Billfish, beware.
The world’s largest sportfishing machine is being moved from Royal Huisman’s inland facility in the Netherlands to its launch site in Amsterdam. The 171-foot-long profile of Project 406 resembles a sportfishing convertible, but its six climbing decks are definitely those of a superyacht. The Dutch yard is calling the vessel the “largest and most luxurious true sportfishing yacht in the world.”
Project 406 certainly dwarves other large sportfishing yachts. The as-yet-unnamed vessel has been under construction for several years and was penned by Vripack Yacht Design, which did the exterior, interior, and naval architecture. The aft cockpit was left open, as on any sportfishing design, while a tower at the top allows captain and crew to sight billfish from a long distance. Netherlands-based Vripack also created a bespoke interior for the owner.
This aerial of the vessel being towed through Dutch canals gives a sense of its scale.
Royal Huisman
“Project 406 is a sportfishing machine on steroids,” Vripack co-creative director Bart M. Bouwhuis told Robb Report in 2021 as the project became publicly known. “It has the proportions of a typical American sportfishing yacht, with a long, flaring bow and open foredeck, and raked-back superstructure. It’s just bigger in every way. She’ll set a new benchmark in the world of big-game fishing boats.” The boat will include a varnished-wood fighting chair in the cockpit.
The bow will have a large sun-lounge area, while its fourth-deck sky lounge will be a “theater” for watching the sportfishing action. To keep the vessel as lightweight as possible, the hull and superstructure will be made of Alustar aluminum, a strong, high-tensile alloy. Bouwhuis would not reveal the yacht’s power, though he used the word “huge” in the conversation. “You can’t fool nature if you want a 171-foot boat to go this fast,” he says. “It will have significant horsepower.”
This early rendering gives a sense of the sportfishing look, especially the upper tower and open rear cockpit.
Vripack Design
Bouwhuis said the project was a “steep learning curve” for Vripack, which is more accustomed to designing superyachts than gargantuan sportfishing machines. “We had to discover what makes a great sportfishing boat and understand what kind of features are needed—from the rods, to the baitwells, the icemakers and fish boxes,” he said.
Royal Huisman, best known for some of the world’s largest bespoke sailing superyachts, has yet to release a launch date or the eventual name for Project 406.