Heesen forecasts record revenue of €230m in 2024
Heesen's new 62m Project Monte Carlo was unveiled in Monaco.
Heesen Yachts is forecasting a record revenue of €230m for the year with 12 yachts currently under construction, according to Niels Vaessen, CEO, speaking at the Monaco Yacht Show.
The Dutch shipyard has deliveries scheduled into 2027, providing “long-term stability” for the company despite “broader market uncertainties”.
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Vaessen said that while the broader superyacht market has slowed since the post-Covid spike in 2021, the segment in which Heesen operates (40-80m) remains stable.
In 2024, 45 new-build superyachts had been sold as of August, compared with 42 during the same period in 2023, he said, suggesting demand in this range remains healthy.
READ: Heesen’s Drontmann bullish despite headwinds
Heesen unveiled a new steel 62m yacht – codenamed Project Monte-Carlo – during the Monaco show.
The four-deck vessel will be one of the yard’s largest yachts by volume ever built in Oss.
“It is unusual for us to build a four-decker, but we have several requests for such a yacht from former clients, so it made sense to create one,” added Vaessen.
“We are addressing a key market of owners that are looking to maximise space and experience on board to share with family and friends.”
Mark Cavendish, who stepped down from his role as chief commercial officer at Heesen in September, predicted lengths of the largest yachts are unlikely to increase much more, owing to the limitations on marina and harbour space.
He also said there would be “much growth and development” in the 45-65m segment of the market.
“It has to be the perfect size, fits in most harbours, you can get six cabins and all the toys you want and in some cases even helicopters and in today’s world such a yacht isn’t considered outrageous,” he said.
But he wondered how many more yachts the planet can sustain and questioned what happens to yachts at the end of their life.
He also likened the development of alternative power technologies – mentioning methanol, hydrogen and fuel cells – as like “the old VHS versus Betamax battle” in video recorders. “We wait to see what really works,” he added.
Former Damen executive Ruud van der Stroom has succeeded Cavendish in his role.
