The Solea is the third unit in the yard’s flagship series and the fastest yacht ever built by it: during the sea trials she could reach 40 knots
The Solea left the family shipyard in Groot-Ammers, following her two predecessors: the Silver Dawn built in 2024 and the Mojo delivered earlier this year. The Solea’s world premiere is scheduled to take place at the Monaco Yacht Show running on 23-26 September 2026.
With a length of 23.9 m, a beam of 6.71 m and a draft of 1.6 m, the Zeelander 8 remains the yard’s flagship. She can accommodate up to six guests across three cabins, including the full-beam master suite and a crew of three.
The new boat’s key difference from her predcessors is a more powerful propulsion system. Volvo Penta IPS-1350 engines of 1,000 hp each can deliver a top speed of up to 40 knots, while the Solea’s sistership, the Silver Dawn, can reach only 35 knots. The noise level at full throttle is just 65 dBA, which is exceptionally quiet for a yacht of this class.
At a speed of 7 knots, the range is 2,700 nautical miles, while at a cruising speed of 32 knots, the range is 630 miles, which allows for using the vessel both for quick outings and long travels.
One of the main features of the project is the fact that the Solea was designed for owner operation. According to Sietse Koopmans, Founder and Chairman of Zeelander Yachts, the owners spent weeks on board the Zeelander 7, where he worked and rested alone.
“For owners who spend their working lives surrounded by people, a yacht without crew is not a compromise. That is the point,” adds Koopmans. “No schedules to coordinate, no staff to manage, no professional distance to maintain. Just the water, and the freedom to be entirely off duty. The Zeelander 8 makes that possible without asking anything in return: low-maintenance materials, Volvo IPS propulsion and systems built for simplicity mean the yacht runs quietly in every sense of the word.”
Each Zeelander 8 has an individual main deck layout. The Solea’s owner wanted to keep everything he liked on board his Zeelander 7. As a result, his previous experience shaped the layout of the new main deck: the saloon is built around a large dining table, the galley is part of the common area, and instead of a conventional bar there is an oversized L-shaped seat.
The key interior feature is the use of swamp oak, which is a timber recovered from riverbeds where it has lain submerged for decades, absorbing minerals and tannins until the wood turns nearly black. It’s rare and expensive and is paired with exclusive leathers and finished in Porsche Agate shade.
The Solea’s garage can accommodate a Williams 435, seabobs and flyboards. The yacht is fitted with gyro stabilization and joystick, which makes docking and handling the yacht single-handedly even easier.
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