Aquijo

Aquijo was drawn by Tripp Design for an owner who meant to circle the globe, and that brief shaped everything: she had to be able to round the great southern capes under canvas, in a gale, and still be handled safely. Oceanco and Vitters built her between them, and by Oceanco's account no high-performance ketch afloat is bigger. Her two masts stand at the same height, so the sail area is divided into pieces of similar size that the crew can hoist or shorten quickly.

For guests, the decisive piece of engineering is hidden below the waterline. Tripp gave her what the studio describes as the biggest lifting keel ever fitted, paired with two carbon rudders, so an 86-metre sailing yacht can slip into bays that are normally off limits at this size. In island groups full of shallow lagoons, that matters more than another lounge.

Inside, the volume feels closer to a motor yacht. A lift runs from the lower deck up to the bridge deck and the yacht is wheelchair accessible, something you rarely find under sail. The owner's quarters take a deck of their own, with a private terrace for eating outdoors, the guest cabins sit below, and at sea level the beach club mixes a steam room, a sauna and a Jacuzzi that looks straight out over the water. On the flybridge the tables are gimballed, so lunch stays put when she heels, and a second Jacuzzi waits there. Dölker + Voges did the interior.

Her cruising grounds today are in the South Pacific, from Fiji and Australia to French Polynesia, and the tender list includes a military-grade inflatable built for running onto beaches. That defines the right party: sailors and families who want long passages, empty anchorages and the sensation of a huge rig at work, with enough comfort and access to bring grandparents along.

She is the wrong pick for a short Mediterranean week of beach clubs and restaurants, and for anyone who does not want the deck to lean. If a pool on deck or a party atmosphere is the priority, a motor yacht will suit you better.