Videoworks is very proud to announce that it supplied the complete audio-visual and IT package for the 67m custom Heesen yacht Sparta. The successful project marks the start of a close collaboration with the well-known Dutch shipyard, which specialises in full-custom, smart custom, and series of superyachts in the 50 to 80-metre sector.
Every Videoworks system is as different as the yachts on which they are installed, and Sparta’s equipment bears the strong stamp of the boat’s build owner. This is particularly the case with the graphical user interface, which had to complement the exceptional Winch interior of the yacht. Fully designed for elegant and harmonious family living, the interior’s strong use of colour and natural themes found a reflection in the MyInfo app which controls the AV system.
“MyInfo is Videoworks’ award-winning app for iPad, now in its third generation, and it gives full control over audio and visual content across Sparta,” explains Stefan Nieuwenhuys, General Manager of Videoworks Europe BV. “This project demanded a highly customised graphical user interface, featuring some very specific icons and functions to match the way the build owner wanted to use the systems. We have a complete IT team in-house who did all the programming and design work to deliver that vision.”
The equipment itself is high-end for a yacht of this size, and a first for Heesen. A big, centralised AV rack on the tank deck contains media servers and storage that can deliver audio and video content from to any of the outlets across the boat – from cabins to social areas inside and out. Speakers and subwoofers in each zone provide fantastic quality surround sound, and the pick of the many screens measures a generous 75 inches, flush fitted in the main saloon.
“We built the system in a way that we can distribute audio and video centrally from a single point, using our own proprietary standards,” continues Nieuwenhuys. “This makes the set-up future-proof, because it allows us to swap over to high-speed internet streaming services without replacing equipment all over the yacht. The upgrade is all prepared, even down to the cable connecting to the Starlink antenna.”
Sparta has been a long time in the design and build, so the initial contact between Videoworks and Heesen goes back to 2021. The Heesen team have been so impressed with equipment on offer and the ease of working with Videoworks that the relationship has blossomed. There are a further two Heesen yachts in build with Videoworks systems on board, and another three at the proposal stage.
“From light and temperature to presence sensors and energy meters, our smart automation systems go far beyond entertainment,” says Nieuwenhuys. “We are delighted to welcome Heesen as a valued new customer, and are looking forward to deepening our partnership in the future. Quality and innovation are the watchwords for our brand, and we have found that Heesen fully shares these values.”
“It has been a pleasure to collaborate with Videoworks on the Sparta project,” says Heesen’s Piet van der Linden of Heesen Yachts. “The team has been extraordinarily responsive over some quite demanding custom features, and communication has been excellent. We are a busy yard with a number of custom and semi-custom yachts at various stages of build, and we are looking forward to working with Videoworks on more of these in the future.”
