Fresh from its refit: Abeking & Rasmussen’s 40-metre icon is now on the market

Refits are not uncommon in the superyacht business as a sales promotion tactic. However, ‘4K’ is not just any old yacht up for sale. It stands out because of its provenance. The aluminium sloop, just under 40 metres long, was built in 2002 by Abeking & Rasmussen, making it the last sailing yacht to date from the shipyard, which is now known for its large motor yachts. ‘Extra Beat’ heralded the shipyard’s entry into the market for fast super-sailers. The 36-metre maxi was delivered by the shipyard in Lemwerder, Lower Saxony, to ‘Avvocato’ Gianni Agnelli.

Yacht with an intriguing history

The first owner of ‘4K’ was equally well known in Germany: Jost Stollmann named her ‘Alithia’ and sailed round the world on her for two years with his family. Stollmann founded Compunet and, in the 1990s, became a successful IT entrepreneur who made it into the SPD’s shadow cabinet in 1998. Jost Stollmann now lives in Sydney. He parted ways with the large A&R yacht a few years ago and, since 2020, has been relying on a heavily customised production model from Italy.

He is also sending the Solaris 80 RS of the same name around the globe. This time, ‘Alithia’ is set to sail through the Mediterranean, to the Greek islands and northwards to Iceland, Spitsbergen and the Lofoten Islands within seven years. Other stops on the route include the Caribbean, the Latin American coast, the Indian Ocean, Australia, New Zealand, the Pacific and its archipelagos, Japan, Alaska and, to round off the journey, Vancouver, Hawaii and Cape Horn. Regarding participation in the Sydney-Hobart Race as YACHT has already reported.

A careful refit for ‘4K’

As part of the ‘4K’ sale, Nauta Design carefully redesigned the originally minimalist Winch interior. The original interior design of the 40-metre-long Abeking & Rasmussen made optimal use of the enormous volume of space and, thanks to the wraparound windows in the deck saloon and the hull skylights, made natural light an integral part of the design. However, after so many nautical miles at sea, the clean lines and neutral colour scheme of the design had lost their freshness.

The refurbishment was limited to a refresh without any major alterations and covered almost all interior areas, from the navigation station to the owner’s cabin. The Milan-based design studio opted for natural colour tones and soft materials. Nauta replaced loose furniture and refurbished surfaces. In the upper saloon, the chairs – cantilever chairs by Mart Stam – were retained. In the saloon below, connected via a gallery, the picture frames integrated into the wall remained in place.

​Keep the interesting layout

Above all, the original layout has been retained. It places the largest cabin aft, with its own companionway and a spacious bathroom on the starboard side. This is followed by two guest cabins with double beds, one of which is freestanding. The galley and crew quarters are situated forward of the lowered saloon. There is even space for a small gym in the foredeck. These days, most sailing yachts over 24 metres in length are built with the owner’s cabin in the bow. This means the crew are positioned further aft and closer to the working areas.

According to Nauta, the collaboration between the owner, crew, broker and design studio took place against a tight schedule. Martino Majno, co-director at Nauta, describes the challenge as striking a balance between existing elements and new solutions. Guido Valtorta, also a co-director, highlights the combination of refreshed materials and bespoke furniture.

A solid foundation for long-distance trips

The high-performance aluminium hull – with its characteristic IMS-style tapered stern – and the powerful sloop rig define the appearance of the ‘4K’. The almost vertical stern and the arrow-straight deck line still look contemporary, even after more than 20 years. ​The lines were designed by the American designer Bill Tripp. The raised deckhouse structure provides headroom in the saloon and improves the view outwards – a layout that was still unusual in 2002 for yachts of this size.

Will Bishop from Superyacht Partners is offering ‘4K’ for 8.5 million euros. The yacht is currently moored in Palma de Mallorca.

Technical Specifications: ‘4K’

• Length: 39.78 m
• Width: 8.38 m
• Draught: 4.1 – 5.9 m
• Material: aluminium
• Interior volume: 188 Gross Tons
• Displacement: 156 t
• Engine: MTU, 420 kW
• Shipyard: Abeking & Rasmussen
• Year of manufacture: 2002
• Refurbishment: 2025/2026
• Berth: Palma de Mallorca, Spain
• Price: 8,500,000 euros
• Broker: Will Bishop, Superyacht Partners
• Designer refit: Nauta Design Studio
• Designer: Winch Design
• Design: Bill Tripp