Yachting USA – August 2019

AUGUST 2019 YACHTING6 3

warmer underfoot than a hard laminate. ¶ Being a boutique

builder, Zeelander off ers several lower-deck confi gurations

on the Z72. This fi rst hull has three en suite staterooms, with

the owner’s stateroom forward. There’s at least 6 feet of space

between the master’s door and the berth, with square-shaped

hull windows on either side, creating an open feeling. ¶ This

owner confi gured the crew cabin with a single berth; it also can

come with twins. Accessed via an afterdeck hatch, the crew

space is fi nished to a similar standard as the guest staterooms,

including having a rain shower in the head. ¶ The Z72 is not

just stylish. She off ers brisk performance. Standard engines

are triple 725 hp Volvo Penta IPS950s, which should deliver

28 to 29 knots at top hop, according to Zeelander. Hull No. 1

has the biggest engine combination available: triple 1,000 hp

Volvo Penta IPS1350s with Q7 props and Active Ride Control

trim tabs. The wing pods steer with the middle pod is fi xed.

¶ At just under half-load, this Z72 was on plane in a little more

than 10 seconds. In about 30 seconds, she whisked along at a

ha ir over 42 k nots with the d iesels spin n ing at their ma x imu m

2,370 rpm. She delivered a 40-knot average from reciprocal

headings along a reasonably fast-fl owing waterway. ¶ In proper

cruising mode with full tanks and throttled back to 10 knots

(600 to 650 rpm), the Z72 could cover more than 1,800

nautical miles before heading for the fuel pumps, and

that’s allowing for a 10 percent reserve. At 35 knots,

owners could manage about 450 nautical miles, which

means just over 13 hours, or a full day’s fast cruise.

Most are likely to want something in between. ¶ Whereas a

Dutch contract-molding specialist laminates smaller Zeelander

models, an Estonian contractor produced the Z72’s hull and

superstructure. Both sections are infused using vinylester

resin and closed-cell foams, and then post-cured at 140 degrees

Fahrenheit for four days. The construction felt solid and rel-

atively quiet on the water. My sound meter registered a little

more than 77 decibels at the helm at her top speed; 65 decibels

is the level of normal conversation. ¶ The Z72’s tender garage

is an unusual feature for a yacht of this size, and its transverse

confi guration is noteworthy. The garage is amidships with a

lift-up door to starboard and large enough to accommodate a

Williams Turbojet 325 plus a smaller personal watercraft or a

rack of Seabobs. There’s a watertight crawl-through door from

the tender garage to the engine room, with main engine-room

access from a cockpit hatch that lifts up. ¶ Beyond the IPS

engines, other notable options aboard this yacht include me-

tallic paint, a Quick gyrostabilizer, Volvo Penta’s Dynamic

Positioning System, a fi ve-year factory warranty on the engines,

and various TracPhone and Vision Marine equipment. The

sun pad aft can be swapped for a hot tub. ¶ The ability to de-

sign a yacht with a retro aesthetic that could have wide appeal,

and the use of a thoroughly modern build process,

is no small combination. Zeelander has achieved it

in the Z72. Her style should stand the test of time.

Take the next step: zeelander.com

REVIEWED> ZEELANDER Z 72

Zeelander has released a rendering of its next model, the Zeelander 55 Corniche, which is essentially an open version of the Z55. Specifications

are still being finished, but the plan is for construction to begin in time for a summer 2020 debut.

1,374 GAL.

FUEL

CAPACITY

396 GAL.

FRESHWATER

CAPACITY

600NauticalMiles

MAXIMUM CRUISING RANGE AT 25 KNOTS