This page contains affiliate and referral links. If you charter, book, or buy through them we earn a referral fee, paid by the broker or platform, at no cost to you. We have not adjusted our rankings for the referral rate. Full breakdown on our how-we-make-money page.
M/Y Galactica Super Nova is 70.07m LOA, 11.4m beam, 3.5m draft, 1,366 GT, built Heesen 2016 to the Van Oossanen Fast Displacement hull form, with a hybrid drive package added on the original spec. She runs MTU 16V 4000 M73L engines and pulls a verified 30 knots top, which puts her among the three fastest 70m-class motor yachts in the global charter fleet. Twelve guests in six cabins, 19 crew, €625K/week shoulder-season rate as of May 2026 (plus 30% APA, plus VAT where applicable). She charters Mediterranean May to October and crosses to the Caribbean for the December to April window most years.
That is what the spec sheet says. Here is what the spec sheet does not say.
What she actually is
Heesen made a calculated bet in the mid-2010s. The yard had pushed its Fast Displacement hull on the 50m and 55m class with Galactica Star and others, and the question was whether the same form would scale to 70m without losing its speed advantage to the wave drag of a longer waterline. The answer, on Galactica Super Nova, is yes. She holds 27 to 28 knots cruise on flat water and reaches 30 in trial conditions. For comparison, an equivalent-size Lürssen or Feadship in the same year-built window runs 17 to 18 knots top and 14 to 15 cruise. The speed is the headline feature and the reason most charter clients book her.
The hybrid package is the part the broker will lean on hardest. It is real. She can run on diesel-electric for low-speed cruising and at-anchor hotel load, which materially lowers generator hours when she is parked off Capri for two days at a time. The fuel savings on a full week are not dramatic against the rate, but the noise reduction at anchor is. If you have done a week on a yacht of this size with the generator pair running through dinner, you understand the difference.
Interior and layout
The interior is by Sinot Yacht Architecture and Design. Six cabins on the main and lower decks, including a full-beam master forward on the main deck with private side terrace, two VIP suites, and three doubles convertible to twins. The saloon is open-plan with a bar and dining for 12. The sundeck has a jacuzzi, a bar, and an exterior dining setup for 16. The beach club is at the stern with a fold-down platform.
The Sinot interior is restrained for the size class. There is more white oak and brushed bronze than gilt-and-marble, which reads better in photographs in 2026 than the heavier interiors from the 2010-2014 Heesen window. The acoustic package is competent but not exceptional. We have heard reports of bridge-deck vibration at full speed, which is a known characteristic of the FDHF hull at the top of its range and not a defect.
Crew and captain
Crew is 19 across deck, interior, galley, engineering, and bridge. The captain has run the yacht through most of her charter history, and the chief stew is reportedly long-tenured. The chef rotates more frequently than the senior crew, which is normal for a charter yacht in this band and not a flag.
Crew gratuity convention on Galactica Super Nova runs 10 to 12% in the Mediterranean and 12 to 15% in the Caribbean, which is the standard band. The split inside the crew is captain-led and follows MYBA-typical lines.
Charter rate, APA, and what the rate actually buys
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Low season weekly | from €575K |
| Shoulder weekly | from €625K |
| Peak weekly | from €700K |
| APA | 30% standard |
| VAT | Per territory, 0 to 22% |
| Crew gratuity convention | 10 to 15% |
| Currency | EUR Mediterranean, USD Caribbean |
| Notice | Asking. Negotiable on shoulder dates. |
She is one of the higher-rated 70m yachts in the charter fleet on a per-meter basis, which buyers should price in. The speed and the hybrid package justify part of the premium. The rest is the Heesen name, the Sinot interior, and the booking pattern. She books out for the Monaco Yacht Show week and the Saint-Tropez weeks well over 12 months ahead and rarely shows availability on those dates without a cancellation.
What we would push on
Three things, in order of importance.
First, confirm the at-anchor stabilizer behavior with the captain before signing. The FDHF hull is a fast hull, and fast hulls historically have rolled more at rest than slow-displacement equivalents. Galactica Super Nova has zero-speed fins and an active package, but in beam-on swell at a Capri anchorage she can still move more than a comparable-size Benetti or Codecasa. If your party includes anyone who is sensitive to motion, ask the captain for the anchorage plan and how he will handle a Capri-Positano transit if the wind builds.
Second, push back on APA. Standard is 30%. If your itinerary is light on long passages and heavy on stationary anchorage time at marquee ports, 28% is reasonable. The broker will quote 30 to 35% by default. The captain's actual fuel and provisioning budget on a typical Med week supports the lower number.
Third, confirm the toy fleet in writing before signing. The standard inventory list is a Tender, a chase tender, four Seabobs, two e-Foils, two jet skis, paddle boards, snorkel gear, and inflatables. We have seen the e-Foils and Seabob counts drift in mid-season inventory updates as items go for service. If the toy fleet matters to your week, you want the list dated and signed.
What she is good for
Routes that benefit from her speed are the obvious fit. Naples to Bonifacio in a day. Antibes to Porto Cervo in a day. Saint-Tropez to Barcelona in a long day. Most 70m-class yachts will not do these legs in a single hop without arriving in the dark. Galactica Super Nova will, and she will arrive on time for a dinner reservation. For families running an ambitious 7-day itinerary, that single capability changes the trip.
She is also a good fit for charter clients who want a single-yacht solution for groups of 10 to 12 who are not bringing very young children. The layout is configured for adults. There is no nursery, and the chase tender is not a kid-friendly design.
What she is not good for
Twelve adults plus very young children. The layout works for 12 adults or for 10 adults plus 2 children of school age, and not much else. If you are travelling as a multi-generational party of 14 with three children under six, this is the wrong yacht. We would point that party toward Anna I or Anna II at 110m or toward a 65m Benetti such as Spectre that has a more flexible layout.
Long Atlantic crossings are within her range (the hull is rated for ocean crossings and she does her own deliveries), but her speed is wasted on the open-water transits. Owners and charter clients who want a long-range explorer-class yacht are better served by a Damen SeaXplorer or by an Abeking. The speed on Galactica Super Nova exists for short hops between marquee ports.
Comparable yachts in the band
In the 65m to 75m, 12-guest, sub-2020 build window, the comparables we list are:
- Spectre, 69m Benetti, slower, more conventional, more flexible layout
- Quattroelle, 86m Lürssen, larger, slower, more crew, higher rate
- Home, 50m Heesen FDHF hybrid, smaller, slower, lower rate, similar voice
- Luminosity, 107m Benetti hybrid, much larger, more cabins, very different price band
Of those, the closest comparable on charter feel is Home (also Heesen FDHF, also hybrid, also Sinot interior idiom). At roughly half the rate, Home is the right answer for clients who liked the brief on Galactica Super Nova but do not need 70m of LOA or 30 knots of speed.
Booking pattern and what the broker will not tell you
She books peak Med weeks 12 to 18 months ahead. The Monaco Yacht Show week (typically late September) and the post-Show Saint-Tropez weeks are gone by the previous October. The shoulder dates (early May, early October, late October repositioning) move at 6 months out. Caribbean season is steadier. The Antigua and St Barths weeks book 9 months out but rarely sell out.
She has not had a publicly reported mechanical issue mid-charter. The engineering team has been stable since launch. The most-recent refit was, primarily AV and interior soft furnishings, not structural.
Verdict
If your week needs speed and 70m of length and your group is 10 to 12 adults, this is the yacht. The rate is fair for what she delivers. The hybrid package is genuinely useful at anchor. The Sinot interior holds up. The captain knows the yacht. We would still ask the broker for the at-anchor stabilizer write-up and a written and dated toy fleet inventory before signing, and we would push 30% APA to 28% on a shoulder week.
If your week does not need 30 knots and does not need 70m, this is overspec for the trip. A 60m Heesen or a 60m Benetti will serve the same group at a 30 to 35% lower rate without taking anything off the experience that the party will remember.
FAQ
Is Galactica Super Nova the same yacht as Galactica Star? No. Galactica Star is the 65m Heesen launched 2013. Galactica Super Nova is the 70m launched 2016. Different owners, different cabin counts, different layouts. Confusing names, but they are different yachts.
Does she have a beach club? Yes, a fold-down stern platform with a small interior beach club space. It is not a large beach club by 2024-build standards. It is usable for two to four people at a time.
Does she have a helipad? A touch-and-go pad on the foredeck, not a certified helideck. Plan helicopter use accordingly. Most marquee Med destinations will not permit a touch-and-go on a yacht in commercial charter without prior coordination with the captain and the local port authority.
What flag does she fly?. MCA-compliant for commercial charter.
What is the charter contract? Standard MYBA. The central agent is. We would push back on the standard 30% APA on shoulder weeks and on the default toy-fleet language.
Is she available for sale? She is in the charter fleet as of May 2026 and has not been publicly listed for sale. If she does come to market, the asking will sit in the €70M to €85M band based on comparable Heesen sales from 2024 and 2025.