The Royal Huisman shipyard is going to need bigger facilities if it is to build the new supercatamaran unveiled at the Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous in Phuket Thailand.
It was at that event that the Royal Huisman shipyard announced that is was teaming up with Berret-Racoupeau Design to produce custom-built multihull superyachts, both power and sail, to redefine luxury catamaran design from the waterline upwards.
Making the announcement was Bart Kimman the Commercial Director of Camper & Nicholsons Asia who described the yacht as the perfect entry level superyacht for Asian entrepreneurs seeking to get a toe hold in superyacht ownership.
When it comes to yachting Asian culture is different says Kimman. The Asian owner seeks space, luxury, tranquillity and a stature. Having Camper & Nicholsons sell him a Royal Huisman wraps all that into one neat package”
He added, “Royal Huisman has been building sailing superyachts for over a century, and Olivier Racoupeau is a catamaran designer at the top of the game. Together, the two names resonate with a promise of excellence. The combining of two world-class brands is not an addition – it is a multiplier.”
“Our core business will always be big beautiful boats, but in partnership with Olivier Racoupeau we see an opportunity to expand our existing expertise into the world of multihulls,” says Jan Timmernam, CEO of Royal Huisman. “This is not a change in direction; it is an expansion of possibilities. There are very few multihulls in the superyacht world, but that could easily change.” Multihulls offer substantially more usable area than a monohull of the same waterline length, and are a great deal more stable than monohulls. In the last two decades Asia has seen a proliferation of multihulls at the ‘entry level’ for leisure boating, and Timmerman believes that the time is right to take catamarans upmarket.
With the concept set to be offered in two versions, a 33 metre sailing version and a 35 metre power version which would feature an extra deck production of catamaran with a 14 metre wide beam could present a conundrum for the Dutch builder whose current facilities are not wide enough to build such a craft. At the press conference to launch the concept Timmernam hinted that an announcement regarding new and larger facilities was imminent. When pushed to expand on that statement Timmernam smiled politely and said the world would have to wait until Royal Huisman was ready to break the news. He later told us tat it was likely that the news would break in January next year. Watch this space!