The day dawned perfect with sun and blue skies for the launch ceremony, attended by Project Samba’s highly experienced owners who were closely involved in all aspects of the yacht’s design. The yacht will now undergo final stages of fit-out and sea trials before her handover in time to enjoy some Med cruising this summer. In a neat mirror to the beat of her launch, she will be displayed at the 2025 Cannes Yachting Festival in September, marking her worldwide debut and sporting her new name, LALABE.

Dancing with LALABE
LALABE is another custom design that builds on the foundations of the naval architecture and engineering of the multi-award-winning Lady Lene, this time adapted as a fast displacement hull capable of 17 knots, and with every element above the waterline drawn from a blank sheet of paper by Guido de Groot, who has been responsible for LALABE’s exterior and interior design in close collaboration with the owners.

As her Project Samba build name suggests, LALABE has been conceived to offer a yachting experience centred on the rhythms of life and of the sea. Custom created to deliver an exceptional seaborne sanctuary for a multi-generational family, key elements of waterside residential living have been ported from land to luxury yacht, such as the inviting garden terrace reimagined as an expansive aft cockpit and beach area that offers alfresco dining, relaxed sofas, sauna and steam room, a beach chill-out zone, transformer platform to given easy access to the sea, and of course extensive laundry capacity to handle a heap of beach, sun and swim towels!

The design also encapsulates the inside-outside living ethos, with deck areas moving seamlessly into interior spaces and with boundaries between the two blurred or removed altogether – on the bridge deck, for example, sliding doors open the upper saloon on three sides to create a true hybrid and truly flexible area.

“LALABE is another perfect example of the Van der Valk difference – the highest levels of Dutch build quality and craftsmanship combined with the highest levels of custom design opportunities for owners to completely tailor their yacht to their needs,” enthuses Yoeri Bijker, head of sales at Van der Valk. “This is no semi-custom yacht – LALABE has been custom conceived and constructed from the waterline up and that’s reflected in the incredible layout of exterior and interior spaces. We can’t wait to display her at the Cannes Yachting Festival – she’s going to be a real star of the show.”