Despite not winning the Ship of the Year Award at the Maritime Awards Gala on 4 November, Royal Huisman’s sailing yacht Sarissa did take home several awards at the International Superyacht Society (ISS) Awards Gala. The 59.7-metre Sarissa was elected “Yacht of the Year”, “Best Interior Sail”, and “Best in Sail 40m+”.

The ISS Awards Gala took place 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 honour to receive this recognition, states Royal Huisman.

The ISS Awards were not the first prizes bestowed on the Sarissa. Earlier this year, it was rewarded as “Sailing Yacht of the Year” and “Best Sailing Yacht of 40m and above” at the World Superyacht Awards 2024 and with five more awards at Boat International’s Design & Innovation Awards including “Innovation of the year”.

Also read: Royal Huisman transports 65-metre ketch for outfitting

Advanced technology, exceptional design

Sarissa is celebrated for its advanced technology, exceptional naval architecture, exterior, interior design, and craftsmanship. Built with advanced lightweight Alustar aluminium and carbon composites, Sarissa reduces fuel consumption while enhancing speed and manoeuvrability. The forward-facing retractable propulsion system further boosts performance, redundancy and comfort, aligning with industry trends toward sustainability.

Royal Huisman Sarissa retractable propulsion - Innovation of the Year
The Sarissa’s retractable propulsion landed it the Innovation of the Year Award (illustration by Royal Huisman).

Engineered and built 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.

Jan Timmerman, CEO of Royal Huisman: ‘On behalf of our team I would like to say that we are very happy and honoured 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.’

Also read: O2 Capital Partners new owner of Royal Huisman

Sarissa’s specifiations

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

Picture (top): The Sarissa under sail (photo by Ugo Fonollá).

Also read: Royal Huisman delivers sportfish yacht Special One