Royal Huisman published an official announcement about DESTINED FOR GLOBAL STARDOM, adding to the Dutch yard’s public record of custom yacht construction, refit, design development and sailing yacht activity.
Royal Huisman published an official announcement about DESTINED FOR GLOBAL STARDOM, adding to the Dutch yard’s public record of custom yacht construction, refit, design development and sailing yacht activity.
Nilaya’s arrival in Antigua signals this no-compromise cruiser is ready to race.
Royal Huisman’s Nilaya, a Reichel / Pugh – Nauta Panamax sloop, sailed into English Harbour, Antigua, after a fast Atlantic crossing that gave her owner and pro race team captain Bouwe Bekking and skipper Romke Loopik plenty of all-conditions experience at the helm. Delivered to her owners in June, 47m / 154ft Nilaya spent the summer cruising in the Med and tuning up for racing.
With this pause before the St. Barth’s Bucket and with over 10,000nm under her keel, Royal Huisman can shine a spotlight on the yacht that pioneered the shipyard’s comprehensive Featherlight™ approach. Delivering on the owners’ brief for speed, safety, reliability and silence, Royal Huisman and Nauta Design explored every option to produce a bluewater cruiser packed with luxury amenities that blends the strength and motion of an aluminum hull with the speed and displacement weights common to carbon fiber maxi yachts.
“My previous yacht was [an all-carbon Reichel/Pugh-Nauta] Baltic 34m / 112ft. She was a fantastic yacht which we cruised all over the world and won many regattas,” shared Nilaya’s owner. During the 12 years I owned her, it became clear what my next yacht would be. The brief that I gave to Nauta and Reichel / Pugh was for more comfort in a fast yacht that can win a superyacht regatta,” he said.
However, to win the contract to build this boat, Royal Huisman had to demonstrate it could build an aluminum yacht much lighter than current alloy construction techniques would indicate. It would require much more than turning to carbon fiber for deck hatches and a coach roof. To do this, Royal Huisman created an engineering approach based on European Space Agency methodology. The result is that Nilaya is a true aluminum / carbon hybrid. Extensive use of finite element analysis (FEA) directed the right material and thickness for the exact stresses and loads of every part of the hull and deck. More than a simple case of choosing either / or, in some places carbon backs Alustar aluminum, increasing stiffness without adding weight and bulk.