The Dutch superyacht-maker is working on more than a dozen projects, Feadship is on an unprecedented roll. The Dutch superyacht-maker says it will launch five yachts in 2015, ranging from 33m-101.5m. It is now working on more than a dozen projects.

“Five yachts will hit the water this year,” says Feadship marketing and brand director Farouk Nefzi. “That’s a record. It’s amazing! Our order book is just stunning.”

This year, Feadship finished Symphony – at 101.5m, the company’s biggest ever. It was built by Feadship’s Royal Van Lent yard.

Feadship’s fortunes are not unique but reflected right across the Dutch superyacht sector, which ended 2014 with a record 70 orders worth just over €4bn.

Nefzi says while his yard’s output shows ever-larger yachts, he insists that the length discussion is overhyped. “Length points to volume, of course. But that is too simplistic. The length debate does no justice to what this industry is doing.”

Much more crucial factors, he says, are innovation and commitment to R&D.

Feadship is strong in 60m-80m yachts. With the 101.5m Symphony, it looks like the company is snapping at the heels of Germany’s Lürssen Yachts. But Nefzi sees no rivalry in length. Instead, he says, Feadship is boosting its R&D and “pushing the boundaries of innovation,” he says.

It has created a taskforce to focus on better designs, more comfort and greener cruising. Factors driving that are the growing ranks of super-rich people, green technologies and smarter ships. In recent years, Feadship has turned heads with the 83.5m eco-friendly Savannah, large glass hull surfaces, balconies and a sea-level swimming pool.

Symphony is the first Feadship yacht that complies with the new Passenger Yacht Code, enabling the yacht to accommodate up to 20 guests.

Nezi says the US accounts for half of the company’s business. Next is Europe, Asia and Russia. Feadship says it has not suffered much from Western Europe’s chilling relations with Moscow over the annexation of Crimea and the conflict in Ukraine.

By Robert Wielaard