German shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen (A&R) has taken the opportunity of the Palm Beach International Boat Show to unveil a new 72-metre superyacht concept developed in partnership with British studio Reymond Langton Design.
The concept, known as Aruby, was born from "decades of client feedback and battle-tested engineering" – now showcased as a ready-to-build superyacht design. According to the builder, Aruby takes inspiration from its namesake gemstone, defined by strength and longevity, but "polished" into a sophisticated offering with a "boutique-level" of custom building and a streamlined path to ownership.
"Aruby is our answer to the modern owner’s desire for quality without the typical development lead times," explained Till von Krause, sales director at A&R. "By utilising a pre-engineered, proven platform, we save months of development time. This allows owners to skip the complexities of a new-build team while still enjoying the individualised experience and interior design freedom for which A&R is famous."
New to the concept is the introduction of a "New Luxury" layout approach, where crew service is efficient but intentionally kept in the background. Instead, the yacht favours a lifestyle centred on autonomy and discretion.
As such, self-service options allow guests to move between fine dining, wellness in the large beach club (with its gym, sauna and spacious lounge area with opening platform), or remote work in the onboard office.
Aruby has been presented with two interior colour schemes; one opting for light woods and neutral-toned details, while the other showcases dark carpeting, window frames and furniture. Her exterior can also be customised in colours of blue, grey, black or white with complementary bootstripes.
In terms of amenities, the list is extensive, including an elongated aft deck pool, which filters light via its glass bottom into the beach club below; a secondary pool forward on the sundeck, where also lies a sociable aft sofa space and a protected al fresco dining table amidships; and tender storage with a handy crane nestled into the foredeck.
On the technical side, Aruby draws on the shipyard's expertise in naval mine-hunting vessels to include diesel electric propulsion and a pod drive system for smooth and silent operation; a "future-fuel-ready" setup, for compliance in the future; and a single-tier engine room for additional living volume. These features go hand-in-hand with her signature slim hull design, for further energy efficiency and comfort during cruising.
The unveiling comes at a busy time for the shipyard, which announced that it had sold a 100-metre-plus new build superyacht project earlier this year.
Read More/Abeking & Rasmussen confirms sale of 100m+ new build superyacht