Royal Huisman Unveils World's Largest Sportfish Yacht

The project’s naval architecture and design will be penned inside and out by the talented team at Vripack. Aqua Marine represents the owner’s team for the project, working closely with Bush & Noble and Hampshire Marine on the technical management side. 

The groundbreaking new yacht is characterised by sweeping, purposeful lines creating a dramatic link from aft to bow. Six towering decks are stacked in a cascading style to form a surprisingly streamlined appearance. Blending her owner’s competing passions for sportfishing and unrivalled luxury, this 52m is certainly one of the more unusual briefs to come across the desks of the joint team. 

“This is an exceptional brief,” comments Vripack Co-Creative Director Bart M. Bouwhuis. “And the result is an exceptional boat. Project 406 is a sportfisher on steroids. It has the true proportions and long flaring bow of a typical American sportfish boat paired with the harmonious feel of a luxurious superyacht. It’s a supersized model with super chic curves, realised on a grand scale.”

Like the larger yachting industry, sportfish yachts have been steadily increasing in size over the years with a handful of 40m+ builds. At 52m, Project 406 will be the largest of her kind by some way. Her skylounge has been designed as a ‘theatre’ to watch remarkable fish catches by day, to be transformed into a penthouse-style space for relaxation by night. 

Project 406 is to be built with an Alustar® aluminium hull and superstructure, offering robust seafaring coupled with lighter weight for smooth and efficient passages from berth to fishing grounds. 

Of course, with new grounds comes new challenges for the build team. Royal Huisman CEO Jan Timmerman explained why the Dutch yard is so well-equipped to take on the challenge. 

“The world’s first true sportfish superyacht is a very exciting order and we are delighted to be unveiling it as we prepare to launch another highly distinctive motor yacht – the 58.5m / 192ft sub 500GT Phi,” Jan says. “It is good to know that our reputation as the home of the world’s finest sailing yachts is now expanding to embrace the world’s most distinctive motor yachts.”

More and more owners are enjoying the global pursuit of sportfishing, which focuses on the larger predatory fish of the open seas - such as swordfish and marlin - typically found in tropical waters. 

The activity stems from the late nineteenth century, when the invention of the first motor boat allowed for open water sportfishing.