Though her styling remains a closely guarded secret, Project Phi is beginning to show off some of her structure at Royal Huisman. The hull of this aluminum motoryacht, photographed recently at the shipyard, is steadily approaching its turning, too. It’s all in preparation for the megayacht to start cruising in 2021.
Announced last May, Project Phi is a study in balance. Specifically, the owners wanted high performance yet low volume—beneath the 500-gross-ton threshold. They wanted this within an LOA upwards of 180 feet (55 meters), too. All of this necessitated a relatively narrow beam (undisclosed), without compromising creature comforts, of course. Due to Van Oossanen Naval Architects’ proprietary Fast Displacement XL hull form, Project Phi should meet all these requirements. The hull form has lower hydrodynamic resistance than traditional hulls, making it more efficient through all speeds. In fact, Project Phi should see a more-than respectable 22 knots. In addition, the hull offers 10 percent more interior space and 30 to 40 percent more alfresco space.
For the first time, Royal Huisman is revealing the construction photos included here. The Dutch shipyard began building the hull in February of this year. Simultaneously, it’s working on parts of the superstructure.
Most additional details, unfortunately, remain confidential. For instance, only a hint of a rendering shows what Cor D. Rover Design has done styling-wise. Likewise, no information is available on the staterooms for the owners’ party of 12, or cabins for the 11 crew. The owners are collaborating with Lawson Robb, a UK-based studio, for the interior.
Regardless, the project name does reveal key information overall. “Phi” in “Project Phi” signifies the so-called Golden Ratio. Pertaining to design, as well as mathematics, the Golden Ratio ensures balance among shapes and proportions, and therefore aesthetically pleasing dimensional relationships. The famous Mona Lisa painting is just one example of Phi.
Royal Huisman royalhuisman.com
Van Oossanen Naval Architects oossanen.nl
Cor D. Rover Design cor-d-rover.com
Lawson Robb lawsonrobb.com
Leave a Reply