When an icon evolves

On 10 January 2023, at a milestone event, a revolutionary yacht was witnessed atOceanco’s construction facilities in the Netherlands. H has undergone acomplete transformation that is practically unprecedented in its scale and nature.

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF OCEANCO. Oceanco’s 1050H.

Hhas a beam of 14.6m, a draught of 4.6m, and a volume of 3,521GT. Up to 20 guests are accommodated on board H and she has accommodation for 38 crew members including the captain. She has a steel hull and aluminium superstructure and is powered by two MTU engines, which give her a top speed of 18kn. This yacht carries 420,000l of fuel on board. She is the seventh largest yacht built by Oceanco.

The yachting world has seen commercial vessels converted into superyachts, and heritage yachts being returned to their original glory, but this is the rst time a yacht has been recreated to face the future as awholly new, contemporary vessel. The result reinforces Oceanco’s reputation for tackling challenging projects and delivering industry rsts.

Oceanco’s CEO Marcel Onkenhout comments, “To say that this has been a remarkable process is an understatement. The project has called for passion, dedication, and extraordinary cra smanship, with many involved in her creation now contributing to her recreation, including myself. We are proud to say that

we are relaunching a completely new Oceanco.”

H displays a modern exterior aesthetic, including a completely new superstructure, alongside a fresh interior by Reymond Langton Design.

The reimagining of this icon calls into question our notion of what de nes a yacht. To consider the connection between form and identity, and a yacht’s potential for evolution; taking on new shapes and new meanings. The A Group’s Richard Hein, who acted as the independent owner’s representative for the project, adds, “This almost unimaginable transformation has been able to take place thanks to the shared trust, perseverance and expertise of the team involved. A yacht is more than just the materialisation of an owner’s vision. It has its own character, its own speci c habitat, with a unique purpose and story. Through the achievements of this project we have been able to extend the story of a remarkable superyacht for decades to come. It is about seeing the potential for all vessels, rather than starting from a blank sheet of paper each time.”

Aside from her physical transformation, the work undertaken brings H into the future with contemporary standards in terms of technology, safety, capability and sustainability. She has an operational pro le that is fully compliant with rigorous IMO Tier III standards, not to mention upgrades to her technological capabilities across the board. At a time when the yachting industry is increasingly

“The project has called for passion, dedication, and extraordinary cra smanship, with many involved in her creation now contributing to her recreation, including myself. We are proud to say that we are relaunching a completely new Oceanco.”

Marcel Onkenhout – Oceanco’s CEO.

mindful of the impact that newly built vessels have on the planet, it is pertinent to highlight that bringing an existing superyacht’s environmental pro le up to date with contemporary standards can have as much, if not more, of a positive impact. “It is a proud moment for me to see the nearing completion of this transformation, having personally been involved in returning H to her birthplace for this ambitious project”, adds Dr. Barwani, Chairman of Oceanco.

With delivery windows for new construction projects booked up into the latter part of the decade, the scope of H’s transformation means that she emerges from her launch as an almost completely new yacht. Except in this case, she bene tted from a year’s reduced timetable for completion thanks to the decrease in time spent on engineering and hull construction. All while maintaining her Oceanco pedigree. “It is our ambition that this landmark project will inspire owners of existing yachts to bene t from the gi of time while adding value to their ownership experience as well as the planet. Through this approach, icons have the potential to become the new faces of tomorrow”, comments Oceanco Marketing Director Paris Baloumis. i. oceancoyacht.com