Fort Lauderdale, USA, 30 October - Royal Huisman’s Sarissa wins “Yacht of the Year,” “Best Interior Sail,” and “Best in Sail 40m+” at the International Superyacht Society Awards.

Royal Huisman proudly announces that its remarkable 59.7m / 196ft high-performance sloop Sarissa has received three top awards at the International Superyacht Society (ISS) Awards Gala held in Fort Lauderdale. The winners were selected, handed out and bestowed by respected peers within the superyacht sector and therefore the team considers it a great honor to receive this recognition.

Sarissa is celebrated for its advanced technology, exceptional naval architecture, exterior, interior design, and unparalleled craftsmanship, reflecting Royal Huisman’s dedication to innovation and excellence. Built with advanced lightweight Alustar® aluminum and carbon composites, Sarissa reduces fuel consumption while enhancing speed and maneuverability. The forward-facing retractable propulsion system further boosts performance, redundancy and comfort, aligning with industry trends toward sustainability. Engineered and build by Royal Huisman in collaboration with Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design, interior designer Liaigre, and owners’ representative Gregory Monks, Sarissa combines sleek elegance with outstanding functionality, meeting the owner’s vision of an environmentally conscious yet high-performance superyacht.

Congratulations to the owners of Sarissa and gratitude on the part of her design and build team. Jan Timmerman, CEO of Royal Huisman adds: “On behalf of our team I would like to say that we are very happy and honored with these awards. At the same time and although we have received more than a fair share of such recognition, we are not planning to lean back following this success: we will never forget that a shipyard is only as good as its next boat.”

Sarissa
This high-performance sloop with retractable propulsion represents the next chapter in the owners’ love of sailing and passion for family adventures and exploration. Their first 43m / 140ft Sarissa opened their eyes to what else was possible. In 2012 the owners started dreaming about today’s Sarissa (Royal Huisman, 2023), which has become 17 metre / 55 feet longer. The challenge was to envision a yacht that was a step up from one they already loved. The owners spent many years developing her, and it is not by accident that the shipyard and designers achieved spectacular results.

Malcolm McKeon is one of the world’s leading naval architects. Through many great conversations and design meetings, the owners bonded over their vision for Sarissa to be fast and fun to sail. Despite the fact they were designing a world cruising yacht of just below 500GT, they didn’t want to lose any of the special sailing spirit and response they enjoyed so much on their previous yachts. 

Sarissa’s owners wanted the boat to be able to compete with the very best on the racecourse and at the same time, have the lowest noise and vibration levels of any large sailing yacht. She also had to be comfortable in big seas, safely handling ocean passages. The steering had to be manual – the owners wanted to feel the power through their fingertips. Although Sarissa had to blend performance and luxury, the owners had a clear vision of where to draw the line between the two.

From conception, they sought environmentally friendly solutions that also enhance the yacht’s performance, improve the onboard experience and minimise impact on the natural world. With that in mind and to reduce demand on fossil fuels, the owners and their team sought the most efficient means of generating, storing and using energy. While sailing as well as at anchor, they regularly delight in explaining to guests their yacht is running purely on battery stored energy without exhaust fumes. Improved water connection was also very important to them. This was achieved with the large-scale opening transom, its carbon-fibre door creating a truly impressive platform.

They were fortunate to find Guillaume Rolland of Liaigre, a brilliant interior designer who shares their love of sailing. The brief was for a light, airy interior with big windows and portlights with a relaxed feel. Sarissa was to be comfortable and inviting. The design had to be intelligent, forward thinking, and balance beautiful design with functional operation and maximum space for guests, but with smart and efficient storage solutions both for guests and for the crew’s operation.

Quality was very important – the new Sarissa had to be beautifully built by the world’s very best yacht builder and artisans: Royal Huisman. Sarissa is the owners’ ultimate world performance cruising sloop, perfectly combining all the sailing attributes they feel passionate about and enjoy so much when they are on the water.

Specifiations
Type:High-performance sloop with retractable propulsion
Naval architect: Malcolm McKeon
Interior design: Liaigre
Builder: Royal Huisman
Length overall: 59.7m / 196ft
Hull material: Alustar® aluminium
Superstructure: Carbon composite
Classification: Lloyd’s Register - MCA
Year of Delivery: 2023
Owners’ representative: Gregory Monks