ngoni yacht layout

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Ngoni: Inside Royal Huisman's 58m sailing yacht dubbed "The Beast"

Ngoni — or the Beast as she’s known — was the last superyacht design from the board of the late Ed Dubois. And she’s one hell of a swansong...

When Royal Huisman ’s Project 398 was announced at the Monaco Yacht Show 2014, the yard revealed the owner’s brief: “Build me a beast. I don’t want a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Three years later, we found out what he meant by beast.

“He was very clear on his ideas. He wanted something that hadn’t been done before. He really pushed Ed [Dubois] very hard,” says project manager Godfrey Cray, a Whitbread Round the World Race and America’s Cup sailor who has managed the build of 14 superyachts, including eight Dubois projects . “The owner wanted a boat that was fast and aggressive looking, a visual weapon with no superfluous systems. He wanted a sailor’s superyacht and didn’t want to compromise on speed by adding more beam or a bunch of extra cabins.”

At first, the owner’s vision outstripped that of his naval architect. “The first designs were not sleek enough, not oriented for the sheer joy of fast sailing,” says Ngoni ’s captain, Iain Cook. “We had asked three architects for proposals and gave them two months to work up a design. When he saw Ed’s, he told him ‘I know you can do better.’” Thus challenged, Dubois went back to his studio and started again, using some of his earlier powerful racing boats as inspiration. “In two weeks he gave us a design that was like nothing we had seen before,” says Cook. “That was it.”

The Beast takes styling cues from Dubois’ racing boats and 66 metre Anatta  (launched in 2012 as  Aglaia ), with copious amounts of glass defining her superstructure, but that’s where similarities end. Dubois’ enthusiasm was palpable when he presented the design at that press conference; its reverse sheer and bow shape were quite a departure from the status quo. Although the designer would not live to see the yacht’s completion, his joy for something he considered truly visionary is a happy memory for all involved in the project.

Ngoni — the word is the name for a people of eastern Africa and their language — is also unique for the non-traditional way she was managed. “It was a bit different for Royal Huisman,” says Cray. “Generally about a year into the build, a project focuses on rig and deck layouts, load factors being accommodated at that point.

“We had all of our partners in at the beginning to discuss speeds and loads that would be generated by the sails, how we would handle them on deck and how this would impact the entire design, the amount of glass, and the large tender that would be stored under deck. Only by having everyone in on the details from the beginning were we able to achieve this level of detail without revisions.”

Cook, a British sailor who brought to the table 20 years of racing and cruising experience and seven years of captaining for Ngoni ’s owner, shared the development and supervision equally with Cray. The owner told them to get on with it; he’d see them in three years.

Londoners Rick Baker and Paul Morgan , who have created furniture pieces and design features for the owner for 20 years, were asked if they would design an interior around the GA developed by Cook, Royal Huisman and Dubois. They embraced their first yacht project unequivocally.

“We planned an interior that is modern, organic and curved, following on the exterior lines. We know the owner likes curves and tactile finishes. It’s nice when you can be on the same page with a client,” Morgan says. “We approached it with a very open eye. Royal Huisman was so helpful and there was a shared respect for craft. I think our concepts were eagerly awaited in the manner of wondering what we would come up with next. They kept us to a strict weight budget except for the marble in the showers and the wooden soaking tub,” he adds.

To the description modern, curved and organic, I would add youthful and exuberant. Colours and art pieces — a collage of photos that becomes a seascape by Vik Muniz, a bust of a woman with an artichoke on her head and a Stefano Bombardieri sculpture of a rhinoceros suspended in air — could be talking points for days, but the real show-stoppers are wall panels commissioned by Officina Coppola, an English company specialising in custom finishes and art panels of resin, metal and limestone.

The pieces are pressed into service as wardrobe doors and bedside wall panels; their colours and movement make it seem like you are looking at the bottom of a shallow sea.

Indeed, contact with the water was key for the owner, which is why there is no superyacht sundeck . Ngoni ’s main deck is completely encircled with optically perfect glass with exacting compound curves. Only one manufacturer, BCM in Turkey, would attempt the project.

The glass, which is laminated with tinted film and heated to a near liquid state, is slumped into moulds to shape as it cools. The effect of the near 360 degree view from almost anywhere within the main deck structure is nothing short of awesome.

The forward end of the glass deckhouse wraps around a navigation and communications console on starboard and a service pantry on port. In the centre of the open area is the top of the massive lifting keel box doing double duty as a chart table and staging meal service from the galley below.

As if the curved glass wrapping around and over the coachroof frame isn’t enough, skylights give views of the towering mast above, creating an atrium-like effect on the crew space below. With the doors open, as they generally are, it is possible to see from the aft deck straight through the saloon and navigation station to the bow.

The open plan saloon — there are no internal supports — encompasses a dining table, a full wet bar with a backlit onyx top and custom bar stools matching the satinwood dining chairs by Francis Sultana, and a circular section for watching television or films from a small pop-up screen. Textures such as bleached wenge floor planks, the uniquely textured bronze-look “Boetti” bar front and matching staircase surround and coarse fabric on the sofa form a counterpoint to the glass and white painted panels.

Elsewhere, highly figured Tabu and Alpi veneers and simple leathers form the backdrop to the passing scene. Aft of the saloon proper is an outdoor lounge with enormous L-shaped sofas under a hardtop that extends aft from the roofline. Sliding side windows can make this well sheltered in inclement weather or open to the breeze and it grants a great view of the dual helms. A 75-inch television monitor pops up from a cockpit counter for an al fresco cinema next to an outdoor dining table.

From the saloon a circular superyacht staircase descends to the accommodation and guest dayhead. Two guest cabins benefit from being at the widest point of the yacht, just aft of the engine room. The rest of the lower deck accommodation is all owner’s suite .

First up is a glass-walled superyacht gym with a maple floor. Opposite is the owner’s study, wrapped in turquoise leather and panelled with a striped engineered veneer the owner spotted in Italy. Niches display books and racing memorabilia. It is a chorus of curves from sofa to desk and pleasantly cocoon-like compared to the openness of the main deck.

Furthest aft is the master suite, a double-height masterpiece of relaxation. The wardrobes and dressing area are on the same level as the gym and guest cabins but then, to gain width, the floor is raised three steps and this is the location of a stunning pewter free-form desk, a curved sofa and the master bed.

The master bath is next aft but instead of being full beam, there is a small owner’s pantry to starboard with facilities for rustling up coffee, tea or snacks. A secret staircase tucked in here provides access to the aft deck through a teak hatch.

“The boss is up, has his juice and coffee and is off for a swim all independently. When he’s finished, he’s back to his suite without ever having to go through the saloon,” says Cook.

Atypically for a yacht this size built today, Ngoni has direct mechanical steering via a quadrant, chain and cable. Royal Huisman engineered the system, putting considerable ingenuity into reducing friction at the various turning blocks in the mechanism. Considering the forces generated by the sails flying from a 72 metre Rondal mast, the request for direct rather than hydraulic steering necessitated thorough tank testing of the keel and rudder.

The stainless steel keel foil is shaped for delivering maximum lift to windward and the flattened torpedo bulb contains all the yacht’s 73 tonnes of lead ballast. “The boat is perfectly balanced with just a touch of weather helm,” says Cray.

Taking the helm as the boat cruises in light airs off the cliffs of Mallorca, I’m happy to confirm this and, as the last of the season’s sun turns those cliffs a deep gold, it’s impossible not to think of Dubois. At the press conference announcing the project in Monaco, his ultra-modern profile sketches induced gasps from the assembled press. 

I look aft to admire the stairs stepping down to the sea, appreciating how Dubois’ career came full circle before he died. When he burst on to the scene in 1986 with Aquel II  (now Philkade ), people were amazed at the yacht’s open stern with steps down to the water.

But Ngoni is not a requiem for Dubois, rather it’s a celebration. “The best part of the build experience was the people and the opportunity to utilise 20 years of experience and passion to create something special,” says Cook. “The energy and expertise everyone put into creating this very special yacht was like nothing I had experienced before. My only regret is that Ed did not get to see this magnificent yacht sailing. I am sure he would have been exceptionally proud of his final yacht.”

Ngoni has been jointly listed for sale with Fraser and Carrswood Yachts and is asking €45,000,000 .

First published in the January 2018 edition of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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“Build me a beast. Don’t build me a wolf in sheep’s clothing.” Yacht building folklore may now have one of the most quotable owner’s requests of all time. “Exciting”, “Radical”, “Edgy”, “Stunning”: these are the kind of words that greeted the 58m / 190ft high-performance sloop Ngoni during her explorations.

Designed by Dubois Naval Architects and featuring an innovative interior by Rick Baker Ltd, Ngoni is luxurious as well as “fast and furious” – the product of bold and minimalist design realised with impeccable build quality by Royal Huisman. Ngoni’s sleek and beautifully executed exterior conceals a host of innovative engineering to meet the challenges of marrying a huge, powerful and advanced rig with a slender and easily-driven hull.

DATA & DIMENSIONS

NAVAL ARCHITECTURE

To build a slender hull with adequate structural stiffness to cope with the heavy loads imposed by the near-100 tonne keel and the enormous rig (up to 60 tonnes on the forestay alone) is challenging enough. But Ngoni’s deck and hull are also punctuated by numerous openings: giant deck cut-outs for a large tender garage, crane, flush sail lockers, spa pool and cooled waste locker, plus large rectangular portholes, a sea-level gym door, fold-out side boarding platform, two submarine anchors and retractable thrusters.

Intensive research and analysis went into the development of the advanced and extremely powerful 71m / 233ft carbon rig and foils. The 853m2 / 9,182ft2 square-top mainsail is notable not just for its load-reducing halyard lock but for the innovation allowing the square-top and its supporting diagonal batten to detach automatically and furl neatly into the styled performance boom with minimal intervention from the crew. While hoisting, the diagonal batten attaches automatically too.

On approaching Ngoni, the observer is immediately struck by her dramatic lines and tall rig, perfectly complemented by the sculpted low profile superstructure that centres the design with elegant understatement. The dynamic curve of the sheer line: first convex, then subtly concave and finally convex once more for the sweep over the beach deck, suggests a natural affinity with the sea.

The luxuriously appointed guest cockpit offers an intimate outdoor space for reading and relaxation, playing games or simply watching the marine world around you. The deckhouse overhang, together with electrically-powered retractable windbreakers, ensures a sheltered environment in all conditions.

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• Yachting World
• Digital Edition

Ngoni: This stunning sailing superyacht is Ed Dubois’ last masterpiece

• September 23, 2020

The combined talents of the late Ed Dubois and Royal Huisman have produced one of the most stunning yachts ever launched. Rupert Holmes reports

The owner’s brief for Ngoni would be challenging for any size of yacht: “Build me a beast. Don’t build me a sheep in wolf’s clothing. This has to be an edgy and innovative weapon; fast and furious.” When the boat in question is a giant 58m (190ft) sloop with a displacement of nearly 400 tonnes this project was always going to push hard against existing boundaries of superyacht design, deck hardware and materials technology.

“The owner wanted me to take a fresh look at large yacht design,” Dubois recalled before his untimely death four years ago. “He wanted me to go back to my roots in the late 1970s and ’80s when we were designing race boats, but he also knew we had designed a number of high performance yachts that were nevertheless seaworthy and comfortable cruisers.

“So I had to reset my internal computer, if you like, and look hard at how we could save weight and add strength. That’s how the reverse sheer came about. I was worried he might not like it. The next time we met in London I showed him the design and he loved it – in fact he gave me a big bear hug!”

‘The instruction was simple and clear yet allowed for creative interpretation: don’t design a traditional yacht interior’. All photos: Breed Media

The distinctive reverse sheer shape is a great example of top-notch design that combines both form and function. Compared with a conventional sheer using the same materials the shape increases strength and load resistance by 12 per cent. This turned out to be an important factor, given that the hull and deck both have numerous openings.

Even with an additional 35mm thick aluminium plate around the top of the hull that acts like a ring beam, without the reverse sheer, it was still a struggle to come up with the required stiffness to resist the forestay loads that were calculated to reach 60 tonnes. Further refinement led to the concave sheer aft of the superstructure, which improves visibility from the cockpit and gives the boat her distinctive style.

Dubois considered using carbon construction instead of aluminium, which would have made for a faster boat, but one that would have had a more aggressive motion at sea. It would also have been intrinsically noisier and therefore less suitable for world cruising. “Again, it all came down to balance: understanding the true purpose of the yacht and coming up with the right formula,” he said.

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This yacht had potential to end up highly complicated, but Ngoni ’s owner wanted a fast global cruiser with relatively simple systems that would require minimal downtime for maintenance. A ‘less is more’ philosophy therefore informed the project, with the aim of minimising complexity. This also helped to enhance the clean and clutter-free appearance.

Technical challenge

Despite the sheer size and displacement of Ngoni , a key requirement of the brief was that the boat needed to be fun and rewarding to sail. In particular, the owner, who is a knowledgeable sailor and a veteran of multiple Rolex Fastnet and Sydney Hobart race campaigns, insisted the steering should be light, yet firm and responsive. In the initial brief he said: “I want to get off the wheel after a day of sailing feeling knackered from the excitement of hands-on fast sailing.”

These requirements called for a high aspect ratio-balanced rudder allied to a manual steering system with no power assistance. All components of the systems, including rudder area, rake and linkage friction were carefully analysed. This process led to a single, 6.95m2 (75ft2) carbon rudder made by Royal Huisman’s sister company Rondal.

The passarelle by Cramm, which extends from the bathing platform, is self-levelling

While the owner’s requirements for the steering may sound like a tall order it was not one that fazed Royal Huisman. “We were already accustomed to producing hand steering systems on big yachts, so we already knew what needed to be done,” says design manager Jan Knol. “The two most important things are to have the shortest route from the wheel to the quadrant and to have the correct balance area on the rudder.”

Once those two criteria have been met, Knol says then you focus on minimising friction. Linkages are a mix of chain and sprocket and torque tubes, all of which are supported on low-friction bearings. Similarly, the hydraulic system for the autopilot has low-friction seals to minimise interference when hand steering. The massive bottom rudder bearing, which has an inside diameter of 750mm, has stainless steel spherical roller bearings that further minimise friction, even when subjected to huge loads.

The biggest technical challenge the project faced was with the deckhouse windows that are curved in two planes. The low-profile superstructure is constructed from compound curved moulded glass, at the very limits of current technology. The gleaming black finish also disguises four large skylights. “Getting the curves right in the glass panels was very difficult,” says Knol.

The use of so much curved, tinted glass creates a remarkable deckhouse with unhindered views. Inside you can see the bar and dining area to starboard and informal saloon area to port

“After we finished and faired the deckhouse we made a mould and then asked a number of different glass suppliers to make a test panel. All of them said it would be impossible, apart from BCE in Turkey. Fortunately their test panel was good and they then also supplied the rest of the glass.”

The scale of the rig

Dubois was not restricted by Panamax constraints, so was able to draw a carbon rig a full 17m higher than the clearance under the Bridge of the Americas near the Pacific end of the Panama Canal . The towering mast, built by Rondal, is therefore one of the world’s largest one-piece carbon spars. The rig had to look aesthetically perfect, so the aft four metres of the boom is an extension beyond the clew of the mainsail that’s shaped to match the profile of Ngoni ’s stern.

The enormous square top mainsail covers almost a quarter of an acre – the equivalent of four tennis courts. A neat piece of engineering means the forward end of the diagonal top batten automatically detaches and attaches to the luff car when the sail is hoisted or furled into the boom. Both raising and lowering the sail can therefore be achieved with minimal intervention from the crew.

The helm station as a ‘work of art’

As well as contributing to the minimalist styling, the elimination of as much on-deck hardware as possible has reduced weight aloft, while minimising wind resistance and improving airflow, particularly over the headsails.

The mainsail halyard lock, for instance, significantly reduces compression loads in the mast, while the continuous carbon shrouds are 70 per cent lighter than Nitronic rod rigging. Internal D-Tang connections at the top of the diagonal stays mean bottlescrews are not needed, which further reduces visual clutter. In addition, the headsail furlers are below deck and there’s no pulpit.

External styling and finish

The topside finish is a bespoke metallic topcoat applied with an electrostatic technique that uses charged particles to bond the paint to the surface. All deck hardware is bead-blasted to a uniform titanium look, while the arched carbon wheel pedestals have curved tops milled from stainless steel.

The informal guest cockpit is a few steps down from the main deck level. The aft overhang of the deckhouse roof, combined with electrically powered retractable wind breaks, provides shelter from sun, showers and spray. Sliding glass doors separate this area from the deckhouse, with a near seamless transition between the two zones.

Avoiding traditional

The interior is by Rick Baker and Paul Morgan, who have worked with the owner on a number of large projects for more than 20 years, but had never designed a complete yacht interior. The brief was simple and clear yet allowed for creative interpretation: “Don’t design a traditional yacht interior.”

“We consciously avoided giving the yacht a theme, but rather chose to make the different areas very individual,” says Morgan. “We selected some specialist finishes which would not normally be associated with a contemporary yacht. These include artisan resin panels and metalised spray and lacquered textured effects.” Other finishes include bespoke veneers, distinctive marbles and Italian onyx.

The lavish owner’s suite takes up a considerable proportion of the accommodation deck

The deckhouse has a bar and dining area to starboard and informal seating, with coffee tables and a pop-up television, to port. A curved staircase leads down from the deckhouse to the owner’s and guest accommodation. The lavish owners’ suite takes up a significant proportion of the main accommodation deck.

It includes a full-beam stateroom with a large bathroom, a study and a spacious gym with an opening port in the topsides. There are two superbly appointed guest cabins – a twin to port and a double to starboard with a Japanese theme.

The owner was very specific about the sophisticated audio-visual system on board, which was tested rigorously for a year before delivery. The custom set-up was supplied by Tijssen Elektro and has 48 terabytes of storage capacity that can be controlled via an iPad.

The owner’s gym has a large opening to port in the topsides

Forward accommodation

The quality of crew quarters on a yacht of this size are essential in recruiting and retaining the best people. A good deal of thought and investment has therefore gone into this aspect of Ngoni . The navigation station at the forward end of the deckhouse has stairs leading down to the crew accommodation and machinery spaces. There is provision for up to nine crew in six cabins, all of which have quality fit-out and full en-suite facilities. The spacious, professionally equipped galley is open to the crew mess.

From here there’s direct access to the engine control room and engineer’s office, which in turn has direct access to the engine room. “As with all of the projects that we undertake for this client, once the initial design concepts were agreed, the production work started and the client did not see the finished article until launch day,” says Baker. “Thankfully Ngoni was very well received by a happy client.”

Specifications

LOA: 58.15m (190ft 9in) LWL: 51.20m (167ft 12in) Beam: 9.54m (31ft 4in) Draught (keel up): 5.30m (17ft 5in) Draught (keel down): 8.10m (26ft 7in) Displacement: 353 tons (778,224lb) Hull speed: 17 knots Upwind sail area: 1,950 m2 (20,989ft2) Downwind sail area: 3,093 m2 (33,293ft2) Air draught: 75m (247ft)

First published in the April 2018 issue of SuperSail World.

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Gallery: An In-Depth Look at S/Y Ngoni

• By Grace Howard
• Updated: January 10, 2018

Royal Huisman recently launched and delivered the 190-foot Ngoni . Her sleek, modern exterior design is from Dubois Naval Architects and her interior is by Rick Baker Ltd. Come and get an exclusive inside look at the spectacular sailing yacht.

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This Yacht is not for Charter*

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NGONI yacht NOT for charter*

58.15m  /  190'9 | royal huisman | 2017.

Owner & Guests

Cabin Configuration

• Previous Yacht

Special Features:

• Master cabin with study
• Impressive 4,000nm range
• Multi-award winning
• Inviting pool
• Lloyds Register ✠ |100A1 SSC Yacht, Mono, G6 classification

The multi-award winning 58.15m/190'9" sail yacht 'Ngoni' was built by Royal Huisman in the Netherlands at their Vollenhove shipyard. Her interior is styled by design house Morgan and she was completed in 2017. This luxury vessel's exterior design is the work of Dubois.

Guest Accommodation

Ngoni has been designed to comfortably accommodate up to 6 guests in 3 suites. She is also capable of carrying up to 9 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Her features include a spa, beauty salon and gym.

Range & Performance

Ngoni is built with a aluminium hull and aluminium superstructure, with teak decks. Powered by 1 x diesel MTU (8V 2000 M72) 8-cylinder 966hp engines running at 2250rpm, she comfortably cruises at 12 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 16 knots with a range of up to 4,000 nautical miles from her 30,307 litre fuel tanks at 12 knots. Her water tanks store around 10,000 Litres of fresh water. She was built to Lloyds Register ✠ |100A1 SSC Yacht, Mono, G6 classification society rules.

*Charter Ngoni Sail Yacht

Sail yacht Ngoni is currently not believed to be available for private Charter. To view similar yachts for charter , or contact your Yacht Charter Broker for information about renting a luxury charter yacht.

Ngoni Yacht Owner, Captain or marketing company

'Yacht Charter Fleet' is a free information service, if your yacht is available for charter please contact us with details and photos and we will update our records.

Ngoni Photos

Ngoni Awards & Nominations

• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2018 Best Exterior Styling: Sailing Yachts Winner
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2018 Best Interior Design: Sailing Yachts Finalist
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2018 Best Naval Architecture: Sailing Yachts Winner
• International Superyacht Society Awards 2018 Best Sail 40 M+ Winner
• International Superyacht Society Awards 2018 Best Interior Winner

NOTE to U.S. Customs & Border Protection

Specification

S/Y Ngoni

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Inside the Beast – the story of sailing superyacht Ngoni by Royal Huisman

58m of majestic beauty

"Build me a Beast! Don't build me a sheep in wolf's clothing. This has to be an edgy and innovative weapon; fast and furious."

That was the essence of the brief from the owner.

Designed by Dubois Naval Architects and featuring an innovative interior by Rick Baker Ltd, S/Y Ngoni is fast and luxurious – the product of bold and minimalist design and built by Dutch yard Royal Huisman.

Ngoni’s sleek and beautifully executed exterior conceals a host of innovative engineering to meet the challenges of marrying a huge, powerful and advanced rig with a slender and easily-driven hull.

Initially, Dubois drew a long and slender sloop with a plumb bow, sculpted aerodynamic superstructure and elegant beach deck, dominated by a towering sloop rig.

It was a dramatic concept but the owner challenged Dubois to push it still further. Dubois’ response was the reverse sheer that now defines Ngoni. It began as an exercise in creative expression but it soon became apparent that it also held the key to structural stiffness. Dubois further finessed the hull profile so that the reverse sheer transformed to concave sheer aft of the superstructure – an attractive styling touch that also enhances cockpit visibility. The owner had what he wanted.

Ngoni is one of the largest sailing yachts in the world.

Its minimalistic, clutter-free design was one of the requirements from the owner. Also, as an experienced owner who likes to helm, he insisted on steering that was light, yet firm and responsive. The wheel had to give him the true feel of the boat under sail.

Finally, the yacht, however edgy in presentation, must still accommodate the owner, his family and guests in style and comfort. And it should facilitate the safe and efficient operation of the yacht by the crew.

The yacht has a total sail area of 1,950 sqm (upwind) and 3,093 sqm (downwind).

The 853sqm square-top mainsail is notable not just for its load-reducing halyard lock but for the innovation allowing the square-top and its supporting diagonal batten to detach automatically and furl neatly into the styled performance boom with minimal intervention from the crew. While hoisting, the diagonal batten attaches automatically too.

The rig was the result of the collaboration between spar builder Rondal (Royal Huisman’s sister company), sailmaker North Sails and Carbo-Link, together with Dubois Naval Architects and the shipyard team.

Rondal built the impressive 71m one-piece carbon mast with a 24m performance furling boom. The Dubois office, together with the owners’ team, created one of the most extreme style-to-order boom ever seen. The almost 4m long aft extension of the boom, designed and crafted to follow the profile of the yacht’s stern, created visual harmony between the two. Ngoni’s full air-draft is 75m.

The owner’s insistence on steering that was light, yet firm, responsive and adjustable could only be met by a high aspect-ratio rudder and a manual system without power assistance – a major challenge considering the huge sail area.

The final system with a single, balanced 6.92sqm spade rudder – one of the largest carbon rudders ever produced – has delivered on its objectives.

Ngoni’s hull is punctuated by large rectangular portholes, a sea-level gym door, fold-out side boarding platform, two submarine anchors and retractable thrusters. The deck has giant cut-outs for flush sail lockers, a large tender gage, crane, spa pool and cooled waste locker.

The lifting keel weighs near 100 tonnes and allows a reduced draft of 5.3m from the usual 8.1m.

The topsides are finished in a bespoke metallic topcoat named “Claire de Lune” (Moonlight). The paint has been applied with an electrostatic coating technique that uses charged particles to bond the paint to the surface.

Ngoni has also a boarding platform and retractable bathing platform

"Don't design a traditional yacht interior"

The interior design is the work of Rick Baker and Paul Morgan. The signature furniture pieces are signed by Francis Sultana.

A few steps descend from deck level to the informal yet luxuriously appointed guest cockpit, an intimate and sheltered outdoor space for reading and relaxation, playing games or simply watching the marine world around you. The deck house overhang, together with electrically-powered retractable windbreakers, ensures a comfortable environment in all conditions.

Seamless sliding doors by Rondal give access to the deck house interior, presenting the first indication of the exciting materials, colours and finishes to be found throughout the interior.

To starboard there is a bar and dining area while, to port, there is informal seating with coffee tables and, when required, a pop-up television.

Owners’ and guest accommodation is accessed via a curving staircase from the deck house to the guest lobby area. There is a twin guest cabin with spacious bathroom to port and a double guest cabin featuring a Japanese bath to starboard. Both feature high quality exotic veneers, marbles and resin finishes. Large, rectangular ports offer superb natural lighting by day.

The owners’ suite, aft, comprises a full-beam stateroom with bespoke built-in furniture, twin doors to an enormous bathroom, a spacious study with its own bathroom and a large gym with an opening hull port in the topsides. This area, too, is flooded by natural light.

The audio-visual system was thoroughly tested a full year prior to delivery. The owner was very specific about the configuration, asking iPad users to interface with the custom setup supplied by Tijssen Elektro based on Royal Huisman engineering. With 48 terabyte storage by Kaleidescape and a vault for 320 disks, there is access to a wealth of music and movies. The owner also wished to view his favourite TV channels without relying on VSAT, so a special configuration bundles 3G and 4G broadband while close to land, via a booster mounted on the masthead.

There is accommodation for up to nine crew in six crew cabins. All enjoy high quality cabin fit-outs with full ensuite bathroom and shower facilities. Aft of the accommodation there is a bright, spacious and professionally equipped galley to starboard, open to the crew mess on portside. Just aft of the crew mess is a large laundry. Stairs from the adjacent deckhouse pantry give direct access to the service areas.

Besides the sails additional power is provided by a single MTU 8V 2000 M72 diesel engine delivering 966 hp. Cruising at 12 knots, she can reach a maximum range of 4,000 nautical miles.

S/Y Ngoni was launched in April 2017.

Main Specifications

Naval architect: Dubois Naval Architects

Exterior stylist: Dubois Naval Architects

Interior design: Rick Baker Ltd.

Lighting design: The Light Corporation

Project management: Godfrey Cray Maritime Ltd and Captain Iain Cook

Builder: Royal Huisman

Year of delivery: 2017

Length: 58.15m / 190.3ft

Length Waterline: 51.20m / 167.9 ft

Beam: 9.54m / 31.3 ft

Draft (keel up): 5.30m / 17.4 ft

Draft (keel down): 8.10m / 26.2 ft

Displacement: 353 tons / 778,231 lbs

Gross tonnage: 396 GT

Hull speed: 17 knots

Full air-draft: 75m / 247ft

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NGONI // Royal Huisman // Dubois

Royal huisman  presents the 58m high-performance sloop ngoni that wears correctly the byname "the beast" - penned by the late ed dubois..

Photos were taken by Breed Media

Ngoni is one of the most innovative designs that come to real life. I like those owners who bring courage into the superyacht industry to realize those progressive projects. The owner is a highly experienced yachtsman and offshore racing sailor. The design brief said that the owner wanted a luxurious cruising go-anywhere yacht with high-performance DNA. I haven’t been on board, but I think the project stakeholders delivered precisely that. The statement of requirements in a nutshell:

“Build me a beast. Don’t build me a wolf in sheep’s clothing. This has to be an edgy and innovative weapon; fast and furious.”

Owner of the yacht

Royal Huisman’s subsidiary company RONDAL built the impressive 71m carbon-fiber mast with components by Carbo-Link . Even the style-to-order performance furling boom with a length of 24m could be a big boat by itself and reflects Ngoni ‘s profile design.

The haute couture is most excellent 3 Di canvas , tailored by North Sails The yacht wears a total sail area of 1,950 sqm (upwind) and 3,093 sqm (downwind).

The garderobe contains:

Ed Dubois (1952 – 2016) said:

“The bigger the model, the more accurate the results, because you can scale everything except the viscosity of water. Our aim is to reduce the wetted surface to minimize drag, while still retaining good stability. The hull lines will be finalized by November following the results of the tank tests.”

A Williams 565 jet tender is stored forward under the flush deck. A hidden crane moves the dinghy in or out of the water. The foredeck also contains a pool and enough space set up a sunbathing area with sunshade. Guests can enter the tender via the beach deck with the fold-out swimming platform and an inviting staircase to the cockpit.

Interior of Ngoni

NGONI ‘s Interior design is a creation by Rick Baker and Paul Morgan with signature furniture pieces by Francis Sultana . The full-beam owners’ suite at the aft features direct access to the beach deck, a gym, and a study that transforms into further guest areas alongside the two permanent cabins.

“Accent pieces and exotic finishes will be created in the workshop of London-based Rick Baker Ltd. Having been involved in some of the most high-profile projects on the planet, The Light Corporation has been asked to artfully shed light on the project.”

The deckhouse has two distinct areas. The front part is dedicated to the crew with navigation desk and direct access down to the crew area with the mess, galley, and six double crew cabins. The rear part is a socializing area with coffee table seating, dining, and a bar.

Comments on the project

“Given their reputation for excellence, Royal Huisman was the owner’s choice of shipyard from the very start. This is a thought-provoking design that does not take for granted the marriage of high performance, style, and comfort. She’s a design that marks a fresh and progressive turning point in our long and successful history. This is some yacht, inspired by a client looking for the next new, new thing; a dream project for both designer and shipyard.”

Alice Huisman:

“A great client, a great design team, and a great project. Everything about this project has our name on it: Royal Huisman is the perfect fit for every aspect of the project and the requirements to build it.”

Main Specifications of NGONI

Length Overall

Draft (Keel Up)

Draft (Keel Down)

Profile & General Arrangement

Deck Layout

General Arrangement

Last but not least: Interviews with the naval architect and interior designer of Ngoni

Naval architect ed dubois.

ED: The owner wanted me to take a fresh look at large yacht design. He wanted me to go back to my roots in the late 1970s and ‘80s when we were designing race boats, but he also knew we had designed a number of high-performance yachts that were nevertheless seaworthy and comfortable cruisers. So I had to reset my internal computer, if you like, and look hard at how we could save weight and add strength. That’s how the reverse sheer came about.      

Can you explain the concept behind the reverse sheer?

ED: Think of a sloop as a bow and arrow: the bow is the hull, the arrow is the mast and the string is the forestay and backstay. You can imagine that tension creates an awful lot of bending moment, which is fine if you can compensate with a strong, deep beam in the structural sense, but the Beast has a relatively low freeboard and shallow beam with no structural superstructure. Then you make the situation worse by making holes in the deck for tender bays, sail lockers, and hatches – metal that would usually resist the compression in the deck. You can overcome that by adding a substantial sheer strake and Ngoni has a top plate of solid 35mm aluminum that acts like a ring beam around the hull, but it’s still a struggle to come up with the required stiffness. So then I started thinking about a reverse sheer, which is much like the structure of a bridge where the road is convex to resist the compression created by the weight of the traffic. We ran it through our structural analysis program and suddenly we had a 12 percent increase in stiffness for the same weight. It’s something you sometimes see on high-performance boats like Samurai, but this is the first time I’ve designed a sailing yacht with a reverse sheer.

It also affects the exterior profile, of course. Was the owner happy with the look of the boat?

ED: He wanted a yacht that was fast and punchy without losing the concept of a world cruising boat, which allowed me to think outside the box and defy convention. I remember when he initially came to the office I sketched out a design and he said, “It’s OK, but a bit ordinary. What are you going to do now?” I went away and came up with the reverse sheer, but was worried he might not like it. The next time we met in London I showed him the design and he loved it – in fact, he gave me a big bear hug! Actually, Ngoni has a convex sheer at the maximum bending moment amidships that transforms into a concave sheer aft, which looks more attractive and provides better visibility from the cockpit.

To what extent were you involved in the interior layout and design?

ED: With all our designs – except Twizzle, because we joined the project later – we’ve developed the initial space planning. As naval architects, we know where the primary elements such as the mast, the keel box, and the engine room should be. The associated structures around these have a profound effect on the interior layout, especially on a sailing boat. I also very much enjoy dealing with the architecture – as opposed to the naval architecture – of a boat: the flow from one space to another and the lifestyle the owner enjoys (or endures!) on board. So we created the general arrangement and introduced some of the curved shapes into the interior, which provided the template for the interior designers Rick Baker and Paul Morgan.

There is a fine distinction between speed and comfort; does that mean compromises had to be made?

ED: I prefer the word “balance” to “compromise”. To produce a balanced design you have to understand the true purpose of the boat from the owner’s perspective. That means you have to get to know him or her well enough to understand what they really want, which is not always easy as some owners have very clear ideas and others are not too sure. The owner of Ngoni is an experienced sailor who has raced in the Fastnet and Sydney-Hobart, and he knew I understood both the racing and cruising side. Like Frers and Briand, I started my career designing race boats and then transferred into large cruising yachts, so my job as a designer today is to get the right balance of speed, seaworthiness and long-range cruising ability based on the owner’s brief. I don’t think you can do that successfully unless you’ve sat for hours on the weather rail of a boat you’ve designed yourself and got cold and wet and possibly frightened or felt the excitement when you win and disappointment when you lose. You learn how a sailing boat behaves in all conditions on the race course – it is that experience that has given me the confidence to design a large sailing yacht and be pretty certain it’s going to work.

Given the need for speed, was a carbon fiber hull ever considered?

ED: It was, briefly, at the very beginning. The owner wanted to know about all the options and we presented him with comparisons in terms of weight, cost and build times. But there were other considerations at stake: sure, we could make a lighter and faster boat out of carbon, but would it be as comfortable and suitable for world cruising? Carbon hulls have a more aggressive motion at sea, which beyond the issue of seasickness is not very comfortable for long-range cruising. They also tend to be noisy, so some of the weight you’ve saved goes back on the boat as acoustic insulation. Again, it all came down to balance: understanding the true purpose of the yacht and coming up with the right formula, which is the delicious thing about being a designer. It’s like the satisfaction you get from solving a complicated mathematical equation. And people put their trust in you and pay you do it!

Interior Designer Rick Baker Ltd.

Please introduce yourselves

Rick Baker Limited is a bespoke cabinetmaking company which is very firmly art based. Both myself (Rick Baker) and co-director, Paul Morgan, have been through the art college system – I studied illustration and fine art, and Paul originally started off studying architecture before transferring to furniture design and manufacture.

In my twenties, I moved into furniture design and it did not take too long before we became involved with clients that were looking for originality of design and exemplary workmanship. As the company has grown, so has our reputation for producing quirky one-offs.

We employ twelve cabinetmakers and are fortunate to have never needed to advertise for work.

What brief were you given?

We have worked on many projects for these clients, and they asked if we could come up with a scheme for the interiors for the yacht. We were obviously delighted to be involved and had a series of meetings to determine the brief and direction for the yacht styling.

What was your initial reaction?

The design of the yacht is so unique, and it is obviously very exciting to be part of the team working on such a ‘one-off’. The curved shape of a yacht calls for a different approach – we have made a lot of curved furniture, but it was always to fit into square rooms!

Did the brief present any opportunities?

Yes, it was fantastic to meet the team involved in the building of the yacht. It has given us great insight at the highest level. It has also been very interesting to see how the boatyard approaches manufacture generally.

This project also presents us with an incredible opportunity to bring some new ideas to the more traditional styling of many current yachts.

Are there challenges to overcome?

The main challenge comes from the fact that, although we have designed and made freestanding pieces for motor yachts in the past, we have never been asked to design the complete interior of a sailing yacht.

But this also means we can challenge the status quo. We design with only half an eye on what supposedly can or can’t be done on a yacht, then, with the advice of Royal Huisman, we resolved most problems together.

What are the steps between brief and delivery?

We have a relatively simple design process which starts with a client meeting where we throw lots of ideas into the air – we land some of those ideas and we write copious notes. We then work on visuals and scale drawings to present to the clients and then rework those drawings with the design development that has come out of that meeting. We have been fortunate to work closely on several projects for these clients and have developed an understanding of their ideas, likes and dislikes.

How do you collaborate with the project team?

We had initial design concept meetings with Ed Dubois and Royal Huisman to agree to a strategy. And, as I have already mentioned, we work with Royal Huisman to make sure our concepts are fit for purpose as part of a superyacht interior. Also, the experience and advice from Goddy (Project Manager) and Iain Cook (Build Captain) have been invaluable.

Is there an overall ‘theme’?

The yacht is a total one-off, with a unique design by Ed Dubois, and the interiors had to reflect the same state of the art design. So we have consciously avoided giving the yacht a theme but rather chose to make the different areas very individual. It was important to us to not let the craft feel like a hotel and to avoid repetition in the cabins etc.

Are you using any unusual materials?

Innovative design still has to be practical and visually comfortable. The ‘standard’ response would be to mix high-sheen lacquer and hardwoods. Instead, we have selected some specialist finishes which would not normally be associated with a contemporary yacht. These include artisan resin panels and metalized spray and lacquered textured effects.

Have you learned anything?

Having been involved in such a wonderful project has given us a different way of seeing and designing, although of course not all of that can be applied to domestic interiors. It has encouraged us to consider new rhythms of furniture design.

How do you think people will react?

I believe that other people will enjoy slowly observing the yacht and interiors when they first board – in the same way, that people attune themselves to understand abstract art. They will inspect carefully and hopefully understand and warm to their surroundings.

Can you sum up the project in a few words?

It has certainly been, quite literally, a learning curve. Our voyage on land with the team has been educational and we hope the journey continues and that the yacht proves itself to be something really special – ‘The Beast’ of speed and fun.

Update January 28th, 2018: NGONI won two awards at the Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2018 in Kitzbühel: Best Naval Architecture & Best Exterior Styling Sailing Yachts.

Launch and Construction Impressions

Video by Cloudshots

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