevant setup for submarine hunting operations, which was the Kortenaer class’s primary role.

HNLMS Piet Hein , Royal Netherlands Navy/Wikocommons

The Netherlands also built two Jacob van Heemskerck class ships which were basically air defense versions of the Kortenaer class and Germany’s Bremen class was based on the Kortenaer class design as well.

The Cold War era Dutch frigates were built tough as it would spend much of its life operating in the rough and unforgiving waters of the North Sea. The class was somewhat of an export success as well with Greece receiving two Kortenaer class ships right off the line. Once the Royal Netherlands Navy moved to retire the type in the late 1990s, they were snapped up by foreign Navies, namely Greece, which bought all but two of them, with the outstanding pair going to the United Arab Emirates.

Piet Hein during the height of her Navy career with the Royal Netherlands Navy., Hr. Ms. Piet Heyn Facebook Page

The second-hand frigates served with the UAE Navy as Al Emirat and Abu Dhabi for a decade, finally being decommissioned in 2008. But that was not the end of their story. The hulls were in good shape and their hardy qualities and efficient hull-forms made them attractive for repurposing. The fact that prominent UAE royal and politician Hamdan bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan was looking for a new pleasure boat and a project to help jumpstart a new shipyard group in Abu Dhabi also helped the prospects for such a project.

Al Emirat while during her decade of service with the UAE Navy., Hr. Ms. Piet Heyn Facebook Page

Al Emirat was the first to begin what would be an incredibly dramatic conversion (look at this crazy pic of her in a half-built state here ). Designed by vaunted Pierrejean Design Studio, the project was dubbed Swift141— a name indicating she was to be fast and 141 meters long — during its development and reconstruction. The vessel that had worn two other names in its past would reemerge from Abu Dhabi’s ADMShipyards after three years of work as Yaz— one of the world’s largest, fastest, and certainly most unique superyachts. But it wouldn’t be until 2015 that she would be fully outfitted and delivered in a fully operational state.

I wish I could post a large series of pictures or videos showing what is surely the incredible interior of this frigate turned superyacht, but there aren’t any images available. This isn’t really surprising when you consider who owns the vessel and that it is not available for charter. But we do have a couple renderings from Pierrejean Design Studio of what it is supposed to look like.

Most notable is the master suite, which, judging by the rendering, sits just below the bridge as part of the glazed superstructure. One can only imagine what the view from the stars to the horizon would be like at night as you drift off to sleep in your futuristic floating palace.

500 individual pieces of specially formed reinforced glass were required to complete the ship’s superstructure. It was one of the program’s most challenging aspects.

pierrejean-design.com

The owner’s suite looks like it belongs on a starship instead of a yacht. It is totally self-contained and private. A Forward door opens up to private deck overlooking the bow., pierrejean-design.com

We also don’t know exactly what the ship is capable of performance wise. The Kortenaer class were fast ships, able to hit speeds in excess of 30 knots. But even though her powerplant was swapped for a far less powerful, but more conventional system, the ship’s slender hull should provide high efficiency and good stability. Many state that the vessel can do 26 knots and cruise efficiently just a few knots slower on a pair of MTU 10,500hp diesel engines. Her original powerplant configuration was way more powerful, but she would have had a much larger displacement while serving as a surface combatant.

In fact, Yaz’s superstructure is made almost entirely out of lightweight composite materials which helps dramatically in keeping weight down to improve performance. You can read all about this huge and unprecedented undertaking here and in this downloadable powerpoint . It’s even claimed that the ship, in its new configuration, can be considered ‘green’—everything is relative in the superyacht world. If she really can hit nearly her original design speed on a fraction of the horsepower, this claim is true.

The ship’s steel hull is mated to an all-composite superstructure. , JFCI Composites

The frigate’s hull was upgraded with bow thrusters and stabilizers during her transformation from Al Emirat to Yaz . The photo below shows these features and it also gives us a better idea of just how gorgeous the hull on this ship really is. No wonder they used it as the foundation for an exotic and highly expensive superyacht.

Here’s another really nice view of the vessel’s remodeled hull-form.

Yaz , which one would assume is named after its owner’s son who has the same name, may not appeal to everyone aesthetically speaking, but I think it is absolutely gorgeous. Just doing something creative and different while still delivering a strong set of features and an overall logical design is no easy task. Combine that with recycling an old frigate’s hull with the goal of achieving extreme performance, not to mention pulling off something that works both visually and operationally, and you have one amazing accomplishment that differentiates itself from pretty much everything else in the superyacht world. And what’s so cool about Yaz’s design is that the hull-form really does pull the entire concept together and doesn’t conflict with the ship’s ultra-modern superstructure. For how bulbous it is in some places it still looks like it was born to slice through the seas.

With what was likely a very steep learning curve building Yaz now under ADMShipyards’ belt, one would think her sister hull, the ex- Abu Dhabi, would be under construction. Somewhat different in design, this project is named Swift135. Here are the renderings of it:

The design represents a more of a conventional affair than its dolphin-like sister ship. Overall it appears less sleek and is more of a modern take on classical yacht designs. It also doesn’t feature the added streamlined stern extension found on Yaz . But at this time it isn’t clear if the project is underway or if it is still even a possibility. In satellite imagery, the last date we see the stripped hull of the proposed Swift131 outside ADMShipyards is in late October 2013. Since then it is nowhere in the vicinity. It could have been towed somewhere for prep work, but it has been half a decade and still no sign of it at the shipyards.

The last satellite image we see the second frigate hull in at ADMShipyards in Abu Dhabi., Google Earth

We don’t know how much Yaz actually cost. A royal customer supporting the country’s own shipbuilding enterprise is one thing, but finding an external customer for a follow-on project may have proven to be a challenge. And a buyer spending hundreds of millions of dollars may just want something totally new regardless of the advantages of converting an existing hull. It’s also possible that the second hull could be under construction elsewhere too. We just don’t know at this time.

Currently, Yaz is the world’s 11th largest yacht and when it comes to luxury and amenities, it delivers. It features a pool, spa, multiple saloons and entertainment areas, as well as all the other toys you would find on a top superyacht. Yaz also has an oversized helipad that is usually occupied by a white AW139 and its entertainment system is supposedly the most advanced in the world.

She sails with a complement of about 60 and can accommodate as many guests. Due to her frigate hull, she is adept at quickly crossing oceans but seems to usually spend her time in the Mediterranean with visits to the Persian Gulf.

So there you have it, the truly one of kind Yaz— a highly innovative design that blends the old with the new and the tactical with the incredibly impractical, all in a beautifully seamless and effective manner.

Contact the author: Tyler@thedrive.com

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更新于美国东部时间2018年9月17日下午3:01

在世界所有超级游艇中，Yaz 堪称最奇特的游艇之一。这艘长 463 英尺、闪耀着白色和绿松石色光芒的游艇，其设计灵感源自海豚。很难否认，它的设计师们确实实现了这一目标。但 Yaz 纤细流畅的船体并非出自顶级船舶设计事务所的 CAD 软件，而是源自过去——确切地说，是源自过去。Yaz 的建造正是基于荷兰皇家海军“科尔特纳尔”级护卫舰的船体。

“皮特·海因”号是该级舰的第五艘，于1978年下水。该舰排水量3900吨，配备“燃气轮机联合推进”系统，该系统既能利用小型低功率涡轮机进行高效的巡航和巡游作业，又能借助大型燃气轮机实现高速航行。这种配置对于反潜作战尤为重要，而反潜正是“科尔特纳尔”级驱逐舰的主要任务。

荷兰皇家海军“皮特·海因”号驱逐舰/维基共享资源

荷兰还建造了两艘雅各布·范·海姆斯克尔克级舰艇，它们基本上是科尔特纳尔级防空舰的改进型；德国的布雷梅级舰艇也是以科尔特纳尔级舰艇的设计为基础建造的。

冷战时期建造的荷兰护卫舰结构坚固，因为它们的大部分服役生涯都在北海波涛汹涌、危机四伏的海域度过。该舰级在出口方面也取得了一定的成功，希腊在科特纳尔级护卫舰下水后立即接收了两艘。20世纪90年代末，荷兰皇家海军开始逐步退役该型护卫舰，随后这些舰艇被外国海军争相购买，其中希腊更是几乎买下了除两艘以外的所有舰艇，而剩下的两艘则交付给了阿拉伯联合酋长国。

皮特·海因在荷兰皇家海军服役期间的巅峰时期。皮特·海因女士的Facebook主页

这些二手护卫舰曾以“阿联酋号”和“阿布扎比号”的舰名在阿联酋海军服役十年，最终于2008年退役。但这并非它们故事的终结。这些舰艇船体状况良好，其坚固耐用的特性和高效的船体设计使其极具改造潜力。此外，阿联酋著名王室成员兼政治家哈姆丹·本·扎耶德·本·苏丹·阿勒纳哈扬当时正寻求购置新的游艇，并希望借此机会在阿布扎比启动一家新的造船厂集团，这些因素也为该项目的前景增添了助力。

在她于阿联酋海军服役十年期间，Al Emirat 女士，皮特·海恩女士的 Facebook 主页

“阿联酋号”率先开启了这场惊心动魄的改造（看看这张她半成品时的照片就知道了）。该项目由著名的皮埃尔让设计工作室操刀，在开发和改造过程中被命名为“Swift141”，寓意着她将拥有极快的速度和141米的长度。这艘曾有过两个不同名字的游艇，在经过三年的改造后，以“Yaz”之名从阿布扎比的ADMShipyards船厂重现江湖——成为世界上最大、最快、也最独特的超级游艇之一。但直到2015年，她才最终完成全部设备，并以完全可运营的状态交付使用。

我真希望能够发布一系列图片或视频，展示这艘由护卫舰改装而成的超级游艇令人惊叹的内部装潢，可惜目前没有任何图片可供参考。考虑到这艘船的船东身份以及它不对外出租，这种情况其实并不令人意外。不过，我们确实有一些来自Pierrejean设计工作室的效果图，可以大致了解它的外观。

最引人注目的是主卧套房，从效果图来看，它位于桥梁下方，是玻璃幕墙上层建筑的一部分。可以想象，夜晚在这座未来感十足的漂浮宫殿中入睡时，从星空到地平线的景色该是何等壮丽。

建造这艘船的上层建筑需要500块特制的强化玻璃。这是该项目最具挑战性的环节之一。

pierrejean-design.com

主人套房看起来更像是来自星际飞船而非游艇。它完全独立，私密性极佳。前门通向俯瞰船首的私人甲板。（pierrejean-design.com）

我们也不清楚这艘舰艇的具体性能。科尔特纳尔级战列舰速度很快，航速可超过30节。尽管它的动力装置被更换为功率小得多但更为传统的系统，但其纤细的船体应该能够提供较高的效率和良好的稳定性。许多人认为，该舰配备两台MTU 10,500马力柴油发动机后，可以以26节的航速航行，并以稍慢几节的速度高效巡航。它最初的动力装置配置功率更大，但作为水面作战舰艇，其排水量也会更大。

事实上，Yaz号的上层建筑几乎完全由轻质复合材料制成，这极大地减轻了船体重量，从而提升了性能。您可以在这里和这份可下载的演示文稿中了解这项规模空前、意义重大的工程的全部内容。甚至有人声称，这艘船在新配置下可以被认为是“绿色”的——在超级游艇的世界里，一切都是相对的。如果她真的能以远低于原设计速度的动力达到接近原设计速度，那么这种说法就属实了。

该船的钢制船体与全复合材料上层建筑相连。，JFCI复合材料公司

这艘护卫舰在从“阿联酋号”（Al Emirat）改装成“亚兹号”（Yaz）的过程中，船体加装了艏侧推器和稳定器。下图展示了这些升级，也让我们更清楚地感受到这艘船的船体有多么精美。难怪他们会用它作为基础，打造一艘豪华且造价不菲的超级游艇。

这是该船改造后的船体外形的另一个非常漂亮的视角。

Yaz，人们或许会认为它的名字来源于船主同名的儿子，从美学角度来看，它可能并非人人都能接受，但我认为它绝对惊艳。在保持强大功能和整体逻辑性的同时，还要做到创意十足、与众不同，这绝非易事。更何况，它还采用了旧护卫舰的船体，旨在实现极致性能，并且兼顾了视觉效果和操作性能，最终成就了这艘在超级游艇领域独树一帜的杰作。Yaz 设计的精妙之处在于，船体造型完美地融合了所有设计理念，与超现代的上层建筑相得益彰。尽管某些部位略显臃肿，但它依然展现出一种天生就该劈波斩浪的姿态。

鉴于建造“亚兹”号的经验积累可能非常丰富，如今ADMShipyards船厂已成功完成这项壮举，人们或许会认为她的姊妹船——原“阿布扎比”号——应该正在建造中。该项目在设计上与“亚兹”号略有不同，名为“Swift135”。以下是其效果图：

与外形酷似海豚的姊妹船相比，Swift131的设计更显传统。整体而言，它看起来不如Yaz那样流畅，更像是对经典游艇设计的现代诠释。此外，它也没有像Yaz那样配备流线型的船尾延伸部分。但目前尚不清楚该项目是否正在进行，甚至是否还有可能。从卫星图像来看，我们最后一次在ADMShipyards船厂外看到Swift131的裸船体是在2013年10月下旬。此后，它便消失在了附近。它可能被拖到其他地方进行准备工作，但五年过去了，船厂仍然没有它的踪迹。

我们看到的最后一张卫星图像显示，第二艘护卫舰的船体位于阿布扎比的ADMShipyards船厂。（谷歌地球）

我们并不清楚“雅兹”号的实际造价。皇室客户支持本国造船企业固然可喜，但为后续项目寻找外部客户可能并非易事。而且，即便买家愿意花费数亿美元，他们也可能只是想要一艘全新的船，而忽略了改造现有船体的优势。此外，第二艘船体也可能正在其他地方建造。目前我们对此一无所知。

目前，Yaz号是世界第十一大游艇，在奢华程度和配套设施方面，它绝对不负众望。它配备了游泳池、水疗中心、多个沙龙和娱乐区，以及顶级超级游艇上应有的所有其他娱乐设施。Yaz号还拥有一个超大的直升机停机坪，通常停放着一架白色的AW139直升机，据说其娱乐系统也是世界上最先进的。

她配备约60名船员，可接待同等数量的宾客。由于采用护卫舰船体，她擅长快速横渡大洋，但似乎通常都在地中海活动，偶尔也会造访波斯湾。

所以，这就是独一无二的 Yaz——一种极具创新性的设计，它将传统与现代、战术与极不实用性完美融合，以一种优美流畅且高效的方式呈现出来。

联系作者：Tyler@thedrive.com

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