Read indepth magazine
Owner’s Perspective: Pure Bliss Onboard Aquarius
The 56-metre sailing yacht Aquarius was delivered in January 2018 by Royal Huisman and has since completed several trips, including winter cruising in the Caribbean and a summer in the Mediterranean. The owners of Aquarius have been exceptionally impressed thus far with the Royal Huisman build and tell of their experiences onboard in the following interview...
Godfrey Cray, the owners’ project manager and CEO of Godfrey Cray Maritime Ltd says of the brief for the yacht: “The owners were exceptionally clear. They wanted a family cruising yacht that was enjoyable and fast to sail during adventurous cruising and also occasional racing. The hull should be visually very attractive: beautiful and timeless. They wanted a classic interior that was not too busy or fussy, but calm and elegant. And finally, it had to be simple and reliable.” The owner's of Aquarius tell us more...
Could you please rate, out of ten, your level of satisfaction with the finished Aquarius compared with the vision you set out to realise?
Owners of Aquarius (OA): Aquarius is a 10 out of 10 in terms of our satisfaction. We set out to build an elegant, muscular sailboat and the shipyard and the design team delivered a yacht that is both of those things and more.
What has been your response to Aquarius’ capability and handling under sail?
Aquarius has proven to be an exciting sailboat, and she sails gracefully and powerfully. We have yet to test her under all conditions, but her performance to date has been excellent.
From a family and guests’ perspective, does everyone – whatever their age – get everything you hoped for out of Aquarius?
She is a ship for everyone. There are plenty of things to do, many areas to find comfort and excitement, and she is an enjoyable yacht for all aboard.
Do you enjoy helming her? Is there a point of sailing on Aquarius that is especially pleasing to you?
I enjoy helming her in winds of 10 knots or more. From 12-15 knots, she sails beautifully and is ‘near-perfect’ on beam reaches.
Are you looking forward to the opportunity to put Aquarius through her paces at St. Barths Bucket Regatta?
Yes, of course! We are very excited to see what she can do under racing conditions and confident she will be an impressive racing boat.
Do you have any other comments or insights that might be of interest to the readers around the world?
It is a dream come true to own a boat like this and to look at her and sail her with such a strong sense of accomplishment and appreciation.
Royal Huisman has definitely succeeded in creating a yacht which completely fulfils the dreams of the owners, as the owners of Aquarius have confirmed. Royal Huisman continues to impress with their timeless builds and great attention to detail and owner's specifications, with an extensive number of builds currently in production and the refit sector, Huisfit, expecting seven refit projects over the winter season.
"It is a dream come true to own a boat like this and to look at her and sail her with such a strong sense of accomplishment and appreciation."