It comes as no surprise that a Greek shipyard has drawn on antiquity when naming its first super-sailing yacht. Especially as the Argo54 is set to be a fabulously fast yacht. Omikron Yachts is aiming for speeds in excess of 20 knots for the 54-metre aluminium sloop. Juan Kouyoumdjian, a hybrid lightweight construction and up to 1,900 square metres of sail area are set to help achieve this. A luxurious interior and a spacious deckhouse with a long flybridge are to be carried across the world’s oceans. Doesn’t seem to fit together? It certainly does for the Greek owner. His mission: to sail from London to New York without a single drop of fossil fuel.
The long road to the one-off
The Aluminium bodywork arrived in Greece by sea from the Netherlands at the end of 2022. The aluminium hull was welded by Gouwerok in Aalsmeer, whilst Omikron Yachts is fitting it out at the Olympic Marine site. In Lavrio, Greece, there is a 350-metric-tonne travel lift alongside the marina with 680 berths. The shipyard employs 55 people across four buildings with a total of 9,000 square metres of facilities, including CNC machines and a centre of excellence for composite materials. Around 50 kilometres south-east of Athens, the efficient long-range cruiser is also under construction. Omikron OT-60, which Lorenzo Argento designed as a sailing yacht without a mast.
A hand-picked team for Argo
The 54-metre Argo54 project is being spearheaded by a handful of big names. The design team, led by the Argentine ‘Juan K’ – who has extensive experience with Supermaxis – worked on the hull design, whilst the Irishman Rob Doyle provided the structural calculations. Once again, the exterior design is the responsibility of Lorenzo Argento from Milan, whilst the Briton Mark Whiteley is setting the specifications for the interior.
Omikron’s engineers have some tough nuts to crack. The propulsion and power supply for the sailing and hotel systems are to be based on a diesel-electric system, although ideally the generators will not need to be switched on. Whilst under sail – provided the Argo54 is travelling fast enough – the batteries are to be charged primarily by the rotation of the propeller.
Keel with a large turning radius
The keel’s pivoting mechanism is likely to be a consumer that requires a large amount of energy at times. A hydraulically operated piston rod raises the rectangular ballast tank from a depth of 9.50 metres to 3.70 metres, ensuring that even smaller harbours or shallow anchorages remain accessible.
Furthermore, the stainless-steel fin manufactured by APM with added lead does not protrude into the interior, unlike the shafts of lifting keels. The pivoting keel eliminates the need for a heavy ballast weight and is designed to provide ample righting moment. However, the absence of a lead spindle at the bottom of the keel also means that no initial crumple zone can be incorporated above it. A small predetermined breaking point in the retrieval system is designed to absorb the impact of any grounding, which, in theory, allows the keel to swing freely.
Once again, the mainsail will be furled in an energy-efficient manner and without a furling boom. It will be caught by a foldable ‘Park Avenue’ variant. Forecasts suggest a heel of 12 degrees in cruising mode and 21 degrees in regatta mode. This is important, as any rolling motion feels far more extreme at the elevated helm station on the flybridge than one deck below.
A striking design takes shape
The latest photos from the shipyard once again show the stern with the ‘V’-shaped skeg between the two rudder blades. The skeg-like shape is designed to reduce pitching at sea and in the marina in swell. The aluminium hull, now fully filled and primed, features a record-breaking total of nine windows on each side. Behind the negative stem, there is a recess in the underwater hull for the anchor or anchors.
According to the shipyard, the Argo54 is being built for an experienced sailor who knows and appreciates the feel of the wheel. The aim is to create the same connection to the helm as one is used to on smaller yachts. Instead of a hydraulic steering system, Omikron is developing a mechatronic system that detects the forces acting on the rudder and transmits this feedback to the steering wheel.
The legend of the Argonauts continues
Below deck, a tranquil, contemporary interior has been created. The space, bathed in natural light, features ethically sourced veneers from Tabu, hand-stitched leather and traditional teak handrails. The Argo54 is divided into three main areas: private accommodation – including the owner’s suite at the stern – the main social area on deck, and the open flybridge housing all the sailing systems. At the bow, the crew operate the winches, whilst steering takes place at the helm behind them.
Rather than chasing the Golden Fleece, the owner and his Argonauts are also aiming to compete for silver trophies from 2028 onwards. To demonstrate Argo54’s capabilities, major regattas in the Caribbean, the Aegean and beyond are on the agenda.
Technical specifications for the ‘Argo54’:
- Overall length: 54 m
- Width: 9.6 m
- Draught: 3.7 / 9.5 m
- Displacement (empty): 264 t
- Sail area when sailing close-hauled: 1,382 m²
- Sail area downwind: 1,905 m²
- Material: aluminium fuselage, carbon fibre superstructure
- Propulsion: diesel-electric
- Architecture: Juan Kouyoumdjian, Rob Doyle
- Exterior design: Lorenzo Argento
- Interior design: Mark Whiteley
- Shipyard: Omikron Yachts, Lavrio
Sören Gehlhaus
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