ZEE LAN DER

One of the world's most exclusive brands has a new flagship...

- WORDS: Alex Smith

Let’s begin with a confession. That muscular looking man in the pictures, peering past his own chiselled jaw in search of beautiful people to share his Chateau Margaux, is not me. And that pretty seascape you're looking at is not here. In fact, the contrast could hardly be greater. We've headed a little way east of Rotterdam on a cold Dutch February day to the River Lek where Zeelander boats are built. There are compact harbours and parking spots on either bank and the commercial traffic is virtually constant. It means that getting the new Zeelander 8 up to speed for extended periods is all but impossible. There’s no sea state and not a great deal of space so assessing the 8's handling and sea manners is also not on the cards. And as for refinement, a traditional Zeelander strength, that too is likely to be tough to measure, given how many people we have on board.

So what are we here for? Well if it were any other boat, the answer would be lunch. But this, as you're no doubt aware, is not your average boat. Zeelander Yachts was established in the Netherlands in 2002 with the intention of becoming a small-volume builder of supremely high-quality boats. That approach saw the original Z44 come away with top prize in its category at the MBY Awards and more than 20 years later, that award is still highly relevant. After all, now as ever, the guiding principle at Zeelander is not to produce a range of differing options. It's to produce just one boat in four lengths - so whether you opt for the 5, the 6, the 7 or this new flagship 8, Zeelander’s DNA is powerfully consistent.