Aquilone is a 54 metre sailing yacht built by Alloy Yachts in 2004, with naval architecture by Dubois, one of the most respected names in performance sail. She is a yacht for owners and guests who want to actually sail, to feel a large yacht lean into the wind and settle onto a long passage, without giving up any of the comfort of a modern motor yacht at anchor. Built in aluminium and finished to a high standard, she combines genuine seagoing ability with interiors that belong to another, more romantic era of yachting.
Below decks, Aquilone looks back to the 1930s. The interior is worked in warm, hand finished mahogany, with the kind of detail and craftsmanship that has quietly gone out of fashion on newer yachts. The main saloon is generous and clubby, lit through deck skylights and framed by rich timber, a room that feels as much like a private study as a yacht’s living space. It is a timeless, considered interior, and it gives her a character that sets her apart from the glass and pale wood of her contemporaries.
A formal dining area sits at the heart of the accommodation, a long table set beneath the warm glow of the cabin, while a separate lounge and bar give the party room to spread out through the day and into the evening. The spaces flow into one another with an easy, old world grace, and the quality of the joinery is evident in every corner, from the curved panelling to the fit of the cabinetry.
On deck, Aquilone is built for long days under sail and easy evenings at anchor. Shaded cockpit seating keeps the party comfortable while she makes a passage, and the open teak decks give room to lay out in the sun or gather for dinner as the coast slips by. Under sail she is quiet and composed, and under power she cruises at a steady pace between anchorages, opening up a wide cruising range across a season.
Accommodation is arranged across five cabins for twelve guests. The master is a calm, warm retreat in the same rich mahogany that runs through the yacht, supported by a mix of double and twin cabins that suit families and groups of friends. Each cabin has its own bathroom, and the layout keeps the guest spaces private and quiet, well away from the working areas of the yacht.
A crew of ten runs Aquilone with the seamanship a sailing yacht of this size deserves. For guests, that means the pleasure of sailing without the work of it, the yacht trimmed and handled by a team that knows her well, leaving the party free to enjoy the passage, the swimming and the shore. The experience is active and hands on for those who want it, and effortless for those who would rather simply watch the sea go by.
Her year follows the sun. She spends the winter season in the Caribbean and the Bahamas, reaching the quiet cays and clear water that reward a yacht that can sail, and the summer in the Western Mediterranean, moving between the islands and the coast. Her tenders and watersports open up the beaches and reefs along the way, and her sailing pedigree means she can make the longer passages that put the best anchorages within reach.
For a family or a group drawn to sailing, to craftsmanship and to a yacht with real character, Aquilone offers something increasingly hard to find. She is a proper sailing yacht, designed by Dubois and built by Alloy Yachts, with interiors that reward a closer look and a crew who make a week aboard feel both adventurous and completely at ease.
