Damen Yachting launches first Yacht Support 53

The new yacht was designed entirely by Damen Yachting and constructed at the builder’s facility in Turkey. The 53m YS 5301 was sold to its owner, Anthony Hsieh, in May 2022 and will be delivered in summer 2023 under the name BAD COMPANY SUPPORT. The new yacht will replace the owner’s current 46m YS 4508 Yacht Support, also named BAD COMPANY SUPPORT, built by Damen Yachting in 2019 and sold to Anthony Hsieh in 2021.  

The YS 53 range was introduced to the market in February 2022 as a strategic shift in Damen Yachting’s Yacht Support approach. The range represents the next generation of Yacht Support vessels and is inspired by the 17-plus Yacht Support vessels built by Damen Yachting over the past decade.

Joining the growing group of innovative Yacht Support owners, the owner will use YS 5301 as a mothership to his well-established fleet, named Bad Company. The Bad Company fleet is well-known for its modern sports fishing missions and can currently be found on a world tour. In supporting sports fishing, the owner is involved in several marine-conservation projects in remote locations across the planet such as those initiated by the Coastal Conservation Association of California.

YS 5301 has a gross tonnage of 499gt and can accommodate 6-16 guests and staff, 10 crew and the captain. It features a huge 15-tonne deck crane and is fully IMO Tier III compliant to reduce harmful emissions by 70 per cent for full-range operations. The two main engines can deliver speeds of up to 19 knots.

Once delivered, YS 5301 YS 5301 will tour the Mediterranean and then move into the Atlantic Ocean, followed by the Indian Ocean and Pacific. The new mothership will be equipped with a 43ft Release Game boat and a 32ft Blackfin – a boat which carries significant sentiment for the owner. Recently repurchased and refurbished for this adventure, the Blackfin was the owner’s first game fishing boat purchased more than 30 years ago. The helicopter on board will provide the owner with easy airport transfers to and from the mothership. 

“What we are planning to do with the YS 5301 no one has ever done before, and I think this will set a whole new tier of adventure for future yachts people,” says Anthony Hsieh, the owner of the Bad Company fleet. "This is a lifelong dream starting to become reality. The plans we have with the boat in future years is stunning – she will see the world! We will spend all our time on this boat to make the most of all the different luxuries and amenities she has, and we are very excited for this milestone.”

“This is one of the most exciting projects we have worked on. Not only is this the first of our new YS 53 range but this is also the first Yacht Support we have built that will be used exclusively as part of a sport fishing fleet and programme. Hsieh’s unique vision and mission are very inspiring,” says Jan van Hogerwou, Damen Yachting’s Commercial Executive North America.