On 22 February, Amels launched its first superyacht of 2019. The 55m Amels 473, launched at the Dutch yacht builder’s yard, is the first of the many new Amels superyachts nearing completion before the summer season begins. The launch used the roll-on/float-off method, which involves moving the yacht from a climate-controlled covered building bay onto a floating pontoon then to a floating drydock, which submerges and the yacht floats. This is a low-risk and efficient way to launch but requires a high degree of planning.

Captain Paul Bessant, who worked on the launch praised the team that worked on the project: “The teamwork here, the way that you feel so involved with everything, the relationship with the project managers. You feel very included.”

On top of this yacht, Amels currently have seven other boats in build two of which are due to be delivered this year. With an average LOA of 62.3m last year, Amels certainly proves correct the theory that superyachts have been increasing in size over recent years. According to Superyacht Intelligence, the 60m-plus sector is doing better than ever, even compared to the boom of the mid to late 2000s. More information on this current trend can be found in our latest publication The Superyacht New Build Report.

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