You can spot a Zeelander’s profile from afar,
particularly because of its high bow and signature raked and rounded transom. Essentially, Zeelanders are modern commuter yachts with a retro twist. Credit for the styling goes to Dutch designer Cor D. Rover. His first Zeelander, the Z44, launched in 2008 and that model has since been joined by the Z55, and now the Z72. ¶ I got aboard Hull No. 1 of the new flagship along the river Maas in the Netherlands, where Zeelanders are built. The river runs across the top of the Port of Rotterdam, from whence this Z72 will ship to Massachusetts to replace her owner’s previous Z55 at his summer home on Nantucket. She will winter in the Bahamas. ¶ Stepping into the cockpit, I first saw the Z72’s bar, which is a work of art. What my eye initially registered as high-gloss woodwork, wasn’t. It was a paint job that created a faux grain for the bar, barstool backs and window frame. The same treatment is given to the aft deck’s table, the radome, the windshield surround and the cap rails, where the effect is like a zebrano wood on steroids. ¶ The window at the afterdeck bar drops down to connect the space with the galley aft, beyond which are booth seating and the helm station in the salon. The helm has three seats with reversible backs. Visibility is uninterrupted. Light and bright are often overused terms in our business, but not in this case. There is really very little structure to obscure a nearly 360-degree view. I’d go so far as to say this yacht has some of the cleanest sightlines I can remember. The windshield is a simply whopping piece of curved glass from U.S.-based ProCurve at roughly 10 feet, 8 inches wide and 3 feet, 6 inches high. ¶ The owner of this Z72 selected dark leather tiles for the sole throughout the lower deck—an interesting choice. I liked them for their natural patination, which should improve with age and wear, and because they’re softer and a little