Sense of Style
Elena is very much a floating family villa, and she feels exceptionally warm and welcoming. Based on the design premise of harmony with nature, she features a sophisticated series of contrasts with the various woods used, principally the flamed canaletto walnut and oak floors. There’s also fine marble, including dark, scene-setting emperador, midtone azul macaubas and gleaming white travertine; and luxe textiles and fabrics such as silk, often mixed with wool or linen. All spaces are accented by lacquered ceilings, which brighten the yacht’s interior. This vessel’s transition spaces, like her winding stairways, meet at the four-way intersection of art, first-rate craftsmanship, materials and luxury.
Sense of Purpose
[Heesen][] ‘s goal with the 154-foot Elena was to keep the vessel under 500 gross tons. Doing so means she is less subject to complex design and construction regulations, and it ensures that she is simpler and more economical for her owner to run. She has a precision-engineered, round-bilge steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. Elena is beautifully proportioned when seen in profile too. The yacht’s reverse-sheer pelican bow underscores the elegant, yet classic, allure of what is very much a cruising craft. Her displacement hull ends in a bulbous bow balanced to reduce drag. She also features reliable power in the form of twin 1,341 hp MTU 8V 4000 M63s, resulting in a 16.5-knot top speed. At 12 knots, Elena has an ocean-crossing range of 4,000 nautical miles.
