Moonen Yachts

Netherlands · 's-HertogenboschGrade A+24 of 40

's-Hertogenbosch yard building 34 to 40 m steel yachts on speculation, owned by an Australian couple since the 2019 bankruptcy.

1981

Founded

Matthew and Louise Baxter, since 2019

Owner

not published

Revenue

up to 6 yachts

In build

34 to 40 m

Range

Semi-custom steel series; IYC sells

Model

What happened, 2023 to 2026

Dec 2024MoneyFive years of the Baxters: two-year warranty, CNC and facility investment
2025Top seatTechnical director Nicky van Zon becomes managing director
Sep 2025Build40 m Moonen 133 Mallorca, the largest model, revealed
Oct 2025BuildSeventh Martinique, Ad Astra, delivered
Jun 2026BuildEighth Martinique delivered; ninth sold for 2027
Oct 2026BuildTenth Martinique hull and superstructure joined

What it adds up to. A rescued yard that builds one proven model again and again; the engineer who ran the floor now runs the company.

Who runs it

Chairperson, Moonen (owner)
Managing Directorsince 2025
Head of Marketingsince 2025
Head of mechanicssince 2002
Head of interior departmentsince 2008
Head of interior engineeringsince 2022
HR and Head of Financesince 2019

Organisation. Owner couple abroad; technical director promoted to managing director

What it shows for a new yard. Owners abroad, an engineer promoted to managing director, sales outsourced to a broker.

Former leaders now elsewhere3 people who held a top or senior seat here

now Founder at DutchFlows BV
now Manager Production at Mercury Yacht Construction BV (an Oceanco Company)
now Eigenaar at Victor Caminada B.V.

Organisation chartthe top seat, the senior layer by function, and the managers where the top team is small; the number two is marked

Matthew Baxter

Chairperson, Moonen (owner)

Owner family

Nicky van Zon

Managing Director

since 2025

Benchmark


Sales and marketing1 senior	Engineering and design1 senior	Production and operations2 senior	Projects and service1 managers	Purchasing1 managers	Finance, legal and IT1 senior	People1 managers
FV Femke Verheijen Head of Marketing since 2025	MV Martijn Veldhuijzen Head of interior engineering since 2022	CD Cornee de Bruin Head of mechanics since 2002 JV Jos van Dongen Head of interior department since 2008	IV Ian Vermoen Project manager, Moonen since 2021	Roger Kuijpers, Purchase Professional Senior purchasing officer, Moonen since 2021	GK Getty Kok HR and Head of Finance since 2019	Nicole Peters External HR advisor, Moonen since 2026

Number twoNo number two. The yard is one layer deep: a managing director who is also the technical director, then department heads and a part-time finance seat.

The top team as read on LinkedIn20 people read as staff, October 2026

Top seat

Senior layer · 5

Sales and marketing 1

Engineering and design 1

Production and operations 2

Finance, legal and IT 1

Managers · 3

Projects, service and after-sales 1

Purchasing and supply chain 1

People 1

10 more people read as staff below manager level: see them in the directory.

Seats and dates are as the people describe them on LinkedIn; a person who moved in the last months can still show the old seat. Tap a person for the profile and the reading.

Candidates at Moonen Yachts1 people under 50 in the pools; the shortlisted first

Nicky van Zon

Managing Director at Moonen Yachts · Tilburg, Netherlands

Hybrid commercial-technicalShortlistBenchmark leaderAt Moonen Yachts

Managing director of Moonen since November 2025 after five years as technical director and eighteen years at the yard; naval architect with a business-law master's. The technical director promoted to the top seat of a 30-person yard.

Reachability

Needs a trigger

Revisit: November 2026, one year in the seat · Location model B

What would move them

A bigger yard. Eighteen years at one 30-person yard and a step up only a year old make him the least likely mover on the Dutch side, except through a change at the top.

The trigger

His first year as managing director under a remote owner couple; a change of owner at Moonen, or the end of its order book, is the trigger.

The route, and the location model

Direct; Dutch yard managers answer a direct approach. Dutch, family in Brabant; the yard-director half of a two-person model.

Career

Managing Director · Moonen Yachts Nov 2025 – Present
Technical Director · Moonen Yachts Jun 2020 – Present
Project Manager · Moonen Yachts Jul 2014 – Jun 2020
Assistant Project Manager · Moonen Shipyards Jan 2008 – Aug 2014
Member · Young Professionals in Yachting Jan 2017 – Jun 2020
Tekenaar/werkvoorbereider · Snijtechniek Brabant B.V. 2005 – Dec 2007

LinkedIn profile ·

Key facts

Age39 to 43estimate from the degree years on the profile

Based inTilburg, Netherlands

Current seatManaging Director, Moonen Yachts, since 2025

CareerSince 2005, 21 years

Builders on the CVMoonen Yachts (current)

EducationTilburg University Master of Laws (LLM) · Master Business law; Tilburg University Bachelor of Laws (LLB) · Business law

LanguagesNot given

In brief

Managing Director since Nov 2025 while keeping the Technical Director title he has held since 2020; project manager 2014-2020, assistant project manager from 2008; naval architecture bachelor plus a business-law master. The brief's example of a technical director promoted to the top seat, at a 30-person yard owned by a private couple. One year in the seat.

From the web

Moonen's own team page records the path: assistant project manager 2008, project manager 2014, technical director 2020, managing director 2025. Quoted as managing director on the tenth Moonen 122 Martinique in October 2026 (Boat International, IYC) and on how owner feedback changed the layout.

Facts and news, with sourcesthe research behind the overview

Show the facts and the dated news with their sources

Identity

Full name: Moonen Yachts (legal entity Moonen Shipyards B.V. per SuperyachtNews directory, undated: ) source
Founded: 1981 (inferred: the company's own team page says Head of Finance and HR Getty Kok "started in 1981 when the company started"). source
Headquarters and yard: Graaf van Solmsweg 52F, 5222 BP 's-Hertogenbosch, the Netherlands. Deliveries take place at Hellevoetsluis. source 1 source 2
Ownership: private, owned by Australian couple Matthew and Louise Baxter since August 2019. They bought the yard out of bankruptcy: the previous owner, Mexican steel group Altos Hornos de México (AHMSA), had its accounts frozen after its chairman was arrested, and Moonen was declared bankrupt on 11 July 2019. source 1 source 2
Stake: not published; Matthew Baxter described as "director and shareholder" (2020-06-09). source
Sales: exclusive global sales partnership with brokerage IYC. source
Sister brands: none.

Size

Employees: not found. The owners say they cut staff after the 2019 takeover to keep a core team. source
Revenue: not found (private).
Boat International Global Order Book 2026: not in the top-builder table (Heesen is last listed at rank 19 with 434 m). source
Output: up to six yachts in various stages of build during 2024.

Product

Size range: 34 to 40 m. source
Hull material: steel only ("At Moonen we only build yachts with steel hulls"); Ad Astra is high-tensile steel. source
Build type: semi-custom series, often started on speculation (no full-custom line announced).
Models (2025-04-15, moonen.com)

Moonen 110 (Mustique), 34.04 m.
Moonen 122 Martinique, 37.4 m, the core series (exterior René van der Velden; naval architecture Diana Yacht Design)
Moonen 133 Mallorca, 40 m, the largest current model, revealed September 2025 () source

Notable deliveries 2023 to 2026.

Moonshine (122 Martinique), sea trials July 2024; length 37.4 m assumed from series, not stated in source. source
Ad Astra (YN205), 37.4 m, 7th Martinique, October 2025. source
Lollipop, 37.4 m, 8th Martinique, delivered to American owners June 2026. source

In build: 9th Martinique YN207 (sold December 2025, delivery January 2027) and 10th Martinique YN208 (delivery June 2027). source 1 source 2

Leadership

Owners: Matthew Baxter and Louise Baxter — as of 2025-04-15. source
Managing Director: Nicky van Zon (joined 2008; Technical Director from 2020; Managing Director from 2025) — as of 2026-10-21 (team page accessed). source
Head of Finance and HR: Getty Kok — as of 2026-10-21. Same source.
Head of Marketing: Femke Verheijen — as of 2026-10-21. Same source.
Global Sales Representatives (IYC): Matthew Stone (USA) and Richard Gray (UK) — as of 2026-10-21. Same source.
Former Managing Director: Marianne Hendriks (appointed 2019, confirmed in 2020 team announcement); Johan Dubbelman, Commercial Director from 2020-06. source

News 2023 to 2026

2026-10
Hull and superstructure joined on the 10th Moonen 122 Martinique (YN208).moonen.com
2026-06
8th Martinique, Lollipop, delivered to American owners; debuts at Monaco Yacht Show September 2026.yachtbuyer.com
2025-12
9th Martinique (YN207) sold to an American family, delivery January 2027.denisonyachtsales.com
2025
Nicky van Zon becomes Managing Director (year only, from the company team page).moonen.com
2025-10
Delivery of Ad Astra, 7th Martinique, started on speculation in April 2023 and sold during the build.boatinternational.com
2025-09
Moonen reveals the 40 m Moonen 133 Mallorca, its largest current model.yachtbuyer.com
2024-12
Owners Matthew and Louise Baxter mark five years: two-year warranty, investment in CNC machines and facilities, IYC as exclusive sales partner, focus kept at 34 to 40 m.moonen.com

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