There’s almost an iridescent beauty about White, the 164-footer recently delivered to its owners by Heesen Yachts. As its name suggests, the yacht has a stark white exterior, the only contrasts being the dark side windows. Frank Laupman of Omega Architects created exterior lines that blend soft curves with aggressive side panels, adding contemporary vertical windows along the aft section. The result is a yacht that looks fast, but not overly macho. The lines and curves work well with the color.

White completed its trials in the North Sea, with seas running two feet. The boat’s large rudders connected to an electric steering system makes White unusually responsive for a yacht its size. The twin 3,862 hp MTU engines were chosen for a high power-to-weight ratio, giving the yacht a very respectable top-end speed that crossed 23 knots during the sea trails. At its 11-knot cruise speed, White has a transatlantic range of 3,100 miles. The seventh yacht in Heesen’s 5000 Aluminum class was also designed to be unusually quiet while running, with low interior decibel levels and minimal vibration from the engines. White also has a specially designed bow thruster, so the yacht can be turned in tight quarters, even during windy conditions.

The owner’s representative called the sea trials the “most satisfying” stage of the build process, adding that the owners are looking forward to the yacht’s shakedown cruise. “We’re positive [the yacht] will bring them many years of wonderful adventures at sea,” says the representative from Abberley Luxury Yachts.

A sistership called Project Aster is now under build at Heesen’s yard in Oss, Netherlands, scheduled for delivery in 2019