Design
It's a Wow! T
he 65-metre Dykstra designed ketch Aquarius ll will be one of the stand-out performance superyachts of her generation
when launched next year. She is currently in build at the Royal Huisman shipyard in the Netherlands, with Rondal closely involved from conception to provide expertise in the design, engineering and fabrication of sailing systems and composite structures. ‘The loads aboard Aquarius II are high
and present some interesting challenges,’ says Rondal’s lead project engineer Edoardo Volpe. ‘Yet Rondal’s reputation is built on resolving challenges. We have already built three impressive 70m-plus rigs in recent years and we are currently preparing a rig for an 85m sloop, which will become one of the world’s largest. So we are comfortable with the load levels of this ketch. What is special about this yacht is the combination of needing a very high-performance rig for regattas – even more than Aquarius l – combined with the owner’s requirement for it also to be a family cruising boat that can be handled by a small crew.’ The solution developed by Rondal is a
mast that’s almost as tweakable as that of a super-maxi. Unlike Aquarius l, the new boat doesn’t have checkstays. Instead,
The design brief for the 65mketch Aquarius II posed challenges for the rig andwinch designers at Rondal –who delivered some creative solutions
deflectors on themain backstays are used, which the racing team‘can adjust and optimise the sail shape asmuch as they please,’ Volpe adds. ‘Even themizzen forestay tension can be adjusted.’ Yet, at the same time, the boat needs
settings that can be locked down as far as possible for absolute ease of handling when cruising. Determining values that would work across all wind strengths and sea states was a complex task, especially considering the number of parameters involved. Volpe says this ‘involved a lot of time in simulation, trying to get the right settings for cruisingmode while still delivering a lightweight rig with the response andmobility needed for regattas.’ Aquarius ll is being built for an
experienced superyacht owner who also likes the regatta aspect of his current yacht – the 56m (184ft) Aquarius l from 2019. During her regatta debut at the St Barths Bucket Regatta, she finished first in “Les Elegantes” Class. And in 2022 she was winner in class again. The spirit of tradition styling of both yachts disguises great performance and Aquarius II will be even better. Having been freed from the usual
‘The mast of Aquarius II is almost as tweakable as that of a super-maxi’
Panamax restrictions on air draught she will be a veritable wolf in sheep's clothing, sporting a single piece 67.5m Rondal main mast with an air draught including equipment and flagpole of 69m. This is being produced using Rondal’s state-of- the-art manufacturing facilities. As with the owner’s previous yacht, Rondal worked closely with Royal Huisman, Dykstra Naval Architects, Doyle Sails and the owner’s project manager Godfrey Cray,
a former, four-timeWhitbread Round the World Race competitor and America’s Cup teammember, who has himself been the projectmanager ofmany superyachts, right fromthe outset to incorporate reliable, weight-saving and performance enhancing sailing systems. Rondal’s contribution to Aquarius ll
is wide ranging, including spars, the lightweight composite superstructure, the mammoth aluminium-with-carbon fibre captive drum winch systems and their associated line feeders. These aspects play pivotal roles in optimising the yacht’s performance and reliability, while minimising weight. Given the owner’s sailing background and previous St Barths Bucket victories,
SEAHORSE 69
�
TOM VAN OOSSANEN
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90 |
Page 91 |
Page 92 |
Page 93 |
Page 94 |
Page 95 |
Page 96 |
Page 97 |
Page 98 |
Page 99 |
Page 100 |
Page 101 |
Page 102 |
Page 103 |
Page 104 |
Page 105 |
Page 106 |
Page 107 |
Page 108 |
Page 109 |
Page 110 |
Page 111 |
Page 112 |
Page 113 |
Page 114 |
Page 115 |
Page 116 |
Page 117 |
Page 118 |
Page 119 |
Page 120 |
Page 121 |
Page 122 |
Page 123 |
Page 124 |
Page 125 |
Page 126 |
Page 127 |
Page 128 |
Page 129 |
Page 130
