News: Abeking & Rasmussen ARUBY

Feature: Abeking & Rasmussen ARUBY
​

YF introduced the ARUBY project to the yachting industry as it was announced at the 2026 edition of the Palm Beach International Boat Show (PBIBS). This special feature now serves as a further in-depth look and assessment of the special project from German custom superyacht builder Abeking & Rasmussen. This yard has a history in constructing a multiplicity of vessel types. Their naval exploits with vessels like minehunters allow for their expertise in sound and vibration control to be directly integrated into superyacht construction. Diesel-electric propulsion and a podded-driven system is envisioned for exceptionally smooth and silent operation.

​

The Abeking & Rasmussen yard is proud to have announced their latest creation called ARUBY. It has been designed in the form of a 70-meter superyacht platform which, by-the-way, is a semi-custom platform that is in addition to the yards fully custom superyachts. However, the design been developed in a studious partnership with the award-winning Reymond Langton Design team. The design ARUBY translates and now is the result of decades of client feedback. ARUBY is not just a fancy design that will never leave the drawing-board, it is a "read-to-build" solution that has a technical and engineering platform behind it.

The name ARUBY itself lends to an air of luxury, timelessness and quality. Just like its namesake gemstone, ARUBY represents a material of immense strength and longevity. Through A&R’s world-class workmanship, this "raw" strength is polished into a high-end, sophisticated yachting object. It offers the boutique-level dedication of a custom shipyard combined with a streamlined, turnkey path to ownership. Either way, a client coming onboard with this project can expect the usual Abeking & Rasmussen high-class craftsmanship and execution.

Above the waterline, this 70-meter superyacht has 4 full decks on offer to owner and guests alike. Abeking & Rasmussen say that the general arrangement has been optimized to such a degree that the yacht is perfectly suited in the roles of family utilization, business, or high-ROI chartering. This is important because it is often the case where many superyachts or yachts in general a built to a specific purpose, making it expensive to change in the future. ARUBY has been designed innately with this in mind. Onboard, the sun deck usually is one of the most coveted areas that guests utilize. Here we see a break from tradition by using curvature in the built-in seating rather than the hard lines of some modern furniture styling. Al-fresco dining, relaxation, movie-under-the-stars with fire pit, large jacuzzi, enormous sunpadded real estate all converge on the sun deck to deliver feature-packed amenities for the guests onboard.

Below showcases the forward portion of the sun deck where you can see the large jacuzzi taking up residence along the centerline at the fore of the deck. It is surrounded by sunpads offering premium vistas surrounding the majority of the yacht. Towards the midships area of the deck, guests come under the large hardtop which provides respite from the direct sun but also provides a cozier locale to relax further. Envisioned is a large outdoor flat-panel television that reveals itself from its own cabinet. Bare in mind, there will be room for personal customization of many of the areas onboard.

This is a view looking aft from the large jacuzzi. The space onboard will be enjoyable thanks to smart space-planning and guest-focused features. While this is the sun deck there is still a feeling of privacy. Additionally, the exposed areas outside of the hardtop can easily be shaded by sun awnings that can be installed by the crew when needed.

Abeking & Rasmussen ARUBY project is a partnership with Reymond Langton. While you will find 'structure' and formality to the interiors onboard with defining leading lines in the various spaces, this is all broken-up via the use of curvature in the furniture, and finished dressings of the space. Mid-tones with an overall light palette is the safe way to present when designing for a broad spectrum and the ARUBY interiors achieve this. The interior volume has been estimated at around 1,770 GT. Below is an example of the main saloon space.

This is a view from the opposite side of the main saloon space looking aft. One thing is clear, a light palette on the interior combined with floor-to-ceiling glazing offers unmatched atmosphere on the interior. With the window treatments fully retracted one can get a sense for the views outwards to the exterior viewing whatever is on display based on the destination. There is a small bar on the forward portside of the main saloon ready to be used to serve your cocktails whim. Guests can exit through the automatic sliding doors aft and access the aft main deck which is where the main pool onboard is located.

The main pool on the ARUBY project is situated directly above the yacht's Beach Club facility. Gone were the days where this space would have certainly been utilized as tender and toy storage. Even the smaller 40 to 45-meter yachts have dedicated Beach Clubs. On ARUBY, the space is large and usable and has a few features in store for guests who descend to this level of the yacht. There is a large flat-screen television for entertainment, many comfortable sofas which are oriented in such a way that guests can enjoy the views outside through the shell door when it is opened and folded down to the water. On the opposite side is the wellness area with facilities like the gym. Looking above guests will be greeted with a skylight. That is filtering the natural light through the water in the main pool above.

We see an alternate view of the Beach Club below which clearly shows the glass skylight into the main pool on the aft main deck above. ARUBY introduces a lifestyle centered on autonomy and discretion. The layout emphasizes a "New Luxury" approach, where crew service is highly efficient but intentionally kept in the background. Features like smart self-service options enhance privacy and save time, allowing guests to transition seamlessly between fine dining, wellness in the spacious Beach Club, or focused remote work in dedicated onboard office facilities.

For more information:

Abeking & Rasmussen
An der Faehre 2
27809 Lemwerder
Germany
www.abeking.com

***​