For a long time, the 85-metre-long “Aquijo” held sixth place in the ranking of the world’s largest yachts. But when Jeff Bezos’s superyacht, the 127-metre “Koru”, entered the fray, it slipped down one place. But that’s no reason for the steel-and-aluminium yacht – originally built by Oceanco and Vitters for the German entrepreneur Jürgen Großmann – to be disheartened. It still boasts a wealth of superlatives. And it has already served its purpose, setting off on long voyages, as can be seen in the videos at the end of the article.
4,000 square metres of sail in a fair wind
“Aquijo” carries a maximum of five sails (mainsail, mizzen, genoa, staysail, Code 1) on its two carbon masts, each just under 90 metres high, which together theoretically cover an area of 5,872 square metres. That is a record. When sailing downwind, the sail area is a good 4,000 square metres. All the sail systems, including the sheets, stays and winches, were meticulously calculated and engineered for the superyacht to withstand the immense loads acting on the enormous rig. “There is a load of 40 tonnes on the genoa sheets; the captive winches for these had to be developed from scratch,” explains designer Bill Tripp on the aft deck. “The masts are hydraulically pressed onto the foundation plates with a force of 350 tonnes, whilst the backstays are subjected to a load of 73 tonnes.”
The technical challenge involved in building this massive two-masted yacht (1,538 gross tonnes) was so great that two highly specialised shipyards had to join forces in order to build the yacht of the owner’s dreams – a man with extensive sailing experience. “There has never been a forced collaboration of this kind in the superyacht industry,” explains Chief Engineer Robert Vadas as he walks through the huge, elongated engine room. “All the sailing yacht components were developed, manufactured and installed by the Dutch shipyard Vitters, whilst the hull, interiors and all motor yacht components were built in Oceanco’s large halls. During the construction phase, this sometimes made it difficult to find the right point of contact for certain components, but the result is impressive.”
The draught has a variance of 6.3 metres
Oceanco welded the hull of build number Y711 from steel, whilst the superstructure of the three-deck yacht was constructed from aluminium. A lifting keel ensures the necessary stability under sail, allowing the draught to be reduced from a maximum of 11.60 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 high-performance rig that would allow him to sail quickly and safely.”
At just under 90 metres, the masts are so tall that the superyacht cannot transit the Panama Canal; therefore, the “Aquijo” should be designed to cope without any problems with the harsh climate and strong winds around Cape Horn. “In our worst-case calculations, we had to ensure that, in the event of a knockdown, the hull could withstand the immense forces exerted by the rig and the 11.60-metre-deep keel,” explains Bill Tripp.
Distribution of sail area
The rig plan of the Gigaketsch differs significantly from conventional ketch configurations. “Internally, we refer to the yacht as the ‘Sketch’, a cross between a schooner and a ketch, as the two masts are almost the same height,” explains the designer. “We wanted to create a sail plan that allows for an even distribution of sail area across the three main sails: the genoa, mainsail and mizzen.” To reduce the mast height slightly whilst maintaining the same sail area, the designers fitted the superyacht’s mainsail and mizzen with heads that flare out well towards the stern. “With the fathead sails, we save ten metres of mast height, which has a positive effect on the centre of gravity. Furthermore, the battens in the sail head ensure that the sails have excellent reefing characteristics.”
As the Fathead sails would get caught on the backstay when tacking and jibing, the masts are supported by backstays, which must be operated during every manoeuvre. “On a yacht of this size, I rely on experienced sailors who know exactly what to do with every change of course,” says South African skipper Gerhard Veldsman. “Technically speaking, I could sail the ‘Aquijo’ on my own. But that would be like flying an Airbus A380 without a co-pilot.”
Pods as thick as a forearm
The bespoke sheets and halyards – each as thick as a fit man’s forearm – are operated via twelve captive winches (similar in principle to the winches on an off-road vehicle), which are hydraulically controlled and neatly concealed within the winch room. Further heavy-duty deck winches are also on hand to handle the gigantic 3Di sails from North Sails.
The “Aquijo” proved just how fast it can sail within a few weeks of its delivery in the summer of 2017: With wind speeds of 35 knots, the two-masted yacht was already reaching 20.4 knots; on average, the Cape ketch sailed at 19 knots that day. “You feel extremely safe on board, even when, as on that day, the wind is blowing at more than force 8,” says Gerhard Veldsman.
The size of the superyacht also has its drawbacks. It takes time before the “Aquijo” is ready to sail. “It takes eight minutes to hoist the mainsail, mizzen and genoa,” says the chief engineer. “And we need about three minutes for the tacks, as we first have to furl the genoa a little so that it slides round the staysail stay.”
“Aquijo” has the largest carbon oar blades
To enable the owner and skipper to steer as directly and intuitively as possible, the Vitters engineers have developed a system that transmits the hydrodynamic forces from 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 steering, ‘Aquijo’ feels like a much smaller yacht at the helm,” says Bill Tripp enthusiastically.
By contrast, anyone stepping onto the aft deck of the 14.50-metre-wide ‘Aquijo’ immediately feels as though they are on a giant sailing yacht. The deck is dominated by a spacious dining table, in front of which stands a large bar that skilfully connects the aft deck to the saloon. The Hamburg-based design studio Dölker + Voges was responsible for the superyacht’s interior styling, working closely with the owner’s wife. “The design is modern and elegant, yet, in our view, natural and refreshing,” says designer Robert Voges. Mutenye, ash and teak predominate across the three decks, whilst stainless steel details add accents in almost every room.
A glass lift is part of it
The number of decks, which is unusual for sailing yachts, stems from the owner’s wish to have a spacious private area above the main deck. “To ensure the yacht’s profile didn’t look too bulky, we positioned the bridge on a half-deck between the owner’s deck and the main deck.” A glass lift connects all the levels. “I never thought I’d end up designing a sailing yacht with a lift,” smiles Bill Tripp. “Incidentally, the whole yacht is wheelchair-accessible; a friend of the owner’s uses a wheelchair and will be a frequent guest on board.”
Beach club, sauna and swimming pool
An owner’s bedroom with a fantastic panoramic view towards the stern is, like the large beach club and spa area on the lower deck, one of the absolute highlights of this unusual layout. A skylight on the aft deck floods the wellness area below – which includes an indoor pool, sauna, steam room and lounge area – with natural light. Those who prefer to relax in the hot tub whilst enjoying the fresh air and sunshine should head to the whirlpool on the flybridge. From up here, you’ll have the best view of the sails, and with the helm stations situated right in front of you, there’s always plenty of action.
Two gimbaled dining tables allow for a leisurely al fresco lunch even at a 20-degree list. If the view from the flybridge isn’t enough, you can climb into the mast basket at the front of the mainmast and be hoisted up to the penultimate spreader at a height of 75 metres. A panoramic view and an adrenaline rush are guaranteed. Certified by Lloyd’s Register for a maximum of twelve guests and a crew of 17, this superyacht, with its 1,538 gross tonnes, boasts an interior volume that surpasses that of many 70-metre motor yachts. And yet the owner was never interested in causing a stir with the size of his yacht.
At the forefront of the sailing giants
Sailing around the world in the greatest possible comfort – that was the starting point for this incredible project. “A job that gave me a few grey hairs,” laughs Bill Tripp. But the effort was well worth it. With a total sail area of around 5,870 square metres, the ketch will remain at the top of the sailing giants for a long time to come. Spectacular giants such as the 106-metre-long Dyna-Rigg-“Black Pearl” or the 143-metre ‘A’ may be even more voluminous – but these extreme designs will certainly not round Cape Horn. Because the same still holds true: anyone wishing to round the infamous headland on the Chilean rocky island of Isla Hornos must be cut from a special mould. That said, steel, aluminium and carbon fibre will certainly do the trick as well.
Technical Specifications for “Aquijo”
- Length overall: 86 m
- Width: 14.50
- Draught: 5.30/11.60 m
- Material: Steel
- Engine: 2 x CAT
- Performance: 2 × 1347 kW
- Rig: Southern Spars
- Sails: North Sails
- Large: 1,170 square metres
- Besan: 1,171 square metres
- Genoa: 1,002 square metres
- Code 1: 2,099 square metres
- Furler: Reckmann
- Design/Styling: Tripp Design
- Interior: Dölker + Voges
- Class: Lloyd’s
- Shipyard: Vitters/Oceanco, 2016
Other interesting superyachts:
“Aquijo” in Patagonia
Photographs taken whilst sailing
Martin Hager
Editor in Chief YACHT