An important milestone in the creation of a truly exceptional superyacht was marked on 11th March when the hull of this 52m / 171ft luxury sportfish yacht was turned at Royal Huisman’s newbuild headquarters in Vollenhove, the Netherlands.
With her six towering decks, Project 406 is a unique vessel in so many respects. Not only will she be the largest but, without doubt, the most luxurious, finely appointed, meticulously engineered and most impressive sportfish anywhere in the world.
Interior and exterior design and naval architecture come courtesy of the celebrated Vripack Yacht Design Studio. Royal Huisman itself is viewed to be the only shipyard in the world capable of engineering and producing such an individual project. Since the projects inception, the discerning owner has put together a capable team to support Royal Huisman with expert advice from Bush & Noble around sportfishing and the classic yacht forms, Hampshire Marine managing the day to day technical aspects of the Project at the shipyard, Aqua Marine handling the general logistics and Pascarelli.
The Alustar® aluminum hull, which has been constructed by Royal Huisman’s inhouse team of welders in recent months, offers strength and resilience. It also achieves the lighter weight that ensures a smooth and efficient passage to the fishing grounds.
Nothing pleases a Royal Huisman engineer more than a fresh challenge. Which, fortunately, are never in short supply at a shipyard that deals exclusively with highly individual custom superyachts. Aside from a superlative portfolio of over thirty bespoke sailing yachts from 30 to 90m+ / 100 to 300ft+ Royal Huisman is increasingly seen as the go-to-shipyard for large and complex motor yacht projects. The challenges in creating the world’s largest sportfish yacht speak for themselves. And just a few months ago, Royal Huisman delivered Phi, the longest sub 500GT motor yacht ever built. Full of innovative features (such as her laser-powered exterior lighting) and – by the nature of her design – a work of art as well as a world cruiser.
The general area where Project 406’s hull was turned, was once the shore of the ‘Zuiderzee’ inland sea, during Huisman’s first 50 years. On the waters of this sea, Huisman-built fishing craft would operate in all weathers to prove their reliability. Reclaimed land, the Noordoostpolder, now occupies much of that sea area although a canal remains.
Credits: Royal Huisman