Editor’s note: MegayachtNews.com editor Diane M. Byrne visited several Dutch superyacht builders last week. It came at the invitation of the Holland Yachting Group, a trade organization. Several yards have confidential projects, which precludes us from reporting on current work. Others, however, can publicize some of their activity. What follows is the fourth such report, on Royal Huisman.
A classic ketch in one shed. Its largest-ever sailing superyacht starting in the adjacent hall. And clients booking refit slots for seasons to come. Royal Huisman has grown its reach in more ways than one. It has no intention of scaling back its diversification plans, either.
Having recently handed over Ngoni, the sloop her owner intends to be a performance “Beast,” Royal Huisman has two new-builds. One, a classic ketch, should see delivery late this year. (See her time-lapse hull construction below.) At 184 feet (56 meters), she’s for a family keen to cruise the world, and occasionally race. Dykstra Naval Architects predicts she’ll see a hull speed of 16 knots. We predict her owners won’t tire of watching passing clouds through the large oval skylight in their suite. It encircles the mizzen mast, too. Related to this, Royal Huisman creates full-scale mockups of interiors for client approval. While a common practice among many yards for years, most have switched to 3D animations. Not here, however. The yard finds its clients—the owners of the classic ketch included—understand the ultimate feel and look better via replicas.
Speaking of ultimate, Royal Huisman is just starting the keel on a 266-footer (81-meter) an Asian client calls “my dream.” Known as Project 400, she’s a dream for the builder, too. In short, she is its biggest-ever yacht, power or sail. Though delivery won’t occur until 2020, the three-masted schooner will further be among the world’s 10 largest sailing superyachts. As the illustration below shows, her hull and superstructure will take shape in adjacent halls.
As much as new builds are important, Royal Huisman is increasingly soliciting refits. The dedicated Huisfit division works locally, and globally. For example, the builder’s home base in Vollenhove, The Netherlands hosted three refits last winter. This coming winter, Meteor arrives for her 10-year service works. She just so happens to have been delivered by Royal Huisman a decade ago, too.
Furthermore, Bert Tromp, Huisfit’s sales manager, says he’s negotiating several more significant-size projects. Some of these are well suited to Emden Dockyard, near the Dutch border in Emden, Germany. Huisfit has exclusive use of several sheds there. The site is also 10 times larger than the Vollenhove yard and has deep-water access. Similarly, some of the refits in negotiation suit the former Holland Jachtbouw site near Amsterdam. Here, too, Royal Huisman’s Huisfit has exclusive use. While not larger, the Holland Jachtbouw sheds supplement space, and the geographic location is desirable.
Still on the refit subject, Huisfit targets sailing superyachts and motoryachts alike. Considering motoryachts far outnumber sailing yachts, it’s a wise move. Huisfit has already proven its power mettle with projects like Skat and Arcadia (the latter a Royal Huisman build). Surely, more are in its sites.
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