Reichel/Pugh’s latest superyacht flagship Design #283, the REICHEL/PUGH-NAUTA 154 NILAYA combines Reichel/Pugh’s four decades of design expertise partnered with builder Royal Huisman's new holistic Featherlight™ construction method to invent the next iconic luxury global cruising yacht capable of podium finishes at the top superyacht regattas. REICHEL/PUGH-NAUTA 154 NILAYA recently completed her first transatlantic crossing, delivering on the owner’s expectations for superb amenities speed, robustness, reliability, and quietness. Nauta Design is responsible for general concept, exterior and interior design.
The sparkling performance of the 47m Nauta and Reichel/Pugh design, masterfully built by Royal Huisman, was already evident during sea trials back in May, but the owner has since taken delivery of the yacht and started to enjoy her exceptional blend of interior comfort and sailing talent.
Reichel/Pugh’s latest superyacht flagship Design #283, the REICHEL/PUGH-NAUTA 154 NILAYA combines Reichel/Pugh’s four decades of design expertise partnered with builder Royal Huisman's new holistic Featherlight™ construction method to invent the next iconic luxury global cruising yacht capable of podium finishes at the top superyacht regattas. REICHEL/PUGH-NAUTA 154 NILAYA recently completed her first transatlantic crossing, delivering on the owner’s expectations for superb amenities speed, robustness, reliability, and quietness. Nauta Design is responsible for general concept, exterior and interior design.
The Reichel/Pugh-Nauta 154 NILAYA, was a first and very welcome opportunity to work with builder Royal Huisman whose 'Tradition for Excellence' goes back to 1884 and "with a passion for perfection that matches Reichel/Pugh’s decades of yacht design experience," reflects Jim Pugh. Mario Pedol, co-founder of Nauta Design explained, “She will be the world’s lightest aluminium sailing superyacht by length, rewriting the story of high-performance superyachts.” She now has 10,000nm under her keel and is clearly capable of effortless speed under sail, achieving 17 knots on a broad reach in just 18 knots of wind.
Since 1983, Reichel/Pugh has been inventing legends. Earlier Superyacht designs by Reichel/Pugh are groundbreaking and include the iconic yachts 147’ Visione, the Reichel/Pugh-Nauta 112’ Nilaya, the 200’ Hetairos Ketch and the Reichel/Pugh-Nauta 130’ My Song. Visione, Nilaya and Hetairos have each won overall the Superyacht Regatta the St Barts Bucket.
The new Nilaya’s low profile, straight bow, wide transom, and twin rudders is a leap forward from the look of her owners’ previous highly successful 112’ blue water cruiser also designed by Reichel/Pugh and Nauta. The 112’ Nilaya won her class at the 2021 Superyacht Cup Palma, and has previously won the Superyacht Challenge Antigua, Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta, St Barths Bucket, Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, and Les Voiles de Saint Tropez. Considering her arrival in Antigua, hopes are very high for a REICHEL/PUGH-NAUTA 154 NILAYA appearance at the St Barths Bucket in March 2024, which should promise exciting racing under pro race team head Bouwe Bekking and full-time skipper Romke Loopik.
Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design designed and managed a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) study bringing in America’s Cup CFD specialists Caponnetto-Hueber and Giorgio Provinciali for the Velocity Prediction Program (VPP) performance analysis. This was a comprehensive hull design study to improve seakeeping while motoring and sailing at various speeds and heel angles in different wave conditions. Reichel/Pugh collected extensive wave data from the owners’ favorite windy cruising grounds of Greece and the Caribbean and developed new hull shapes to run through the RANS CFD code. Improving the seakeeping characteristics in waves both under sail and power was paramount.
Reichel/Pugh’s second phase included testing 12 models tested before development of the final hull shape. The VPP results indicated that in 10 knots of breeze Nilaya would sail upwind under mainsail and jib with a boat speed of almost 13 knots and nearly 18 knots when reaching at a wind angle of 90° in a 15-knot breeze.
“Royal Huisman used Finite Element Analysis (FEA) applied its novel Featherlight methodology adapted from spacecraft technology to develop the structural design, fully optimizing strength and stiffness. Bringing in the mast and sail designers early in the process has significant advantages,” said Jim Pugh. “From the aero CFD side, Rondal and the Doyle sail designers shared high quality data about sail forces and sail loads of the powerful sail plan that were integrated into the hydro CFD studies of the candidate hulls. This markedly improved the quality of the CFD hull testing and the resultant VPP performance prediction. The mast and sail loads were then input into the hull and deck’s structural engineering,” said Pugh. “These studies are applicable to any design whether Featherlight™ or heavy, such a study will yield remarkable results.”
Nauta has drawn on all its long experience to make Nilaya’s exterior profile as beautiful as it is pragmatic. The coachroof blends gracefully with the sheerline, while the wide stern flies above the water. Much thought went into optimizing proportions to favor a coaming to protect the guest cockpit and a bulwark to protect the aft cockpit, maneuvering area, and side passageways. “A wooden plinth between sections in composite and the teak deck makes them visually lighter, and also conceals the string lights that illuminate the deck at night,” says Massimo Gino, co-founder of Nauta. “Teak inserts on the bulwarks, coamings and coachroof further enrich the deck.”
Nauta’s vision reached into the aesthetics and functionality of the sailing hardware as well – nothing was ‘off the shelf’. “Our customization of deck hardware included the styling of the 21m Rondal boom, the through-deck fittings for jib sheets, the bollards and other elements,” says Gino. “Removable gate-shaped grabrails were fitted on deck sections from the transom to the guest cockpit for the safety of crew and guests: when the gates are fitted, there are never more than two steps without a grabrail - a useful feature aboard a large yacht where walking distances, when heeled, are a consideration.”
The interior is also a matter of enormous pride, delivering the exceptional lifestyle desired by the owner, as well as the most efficient service workflow for the crew. The Owner’s decorator, May Vervoordt, chose the materials used in the interior styling. The interior is centered around the social hub that is the magnificent raised-deckhouse saloon, finished in a contemporary mix of contrasting woods, pale upholstery and dashes of muted blue and terracotta for sofa and cushions. The crew area fills the boat’s aft section and has a dedicated companionway to the aft deck. This space is dominated by the galley to starboard and the mess to port – both generous spaces with large hull windows to bring in natural light and promote crew wellbeing.
“Sailing at the Palma Sea Trials was impressive, she showed truly amazing performance for a superyacht. While we sailed in only a sub 10 knots, it was remarkable how responsive Nilaya was. This yacht is going to turn some heads wherever she is, but particularly at the Bucket,” reflects Jim Pugh. Reichel/Pugh’s chief Naval Architect John Reichel was aboard for these trials to helm his latest creation. “The new Nilaya’s naval architecture is the beginning of a new era in Superyacht design”.
Main Specifications
Yacht name: Nilaya
Type: High-performance cruiser sloop
Length overall: 46.8m / 154ft
Beam: 10m / 33ft
Draft: 4.5 - 6.9m / 15 - 23ft
Accommodation: 8 - 10 owners / guests + 8 crew
General concept, exterior & interior design: Nauta Design
Naval architecture: Reichel/Pugh Yacht Design
CFD – Caponnetto-Hueber SL
VPP – Georgio Provinciali Srls
Owners’ representative: Nigel Ingram, MCM Newport
Owners’ race team: Bouwe Bekking and Romke Loopik
Builder: Royal Huisman Project 405
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: X100A1, SSC, Yacht, Mono, G6
Rig + handling: Rondal carbon Panamax rig + Integrated Sailing System
Year of delivery: 2023
Read on about the world-renowned team, year-long design process, break-through technologies, and the construction hall launch.
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