Laurens Last bought Heesen Yachts with his eyes wide open to the challenges ahead. As the owner of a superyacht built by another Dutch brand, he understands the ins and outs of an industry that can leave many outsiders scratching their heads – for instance, how most shipyards can survive only making a sliver of profit on each build. Last wants to change that and secure Heesen's future by introducing new manufacturing techniques and innovations learned in his hugely successful packaging business. In this interview, Last talks about his personal journey to superyacht ownership and why we all might be a little too obsessed with "price per gross tonne".

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Two hours from LA, down the legendary Highway 1, there's a place where the mountains kiss the turquoise sea where property developer Owen Perry says “Palm Springs meets the Pacific.” A Rhode Island native turned real estate maven, Perry stumbled onto a piece of huge tract of uninhabited land on the Sea of Cortez during a cruise on his yacht around 16 years ago and saw something no one else did. And now? Villa del Palmar at the Island of Loreto by Danzante Bay is multi-purpose resort with the only TPC course in Mexico, a master-planned community and an all-inclusive resort with fine cuisine, a spa and service with a smile. Today on the Big Boat Interview, you will hear how this yacht owner turned a forgotten coastline near the "magical village" of Loreto into a global destination — and why it might just be the future of luxury travel in Mexico.

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Two hours from LA, down the legendary Highway 1, there's a place where the mountains kiss the turquoise sea where property developer Owen Perry says “Palm Springs meets the Pacific.” A Rhode Island native turned real estate maven, Perry stumbled onto a piece of huge tract of uninhabited land on the Sea of Cortez during a cruise on his yacht around 16 years ago and saw something no one else did. And now? Villa del Palmar at the Island of Loreto by Danzante Bay is multi-purpose resort with the only TPC course in Mexico, a master-planned community and an all-inclusive resort with fine cuisine, a spa and service with a smile. Today on the Big Boat Interview, you will hear how this yacht owner turned a forgotten coastline near the "magical village" of Loreto into a global destination — and why it might just be the future of luxury travel in Mexico.

Heesen Yachts CEO Niels Vaasen and US sales director Thom Conboy share candid stories and behind-the-scenes insights — from the legendary founder Frans Heesen to the company’s exciting new Dutch shareholder.

Thom vividly recalls the electric moment 30 years ago when the 35-meter Tropic Sea (now Sea Axis) stole the spotlight at Bahia Mar — a defining memory for Frans, who felt “like King Kong.” That iconic yacht is still cruising today, part of Heesen’s ever-growing and evolving fleet.

From navigating the sales process (“sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs”) to celebrating with chocolate cake at launches, they dive into how the company has evolved — from sleek interiors to groundbreaking construction. They touch on Ultra G, one of the fastest large yachts in recent history, and why today’s clients increasingly favour steel builds over speed, valuing time as their ultimate luxury.

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After four decades, Henk de Vries has stepped down from his day-to-day duties as a director of Feadship and CEO of De Vries. In this interview, he charts his rise to the top of the world of superyachting, and how and why he has decided now to take on a more supporting role at the company. Henk has seen some extreme highs and lows in his 40-year boatbuilding career, many of which he discusses in this interview, delivered with his usual charm and candour. Don't miss this opportunity to sit down with one of the biggest names in the superyacht industry.

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In the third of our three-part series celebrating Ocean Talks 2025 on 12 June, Lucy Dunn sits down with speaker Dr Camilla Floros, a marine scientist with over 20 years of experience in marine conservation across the Western Indian Ocean. In a case of her career coming full circle, Floros is now working in the same place she visited as a child  - which means she is in the best place to understand the effects of climate change and the need for local people to safeguard and protect marine resources. Floros talks about the importance of mixing generations-old Indigenous knowledge with next-gen methods such as ‘super coral’, a resistant coral which won’t die or bleach in warmer ocean temperatures.   

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In the third of our three-part series celebrating Ocean Talks 2025 on 12 June, Lucy Dunn sits down with speaker Dr Camilla Floros, a marine scientist with over 20 years of experience in marine conservation across the Western Indian Ocean. In a case of her career coming full circle, Floros is now working in the same place she visited as a child  - which means she is in the best place to understand the effects of climate change and the need for local people to safeguard and protect marine resources. Floros talks about the importance of mixing generations-old Indigenous knowledge with next-gen methods such as ‘super coral’, a resistant coral which won’t die or bleach in warmer ocean temperatures.   

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Continuing our three-part series celebrating Ocean Talks 2025 on 12 June, Caroline White sits down with Nicolas Rochat, CEO of Mover, the world’s first one hundred per cent plastic free sportswear brand. The pair discuss the environmental problems caused by synthetic apparel, the company’s high-tech approach to natural fabrics that is changing the game, plus a recent collaboration with Sail GP, as well as Mover’s very own sailing collection.

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To kick off our three-part series celebrating Ocean Talks 2025 on 12 June, Lucy Dunn sits down with keynote speaker, conservationist and producer Colin Butfield to discuss his latest film project, Ocean with David Attenborough and companion book, Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness. The two discuss Attenborough's handwritten archives, octopus gardens and the ocean’s remarkable propensity to bounce back. If the ocean is allowed to recover, Butfield concludes, it will do a huge part of fighting climate change for us.

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In this week's episode, we dig into the recently published Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) interim report into the sinking of the 56-metre superyacht Bayesian in August last year, resulting in the loss of seven lives. For the first time, the narrative of what happened that night can be disclosed, and we also review the MAIB's comments on the weather conditions that fateful evening and Bayesian's stability vulnerabilities. Georgia, meanwhile, is newly returned from the Galapagos and tells us why these very special islands should be on every superyacht itinerary. 

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