The Heesen Asya is the second in the restyled 47-metre class with exterior styling by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects. New elements include a housing for the rescue tender in an enclosed bay in front of the wheelhouse, and crew accommodation that complies with LY3 regulations. “She combines elegant traditional lines with contemporary flair, a marriage emphasised by the continuous glass windows and matching black paintwork on the main deck and upper decks,” the yard says.

Asya at dusk. Photo: David Churchill

Asya’s interior is by Bannenberg & Rowell, which is full of contemporary flair and has, the yard says, “a distinctly Far Eastern, restful feel”, inspired by the work of some pillars of 20th-Century design – industrial designer Dieter Rams, and architects Frank Lloyd-Wright and Tadao Ando.

A restful and contemporary interior by Bannenberg & Rowell. Photo: David Churchill

Powered by twin MTU M63 diesels, Asya’s steel hull with bulbous bow exceeded the contractual speed by 0.8 knots on sea trials, carried out in the North Sea in February. At her cruising speed of 12 knots she has a range of 4,000 nautical miles. The yacht appeared at the Dubai Boat Show earlier this year.

Wonderful on-deck spaces aboard Asya. Photo: David Churchill

“Working to a proven design platform allows us to deliver an exceptional yacht in less than 24 months with industry-leading quality and performance specifications,” said Mark Cavendish, Heesen director of sales and marketing, at the time of Asya’s handover. “This provides our customers with the confidence to purchase a vessel whose performance has been tested and constantly improved.”