sailing yacht 81'

Please use a modern browser to view this website. Some elements might not work as expected when using Internet Explorer.

• Landing Page
• Luxury Yacht Vacation Types
• Corporate Yacht Charter
• Tailor Made Vacations
• Luxury Exploration Vacations
• View All 3576
• Motor Yachts
• Sailing Yachts
• Classic Yachts
• Catamaran Yachts
• Filter By Destination
• More Filters
• Latest Reviews
• Charter Special Offers
• Destination Guides
• Inspiration & Features
• Mediterranean Charter Yachts
• France Charter Yachts
• Italy Charter Yachts
• Croatia Charter Yachts
• Greece Charter Yachts
• Turkey Charter Yachts
• Bahamas Charter Yachts
• Caribbean Charter Yachts
• Australia Charter Yachts
• Thailand Charter Yachts
• Dubai Charter Yachts
• Destination News
• New To Fleet
• Charter Fleet Updates
• Special Offers
• Industry News
• Yacht Shows
• Corporate Charter
• Finding a Yacht Broker
• Charter Preferences
• Questions & Answers
• Add my yacht

• Yacht Charter Fleet
• Fleet Updates News

First Look: Royal Huisman unveils new images of 81-meter SEA EAGLE II

• Share this on Facebook
• Share this on X
• Share via Email

By Nina Done   31 March 2023

Royal Huisman has released a collection of stunning new images of the elegant 81m (266ft) sailing yacht SEA EAGLE II , currently the largest aluminum sailing yacht in the world, following her global voyage covering over 45,000 nautical miles. 

Showcasing never seen before images since her low-key delivery under the shadow of the pandemic in 2020, pictures reveal her dramatic lines, plumb bow and majestic Panamax rig under power, courtesy of Dykstra Naval Architects and Mark Whitely Design. 

Her vast rigging encompasses three mainsails that can be hoisted simultaneously for ultra-efficient post-lunch getaways, while her aluminum hull ensures a lightness, acceleration, strength and fuel efficiency, giving her the edge over other heavy, sail-assisted yachts. 

As well as being an aesthetically alluring yacht, one with real presence on the water, this is a yacht that regularly sails at double-digit speeds and takes a matter of minutes to go from anchored to sailing.

Commissioned by an experienced owner, the brief was clear: to create an extremely comfortable and spacious sailing yacht with good sea keeping and exceptional amenities for both guests and crew, alongside the important functional aspects of performance, reliability and power under sail.

Supersized sailing yachts like this are no longer an impossible dream, Royal Huisman’s CEO Jan Timmerman points out: “Continual innovation, accumulated expertise and rigorous self-challenge have come together through our highly skilled and dedicated team to produce Athena, SEA EAGLE II and, currently in-build, the world’s largest sloop, the 85 m (280ft) New World Sloop aka Project 410."

Available for charter

Now on the yacht charter market, guests can experience the elegance and sophistication of this contemporary yacht for themselves. From her beautiful outdoor cinema to her multiple al fresco dining areas, there is an abundance of space onboard where guests can kick back, relax and socialize in style. 

Accommodating up to 12 guests across six elegantly appointed cabins, the yacht is versatile for a variety of charter party configurations. She is also capable of carrying up to 14 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed private yacht charter experience.

If you'd like to learn more about chartering sailing yacht SEA EAGLE II, please get in touch with your chosen yacht charter broker . 

Alternatively, feel free to compare and contrast the entire fleet of sailing yachts available for charter .

Featured Royal Huisman yachts available for charter

90m Royal Huisman 2004 / 2019

57m Royal Huisman 2010 / 2021

52m Royal Huisman 2007 / 2017

47m Royal Huisman 1998 / 2023

• READ MORE ABOUT:
• Royal Huisman
• SEA EAGLE II
• all-aluminum
• Sailing Yacht

RELATED STORIES

Previous Post

SOUNDWAVE gears up for a busy summer in the Med

Explore the beauty of Sardinia onboard family favorite yacht CALYPSO

EDITOR'S PICK

Latest News

28 March 2024

27 March 2024

26 March 2024

• See All News

Yacht Reviews

• See All Reviews

Charter Yacht of the week

Join our newsletter

Useful yacht charter news, latest yachts and expert advice, sent out every fortnight.

Please enter a valid e-mail

Thanks for subscribing

Featured Luxury Yachts for Charter

This is a small selection of the global luxury yacht charter fleet, with 3576 motor yachts, sail yachts, explorer yachts and catamarans to choose from including superyachts and megayachts, the world is your oyster. Why search for your ideal yacht charter vacation anywhere else?

136m | Lurssen

from $4,320,000 p/week ♦︎

115m | Lurssen

from $2,808,000 p/week ♦︎

85m | Golden Yachts

from $972,000 p/week ♦︎

88m | Golden Yachts

from $1,188,000 p/week ♦︎

84m | Feadship

from $1,080,000 p/week ♦︎

93m | Feadship

from $1,512,000 p/week ♦︎

Maltese Falcon

88m | Perini Navi

from $490,000 p/week

122m | Lurssen

from $3,000,000 p/week

As Featured In

The YachtCharterFleet Difference

YachtCharterFleet makes it easy to find the yacht charter vacation that is right for you. We combine thousands of yacht listings with local destination information, sample itineraries and experiences to deliver the world's most comprehensive yacht charter website.

San Francisco

• Like us on Facebook
• Follow us on Twitter
• Follow us on Instagram
• Find us on LinkedIn
• Add My Yacht
• Affiliates & Partners

Popular Destinations & Events

• St Tropez Yacht Charter
• Monaco Yacht Charter
• St Barts Yacht Charter
• Greece Yacht Charter
• Mykonos Yacht Charter
• Caribbean Yacht Charter

Featured Charter Yachts

• Maltese Falcon Yacht Charter
• Wheels Yacht Charter
• Victorious Yacht Charter
• Andrea Yacht Charter
• Titania Yacht Charter
• Ahpo Yacht Charter

Receive our latest offers, trends and stories direct to your inbox.

Please enter a valid e-mail.

Thanks for subscribing.

Search for Yachts, Destinations, Events, News... everything related to Luxury Yachts for Charter.

Yachts in your shortlist

The contemporary flybridge schooner, SEA EAGLE II, nowadays SEA EAGLE, is a true sailing yacht. This 81m / 266ft  beauty immediately earned her place alongside the shipyard’s Athena in the elite club of the world’s 10 largest sailing yachts. Delivered in 2020 under the shadow of the pandemic, SEA EAGLE II’s arrival on the superyacht scene was inevitably low-key.

Following her extensive world exploration, and with over 45,000 nm under her keel, Royal Huisman is pleased to set matters right and place this magnificent schooner in the spotlight she deserves: please find the article “THE SEA EAGLE SOARS” [ link ].

DATA & DIMENSIONS

SEA EAGLE is currently Royal Huisman’s largest yacht. Project 410, the 85m / 280ft sloop, will take over this title on delivery. Nearly 60 years of aluminum yacht-building experience have provided the shipyard with a level of expertise in constructing hulls of this material that few shipyards can match. This is especially true for sailing yachts of this size. The advantages are equally large: lightness, acceleration, strength and fuel-efficiency being just a few characteristics of a true sailing yacht versus a heavy, sail-assisted motor yacht.

The brief for SEA EAGLE was to create an extremely comfortable and spacious yacht with good sea keeping and exceptional amenities for both guests and crew. She had to offer outstanding passage-making performance so that the owner could take in as much of the world under sail as possible. She had to be a true sailor’s yacht – practical, powerful, safe and easily managed. Finally, she had to be functional, favoring simplicity and reliability over unnecessary frills.

YOU MIGHT LIKE THIS TOO:

THE SEA EAGLE SOARS

SUPERSIZED SAILING YACHTS BY ROYAL HUISMAN

SEA EAGLE II: ‘Best Naval Architecture Sailing Yachts’

VOLLENHOVE: LOCATION, QUALITY, CULTURE.

P&G YACHTING

SEA EAGLE II SPREADS HER WINGS

UNIQUE AND FLEXIBLE

THE PERFECT COMBINATION

ROYAL HUISMAN TURNS ITS LARGEST HULL EVER

THE BUILD HAS STARTED!

PASSION FOR PERFECTION

EASTERN HORIZONS

Sea Eagle II: the world’s largest aluminium sailing yacht

SEA EAGLE II: Royal Huisman has built the world’s largest aluminium sailing yacht

The 81-meter contemporary schooner was perfectly on schedule for her delivery date, but Covid-19 restrictions in the Netherlands prevented the finishing touch from being completed.

Despite the strict regulations introduced last spring, the shipyard was able to get up in a very short time.

All this allowed the team to safely “pick up where they left off” in these extraordinary times and with very high quality standards that have made this shipyard an important reference all over the world.

Nearly all board systems, such as gensets, air conditioning, waste water treatment and electronics, were thoroughly tested in the year prior to launch to avoid any surprises during the commissioning stage.

Spectacular speeds over 21 knots can be achieved by the world’s largest aluminium sailing yacht by powering up SEA EAGLE II’s Rondal rig, which can carry over 3500 square meters of sail area evenly distributed over her carbon Panamax masts.

The full sail area is controlled by 34 winches from sailing system integrator Rondal.

The largest winches for the world’s largest aluminium sailing yacht – for the yankee, staysail sheets and mizzen sheet runners – are capable of a tremendous 18 tons (18000 kg) pulling load.

Thanks to these record numbers, SEA EAGLE II will be ranked among the top 10 largest sailboats in the world.

Upon delivery to her owner, she will be the largest aluminium sailing yacht in the world.

Her masts are over 60 meters high and the yacht has a 4-meter rudder, the largest ever built with this material.

The yacht will also have a hydraulic crow’s nest, which will rise up the main mast and give supreme 360-degree views out to sea.

The interiors consist of 6 cabins for 12 guests, a master suite and a cabin for 13 crew members.

Mr. Yin has wanted to reaffirm his confidence in the shipyard’s abilility to build his ultimate dream yacht, commissioning the SEA EAGLE II.

Royal Huisman ‘s team has make this great dream come true, keeping the promise ” If you can dream it, we can build it”.

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published.

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

You might be interested in

Cantiere Del Pardo opens its first US office

Flexiteek and RS Marine: where innovation meets expertise

Grand Soleil Cup 2024, scheduled for June 21-23 in Costa Smeralda

Prestige Yachts to conquer the Multihull Show with two outstanding catamarans

Quick Spa and SAIM: together we create QS Seamaster

Elan GT6 nominated for the European Yacht of the Year Award

To provide the best experiences, we and our partners use technologies like cookies to store and/or access device information. Consenting to these technologies will allow us and our partners to process personal data such as browsing behavior or unique IDs on this site and show (non-) personalized ads. Not consenting or withdrawing consent, may adversely affect certain features and functions.

Click below to consent to the above or make granular choices. Your choices will be applied to this site only. You can change your settings at any time, including withdrawing your consent, by using the toggles on the Cookie Policy, or by clicking on the manage consent button at the bottom of the screen.

Subscribe For Latest Updates

Sign up to receive the best of Yachting News, sea trials, boat review and world premieres .

The only ADVERTISING FREE newsletter

• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Sea Eagle II: The inside story of the world’s largest aluminium sailing yacht

• June 17, 2020

Rupert Holmes talks to the build and design teams behind the 81m Royal Huisman flagship Sea Eagle II, which recently completed her sea trials off the coast of the Netherlands

Royal Huisman has an enviable track record of producing superlative sailing superyachts , with hundreds of projects completed to date. Yet the latest vessel to leave the shipyard is extraordinary even by these standards. She is the world’s largest aluminium yacht and is one of the top ten biggest sailing yachts ever built. 

Sea Eagle II is a magnificent 81m/266ft three-masted Panamax schooner, created by the same Dykstra and Mark Whiteley Design collaboration that produced the stunning 56m/186ft Royal Huisman ketch Aquarius just over a year ago. 

Her very experienced owner has sailed all his life and spent a lot of time at sea. “ Sailing around the world in the weekends is a phrase often used to outline his days on board,” says Royal Huisman project manager Arjo Spans. He is also a repeat client – the original Sea Eagle is a 43m/143ft Frers/Rhoades Young design launched by the Dutch yard in 2015. 

Sea Eagle II is due to be delivered to her owner in July 2020. Photo: Tom Van Oossanen

Initially the brief for the new boat was for a more classical yacht, similar to the 79m/259ft three-masted gaff schooner Athena , which Royal Huisman built for Silicon Valley mogul Jim Clark in 2004. However, the owner quickly realised he would prefer a more modern yacht: a fast-looking hull shape with straight lines, long waterline and plumb bow. The concept of Sea Eagle II was born. 

“Having worked with him to build the original Sea Eagle , we understood the owner’s priorities from the start,” says Spans. “These are: low maintenance, functionality, and safety, including ease of moving around the yacht, even when heeled at sea.

“For each of the key aspects of the boat he asked for three proposals, he would then choose one of them and leave us to implement it,” Spans adds. “He put a huge amount of trust in the shipyard and in our craftsmanship.”

Article continues below…

Sailing around Cape Horn on the world’s largest ketch Aquijo

When asked to help guide the 86m/282ft ketch Aquijo for a cruise in Tierra del Fuego and a Cape Horn…

Royal Huisman reveals 116ft ‘floating resort’ catamaran superyacht concept

“This is not a change in direction; it is an expansion of possibilities,” says Jan Timmerman, CEO of the 136-year-old…

The scale of this yacht is nothing short of astounding. The sleek hull lines belie the 4m/13ft freeboard and the two-tier deckhouse, including a half-raised bridge, looks entirely in proportion. The main deck-level accommodation has a huge expanse of glass, with the 360º view interrupted only by minimal mullions. There are also acres of cockpit space, with room left over for a long sweep of uncluttered aft deck.

Mark Whiteley was responsible for developing the interior and refining the exterior styling. He created a simple and modern style for the interior, with straight lines. Lacquered Alpi walnut wall panels, brushed natural oak floors and dark stained wenge trims are complemented by light colour leather handrails and upholstered wall panels.

Part of the brief was for the yacht to be able to host business meetings – the forward part of the superstructure therefore includes a large saloon with expansive seating, plus a 16-seat table for formal dining.

The largest winches are capable of a tremendous 18-tonne pulling load. Photo: Rondal

A technical challenge 

Dykstra Naval Architects drew a narrow and efficient hull shape with a maximum beam of only 12.4m/40ft, while displacement has been kept down to a relatively light 1,050 tonnes at full load. The final shape was achieved following extensive computational flow dynamics (CFD) calculations, velocity prediction programming (VPP), and testing in both tow tanks and wind tunnels. These all helped to determine sail balance, keel position and predicted rudder angles.

The plumb bow is balanced by a modest, but graceful, stern overhang, with a contemporary, relatively wide transom at deck level. Twin knuckle lines extend aft from near the bow, merging into one amidships and then forming a chine aft. Right aft the hull has negative curvature on the flare below the chine, which gives interesting reflections in the gleaming paintwork.

The lead naval architect, Dykstra’s Erik Wassen, told me he introduced the knuckle lines to give the hull “a bolder and more interesting shape.” The owner liked the concept and Mark Whiteley helped to refine the detail. Wassen describes the underwater shape as being: “a very modern round bilge shape, with a nice slender hull that gives good sailing capabilities.” Appendages are a conventional fin keel and balanced rudder.

Photo: Priska van der Meulen

The latter presented an interesting technical challenge, according to Wassen. Initially they looked at fabricating the rudder stock in steel, but that alone would weigh three tonnes. Screening a number of alternatives led to a decision to use carbon for the stock, with a foam core section clad in a relatively thin composite skin for the blade. 

The result is what it’s producer, Royal Huisman’s sister company Rondal, believes to be the biggest ever carbon rudder, weighing only 1,250kg, which helps to keep weight out of the ends of the boat. The weight saving here also enabled the intended fore and aft trim to be achieved with the ballast in its optimal location.

The rudder includes load sensors to record and verify torque, side forces and bending moment while sailing. “There is not much load data available for rudders of this size of sailing yacht, so it’s very conservatively engineered,” says Spans. Fibre-optic sensors are incorporated to enable a database to be created that will help with designing future composite rudders for very large yachts.

Due to the distance of the helm stations from the rudder, the steering is via an electric-hydraulic system, which means there’s no feedback from the helm. The plan is to investigate whether data from the sensors can be used in a feedback system to give a more natural feel to steering the boat under sail. 

Structural engineering

This is one of the most interesting elements of yacht design, yet is all too often under appreciated. Extensive modelling showed a couple of unexpected problems that needed clever solutions during Sea Eagle II ’s design and engineering. 

Instead of the hull flexing smoothly under load, like an I-beam, the presence of a forward intermediate deck introduced hard spots in this area, resulting in stress concentrations at the forward end of the superstructure. This required a lot of design work to create a smooth transition of stress from the lower deck to the intermediate one and then on to the upper deck.

Structural engineering was extensively modelled for Sea Eagle II

The roof of the superstructure also posed a challenge, in that the inside surface of a beam needs to become shorter as it flexes. But the original plan for the aluminium roof wasn’t able to accommodate this, with the result the modelling showed stresses concentrating in the corners of the mullions and in the glass itself. 

The solution was to avoid welding the top of the mullions to the roof, opting instead for a flexible joint that allows for movement when necessary. Wassen likens it to the joints in large buildings that need to be included to allow for thermal expansion and contraction.

Whiteley also helped to refine the exterior styling. In addition to the detail of the knuckles, his input helped to refine the shapes – particularly curves and softening corners – in the superstructure.

COVID-19 restrictions meant her delivery date had to be pushed back by 3 months. Photo: Crea Fragma / Rondal

Panamax rig

The requirement to be able to clear the Bridge of the Americas at the Pacific end of the Panama canal called for the schooner rig with three equal masts. All are of carbon and are made by Rondal, with integrated sail handling systems and Carbo-Link carbon standing rigging.

Each mast has in-boom furling, while the aft two have staysails for use when reaching. The tank and wind tunnel testing was used to verify different headsail options, particularly to determine the differences between a large blade jib versus a large staysail or yankee.

“Obviously you have better windward performance with a large blade,” says Wassen, “but as soon as you bear away the yankee is much more forgiving in trimming, so we decided that made more sense.” A further advantage is that when the yankee is part furled the sheeting point remains the same. 

Rondal’s Integrated Sailing System consists of the three carbon Panamax masts with furling booms, hydraulic boomvangs, headsail furling systems, deck winches and equipment, captive winches and continuous solid carbon standing rigging by Carbo-Link, all equipped with load sensing capabilities. Photo: Rondal

In addition, a blade jib requires much higher sheet loads to maintain leech tension. Even though Sea Eagle II is a three-masted yacht, the yankee sheet loads are still predicted to reach 18 tonnes – but this still allows standard-size captive winches to be used, rather than larger custom-made units.

The Panamax limitation obviously poses the question as to whether sail area needed to be compromised to fulfil this criteria. However, this is clearly not the case for Sea Eagle II . Hull speed is close to 20 knots and the yacht is clearly capable of surfing at much higher speeds, despite being designed as a pure cruiser. This role, of course, suggests keeping heel angles to a maximum of 10-15°. 

Nevertheless, the VPP figures suggest potential boat speeds of 17-18 knots in 16 knots of true breeze with a true wind angle of 70°. “As soon as you can ease the sheets a little bit, we have a lot of sail area,” says Wassen, “so on a beam reach, I wouldn’t be surprised if a steady 20 knots is possible.” 

Specification

LOA: 81m (266ft) Air draught: 62m (205ft) Hull: Aluminium Guest accommodation: 11 Crew accommodation: 14 Exterior styling: Dykstra Naval Architects and Mark Whiteley Design Naval Architecture: Dykstra Naval Architects Interior design: Mark Whiteley Design Classification: Lloyd’s MCA (LY-3)

First published in the April 2020 edition of Supersail World.

• Ordered by Shipyards & Yacht Brands
• Ordered by Date
• Yacht Designers
• About and Contact
• Yacht Support Vessels
• Tenders & Toys
• Some interesting other sites in the superyacht world

The massive 81m Sea Eagle II // Royal Huisman

Royal huisman built the 81-meter three-masted sailing yacht sea eagle ii for a repeat client that is also known as project 400..

SEA EAGLE II is the successor of the 43m SEA EAGLE (I) , delivered in 2015. Dykstra Naval Architects is responsible for the naval architecture and the exterior design. Interior designer Mark Whitely is also involved in the exterior design. The 81m aluminum yacht has space for 11 guests, including the owner and a crew of 14 people.

Furthermore, the yacht is the largest to date by Royal Huisman by volume (Athena is the longest with 90m, including bowsprit – the hull has a length of “just” 79.25 m). This new one is also the largest full-aluminum sailing yacht in the world to date.

Photos by Tom van Oossanen

Thys Nikkels of Dykstra Naval Architects:

“At Dykstra Naval Architects we are extremely excited and proud to be part of the creative team for the new 81m, three-masted performance schooner. Using our experience and inventive minds to create an innovative contemporary schooner yacht for fast passage making is one to tick off our Bucket List.”

Mark Whiteley of Mark Whiteley Design:

“Building a project with Royal Huisman is a very special experience for a designer, jointly designing an 81m new build is an opportunity of a career lifetime so I’m thrilled to be collaborating with Dykstra Naval Architects and the shipyard on this fast contemporary schooner”

The interior design of SEA EAGLE II

The modern interior is based on Alpi Walnut and is for comfortable family cruising but also for business meetings. The superstructure has a private part for owner and guests.

Thys Nikkels of Dykstra Naval Architects explains:

“The plumb bow, very long waterline, sleek hull, and large sail area will give the yacht the required high speed and good performance.”

To be entertained in anchor bays, SEA EAGLE II will provide a lot of space for guest tender with dive equipment, kayaks, SUP boards at the aft area.

3,500 sqm sail area and speeds over 21 knots!

Although it is a massive vessel, the yacht will have a Panamax height. The carbon-fiber rig with furling booms by Rondal – Royal Huisman’s subsidiary for masts, booms, and other yacht components next to the shipyard. In my opinion, the two companies forming a superyacht mall where owners can inspect the yacht and the parts with one visit. Moreover, Rondal delivered 34 winches to control the sail area of 3,500 square meters . The most massive winches have a pull load of 18.000 kg.

“An impressive feature is that each Rondal mast is built as one piece. This means that for 80% of the masts’ thickness, full length, uninterrupted carbon fiber laminates were applied, giving the mast unique properties with a perfectly even-strength distribution – resulting in a beautiful even bend, so no ‘hard spots’.”

Photo by Rondal

Visit during the construction process

During the annual Dutch  Superyacht Press Tour in 2018, organized by the Holland Yachting Group/HISWA, I had the chance to visit Royal Huisman, Rondal, and Project 400 / SEA EAGLE II. All the pictures and the videos where the yard shows the turning of the hull are awe-inspiring, but in real life, it is much more impressive. To stand on the hull felt like an oversized sailing dinghy; the second picture below is not another superyacht project – it is the flybridge, but with 38m, it has the measurement of a superyacht.

In 2019 – just one year later, I had the pleasure again to join the Superyacht Press Tour. I saw an almost-finished yacht, including the installed interior. Amazing to see how fast this complete custom project has been realized. The tenders are stored under big hatches and will be moved by hidden cranes.

The second visit showed the quickness of the shipyard with the Dutch quality of craftsmanship.

Main Specifications of SEA EAGLE II

Sharing is caring - thank you, y9 // y yachts, basyc // jfa yachts, mm751 // malcom mckeon // m2atelier, meraki // 50m classic ketch // vitters, project 404 // 60m sloop // royal huisman, winwin // baltic yachts, 24m victoria // relaxity yacht design, egoist // philippe briand.

About Publisher

Using a minimum of third party cookies for YouTube, Vimeo and Analytics.

Privacy Preference Center

Privacy preferences.

Google Analytics

• NAVIS Digital Store - Activate Your Subscription

Royal Huisman 81m Sea Eagle

The Focused Vision of Royal Huisman’s Sea Eagle

Magnificent birds of prey, sea eagles are large, fast, and agile, with keen vision and powerful talons. Known as messengers of the gods for their divine majesty, spirit, and superior intellect, Sea Eagle seems the perfect moniker for Royal Huisman’s 81-meter flybridge schooner. The owner’s previous yacht, a 43-meter 2015 build by Royal Huisman also named Sea Eagle, was the first to claim the name, requiring the 2020 yacht to be named Sea Eagle II for a brief period. Since the earlier yacht has now changed owners as well as names, she is known simply as Sea Eagle.

In July 2020, Sea Eagle set out on a global itinerary amid the challenges of lockdowns, disruptions, and uncertainty. Her debut kept to a low profile despite her status as one of the world’s ten largest sailing yachts. Additionally, she is the world’s largest aluminum sailing yacht and the largest ever built at the time for Royal Huisman’s Vollenhove yard.

The owner’s brief emphasized comfort, space, and outstanding passage-making, graced with practical and powerful performance. The owner requested Sea Eagle be easily managed, placing function over form and simplicity over extraneous style. The brief maintained that safety, low maintenance, and ease of use were priorities. He wanted guests to be able to move about the yacht, even when heeled while underway.

Since her launch, Sea Eagle has sailed over 45,000 nm in a continuous, four-year circumnavigation, from the North Sea and Europe to the Galapagos, Bali and beyond. Recently released photos of Sea Eagle have brought her into a deserving spotlight, focused on her innovative design and performance. NAVIS is pleased to share important details of this exceptional yacht with our readers.

Sea Eagle By the Numbers

As the seventh largest sailing yacht in the world, Sea Eagle shows dramatic lines, a plumb bow, a modest stern overhang, and contemporary design by Dykstra Naval Architects and Mark Whiteley Design. The 81-meter length has a 12-meter beam and 6-meter draft with a 4-meter freeboard. The flag blue hull and white superstructure are sculpted in aluminum, weighing 1050 tons at full load.

Sea Eagle has a maximum speed of 22 knots under sail, with a downwind sail area from Doyle Sails of 3552 square meters on three carbon masts with a 61-meter air draft. She is fitted with two 1081 kW Caterpillar C32 engines, two 120 kW Caterpillar C7.1 generators, and a 120 kWh battery system. All three sails can be raised simultaneously via PTO (power take-off) hydraulic pumps, taking her from anchored to full speed quite quickly.

Sea Eagle’s hydraulic crow’s nest is located on the main mast, providing a fantastic view from the top. Her carbon rudder, the biggest ever, weights just 1250 kg. In steel, that would have translated to 3 tons. The rudder includes fiber optic load sensors that monitor bending moment under sail, assessing torque and side forces to send data to a feedback system, enabling a more natural steering feel at the helm.

A two-tier deckhouse with two helms and a half-raised bridge complement the colossal cockpit and long, clean decks. Sea Eagle accommodates 12 guests served by 14 crew. In a large, aft deck hatch with concealed stairway, Sea Eagle carries a 26-foot tender, dive gear, and storage area served by a crane. Large winches are capable of an 18-ton pulling load.

Concurrent Design, Stage Gating, and Stress Testing

Sea Eagle is nearly two times the length of the first Sea Eagle, and nearly five times the volume. Four years in the making embraced a full year of focused design, engineering, and construction planning prior to laying the keel. Royal Huisman maintained a determined “whatever it takes” mentality to build this accomplished yacht.

The main construction shed at Vollenhove needed to be extended to contain the project. Methods and organization were required to adopt new strategies for the review of production and management procedures to ensure a smooth build, budget, and schedule. Royal Huisman embraced concurrent design, engaging all disciplines to complete various processes on a shared timeline.

Modular skid fabrication saw systems being built in parallel, built offsite, then installed as complete units. Stage gating divided the project into a series of stages with important decision points noted and marked, increasing efficiencies in time and cost while maintaining excellent quality standards.

Photos: Tim McKenna, Yachting Image | Words: K.L. Turner

NAVIS Ten-Year Anniversary Edition

384 pages featuring the best of the best from the last ten years in the luxury yachting world.

Order printed or digital copies from the following stores.

• THE PRINCESS PASSPORT
• Email Newsletter
• Yacht Walkthroughs
• Destinations
• Electronics
• Best Marine Electronics & Technology
• Boating Safety

Royal Huisman Starts Building 266-footer

• By Grace Howard
• Updated: July 21, 2017

Dykstra Naval Architects states the client for the 266-foot sailing yacht said: “Build me my dream.” And so began the work of creating the world’s largest aluminum yacht.

Less than one year since the yacht’s design reveal at the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show, Royal Huisman says it has started construction of the super sailing yacht for an Asian client. So far, the keel has been laid and the main deck is being built.

The yacht is designed to be a three-masted schooner. Dykstra says the build will be completed in 2020.

Dreaming big: The sailing yacht is so massive that Royal Huisman had to upgrade its largest shipbuilding hall, according to the Dutch builder. She is the largest sailing yacht ever built Royal Huisman’s Vollenhove shipyard and will rank in the top 10 largest sailing yachts in the world.

THE BUILD HAS STARTED! World’s largest aluminium yacht under construction at Royal Huisman The construction of the 81m… Posted by Royal Huisman on  Tuesday, July 11, 2017

“At Dykstra Naval Architects we are extremely excited and proud to be part of the creative team for the new 81m, three-masted performance schooner. Using our experience and inventive minds to create an innovative contemporary schooner yacht for fast passage making is one to tick off our Bucket List.” Thys Nikkels, Dykstra Naval Architects

• More: Dykstra Naval Architects , Royal Huisman , Sailboats , Yachts
• More Yachts

Sunseeker 182 Ocean Reviewed

New shipyards for sirena and sunreef, tankoa introduces 230-foot milano, new flagship for bering yachts: the b165, for sale: prestige yachts 630 fly, for sale: 2022 monte carlo mc6, azimut yachts 50 fly for sale.

• Digital Edition
• Customer Service
• Privacy Policy
• Email Newsletters
• Cruising World
• Sailing World
• Salt Water Sportsman
• Sport Fishing
• Wakeboarding

The global authority in superyachting

• NEWSLETTERS
• Yachts Home
• The Superyacht Directory
• Yacht Reports
• Brokerage News
• The largest yachts in the world
• The Register
• Yacht Advice
• Yacht Design
• 12m to 24m yachts
• Monaco Yacht Show
• Builder Directory
• Designer Directory
• Interior Design Directory
• Naval Architect Directory
• Yachts for sale home
• Motor yachts
• Sailing yachts
• Explorer yachts
• Classic yachts
• Sale Broker Directory
• Charter Home
• Yachts for Charter
• Charter Destinations
• Charter Broker Directory
• Destinations Home
• Mediterranean
• South Pacific
• Rest of the World
• Boat Life Home
• Owners' Experiences
• Interiors Suppliers
• Owners' Club
• Captains' Club
• BOAT Showcase
• Boat Presents
• Events Home
• World Superyacht Awards
• Superyacht Design Festival
• Design and Innovation Awards
• Young Designer of the Year Award
• Artistry and Craft Awards
• Explorer Yachts Summit
• Ocean Talks
• The Ocean Awards
• BOAT Connect
• Between the bays
• Golf Invitational
• Boat Pro Home
• Pricing Plan
• Superyacht Insight
• Product Features
• Premium Content
• Testimonials
• Global Order Book
• Tenders & Equipment

80m Damen support vessel U-81 spotted cruising to Spain

The 80.1-metre Damen support vessel U-81 has been spotted in the North Sea following a brief yard period at Zwijnenburg shipyard in IJsselwerf, the Netherlands. According to BOATPro , she left the Damen ship repair site in early February, touched into the UK close to Ipswich on the eastern coast, and then headed to Zwijnenburg with a new tender stored on the aft deck.

She has since arrived in the Mediterranean basin, stopping in Gibraltar on 2 June and heading onwards to Cartagena.

U-81 underwent a full-scale conversion to turn her into a support vessel, having started life as an offshore oil and gas platform at one of Damen's commercial sites in Asia. Construction on the semi-complete hull known as Naghi 1000 halted in the mid-2010s, but last year it resurfaced as U-81 following a conversion at a Damen facility in the UAE. 

Azure Naval Architects was chosen to oversee the refit and conversion project, maintaining the vessel's utilitarian look, recessed aft deck and high forebody connected to a helipad. Space below the helipad can be used for storing tenders and toys, while the aft deck has further space for a sizeable chase boat with quadruple outboard engines and a hardtop. 

With the tenders launched, the space can double as a basketball court and there is a crane on hand for easy launch and recovery.

While she is technically the largest yacht in Damen's yacht support fleet, she is not the largest purpose-built support vessel in the Damen Yachting fleet; this crown belongs to Abeona , the support vessel of the world's largest sailing yacht Koru .

U-81 is frequently seen alongside her mothership, the 89-metre Here Comes the Sun .

More about this yacht

More stories, most popular, from our partners, sponsored listings.