Naval Masters
While aesthetic design is a matter of taste and expression, there is no mistaking that some sciences are set in stone, relying on the expertise of a few who know their craft. These craftsmen and women, are usually the unsung heroes in various industries, and naval architects Van Oossanen, is such an example. Van Oossanen are naval architects and hydrodynamicists with a wealth of experience in the design of sail and motor yachts. The brand’s particular area of expertise is in the field of ship hydrodynamics and performance. The Dutch marque is a worldwide leader in naval architecture and fluid dynamics and well-known for their Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHF) and patented fuel saving Hull Vane® which is currently in demand by many other yacht builders.
Van Oossanen was founded as Van Oossanen & Associates in 1992 by Dr. Ir. Peter van Oossanen. Two decades later, the company continued on as Van Oossanen Naval Architects and by 2014, Hull Vane B.V. was set up as an independent company for the patented fuel saving device with the same name. Today, Van Oossanen operates as a group incorporating the three disciplines: Fluid Dynamics, Naval Architecture and Hull Vane®. Van Oossanen might not come to the minds of surface-knowing yachting connoisseurs but, the truth is, the brand is responsible for the sea-going skills of many kinds of vessels, from luxury motoryachts like Heesen Yachts, right up to big intervention vessels by De Hoop Lobith. Yes, they are the brains behind the nitty-gritty of such vessels, providing consultation and designs to optimize yachts and ships that excel in performance: efficiency, safety and comfort. In fact, Van Oossanen’s designs are amongst the most fuel-efficient, low resistant and comfortable vessels designed and built today.
Van Oossanen’s main goal always has been to improve the comfort onboard by creating efficient hulls. A big part of Van Oossanen’s prominence in the boating industry is down to its invention: the Fast Displacement Hull Form (FDHF). That’s right, Van Oossanen is its creator and seeks to use its technology to bridge the gap between fast-cruising full planning hulls and the slower displacement hulls, providing both comfort and speed for guests on board, while increasing efficiency by about 20%. This FDHF design has already been used in some famous yachts, such as the 65-metre Galactica Star by Heesen Yachts. The project won the Galactica Star the award of “most efficient hull form in the Wolfson Unit database”, after being tested by the world-renowed Wolfson Unit.
Providing high speed with low resistance, the FDHF design increases a yacht’s efficiency by bringing one main advantage of requiring lower motor power, be it diesel or electric. This directly lowers costs with the decrease in fuel consumption whilst also bringing passengers closer to greater sailing comfort. This is how Van Oossanen has slowly been giving its clients more yachts and boats that avoid that traditional ‘resistance hump’ (hard chine) on yachts sometimes experienced when changing speeds.
What’s more interesting is that this year, more new evolution of this revolutionary hull form have been presented by Van Oossanen such as the Fast Displacement XL®, a design that allows for maximum length within GT boundaries and with that, bettered overall performance. There is also the Gran Displacement hull (maximum interior space within GT boundaries) and also a B-3 trimaran concept in the works that is also focused on efficiency, speed and more deck space.
With all these kinds of designs and patents, Van Oossanen has ample resources that can be used for any design. The brand’s designs interact with the demands for certain length, speed and performance profile and as such, the marque has worked with the world’s best designers and shipyards to realise the best yacht creations and there is no mistaking it that Van Oossanen will continue to do so. Visit www.oossanen.nl to learn more about the naval architect experts.