VAAN R4

The Netherlands is certainly one of the world leaders in steel and aluminum shipbuilding. In the field of leisure boating, many manufacturers offer a range of trawler yachts designed for inland waters but also for the open sea. In this context, it isn’t that surprising to find a catamaran manufacturer who has set up shop about 20 km (12 mi) from Rotterdam. Igor Kluin, founder of Vaan Yachts, was keen to keep this Dutch identity - vaan means “weather vane” in Dutch. As for the R, it is in charge of bringing a Racing touch... The concept is about catching the wind, seeing where it comes from... and to hold a course! For Igor, the course to take is one of reducing polluting emissions and of using recyclable materials. That’s why all Vaan catamarans’ hulls are made of 60% recycled aluminum from window frames, road signs and license plates. Other ecological materials, such as cork or plant-based alternatives to leather, are also used. The drivetrain is obviously electric, and we’ll take a look at that in more detail later.

The foredeck is entirely dedicated to maneuvers: the two trampolines are very big.
The side-decks are wide and bordered by a decent bulwark, mak...