Aquarius is the 11th sign of the zodiac, and the sign one particular American yachtsman was born under. No wonder, then, that he has christened his new launch Aquarius.
The 302-footer (92-meter), a Feadship, is no gamble for her owner. She is his third large yacht. In fact, in recent years, he has owned a 164-footer and 197-footer (50- and 60-meter, respectively). Based on his experiences aboard those yachts, plus his extensive hospitality-business dealings, he’s intimately familiar with how service and luxury should suit his lifestyle. In fact, his conversations with Feadship for how they’d come together aboard the current Aquarius date back several years, according to Henk de Vries, Feadship’s CEO. De Vries describes him as being “fiercely competitive” in business and “highly ambitious in terms of his personal possessions.” Even the owner describes the two years devoted to the design alone as being “intense.”
That design—styling and interior—comes from Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design, with De Voogt Naval Architects for naval architecture. The elongated bow and liberal use of glass characterize her profile. The 44’3” (13.5-meter) beam complements that long profile. Inside, Aquarius employs equally abundant LEDs and, particularly to her owner’s delight, a number of striking art pieces. He’s renowned for his personal art collection, and that of his businesses.
As much as art surely highlights the owner’s deck, containing massage and media rooms, Aquarius deserves attention for service areas. Again, due to the owner’s profession, the crew’s access points, pantries, and galleys all are of high levels of planning and execution. Thirty-one crewmembers have accommodations aboard, in addition to two staff and the captain. This makes for an enviable crew-to-guest ratio, given 12 passengers.
Feadship anticipates sea trials to confirm a 12-knot cruise under MTU power for Aquarius. That should in turn mean a 5,500-nautical-mile range. Feadship further anticipates they’ll confirm Aquarius as its quietest performer. The builder hasn’t divulged any expected decibel-level measurements, though.
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