<strong>HANSA</strong> YACHTS The master of uniqueness When it comes to complicated custom projects, Royal Huisman is considered one of the top addresses in the world – not only for sailing yachts 22 <strong>HANSA</strong> YACHTS <strong>01</strong> | <strong>2023</strong>
<strong>HANSA</strong> YACHTS Docks on the water, motoryacht »Phi« in front: Royal Huisman in Vollenhove © Royal Huisman They say that sometimes no choice is the best choice. When deciding where to build a custom sailing super yacht over 50 m in length, it might be true. This market niche is tiny compared to the motor yachts sector and has been barely active since 2008. However, in recent years the increasing global wealth, and trend to sustainable yachting, have revived the attention to sailing super yachts. Usually, clients set to build one have vast experience in leisure yachting and regattas. They know what they want, and their expectations are high. They often hire naval architects and designers in advance to outline the future project and then start looking for a capable shipyard to build it. That is when the tricky part comes. You can count the number of yards with a solid financial position, sufficient production capacity, required skills and know-how on one hand. And Royal Huisman is usually the first stop. This typical Dutch family business was founded in 1884 by Jan Huisman to build small fishing and work boats. Over the next hundred years, the company switched to racing and cruising yachts, changed from wood and steel to light aluminium alloys, and moved to a better location expanding facilities and getting access to deeper water. By this time, the brand developed a spotless reputation and had been honoured with the Royal warrant by the Dutch government. Every time I come to see what is going on in Huisman’s construction sheds on the picturesque shore of the Vollenhoven channel, I become convinced again and again that the company’s motto: »If you can dream it, we can build it«, has a lot of ground behind it. And here is why. Driven by innovation One should remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch in engineering and every design solution has its advantages and price. Given that each of the custom yachts is unique in engineering, and equipment, it is wiser to establish a solid holistic approach to designing and project management to ensure optimal results. Based on years of experience Royal Huisman has developed its smart engineering framework, Featherlight. Its main idea is to minimise the weight of the aluminium structure, saving at least 10 % without compromising strength characteristics. As a result, the yard offers very lite and high performance yachts with a high level of luxury on board. Featherlight allows Royal Huisman to build aluminium yachts that are very close, if not equal, in performance to more expensive and sometimes less comfortable all-carbon sailboats. One of the examples is Project 405, the luxury sloop (46,8 m) with high racing capabilities that have recently entered the final outfitting stage. It features a carefully CNC milled and welded aluminium hull, composite parts like carbon keel trunk and deck house, and foam-cored interiors with top-level finishing. Jack of all trades The sailing system is another crucial important part of any custom super yacht, and Royal Huisman also excels in this department thanks to its sister company Rondal. Located next door, Rondal develops and supplies turn-key-ready solutions making the shipyard selfsufficient, cost-effective and more profitable by executing contract work for other brands, mainly Baltic <strong>Yachts</strong>. It provides all the carbon composite production for Royal Huisman, including high-modulus single-section masts, booms, spreaders, single-mold superstructures, hatches, and various custom components. Moreover, Rondal develops and builds unique carbon captive winches with electric or hydraulic engines, smart electronic control, and windup speeds up to 100 m/min. It is worth mentioning that modern sailing systems include numerous integrated sensors to monitor load and stress. Royal Huisman develops software for collecting and analysing big data in-house to improve future projects constantly. The shipyard has all the primary skills to build – not just assemble – very sophisticated super yachts in one location and <strong>HANSA</strong> YACHTS <strong>01</strong> | <strong>2023</strong> 23