Royal Huisman Nilaya begins trials in the North Sea

The hull was built using Royal Huisman's proprietary Featherlight construction method.

The 47-meter sailing yacht has been spotted on her first sea trials in North Sea waters. The sailboat, formerly Project 405 and Reichel/Pugh-Nauta 154, was launched in Amsterdam in April of this year.

Nilaya (translated from Sanskrit as “house of bliss”) was custom-created for client Nauta Design. This is a powerful and high-performance sailboat, prepared for regattas and at the same time offering high performance in terms of comfort and reliability.

“The deckhouse is very important as it allows you to look out over the sea while sitting in the main salon,” said Massimo Gino, co-founder and partner of Nauta Design. Silence, safety and space were also critical components of the brief.”

Nilaya is the first hull built using Royal Huisman's proprietary Featherlight construction method. Thanks to special analysis and design, the total weight of the vessel has been reduced by 11% compared to competitors.

Reichel-Pugh and CFD worked on perfecting the hull shape. Rondal created the carbon fiber mast and sail rigging.
The yacht features a low, sporty profile with a straight bow and wide transom and a 17.5-meter-long carbon composite sunroof. Doyle Sails' structured construction keeps the mast and rigging weight low.

“The success of the innovations in Project 405 paves the way for this bold new approach to be used in future builds. I am proud of the investments we have made in cutting-edge developments and how the teams at Royal Huisman and Rondal have developed new solutions to meet the demands of very knowledgeable clients and designers,” commented Royal Huisman CEO Jan Timmerman.

Credits: Bjorn Mierop