Van der Valk has revealed that construction is already underway on the 30m Project Berlin. Scheduled for delivery in the summer of 2027, the raised pilothouse yacht is built in aluminium with naval architecture by Diana Yacht Design, while Guido de Groot Design handled exterior and interior design.

Yoeri Bijker, Van der Valk’s Commercial Director, explained that the shipyard’s initial discussions with the owners about the project began in January 2025.

“They had been contemplating moving to another serial production build, but they wanted the opportunity to develop a custom interior layout and design,” Bijker said. “This was important to them as they anticipate staying on the boat for extended periods, from April until October. They are really building this boat for themselves, and not for charter nor for carrying many guests onboard.”

The yacht has a 7m beam and an asymmetric layout, with the portside crew passage slightly smaller than the guest side deck to starboard, allowing for more interior volume. Guido de Groot said: “Both indoor and outdoor living are very important to the owners, and we’ve worked really hard on maximising the layout.”

Project Berlin is topped by a large flybridge that includes an aft spa pool flanked by sunpads and sofas, a big outdoor galley with barbecue grill, seating and a dining area, while there’s also a sofa and sunbathing area forward.

Inside, a unique feature of the project is an airy main saloon featuring opening windows to allow a sea breeze to drift through the interior. Project Engineer Valentijn Roos described the design as “quite a challenge”, noting that “we have done drop-down windows before on previous projects, but not at this size”.

There are also opening windows in the full-beam owner’s suite forward on the main deck. The layout of the guest cabins has also been customised to the owners’ lifestyle, with just two spacious VIP en-suite rooms on the lower deck.

Bijker explained: “There would normally be four guest staterooms on a 30m yacht, but that simply didn’t match the owners’ way of using this vessel. In fact, that’s one of the reasons why they were leaning toward building something custom.”

Project Berlin will be powered by twin MTU engines and have a top speed of 25 knots, while its 2m draft will enable the yacht to visit shallower bays and anchorages. The yacht includes a generous crew area with three cabins, plus a tender garage designed to carry a Williams DieselJet 415.

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