Royal Huisman

Established in 1884 in Ronduite, Royal Huisman originated as a builder of wooden workboats and fishing vessels. In 1954, Jan Huisman pioneered steel sailing yachts, with his son Wolter shifting to aluminum hulls in 1964 with the Van de Stadt Avenir series. The shipyard's partnership with New York designers Sparkman & Stephens (S&S) and the development of extruded aluminum masts led to prowess in performance yachts and global racing circuits. This era saw the launch of the prize-winning 60-ft S&S sloop, Running Tide, in 1970.

The transition to performance yachts continued in the 1980s with Germán Frers and Ron Holland. The shipyard's centenary in 1984 resulted in a royal charter from then-Queen Beatrix, renaming it Royal Huisman. Restoration of iconic yachts, such as the 1934 J-class yacht Endeavour, garnered industry acclaim. The shipyard's innovative streak was exemplified by launching the first high-temperature aluminum alloy yacht, Pamina, in 2000. Further milestones include the launch of the flagship Athena in 2004 and co-ownership of the Bucket Regattas in 2014.

In recent years, the shipyard has broadened its business model to include superyacht refit and repair, introduced under the name Huisfit. Royal Huisman has consistently pushed boundaries, including its affiliation with Royal Doeksen and expansion into Amsterdam premises formerly held by Holland Jachtbouw. The year 2020 marked the delivery of Sea Eagle II, an 81-meter contemporary schooner.