With a length of 85 metres, "Aquijo" still occupies sixth place in the ranking of the world's largest yachts. But it will soon slip down a place when Jeff Bezos' superyacht "Koru", with its 127 metres, sets sail. But the German industrial magnate, for whom the steel-aluminium yacht was built by Oceanco and Vitters, need not fret. She still has plenty of superlatives. And she has already fulfilled her purpose, travelling far and wide, as can be seen in the videos at the end of the article.
World record: The superyacht has the largest sail area
The "Aquijo" carries a maximum of five sails (main, mizzen, genoa, staysail, code 1) on its two almost 90 metre high carbon masts, which together form an area of 5,872 square metres. World record! No yacht carries more sail laminate. All the sail systems, including the sheets, stays and winches, were elaborately calculated and designed for the superyacht in order to withstand the enormous loads acting on the enormous rig. "The genoa sheets carry 40 tonnes, and the captive winches had to be developed first," explains designer Bill Tripp on the aft deck. "The masts are hydraulically pressed onto the foundation plates with 350 tonnes, and 73 tonnes act on the backstays."
The technical challenge of building the voluminous two-master (1,538 gross tonnes) was so great that two highly specialised shipyards had to join forces in order to build the sailing-experienced owner his dream yacht. "There has never been such a forced co-operation in the superyacht industry," explains the first engineer Robert Vadas as he walks through the huge, elongated technical room. "All sailing yacht components were developed, manufactured and installed by the Dutch shipyard Vitters, while the construction of the hull, interior and all motor yacht components were realised in the large halls of Oceanco. During the construction phase, it was sometimes difficult to find the right contact person for some components, but the result is impressive."
The superyacht's draught has a variance of 6.3 metres
Oceanco welded the hull of construction number Y711 from steel, while the superstructure of the three-decker was made from aluminium. A lifting keel provides the necessary stability under sail, allowing the draught to be reduced from a maximum of 11.60 metres to 5.30 metres.
"The owner had very clear ideas about his new yacht right from the start," says Bill Tripp. "He wanted a length of around 85 metres, two masts, plenty of space for his family and friends and, above all, a powerful rigging package that would allow him to sail quickly and safely."
At almost 90 metres, the masts are so high that it is not possible for the superyacht to navigate the Panama Canal, so "Aquijo" had to be designed to withstand the harsh climate and strong winds around Cape Horn without any problems. "In our worst-case calculations, we had to ensure that the hull could withstand the enormous forces of the rig and the 11.60 metre deep keel in the event of a knockdown," explains Bill Tripp.
The sail plan of the Gigaketsch differs significantly from the usual ketch configurations. "We refer to the yacht internally as a 'sketch', a mixture of schooner and ketch, as the two masts are almost the same height," says the designer. "We wanted to realise a sail plan that allows the sail area to be evenly distributed over the three main sails: genoa, main and mizzen." In order to reduce the mast height slightly while maintaining the same sail area, the designers fitted the main and mizzen sails of the superyacht with head sections that flared far aft. "With the fathead sails, we save ten metres of mast, which has a positive effect on the centre of gravity. The battens in the sail head also ensure that the sails reef very well."
As the fathead sails would get caught on the backstay when tacking and jibing, the masts are held by backstays that have to be operated for every manoeuvre. "With a yacht of this size, I rely on experienced sailors who know exactly what to do every time I change course," says South African captain Gerhard Veldsman. "Technically, I could also sail 'Aquijo' alone. But that would be like flying an Airbus A380 without a co-pilot."
Pods as thick as a forearm
The customised sheets and halyards with the diameter of a trained man's forearm are operated via twelve captive winches (basically like winches on an off-road vehicle), which are oil-pressure controlled and well concealed in the winch compartment. Further massive deck winches are also available for taming the gigantic 3Di sails from North Sails.
The superyacht proved that "Aquijo" can sail fast just a few weeks after its delivery in summer 2017: at wind speeds of 35 knots, the two-master was already travelling at 20.4 knots, with the Cape Ketch sailing at an average speed of 19 knots that day. "You feel super confident on board, even when the wind is blowing at more than eight knots, as it was that day," says Gerhard Veldsman.
The size of the superyacht also has its disadvantages. It takes time before "Aquijo" is ready to sail. "It takes eight minutes to set the main, mizzen and genoa," says the first engineer. "And we need about three minutes for the tacks, as we first have to furl the genoa a little so that it slides around the staysail stay."
The superyacht has the largest carbon fibre rudder blades in the world
To enable the owner and captain to steer as directly and sensitively as possible, the Vitters engineers realised a system that transmits the hydrodynamic forces on the world's largest carbon rudder blades directly to the steering wheels on the flybridge. This allows the helmsman to feel the rudder pressure in real time and react accordingly. "The system works really impressively. Thanks to the direct control, 'Aquijo' feels like a much smaller yacht at the helm," says Bill Tripp enthusiastically.
In contrast, anyone entering the aft deck of the 14.50 metre wide "Aquijo" immediately has the feeling of being on a sailing giant. An expansive dining table dominates the area, in front of which is a large bar that skilfully connects the aft deck with the saloon. Hamburg design studio Dölker + Voges, which worked closely with the owner's wife, was responsible for the interior styling of the superyacht. "The design is modern and elegant and yet, in our opinion, natural and refreshing," says designer Robert Voges. Mutenye, ash and teak wood predominate on the three decks, with stainless steel details setting the tone in almost every room.
A glass lift is part of it
The unusual number of decks for sailing yachts is based on the owner's desire to have a spacious private area above the main deck. "To prevent the yacht profile from appearing too massive, we placed the bridge on half a deck between the owner's deck and the main deck." A glass lift connects all levels. "I never thought I would design a sailing yacht with a lift," smiles Bill Tripp. "Incidentally, the entire yacht is barrier-free; a friend of the owner is in a wheelchair and will be a frequent guest on board."
Beach club, pool, sauna, whirlpool - this superyacht has it all
An owner's bedroom with a fantastic panoramic view towards the stern is one of the absolute highlights of the unusual layout, as is the large beach club and spa area on the lower deck. A skylight on the aft deck floods the wellness area below, including indoor pool, sauna, steam bath and lounge corner, with natural light. Those who prefer to lie in the fresh air and sun in the bubble bath can choose the whirlpool on the flybridge. From up here, you have the best view of the sails and, with the helm stations in front, there is always plenty of action.
Two gimbal-mounted dining tables allow for a cosy al-fresco lunch even when the boat is heeling at 20 degrees. If the view from the fly is not enough, you can climb into the mast cage at the front of the main mast and sail up to the penultimate spreader at a height of 75 metres. Overview and adrenaline rush guaranteed. The superyacht, which is approved by Lloyd's Register for a maximum of twelve guests and a crew of 17, has an interior volume of 1,538 gross tonnes that outdoes many a 70-metre motor yacht. And yet the owner was never interested in causing a stir with the size of his yacht.
Travelling the world in the greatest possible comfort under sail - that was the starting point for this incredible project. "An assignment that gave me a few grey hairs," laughs Bill Tripp. But the effort was worth it. With its enormous sail area totalling 5,872 square metres, the world's largest ketch will remain at the top of the list of sailing giants for a long time to come. Spectacular giants such as the 106 metre long Dyna rig project "Solar" or the 143 metre "A" may be even more voluminous - but these extreme designs will certainly not round Cape Horn. Because the following still applies: anyone who wants to round the notorious headland on the Chilean rocky island of Isla Hornos must be carved from special wood. Although: steel, aluminium and carbon fibre will certainly do the trick.
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