The Aquarius II was commissioned by an experienced owner as a successor to his similarly named 56-metre yacht launched in 2018 (now renamed Apsara)
The owner believed his old boat was perfect and just wanted her to be bigger. For this reason, to work on the new project Royal Huisman involved the same team: Dykstra Naval Architects for naval architecture, designer Mark Whiteley for interiors. The owner wanted the team to capture the essence of his previous yacht, but make her nine metres longer and enhance her rigging.
The hull of the Aquarius II of lightweight aluminium alloy named Alustar is the embodiment of all classical canons: a spindle-shaped body, a sharp bow, a long stern overhang. The superstructures are retro style and look particularly charming thanks to the covering of lacquered wood.
The lifting fin keel has a maximum draft of 7.6 metres. The yard’s partner, Rondal, has made two state-of-the-art carbon masts, while load reductions are owed to solid carbon Elipse rigging by Carbo-Link. Doyle Sails company provided the yacht with a total downwind sail area of over 4500 sq.m.
According to Erik Wassen of Dykstra Naval Architects, on a race circuit the yacht will demonstrate her best performance with a crew of 30. At the same time, a smaller crew can handle her on cruises thanks to the relatively simple deck equipment. Based on the experience with her predecessor, the new Aquarius II was equipped with a semi-hybrid propulsion system, which reduces her impact on the environment.
Longer hull allowed for an almost 45% increase in internal volume, which provided space for a more spacious master suite, a fourth guest cabin and a gym. The details of the yacht’s interior are currently kept under wraps.
Right after the delivery ceremony in Amsterdam, the Aquarius II headed for Falmouth, UK, and we are very likely to see her racing this summer.
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