Royal Huisman - Making a difference
by Royal Huisman 24 Sep 2023 22:50 AEST
Nilaya: 11% weight saving © Royal Huisman
Sustainability is crucially important and superyacht owners and the marine sector obviously want to play their parts. It is a fact that the level of success resulting from limiting the use of natural resources can vary greatly.
Some design and build teams are encouraged to make a difference by, for example, making their superyachts more efficient, or by adopting renewable energy sources. Yet, propulsion by wind will always beat energy consumption of engines, even when great reductions are achieved. In addition, wind energy is 'free' - of charge, of fumes, and of noise. And sailing is great fun, too!
Since 1884
Unlike most shipyards today, Royal Huisman has been building sailing vessels since it was founded in 1884. When Jan Huisman opened a yard to build small workboats and fishing boats, the hulls were wooden and so were the clogs the shipwrights wore to stay out of the mud. Many things have changed and the shipyard has evolved from "a local builder of wooden workboats" to to receiving our Royal Warrant nearly 40 years ago while we innovatively created of some of the finest superyachts in the world. Our core business model has never changed — we build unique quality vessels by hand, including 26 yachts measuring longer than 40 metres.
Over the years, the shipyard team developed many smart solutions, several of which became industry-trendsetters. Royal Huisman has a rich history of in house innovations that re-shaped industry practices and have been the backbone of the shipyard's success. Consider, for example, that Royal Huisman has built 173 aluminium yachts during the last 60 years and added carbon fibre to its capability last century. The shipyard's latest revolutionary Featherlight™ method is a holistic lightweight approach to yacht building combining various complimentary weight-saving solutions utilizing aluminum and carbon fiber components.
Nilaya
Following extensive summer cruising by her owners, the team is able to share some stunning new previews of Nilaya, the yacht that pioneered Royal Huisman's comprehensive Featherlight™ approach. This 47m / 154ft state-of-the-art performance cruiser, with naval architecture by renowned racing yacht designer Reichel/Pugh and exterior and interior by Nauta Design, was delivered by the shipyard earlier this year. Continuous weight monitoring throughout the build confirmed the shipyard achieved its goal of slicing 11% of the weight of its typical advanced aluminum cruising yachts via this process. Most importantly, it has reduced weight without sacrificing stiffness or cutting corners on quality. Nilaya is expected to flex her innovations on the Caribbean racing circuit and next summer's maxi circuit in the Med.
Current projects
With important capital investments in shipyard infrastructure, including expanding Hall #2 and the Advanced Composites Hall, Royal Huisman has started the 85m / 280ft aluminum hull construction of Project 410. This New World Sloop designed by Mani Frers with an interior by Wetzels Brown will be the world's largest sloop. In the meantime, the newbuild facilities are also buzzing with the next phase of construction for the 65m / 212ft ketch Aquarius II for repeat clients, while project 406, the world's largest true sportfishing yacht, is progressing toward launch.
Huisfit by Royal Huisman
In parallel, Huisfit, Royal Huisman's team for superyacht refit, rebuild and renewal, is focused on various projects and has recently re-launched Atlantide (1930). What was originally intended as a refit of primarily cosmetic changes, turned into a two-year rebuild of this historic yacht. The Huisfit approach renews quality and value through meticulous restoration and customization.
The ultimate expression of personal freedom
CEO Jan Timmerman concludes: "Our investments in equipment and infrastructure - we have five state-of-art main halls - support our quest for continuous innovation. Our team of more than 350 highly skilled people will celebrate our 140th anniversary in 2024 with the ability to build supersized sailing yachts up to 100 metres (330ft). As a dedicated full custom yacht builder, it is our goal to build for every customer their ultimate expression of personal freedom...."