Project Sophia For Sale

Project Sophia is a 50-metre, all-aluminium superyacht built by Heesen Yachts, and the fourth hull in the Dutch yard’s acclaimed 50-metre Aluminium Semi-Displacement series. She is defined by a single, compelling proposition: genuine high-speed performance combined with the exceptionally shallow draft needed to reach the world’s most coveted anchorages. With a top speed of 23 knots and a draft of just 2.15 metres, the recognised benchmark for unrestricted cruising in the Bahamas, she is a rare and versatile yacht, offered with an asking price of EUR 44.9 million.

Her sporty exterior lines are the work of Frank Laupman of Omega Architects, translating Heesen’s fast-cruising DNA into a low, athletic profile balanced by a broad superstructure and long horizontal glazing. Finished in a distinctive Whisper Grey, her silhouette is sharpened by a long, fine bow and a continuous black window band running through the main and upper decks. The design is unmistakably contemporary, purposeful and quietly confident.

Beneath the styling lies genuine engineering ambition. Heesen’s in-house naval architects developed a refined hard-chine hull with recessed propeller tunnels, a solution that enables the shallow 2.15-metre draft while simultaneously improving hull efficiency by around 12 per cent over conventional designs. Twin MTU 16V 4000 M65L engines drive her to 23 knots, with a transatlantic range of 3,100 nautical miles at 11 knots, and she is the first yacht in her class below 500 gross tons to comply with IMO Tier III emissions standards, a significant milestone.

Inside, Cristiano Gatto Design has created a refined, contemporary interior across some 324 square metres, fitted out entirely at Heesen’s dedicated cabinetry workshop in Winterswijk, ensuring meticulous control over the application of precious materials. The accommodation hosts twelve guests in five elegantly appointed staterooms, with the master suite forward on the main deck providing a serene retreat and four guest cabins on the lower deck.

With around 250 square metres of outdoor space, exterior living is central to her appeal. The raised main-deck aft terrace incorporates a shallow pool and floating loungers overlooking the stern, while creating additional volume below for the beach club and tender garage. The bridge deck aft serves as a dedicated entertaining space connected to the sky lounge through expansive sliding doors, and at water level the beach club opens onto a fold-down swim platform with dedicated storage for wakeboards, bicycles and watersports equipment, reflecting her active brief. A sundeck with a sliding windbreaker adds a further social layer usable even underway.

Combining speed, shallow-draft versatility, efficiency and Dutch build quality in one exceptionally resolved package, Project Sophia stands apart in the 50-metre class. She offers the freedom to explore territories usually reserved for much smaller yachts without sacrificing the performance and refinement of a full superyacht. Contact The Yacht Collection to explore this 50-metre Heesen opportunity in full.

Crucially, Project Sophia also represents the maturity of a proven platform. As the fourth hull in Heesen’s 50-metre Aluminium series, she benefits from a design refined across successive builds, offering the reassurance of a tested concept alongside the individuality of her own specification. For an owner drawn to shallow-water destinations, quick passages between anchorages and the efficiency of a lightweight aluminium hull, she is a genuinely rare answer, delivering the reach and freedom usually associated with far smaller boats without any compromise on the comfort, finish and presence of a full 50-metre superyacht.