The 42.2-metre J Class sailing yacht Hanuman has arrived at Holterman's facilities in Meppel for an extensive refit.
Work will last seven months but "represent a year's worth of work" according to the shipyard, who have been instructed to meet a strict racing deadline – the 2025 St Barths Bucket.
She marks the shipyard's first sailing yacht project and will soon reach her first refit milestone, which is the removal of 500 pieces of deck hardware and the stripping of the deck back to bare aluminium.
Other works include replacing the interior sole floorboards, a hull and topside repaint alongside the replacement of the air-conditioning and hydraulics systems.
"Hanuman is the big fish here in the yard, so we’re pretty focused on the project," explained Tim Wedzinga, refit manager at Holterman Shipyard. "We are pretty low-key, and don’t need 10 management meetings a day – it’s a good bunch of people and we have straight lines between the yard, engineers and subcontractors. It’s about making it an easier experience for the captain, crew and owner rather than them going to a big yard where they’re just one of many refits."
The yacht's last comprehensive refit was in 2018, which saw a complete overhaul of all her racing and sailing systems, including a new, lightweight carbon rig and boom that shaved 500kg of her overall weight.
Hanuman was delivered by Royal Huisman in 2009 and is a regular on the regatta circuit. She is among the most successful J Class yachts on the water today when it comes to racing, and even won Sailing Yacht of the Year at the World Superyacht Awards in 2009.
This follows the relaunch of Shamrock V earlier this month. The 36.4-metre is the only wooden J Class in the world and recently underwent the most comprehensive rebuild in her 94-year history.
Read More/Legendary 36m J Class sailing yacht Shamrock V relaunched