Royal Huisman Unveils First 'Featherlight' Built S/Y NILAYA

The launch of NILAYA marks a significant milestone for Royal Huisman, as with her build, the yard has achieved its goal of halving 11% of the weight of its usual advanced aluminium cruising yachts. 

The reason for this? The shipyard’s trademarked ‘Featherlight’ construction method. Combining several weight-saving solutions, this new revolutionary build method takes a holistic approach to yacht building without sacrificing quality. 

This trademarked Featherlight process utlisies Finite Element Analysis (FEA), a design method used within spacecraft technology, as a comprehensive approach to engineering and weight management, and in turn, creates a true, high-performance sailing yacht. 

Complimented by naval architecture from Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design, exteriors and interiors from Nauta Design, and carbon fibre mast and sail rigging from Rondal, NILAYA is set to be a spectacular vessel. Not only cutting-edge in regard to her build process, she is also the first yacht of this size range to utilise structured luff sail design pioneered by Doyle Sails, which also makes for lighter cruising. 

Mario Pedol from Nauta Design noted: ‘With Reichel/Pugh, we set the target weight. Royal Huisman really embraced the concept. It was a very good process, good collaboration.’

Built for a repeat Nauta Design client, NILAYA’s low and sporty profile is similar to that of her owner’s previous maxi-racer of the same name, also designed by Reichel/Pugh and Nauta: adorned with a straight bow, wide transom and twin rudders. NILAYA is the largest sailing yacht yet to be designed by Nauta. 

Nigel Ingram from MCM Newport, the owners’ project manager throughout the build, commented: ‘While the new Nilaya is meant to take the owners world cruising, he also asked for a boat with all the ‘good habits’ of their previous racer, meaning responsiveness and excellent handling…Royal Huisman was not afraid to invest in research to explore and develop all manner of innovative weight-saving possibilities. They really chased the details.’

Notable features of NILAYA include her 17.5m curved carbon composite coachroof and guest cockpit structure and her recessed tender well on the foredeck which can transform into a seating area or flush deck.

Royal Huisman’s CEO Jan Timmerman highlighted on what the build means to the yard: ‘The success of the innovations with Project 405 paves the way to use this bold new approach for future builds. I am proud of the investment we have made in advanced engineering and of the way teams from Royal Huisman and Rondal advanced new solutions to meet the brief from very knowledgeable clients and designers…Nilaya will be the world’s lightest aluminum sailing superyacht for her length: she rewrites the script for high-performance superyachts.’

The spectacular NILAYA is now on her way to Amsterdam in preparation for the installation of her towering rig. She will be delivered to her owners in the coming months.