The 65-metre ketch ‘Aquarius’: The big sister with more space and sailing power

Larger, faster ‘Aquarius’

​Panamax or Performance? That was the key decision that had to be made at the start of the project. The owners of the 56-metre ketch “Aquarius”, Also from Royal Huisman, they wanted to increase the yacht’s size and first had to consider the mast length. Should it not rise higher than 58 metres so that the yacht could pass through the Panama Canal without lowering the mast? Without hesitation, their answer was: “We’re going for performance.”

In the early stages, the aesthetic direction of the new, 65-metre-long aluminium ketch was also under discussion. Initially, project manager Godfrey Cray, the design team and Royal Huisman presented the owners with the latest trends in exterior design. However, seeing other styles only served to reinforce their preference for a classic spoon bow and an overhanging stern, a black hull and glossy teak deckhouses. The owners commented: “We wanted a yacht that looks elegant and timeless; graceful, yet powerful.” And at first glance, the previous and new “Aquarius” are almost indistinguishable from one another. From a distance, they look almost identical – exactly as intended.

The perfect predecessor as a model

The bar was set very high for Royal Huisman. Not only had the client chosen the shipyard once again, but the owners had also described their previous yacht as ‘almost perfect’. The ​A traditional shipyard in Vollenhove, the Netherlands quotes the owners as saying: “We loved our first Royal Huisman yacht, but we wanted something more spacious and more powerful.”

The first “Aquarius” was delivered in 2018 and later renamed “Apsara”. After six years on board, the crew and the owners had gained experience which was incorporated into the new build. As a result, the list comprised no fewer than 728 suggestions for changes to the layout, storage space and technical systems, as well as the crew’s work areas.

Shorter appendages for ‘Aquarius’

​The result is a 65-metre-long two-masted yacht, 10.8 metres wide, with a hull made from the aluminium alloy Alustar. According to the shipyard, the increased length, width and hull depth have boosted the interior volume by 45 per cent. The galley alone is 67 per cent larger than on its predecessor, whilst the main saloon is 62 per cent larger.

The biggest change is below the waterline. Whilst the first vessel relied on a fixed fin keel, a 76-tonne T-keel now slides into the hull, reducing the draught from 7.60 to 4.8 metres. The ‘Aquarius’ has a single rudder, which is supported by an Edson electric steering system that has not been fitted on any other vessel to date. A sensor measures the torque felt by the helmsman. The level of assistance can be adjusted across five power settings. In standard mode, the system takes over up to 50 per cent of the steering force whilst still providing sufficient feedback.

Two sloops in a ketch

The two carbon masts are designed for performance. The main mast is 67.5 metres high, whilst the mizzen mast is around 60 metres. Together, the yacht has a sail area of 1,958 square metres when sailing close-hauled. Downwind, the sail area can increase to 4,671 square metres with flying sails. The sail plan includes, amongst other things, mainsails and mizzen sails, headsails, Code Zeros, as well as gennakers and mizzen sails for different wind conditions. Around 35 sensor points are integrated throughout the rig to monitor trim and assess loads.

Project manager Cray describes the gigantic rig as follows: “When it was first put into service, it was basically like hoisting sails for two sloops. These are the mainsail and the headsails of a 65-metre-long yacht, and with the mizzen sail, the mizzen staysail, the transfer jib and the mizzen gennaker, you have the rigging and power of a 50-metre-long yacht sailing behind it.”

There are 16 winches rotating below deck

Rondal supplied masts and furling booms made from high-modulus carbon fibre, Doyle Sails supplied the sails with structured luff panels, and the elliptical carbon fibre rigging comes from Carbo-Link. In addition to the rig, Rondal also supplied the sail systems. Below deck, 16 captive winches operate the sheets and halyards at speeds of up to 85 metres per minute and with a pulling force of up to 18 tonnes. The rigging is routed via blocks and pulleys to the exits to maintain tension and prevent tangling.

Godfrey Cray notes that the small details, each of which brings a slight improvement in terms of weight or aerodynamics, add up to a ‘significant improvement’. Consulting mast designer Steve Wilson played a key role in the entire design process. Nowadays, every carbon mast for superyachts is individually tailored to the righting moment, the yacht’s dimensions and the width of the pitting. “We carried out a fairly extensive study in collaboration with Doyle, and as they use the same modelling software as Rondal, it’s a truly integrated package,” says Cray.

Battery-backed power supply

A 900-kilowatt MTU diesel engine is fitted to power the vessel. A 110-kilowatt shaft generator can supply power to electrical consumers whilst the vessel is underway. Two generators charge a battery with a capacity of 134 kilowatt-hours. This is designed to cope with short-term peak loads. The power supply is therefore semi-hybrid, but the propulsion system remains diesel-electric and is not independent: the main engine powers the yacht. According to Royal Huisman, the system is designed so that, during normal operation, often only one engine or generator needs to be running. The shipyard states a range of 3,900 nautical miles at 12.5 knots.

​​The 6.6-metre-long main dinghy is stowed amidships on deck. It can be launched using attachment points on the boom. The crew dinghy is stowed on the foredeck or aft deck. In addition, the ‘Aquarius’ is accompanied by a support boat that can be transported in a 40-foot container.

Classic ‘Aquarius’ interior

​As with its predecessor, Mark Whiteley once again designed the interior. The British designer describes it as “light, classic, contemporary interior design”. Light-coloured panelling and hand-whitewashed surfaces contrast with the multi-coated wood veneer of the mahogany subspecies Swietenia. The design focuses on horizontal lines, which visually elongate the spaces and thus contribute to an even greater sense of space on board the nine-metre-longer yacht. The owners reside aft, whilst four further double cabins are available for guests.

Whiteley agrees that one of the main reasons for the additional space was to increase the area allocated to the crew. The current ‘Aquarius’ retains the fitness room and has even expanded it, but also offers five double cabins for the crew as well as a captain’s cabin for the eleven crew members in total. The laundry now has its own area on the port side, separate from the crew mess and the galley on the starboard side, and is well soundproofed from the crew cabins. This entire area has been enlarged by 67 per cent.

Outstanding bucket invoice

​‘Aquarius’ had the chance to prove itself during its first 18 months, in which the 65-metre ketch clocked up 20,000 nautical miles – including two Atlantic crossings and participation in the St. Barths Bucket and cruising with the family from Norway to Sicily.

In its first ‘Bucket’, the ‘Aquarius’ competed against the large ketches ‘Hetairos’ and ‘Maximus’ in 2026. Going into the third day of racing, the three yachts were level on points. As strong winds prevented the final race from taking place, the results from previous races were used instead: ‘Aquarius’ finished in third place. ​The owners have announced their participation in the 2027 St. Barths Bucket, and project manager Godfrey Cray does not intend to upgrade the hardware first. The key factors, he says, are the right choice of sails, rig trim, coordination of the various sailing modes and the organisation of the regatta crew. ​​

The Panamax Paradox

It is hardly surprising that the owners of the ‘Aquarius’ have their sights set on the silver trophy. After all, the owners had initially given the project team a sort of free pass to prioritise performance – and to exceed Panamax dimensions. Now it seems the compromise may not have been one after all. The fixed ‘Bridge of the Americas’ on the Pacific side of the Canal limits the mast height to 58 metres at any water level, rising to 62.5 metres at low water with special permission. The design team also learnt that a sloop with a rig height of around 64 metres had passed under the ‘Bridge of the Americas’ whilst heeled over and with around 20 tonnes of water bags suspended from the top of the mast.

​When asked where they notice the increase in size most of all, the owners reply: “We feel it most strongly when we’re standing at the bow and looking aft! The foredeck is huge, and the length is most apparent when you look aft from the bow.”