TYD#831.
- A collaboration with Camper & Nicholsons in the year of 1983, to develop a Design for a client.
- A little bit of history, in 1983 when this project was started, so did Perini Navi, in Italy. The vision of large sailing Yachts is in sight and opportunities began to loom on the horizon.
- At the same time, Ed Dubois is also contacted to offer a preliminary proposal to the client; amongst others I presume.
- To make a long story short, Ed Dubois ended up with the contract with the launching of Aquel in 1985, he was on his way to the Stratosphere World of the Mega Yachts segment of the Yachting World. And very successful until the end of his life at the age of 63, far too early to die.
- To get back to our approach, the 150' Schooner project was probably too ambitious, and more expensive to build at the C&N shipyard in England. At 122', Aquel had to be less costly being constructed in New-Zealand.
- With a favorable exchange rate at the time, that boat started a trend of building large sailing yachts in that country, many penned by Ed Dubois.
