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This New 154-Foot Superyacht Will Be the Lightest Aluminum Sailing Vessel on the High Seas

The revolutionary sloop will be delivered to her owners in the coming months., rachel cormack.

Digital Editor

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Royal Huisman’s newest featherlight fleet member just spread its wings.

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“ Nilaya will be the world’s lightest aluminum sailing superyacht for her length: She rewrites the script for high-performance superyachts,” Royal Huisman CEO Jan Timmerman said in a statement .

Nilaya ’s interior and exterior were executed by Nauta Design, while her naval architecture comes courtesy of Reichel-Pugh Yacht Design. This duo actually designed the owner’s maxi-racer of the same name. It’s not surprising, then, that the new sloop echoes her predecessor with a racy, low profile, a straight bow, a wide transom and twin rudders.

Royal Huisman conducted a careful weight analysis inside and out to ensure each part of Nilaya was crafted from the right lightweight material. The yard also utilized the carbon-fiber expertise of sister company Rondal. The curvaceous coachroof and guest cockpit, for instance, were made from carbon composite. Nilaya ’s mast, boom and standing rigging are also carbon to keep the yacht’s weight as low and as centered as possible for optimal balance.

Onboard, the 154-footer can sleep between eight and 10 seafarers, along with eight crew. The interiors combine “a modern look with classic elegance” and are said to be light yet warm and welcoming.

Nilaya will reportedly be delivered to her owners in the coming months.

Rachel Cormack is a digital editor at Robb Report. She cut her teeth writing for HuffPost, Concrete Playground, and several other online publications in Australia, before moving to New York at the…

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This Yacht is not for Charter*

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NILAYA yacht NOT for charter*

46.8m  /  153'7 | royal huisman | 2023.

Owner & Guests

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Built in 2023
• Lloyds Register ✠ 100A1, SSC, Yacht, Mono, G6 classification
• Interior design from Nauta Design
• Sleeps 10 overnight
• 7m/23' Xtenders RIB

The 46.8m/153'7" sail yacht 'Nilaya' was built by Royal Huisman in the Netherlands at their Vollenhove shipyard. Her interior is styled by Italian designer design house Nauta Design and she was delivered to her owner in April 2023. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Nauta Design.

Guest Accommodation

Nilaya has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 10 guests in 5 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 8 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Range & Performance

Nilaya is built with a aluminium hull and carbon fibre superstructure, with teak decks. Powered by 1 x diesel Scania (DI 16) 188hp engines, she reaches a maximum speed of 18 knots. Her water tanks store around 4,000 Litres of fresh water. She was built to Lloyds Register ✠ 100A1, SSC, Yacht, Mono, G6 classification society rules.

*Charter Nilaya Sail Yacht

Sail yacht Nilaya is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Nilaya Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Nilaya Photos

Nilaya Awards & Nominations

• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2024 Outstanding Exterior Sailing Yachts Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2024 Best Interior Design: Sailing Yachts Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2024 Best Naval Architecture: Sailing Yachts Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2024 Eco Award Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2024 Innovation of the Year Finalist
• The World Superyacht Awards 2024 Sailing Yacht 40M and above Nomination

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

S/Y Nilaya

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NILAYA // Royal Huisman

Royal huisman unveiled the 47m sailing yacht nilaya aka project 405 aka nauta reichel pugh 151..

NILAYA (the name means blissful home) is a 47m lightweight sloop-rigged sailing yacht made of aluminum and carbon composite. The yacht weighs 11 percent less than typical aluminum cruising sailing yachts. Nauta Design delivered the exterior and the interior design, while the speed specialists Reichel/Pugh made the calculations. Even the owner’s professional racing team was involved. The carbon-fiber rig by Royal Huisman’s subsidiary Rondal has a Panamax height to cross the Panama Canal. The owner’s brief calls for a comfortable yacht with the potential to win superyacht regattas.

“And the owners did not just want to take delivery of such an intriguing yacht; they wanted to be part of the whole process of designing and building it, and enjoy every step of the way. Which is why from the moment of the project’s inception, the owners drew together the team that could realize this experience for them”

The yacht accommodates ten guests, including the owners and a crew of eight people.

Project 405 has been contracted remote

Due to the global COVID-19 situation, Royal Huisman contracted Project 405 with video conferencing between the owners, the design and development team, and the owners’ representative Nigel Ingram of MCM Newport.

Mario Pedol of Nauta Design reports back from the sea trials of Nilaya, the 47m Royal Huisman custom sailing yacht that is Nauta Design’s current sail division flagship: “ A full day in beautiful sunny and windy weather in the North Sea off Amsterdam showed how Nilaya’s performance under sail is truly outstanding ,” Pedol says. “ By the time the mainsail was hoisted, the breeze had built to a steady 18 knots. We sailed on a broad reach with the mainsail and Code Zero and rapidly reached a truly impressive 17 kt. boat speed. It was just the beginning of a great day of sailing with the Owner and all of the main players of his and the Builder’s teams. This fantastic yacht showed to really match all of the quite demanding main aspects of the Owners’ brief. Royal Huisman masterly succeeded in engineering and building the yacht, fulfilling the Owner’s request in terms of robustness, reliability, quietness, and last but not least, amazing performance under sail, thanks to super high-level Naval Architecture by Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design. ”

NILAYA during the St. Barths Bucket Regatta 2024

The sailing yacht NILAYA took third place overall.

Photos by Cory Silken

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Zemi // baltic yachts, r77 with multiple rotating twin wingmast by mathis rühl, wally 101 full custom, y8 // y yachts, the massive 81m sea eagle ii // royal huisman, wally 93 (28m) nahita – the further stage of wallycento, ganesha // vitters // dubois, 68m ketch // hoek design // vitters.

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Superyachts : "Nilaya" - a blissful home at 47 metres

Sören Gehlhaus

 ·  21.04.2024

Basic question: carbon or aluminium? Both!

Radically beautiful hull shape from nauta and reichel/pugh, 11.6 knots on average on the flyover, america's cup expertise was incorporated into the design, many weight savings in details, royal huisman produced a 1 : 1 mock-up of the cockpit, technical data "nilaya", "nilaya" in the video.

Black or silver was the first question to be answered at the start of the project. It was not about the colour of the hull, but about its material - a fundamental question for sailboats over 40 metres in length: aluminium or carbon? With a length of 47 metres, "Nilaya" is positioned at the upper limit of what carbon fibre constructions can achieve. "My 34-metre (all-carbon) Baltic was a fantastic yacht that we sailed around the world and won many regattas with," says the owner of "Nilaya". "During the twelve years with her, I realised what the next one should be like: comfortable and fast enough to win superyacht regattas."

"Nilaya" means "blissful home" in Sanskrit

The list presented by project manager Nigel Ingram from MCM Newport Nauta Design and Reichel/Pugh was long and well thought out. As comfort for the client also means low noise levels below deck in addition to increased space, he decided to have the hull built from aluminium: "We wanted her to be quiet - a crucial characteristic when it comes to the quality of life on board - also for the crew." Apart from the acoustic advantage, the impact resistance of the material and the ability to have repairs carried out easily in almost any part of the world also speak in favour of metal hulls.

Most read articles

More about the "Nilaya":

• Royal Huisman docks the new "Nilaya"
• "Nilaya" christening ceremony in Amsterdam
• New 47-metre slipway glides across the North Sea

Now shipyards that produce composite super-sailors - the longest carbon hull measures 60 metres - are showing ingenuity in minimising noise emissions. In addition, the highly rigid and strong fibres have a higher interior volume, which results from thin-walled hull shells with few stiffeners. The greatest asset of high-performance fibres is generally considered to be their low specific weight.

Mario Pedol from Italian design studio Nauta, who worked with US designers Reichel/Pugh for the second time on this project, dispels a myth: "I thought an aluminium hull would weigh 60 to 70 percent more than one made of carbon, but the weight of the hull and deck only makes up around 15 percent of the total weight of a sailing yacht."

In the end, it wasn't quite possible without the black fabric mats. And it is not surprising that the aluminium specialists from Royal Huisman were chosen. The long-established company from Vollenhove processes aluminium like no other shipyard and still welds its hulls from the alloy Alustar in its own halls. Composite components are supplied by neighbouring and sister company Rondal. "Featherlight" is what the Dutch call the hybrid construction of fibres and light metal first tested on "Nilaya". The 17.50 metre long monocoque comprising the body and cockpit is made entirely of carbon fibre.

The carefully curved deckhouse shows that Nauta Design has also broken new ground in terms of design. Just look at the huge leap of the deck! The only difference is that it doesn't follow a classic arched curve, but a more linear gradient. This is no less pleasing to the eye, but takes away a further element of massiveness from the already quite flat hull.

The length-to-width ratio of 4.5 has remained the same as its predecessor, but the new model is much wider at the rear. The widest point measures a full ten metres at cockpit level. The stem is now almost vertical and the waterline is considerably longer and narrower at the same time. This dramatic drop in the lower circumference at the stern is made possible by a soft chine that rises just behind the bow and flows into the top of the stern.

Less wetted surface increases the gliding potential, the high width of the deck increases the dimensional stability. Nilaya" showed that this works during initial tests off Mallorca after delivery. Jim Pugh reports: "That was a truly astonishing performance for a superyacht. Although we only had ten knots of true wind, the speed of response was remarkable. This yacht will cause a stir wherever it goes, but especially on the Bucket." This refers to the unofficial world championship for high-tech sailing yachts over 40 metres long off St. Barths at the end of March.

The 47-metre yacht arrived in the Caribbean with its owner on board, who has sailed dinghies since his childhood and, after a Swan 48, several Nautor yachts. His conclusion after the Atlantic crossing: "I have to admit that the yacht is very comfortable and fast." "Nilaya" completed the 2,775 nautical miles in ten days, mostly in three to four force winds and with an average speed of 11.6 knots. The top speed was over 20 knots. The polar data from the Velocity Prediction Programme (VPP) predicts almost 18 knots at a wind angle of 90 degrees in a breeze of 15 knots.

Even in light winds, it should move quickly and the engine should rest as often as possible. The flared top of the mainsail catches the wind at a height of up to 63 metres, with Rondal producing the mast in one piece using the out-of-autoclave (OOA) method. The prepregs of the 21 metre long furling boom, which extends aft in a streamlined manner like an aircraft tail, underwent the same curing process without pressure but at a high temperature. The shape of the spreaders also follows the principle of minimum drag - in addition, the spreaders, which are concave towards the bow, allow the J2 to have a slightly longer lower leech. Elliptical carbon shrouds from Carbolink are also a consequence of flow simulations.

For the underwater CFD studies, Reichel/Pugh co-operated with the America's Cup specialists from Caponnetto Hueber and Giorgio Provinciali. Twelve models were run through the digital shipbuilding test centre on the way to the final hull form. Jim Pugh is convinced: "It is in no way a further development of its predecessor - our knowledge base has expanded dramatically. New CFD hydro tools provide far more accurate calculation results, both in shallow water and in waves. This design is the beginning of a new era in superyacht design."

Huge amounts of data also kept Royal Huisman's designers busy, who came together in a large room for finite element analyses (FEA) - an approach based on the methodology of the European Space Agency. This made it possible to predict how a component or neighbouring elements or an entire yacht would react to stresses such as load, force, heat or vibration: a kind of digital prototyping - only faster and without the need for physical models. One consequence was individual spacing of the hull frame to maximise rigidity and minimise displacement.

The FEA sessions resulted in weight budgets for individual sections and the use of carbon for tubes, the box of the lift keel (4.50 to 6.90 metres), the rudder stocks or the recessed tender bay on the foredeck; in some cases, composite elements were bonded to bulkheads and door frames. The carbon hatches are closed by titanium bolts that connect carbon rods on the inside for simultaneous unlocking. The heating, ventilation and air conditioning system was reduced by 600 kilograms and the masthead by 50 kilograms. Tapered on all four sides, this resulted in a supposedly small gain - but in a crucial area. Reducing the teak deck thickness from an average of 15 to nine millimetres saved 1,300 kilograms.

The fact that the backstays are held in position by locks and hydraulic cylinders - a request from the owner - saves .1200 kilograms and three to four cubic metres of volume in the lazarette compared to the typical arrangement with captive winches. Where automatic furling and hauling assistants are used, they are hybrid formats for pulling forces of up to 18 tonnes. They rely on aluminium housings and carbon drums and weigh only half as much as conventional metal models. In addition, the diameter has been reduced from 600 to 450 millimetres, resulting in a weight reduction of 890 kilograms. The drive system has been lightened by 2,000 kilograms and focuses on flexibility instead of mass: the Scania engine, which weighs around two tonnes, is supported by an electric motor and two variable-speed generators. The battery pack enables low-noise operation and load peak capping.

The equipment diet resulted in an overall weight reduction of three per cent. The hull was eleven percent lighter than pure aluminium. For the interior, Royal Huisman used sandwich construction with foam cores and thin wood veneers. Nauta Design worked with the owners' designer, May Vervoordt, to develop the interior of "Nilaya", which means "blissful home" in Sanskrit. The result is a mixture of contrasting woods, light-coloured upholstery and muted shades of blue and terracotta for the sofas and cushions.

"Elegant and refined materials blend gently with the natural light to create a truly cosy environment," says Pedol. The owner's suite is located at the very front, followed by the VIP cabin and TV lounge, followed by the main saloon, two guest cabins, the galley, crew mess, navigation and four double crew cabins. (Unfortunately, we are not allowed to show the interior fittings in this article).

Essential for the deck design by Pedol and his team was a mock-up, which was created from wood in Royal Huisman's paint shop. Proportions and arrangements were tested for ergonomics and walkways under simulated heeling angles. As a result, an impressive coaming protects the guest cockpit, and the working area behind it benefits from a wide bulwark, to the inside of which the wheels are attached. The far-out steering position guarantees the best visibility, but also dizzying positions when the boat is in a strong position due to its width. You don't have to give in to this in the cockpit: The seats unfold from the canopies and can be adjusted to compensate for up to 30 degrees of tilt.

"We wanted innovative technologies, but nothing experimental," summarises the "Nilaya" owner. This includes a steering system with separate cables and carbon push rods to move the 47 metres with precision and without fatigue. Rigging project gear hubs integrated into the two wheels reduce the steering forces by up to 25 per cent if required. This allows the aluminium-carbon construction to react more quickly downwind, for example to better steer waves. At the cross, you can shift back for full control. Like so many things on board, the rudder also combines the best of both worlds.

• Overall length: 47.00 m
• Length waterline: 45.00 m
• Width: 10.00 m
• Draught: 4.50-6.90 m
• Material: aluminium, carbon
• Sail area downwind: 1,269 m²
• Sail area downwind: 2,141 m²
• Sails: Doyle Sails
• Rig and sail systems: Rondal
• Mast height: 63.90 m
• Engine: Scania DI 16 090M 640 kW
• Electric motor: 180 kW
• Battery capacity: 180 kWh
• Generators: 2x Volvo D4-175 129 kW
• Fuel: 15,000 litres
• Range @ 10 kn: 2,750 nm
• Navigation: B&G, Garmin
• Construction: Reichel/Pugh
• Exterior design: Nauta Design
• Interior design: Nauta Design
• Class: Lloyd's SSC

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NILAYA is a 46.82 m Sail Yacht, built in Netherlands by Royal Huisman and delivered in 2023.

She can accommodate up to 10 guests in 4 staterooms, with 8 crew members waiting on their every need. She has a 10.0 m beam.

She was designed by Nauta Design , who also designed the interior. Nauta Design has designed 48 yachts and designed the interior of 63 yachts for yachts above 24 metres.

The naval architecture was developed by Reichel-Pugh Yacht Design , who has architected 22 other superyachts in the BOAT Pro database - she is built with a Teak deck, a Aluminium hull, and Carbon Fibre and Composite superstructure.

NILAYA is in the top 30% by LOA in the world. She is one of 84 sailing yachts in the 45-50m size range.

NILAYA is currently sailing under the Malta flag, the 3rd most popular flag state for superyachts with a total of 1105 yachts registered. She is known to be an active superyacht and has most recently been spotted cruising near France. For more information regarding NILAYA's movements, find out more about BOAT Pro AIS .

Specifications

• Name: NILAYA
• Yacht Type: Sail Yacht
• Builder: Royal Huisman
• Naval Architect: Reichel-Pugh Yacht Design
• Exterior Designer: Nauta Design
• Interior Designer: Nauta Design

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Leninsky District, Moscow Oblast

Leninsky District is an administrative and municipal district, one of the thirty-six in Moscow Oblast, Russia. It is located in the center of the oblast just south of the federal city of Moscow. The area of the district is 202.83 square kilometers. Its administrative center is the town of Vidnoye. Population: 172,171; 145,251; 74,490. The population of Vidnoye accounts for 33.0% of the district's total population.

More information and contact

Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leninsky_District,_Moscow_Oblast

Coordinates 55°33'25.739" N 37°42'31.371" E

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NILAYA DELIVERED

..following a successful series of sea trials on the North Sea and subsequent delivery to her happy owners.

Royal Huisman Project 405 was transported earlier this year from the shipyard’s newbuild facilities in Vollenhove in preparation for launch and the installation of her carbon performance sloop rig by Rondal. She was Christened Nilaya, which means “blissful home”, during a private event at “Het Scheepvaartmuseum” (the national maritime museum) in Amsterdam.

This highly anticipated Panamax superyacht is the first to utilize the shipyard’s new Featherlight™ design and production method. Continuous weight monitoring throughout the build of Project 405, aka Reichel/Pugh – Nauta 154, confirms the Dutch builder has achieved its goal of slicing 11% of the weight of its typical advanced aluminum cruising yachts. Most importantly, it has reduced weight without sacrificing stiffness or cutting corners on quality for this high-performance cruiser. The shipyard’s revolutionary Featherlight™ method for this sailing machine is not a single process or construction technique, but a holistic light weight approach to yacht building combining various complimentary weight-saving solutions utilizing aluminum and carbon fiber components.

“For such a large yacht, the acceleration is exciting as she rapidly reaches high speeds,” says Nigel Ingram of MCM Newport, who served as owners’ project manager. “Twin rudders and the light, positive steering give superb maneuverability and she has reached all her project targets with ease. Rondal’s sailing systems enable fingertip control of the massive loads involved.”

Nauta Design created the general concept, the exterior design, and the interior design plan with the light, calm, contemporary décor that has been unpacked for the first time now that trials are complete. Ingram continues: “Below decks, life is as comfortable and quiet as one would expect of the latest performance cruiser from Royal Huisman. The builder’s efforts toward building a light and stiff structure have paid off.”

Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design, adds following his overall experience during sail trials:

“Nilaya is not good… She is superb.”

Royal Huisman CEO Jan Timmerman called the Nilaya’s departure bittersweet. “We are always a bit sad to see one of our yachts sail away; it’s a bit like a child leaving home. At the same time, we are proud to have delivered another unique vessel, especially one that advances innovative engineering and build technology. Nilaya is a milestone in composite superyachts in the truest sense of the word and another fine example of Royal Huisman’s ability to provide owners with the ultimate expression of personal freedom. We wish her owners and all onboard fair winds and following seas during both world cruising and many exciting regattas.”

Main specifications 

Type: high-performance cruiser sloop – length overall: 47m / 154ft – beam: 10m / 33ft – draft: 4.5-6.9m / 15 – 23ft – accommodation: 8 – 10 owners / guests + 8 crew – general concept, ext. & interior design: Nauta Design – naval architecture: Reichel / Pugh – owners’ representative:  Nigel Ingram, MCM Newport – owners’ race team: Bouwe Bekking – construction: Aluminum and carbon composite – classification: hull structure & superstructure according to the rules & regulations of Lloyd’s Register Special Service Craft Rules, eligible for the class notation: [Maltese cross] 100A1, SSC, Yacht, Mono, G6 –  rig + handling: Rondal carbon Panamax rig + Integrated Sailing System

Full press release including editor’s notes: link (opens new tab).

Nilaya sparkles at her sea trial

Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design, reports back from the sea trials on 31 May 2023: “A full day in beautiful sunny and windy weather in the North Sea off Amsterdam showed how Nilaya’s performance under sail is truly outstanding,” Pedol says. “By the time the mainsail was hoisted the breeze had built to a steady 18 knots. We sailed on a broad reach with the mainsail and Code Zero and rapidly reached a truly impressive 17 knots boat speed. It was just the beginning of a great day of sailing with the owner and all of the main players of his and the builder’s teams.

This fantastic yacht showed to really match all of the quite demanding main aspects of the owners’ brief. Royal Huisman masterly succeeded in engineering and building the yacht, fulfilling the owner’s request in terms of robustness, reliability, quietness and last but not least amazing performance under sail, thanks to super high level naval architecture by Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design.” Pedol also felt that his studio’s specific request for longitudinal stiffness, a very important performance booster aboard a sailing yacht, was fully met using thorough and deep final element structural analysis.

An investment in our DNA

While many aluminum vessels have some composite parts, Nilaya is much more a hybrid. The revolutionary element of the Featherlight™ method for this 47m / 154-foot sloop is not a single process or construction material, but a holistic light-weight method for delivering a global cruising yacht that also will be competitive in superyacht racing events. Read on at this website: news > inhuis stories & updates [ link ]

Nilaya departed from Royal Huisman’s facilities in Amsterdam on 5 June 2023. Learn more about her on this website: yachts > delivered yachts [ link ]