Fishing has never been as luxurious, nor as much fun, as it is on board Heesen’s 60-meter superyacht, Ultra G. Amid the usual accoutrements of a superyacht, like a wellness center, two spa pools, a posh media room, custom wine fridge, and luxurious indoor and al fresco dining areas, Ultra G racks up some eyebrow-raising exclamation points.
With the carefully articulated exterior lines and luxurious interior appointments of a powerful superyacht, Ultra G also makes the case for a first-rate sportfishing yacht. Consider the fisherman’s lounge and the fighting chair setup; then, there is the DJ station with CAT speakers and foam sprayer, and the expansive media room that not only plays films, TV, and games but also live streams underwater fish finder cameras to watch the action. This is one talented yacht equipped to entertain a wide variety of pursuits. And, it is important to note, the yacht has a top speed of 37 knots with light load, 33 cruising with a full load. Catch me if you can!
Inspired by Heesen’s sportfishing yachts of the 1990s, the 38.4-meter Obsession launched in 1996 and the 39.1-meter Red Sapphire launched in 1999, Ultra G took some cues from her predecessors, but truly makes her own mark with the combination of luxury elements with sportfishing details.
Ultra G By The Numbers
The first Heesen launch of 2023, Ultra G was delivered in the spring of 2024. She measures 60 meters with an 11.3-meter beam and a 2.7-meter draft. With more horsepower than any yacht in her class, she is powered by four MTU 20V 4000 engines coupled to four Kongsberg S90 waterjets, the most powerful jets and largest conventional engines available. Ultra G accommodates ten guests in five cabins with space for 13 crew.
Ultra G’s two outer engines are paired with steerable jets. The center engines operate fixed booster jets. The center engines, with slightly less back pressure and higher power output, are used only at high speed. The waterjet drives give the yacht a shallow draft, less than 3 meters, while reducing vibration by 40 percent compared to traditional shafts and propellers.
Designed in aluminum with a lightweight Full Displacement Hull Form, or FDHF, Ultra G complies with the most current IMO Tier III regulations. Ultra G owes her flashy speed to the FDHF with course fins, gyro stabilizers, and interceptor trim plates. The FDHF also results in a smoother, flatter ride compared to the more traditional semi-displacement hull shape. The resulting extra volume gives more storage space for equipment and amenities.
Exterior lines were penned by Frank Laupman at Dutch firm Omega Architects. Laupman purposefully designed Ultra G’s shapes to deliver dramatic architectural shadows, underscoring her masculine vibe with an elongated waterline, a low key, luxurious, Awlgrip desert tan hull, and warm red stripes emphasizing the length of the yacht. All reflect the owner’s passion for sports cars, continuing the look with darkly tinted glazing and a dramatic black on the hardtop and superstructure band.
Balancing the yin and yang, the interiors meet the alpha male exterior with a refined grace that addresses comfort and aesthetics with the fine design of UK firm Harrison Eidsgaard. Oatmeal upholstery and creamy textiles are beautifully matched to natural woods, caramel oak, stained open pore oak flooring and limed oak details. Clean but stylish interiors give the yacht a warm, welcoming look with a luxurious hand. Nicely layered LED lighting with spot accents delivers maximum impact from textured wall coverings, charcoal stone, and the basic neutral palette punctuated with gold and green.
The Lower Deck
Aft on the lower deck, most proper superyachts favor a beach club. Ultra G, however, does a magnificent job of turning the space into a fisherman’s lounge. The comfortable nook sports posh upholstered sofa seating and flat screen viewing for live streams of the fish finder cameras mounted on the hull. Watch the underwater action in comfort, while the fisherman in the fighting chair makes use of rod holders, ice lockers, live bait wells, flushing platform, and freezers to chill your fish in a flash.
Steps away, the wellness area serves tired fishermen well, outfitted with a sauna, steam room, shower room, and snow room. A day head and relaxation area give the space a complete exhale.
Amidships, the engine room is sandwiched between bulkheads at the forward wall of the wellness center and the aft wall of the guest cabins and crew areas reaching amidships to the bow. The glorious central spiral stair creates light and shadow art through its deftly sculpted ascension echoing the chambered nautilus. Floating treads wind their way upward, defined by hidden LED lighting. Similarly, handrails find soft illumination, guiding guests from deck to deck. The look is a stunning focal point that builds on the play of architectural shadows, but this time, instead of the markedly masculine exterior lines, the curved form exudes a lovely feminine touch.
Fully aft in the space, reflective doubles cabins with en suite baths sit to port and starboard. Just forward, two twin cabins, one with convertible accommodations to a double, with similar décor and en suite baths, complete the guest area. Further forward, the crew area’s six en suite cabins, a crew mess, galley, and dedicated crew stair provide pleasant off duty and relaxation space.
Photos: RubenGriffioen, Massimo Vitali - Words: KL Turner