“Finding the right balance between performance and luxury is a very personal choice. Each custom sailing yacht project starts with a design brief from the Owner which is translated – by the naval architect, designers and shipyard – into a design which maximises the potential of the brief. For Project 404, the Owner had a very clear vision to build the ultimate sailing yacht with the highest level of luxury, working in perfect harmony with the very best in performance.”
WHAT GOES DOWN, MUST COME UP!
Retractable electric drive propulsion will offer lots of advantages for everyone onboard...
WHAT GOES DOWN, MUST COME UP!
Retractable electric drive propulsion will offer lots of advantages for everyone onboard...
…the 59.7m / 196ft high-performance Malcolm McKeon sloop, which is currently under construction at Royal Huisman’s headquarters in Vollenhove.
Gregory Monks, the owners’ representative of Project 404, explains “Why?”:
“The yacht can motor in ‘quiet mode’ using only the batteries, so an early morning silent departure from a peaceful anchorage is possible”
Twin electric drive propulsion onboard Project 404: Redundant swing retractable, azimuthing electric propulsion units with direct connected permanent magnet motors and fixed pitch, pulling propellers for optimized efficiency.
“We have specified extremely low noise and vibration limits which are important for luxury. For Project 404, the noise and vibration levels were greatly improved with the introduction of twin electric drive propulsion. The retractable drive units are much further forward compared to a more traditional shaft and propeller set-up. This means that they lower out of the hull directly below the machinery and midship water sports storage areas, rather than being fixed-mounted directly below the aft guest accommodation. This provides even further advantages to the onboard luxury experience for the guests when motoring. As the propulsion is electric driven, the vibrations from mechanical machinery are greatly reduced over a conventional drive. The yacht can motor in ‘quiet mode’ using only the batteries, so an early morning silent departure from a peaceful anchorage is possible.
Looking at the sailing performance side, the electric drive units are fully retractable into the hull. Reducing both aerodynamic and hydrodynamic drag is a critical factor in improving sailing performance. With the electric drive units fully retracted into the hull, we achieve a very slippery hull with minimal drag from appendages, which has a significant effect on sailing performance.”
“Retractable electric propulsion is the perfect example of how to successfully blend performance and luxury, and achieve big gains in both disciplines”
“The boat will sail more efficiently, accelerate faster and consistently achieve higher speeds as a result. The drive units also cancel out the need for a stern thruster, as they can each be turned 90 degrees. This saves weight, which also improves performance. There are also benefits when it comes to safety. Should the yacht encounter, for example, a fuel contamination issue and suffer mechanical generator failure, the propulsion units can serve as underwater turbines, generating power for the ship’s systems and charging the batteries. Having plenty of redundancy is a key factor for sailing safely around the world, and this system further enhances the yacht’s safety. Using retractable electric propulsion is the perfect example of how to successfully blend performance and luxury, and achieve big gains in both disciplines with the same design solution.”
Gregory Monks, owners’ representative of Royal Huisman project 404
“What goes down, must come up!” was first published in a previous edition of “inhuis”. A video of the retractable electric drive propulsion can be found at this website: discover > innovation > 1. sustainabilty [link]
The knowledge of Rondal: much more than building masts
In over 25 years of creating spars and integrated sailing systems, Rondal has evolved into a carbon fibre specialist. Rondal was founded by Royal Huisman in the 70s and continues to work with the shipyard whilst forging strong relationships with many international superyacht builders for the supply of a wide range of composite components. In recent years the Rondal team has been working on multiple radar masts for large motoryachts; carbon superstructures, and various custom composite components.
Composite elements such as the carbon superstructure of Royal Huisman project 404 come with less weight, higher strength and more stiffness. Building in composite also allows for artistic freedom in terms of shapes and details. Almost anything is possible. Rondal has perfected composite manufacturing techniques, gaining knowledge through extensive research and developments that proved highly successful when building components, masts, and booms.
In addition to Rondal’s renowned spars, integrated sailing systems and composite components, Rondal’s windbreak systems, hatches and entrances have also proven to be of engineering excellence, superior craftsmanship, and seaworthiness.
Read more? rondal.com
Royal Huisman project 404
Royal Huisman Innovation
Some of the innovations are individually modest yet collectively significant. Others, such as the pioneering work in hybrid energy generation and management systems and “featherlight” hull construction have re-shaped industry practice… Read more on this website: discover > innovation [link]