Van der Valk joined the hull and superstructure of 48m Project ZEN, reaching a milestone for 2028 delivery.
Project ZEN, our 48-metre flagship, has reached a major construction milestone: her hull and superstructure have been joined. Recently, while our sales team was at the Cannes Yachting Festival, work in the build hall in Waalwijk carried on, and the yard’s own craftsmen brought together the two largest sections of the shipyard’s flagship.
The joining of hull and superstructure, known in the yard as the marriage, is one of the defining moments in any build. For a yacht of this size it is a considerable undertaking, calling for precise alignment as the two sections come together, and it is the point at which the full profile of Project ZEN takes shape for the first time. From here, her interior, systems and finishing move into their next phase inside the hall.
At 48 metres, Project ZEN (yard number WV0149) is the largest member of the Van der Valk fleet. We build for owners who are not prepared to settle for an off-the-shelf product, and for ZEN that meant an entirely new platform: a raised pilothouse design that combines the exterior and interior vision of Guido de Groot with the naval architecture of Van Oossanen Naval Architects. Her Hull Vane and a transpacific range of over 4,400 nm are drawn for owners who intend to travel far, and to travel in comfort.
Project ZEN has been conceived for family moments at sea. A generous bow lounge offers a place to enjoy the breeze underway or at anchor, and a spa pool is set aside for a sunset soak. Below, a lower deck garage houses a larger tender and a jetski, reached through a side-opening ramp for easy launch and retrieval. Every space aboard has been drawn around the people who will live on her. With her hull and superstructure now united, Project ZEN remains on course for delivery in Q2 2028.
