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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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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

NGONI (IMO 1013042 ) - Yacht

What are ngoni ship details.

NGONI (IMO: 1013042) is a Yacht registered and sailing under the flag of Jersey . Her gross tonnage is 396 and deadweight is 0 . NGONI was built in 2017 . NGONI length overall (LOA) is 0 m, beam is 0 m. Her container capacity is 0 TEU. The ship is operated by NGONI LTD .

Where is NGONI current position?

NGONI current position is received by AIS and displayed on next chart by using of VesselFinder services.

Vessel details for NGONI

All details and current position are for informational purposes and VesselTracking is not responsible for the accuracy and reliability of NGONI data values.

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

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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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