If you are accustomed to seeing sailing superyacht hulls turned at Royal Huisman, you are in for a pleasant surprise. The project code-named Phi, a motoryacht whose lines are a closely guarded secret, completed her hull flip this week.
Phi gets her name from the so-called Golden Ratio, a study in balance and harmony of design. Specifically, the owners wanted high performance yet low volume—beneath the 500-gross-ton threshold. Simultaneously, they wanted this within a healthy LOA. Years of conversations with Cor D. Rover, responsible for styling, in turn opened the door to Van Oossanen Naval Architects’ Fast Displacement XL hull form.
All this ultimately further led to a project measuring at least 180 feet (55 meters), too—Royal Huisman is not yet disclosing the actual LOA—as well as a relatively narrow beam. The beam remains undisclosed as well, though comfort doesn’t suffer. The hull form has lower hydrodynamic resistance than traditional hulls, making it more efficient through all speeds. In fact, Project Phi should see 22 knots. In addition, the hull offers 10 percent more interior space and 30 to 40 percent more alfresco space.
Due to the slender nature of the hull, and therefore the challenge of machinery and other technical installations, the owner selected Royal Huisman for the build. The yard’s experience with similarly narrow sailing yacht hulls is coming into play.
Even with the reveal of the hull turn, limited facts remain public. The owner still does not want to release renderings of what Royal Huisman says is a radical profile. Neither does the owner want to show the interior design by Lawson Robb for the party of 12. However, we do now know that Phi will cruise in 2021 in tandem with a shadow vessel (above). Also designed by Cor D. Rover and Van Oossanen Naval Architects, that yacht is in build in Asia, measuring 118 feet (36 meters).
Royal Huisman royalhuisman.com
Cor D. Rover Design cor-d-rover.com
Van Oossanen Naval Architects oossanen.nl
Lawson Robb lawsonrobb.com
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