Delivered to her owner and his family earlier this summer, the 27.3-metre fifth Raised Pilothouse motor yacht Helga has already been turning heads on the water – thanks, at least in part, to her eye-catching pastel-blue hull. A family-friendly superyacht, built by the experienced Dutch shipyard, Van der Valk, Helga features both an interior and exterior design by another Dutch superyacht specialist and long-term collaborator with Van der Valk: Guido de Groot studio.
Accommodating up to eight guests on board across four staterooms, the all-aluminium Helga’s interior is both contemporary and warm and is distinctive for its spacious and comfortable main salon and large seating area in the wheelhouse, with the galley located forward. Here, we speak to Guido de Groot himself to discover more about what went into crafting this stunning fully custom interior, on display for the first time at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival.
What was the owner’s brief for the interior?
The owner really liked contemporary design, but he wanted it to have a homely feel, rather than that of a luxury apartment, so he could be comfortable on board for longer time periods.
It is still a very modern interior, but it has some cosy touches to it, such as the wood, which is a mix between oak and walnut, giving more warmth to certain areas. There are also some really nice detailed lines that run through the design, some of which even light up!
How involved was the owner in the design process?
He was heavily involved in the process. We went into all of the details and worked very closely with both him and his wife, especially in the later stages of the project when we had to decide on materials. He wanted to be sure that he’d made the right decisions for all of the items on board in all of the rooms, so would constantly be asking us to show him the different options available.
Describe the interior in three words
Contemporary, elegant and fresh.
How did the owner customise Helga to meet his requirements?
The basic Raised Pilothouse design was there, but the client wanted to make it a little more detailed, especially around the aft area of the yacht.
For example, we had to pay attention to the way that the boulders were placed on top of the large swimming platform, and ensure that they were all nicely placed: everything needed to look thought out. We also integrated the Van der Valk logo into the gates when you come on board.
All of the flybridges on our five Van der Valk Raised Pilothouse yachts are completely customised to the wishes of the client. For Helga, the owner wanted a large rowing boat on top of the flybridge, so we had to make that fit! Of course, Helga’s hull colour is also quite special: she stands out as a fresh take on the other Raised Pilothouse yachts which all have darker hulls.
Finally, what is your favourite element of Helga’s design?
I always like designing the wheelhouse area on these yachts, as there is so much happening there. It has the entrance of the galley, the staircase going down, a modern dashboard, a dining area, staircases that go up to the wheelhouse, and much more.
It’s such a fun puzzle to design this area because it is so multifunctional, and I think it creates a spectacular first impression when you step on board.
To see Helga for yourself, visit Van der Valk at stands SYE 224 + SYE 037 at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival, taking place between 7-12 September.