At the METS this morning, I met up with DMS Holland’s Arnold van Aken. DMS was just awarded a Special Mention at the 2014 DAME Awards for their AntiRoll system, which features retractable dual-axis curved low drag fins which provide stabilisation underway and at zero speed. DMS also won the Maritime Innovation award just two weeks ago.
“We were very surprised that we won the Maritime Innovation award two weeks ago, especially because there were very big companies who we were competing against. We’re very happy that we won the award. It means a lot because we are just a small company. We have only existed for two years, so to then win an award like this is really important”, Arnold commented.
When asked how their AntiRoll system works, Arnold explains: “It’s a fin stabiliser system, and it has all the things traditional fin systems have, the ones that only have a single axis, and ours has dual axis. So it can rotate like traditional fin systems, and it can also flap, a bit like like a bird or a whale. So one mode, the rotating mode, we use it while cruising, the same as traditional fins, and the other we use for zero speed”.
“The first new superyacht to be fitted with the system is a 37 metre yacht from Wim van der Valk. Just last Friday I installed the first system, so we bolted it against the boat and everything fits, so that’s nice! That was our first order and the boat will start cruising in March or April, so four or five months from now. The second one that we’re engineering is for a 50 metre Feadship, Endless Summer, a refit project in Florida”.
Talking about the METS, Arnold says: “The METS is crucially important for us. This is our home country, and the Netherlands is number one in superyachts, so we have to be here. This is the best show for us. With METS, there’s no choice. If you’re in superyachts, you have to be here”.
