Sailing yacht AQUARIUS II (65m/213ft) started life upside down – a yacht building technique which makes it easier to construct the hull. Once this phase is complete, a shipyard turns the hull so the deck is upright and construction and fit out can continue.
As AQUARIUS II reached this milestone her designers have been reflecting on some of the design decisions and the progression from AQUARIUS I – from the same owner.
Godfrey Cray, the project manager commented on the objectives for the new AQUARIUS:
“In general, by going from 56m (184ft) to 65m (212ft) overall length, we have gained close to 45% more volume, gained a 4th guest cabin, increase the size of the gym as well as the social areas of the main deck house plus crew area improvements.
There has been an extensive study to enhance performance. We have had winning racing results with AQI and the objective has been to continue learning and add this experience to the development of AQII”
The owners have again worked with Dykstra Naval Architects and Mark Whitely Design on the interior layout and décor as they loved the modern classic looks, balance and sailing performance of AQI.
AQUARIUS II will feature Royal Huisman’s industry-leading hybrid technologies for power generation and management. The benefits include ‘peak-shaving’ for optimum energy efficiency and flexible power generation.
AQUARIUS II is scheduled for delivery in 2024.