Royal Huisman Project 405 was transported earlier this year from the shipyard’s newbuild facilities in Vollenhove in preparation for launch and the installation of her carbon performance sloop rig by Rondal. She was Christened Nilaya, which means “blissful home”, during a private event at “Het Scheepvaartmuseum” (the national maritime museum) in Amsterdam.

This highly anticipated Panamax superyacht is the first to utilize the shipyard’s new Featherlight™ design and production method. Continuous weight monitoring throughout the build of Project 405, aka Reichel/Pugh – Nauta 154, confirms the Dutch builder has achieved its goal of slicing 11% of the weight of its typical advanced aluminum cruising yachts. Most importantly, it has reduced weight without sacrificing stiffness or cutting corners on quality for this high-performance cruiser. The shipyard’s revolutionary Featherlight™ method for this sailing machine is not a single process or construction technique, but a holistic light weight approach to yacht building combining various complimentary weight-saving solutions utilizing aluminum and carbon fiber components.

“For such a large yacht, the acceleration is exciting as she rapidly reaches high speeds,” says Nigel Ingram of MCM Newport, who served as owners’ project manager. “Twin rudders and the light, positive steering give superb maneuverability and she has reached all her project targets with ease. Rondal’s sailing systems enable fingertip control of the massive loads involved.”

Nauta Design created the general concept, the exterior design, and the interior design plan with the light, calm, contemporary décor that has been unpacked for the first time now that trials are complete. Ingram continues: “Below decks, life is as comfortable and quiet as one would expect of the latest performance cruiser from Royal Huisman. The builder’s efforts toward building a light and stiff structure have paid off.”

Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design, adds following his overall experience during sail trials:

“Nilaya is not good… She is superb.”

Royal Huisman CEO Jan Timmerman called the Nilaya’s departure bittersweet. “We are always a bit sad to see one of our yachts sail away; it’s a bit like a child leaving home. At the same time, we are proud to have delivered another unique vessel, especially one that advances innovative engineering and build technology. Nilaya is a milestone in composite superyachts in the truest sense of the word and another fine example of Royal Huisman’s ability to provide owners with the ultimate expression of personal freedom. We wish her owners and all onboard fair winds and following seas during both world cruising and many exciting regattas.”

Main specifications 

Type: high-performance cruiser sloop – length overall: 47m / 154ft – beam: 10m / 33ft – draft: 4.5-6.9m / 15 – 23ft – accommodation: 8 – 10 owners / guests + 8 crew – general concept, ext. & interior design: Nauta Design – naval architecture: Reichel / Pugh – owners’ representative:  Nigel Ingram, MCM Newport – owners’ race team: Bouwe Bekking – construction: Aluminum and carbon composite – classification: hull structure & superstructure according to the rules & regulations of Lloyd’s Register Special Service Craft Rules, eligible for the class notation: [Maltese cross] 100A1, SSC, Yacht, Mono, G6 –  rig + handling: Rondal carbon Panamax rig + Integrated Sailing System

Full press release including editor’s notes: link (opens new tab).

Nilaya sparkles at her sea trial

Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design, reports back from the sea trials on 31 May 2023: “A full day in beautiful sunny and windy weather in the North Sea off Amsterdam showed how Nilaya’s performance under sail is truly outstanding,” Pedol says. “By the time the mainsail was hoisted the breeze had built to a steady 18 knots. We sailed on a broad reach with the mainsail and Code Zero and rapidly reached a truly impressive 17 knots boat speed. It was just the beginning of a great day of sailing with the owner and all of the main players of his and the builder’s teams.

This fantastic yacht showed to really match all of the quite demanding main aspects of the owners’ brief. Royal Huisman masterly succeeded in engineering and building the yacht, fulfilling the owner’s request in terms of robustness, reliability, quietness and last but not least amazing performance under sail, thanks to super high level naval architecture by Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design.” Pedol also felt that his studio’s specific request for longitudinal stiffness, a very important performance booster aboard a sailing yacht, was fully met using thorough and deep final element structural analysis.

An investment in our DNA

While many aluminum vessels have some composite parts, Nilaya is much more a hybrid. The revolutionary element of the Featherlight™ method for this 47m / 154-foot sloop is not a single process or construction material, but a holistic light-weight method for delivering a global cruising yacht that also will be competitive in superyacht racing events. Read on at this website: news > inhuis stories & updates [link]

Nilaya departed from Royal Huisman’s facilities in Amsterdam on 5 June 2023. Learn more about her on this website: yachts > delivered yachts [link]