The 47m / 154-foot high-performance cruiser Nilaya has departed from Royal Huisman’s facilities in Amsterdam following a successful series of sea trials on the North Sea and subsequent delivery to her happy owners. (Here all our posts about Royal Huisman)
Nilaya, the first yacht built using the Featherlight method
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.
Nilaya, goals achieved
“For such a large yacht, the acceleration is exciting as she rapidly reaches high speeds,” says Nigel Ingram of MCM Newport, who served as owner’s 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.”
The pride of a job well done
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.”
Nilaya according to Mario Pedol
Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design, reports back from the sea trials of Nilaya, the 47m / 154ft Royal Huisman custom sailing yacht that is Nauta Design’s current sail division flagship, 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.
