ARuby: Abeking & Rasmussen’s New 70-Metre Superyacht Concept

Abeking & Rasmussen has introduced ARuby, a 70-metre, 1,770 GT superyacht concept that takes its name, and its design philosophy, from the ruby gemstone. The association is deliberate: timelessness and durability are not just marketing language here, they are the structuring principles behind every decision made, from the hull lines to the material palette.

Naval architecture has been developed entirely in-house, while interior and exterior design is the work of Reymond Langton Design, a studio with over two decades of continuous collaboration with the German shipyard. That depth of relationship shows in the coherence of the result. This is not a concept assembled from separate briefs; it reads as a unified piece of thinking.

A yacht built around how people actually use the sea

ARuby is positioned as a functional seagoing retreat rather than a statement of scale. The layout prioritises a balance between open, sociable spaces and more private withdrawals, an approach that reflects how owners and guests actually move through a vessel over time.

The owner’s suite occupies 90 square metres and includes two private balconies, a study, separate dressing rooms, and a central bathroom connecting both sides of the space. A freestanding tub is positioned to face open water. It is the kind of detail that only makes sense if you have spent time thinking about what a morning at anchor actually feels like.

Guest accommodation runs to five staterooms on the lower deck: four doubles, two of which convert to twins, plus a 24-square-metre VIP suite on the bridge deck, with its own balcony and floor-to-ceiling windows. Each stateroom has an ensuite bathroom and sufficient storage for extended passages.

Social spaces designed for evening as much as afternoon

The bridge deck serves double purpose: by day, an uninterrupted view with a fully stocked bar; by night, an open-air cinema, with guests settling into a sunken lounge arranged around a firepit. It is an unusual combination, and one that rewards vessels that spend genuine time at anchor rather than simply in transit between marinas.

Aft, a 2.4 by 5.2-metre pool is framed by staircases descending to the beach club, which operates as the social centre of the lower deck. Fold-down swim platforms open directly to the water, while a gym, sauna, and massage area sit just forward, separated from the guest cabins by intention rather than afterthought. On the sundeck, a forward spa pool, shaded bar, and dining for twelve complete the picture.

The technical case

ARuby’s propulsion architecture deserves attention on its own terms. A diesel-electric system with battery storage and DC grid is paired with five variable-speed main engines of approximately 650 kilowatts each, supplemented by a 150 kilowatt-hour battery pack. The result is a vessel that cruises at 12.5 knots with a top speed of 16 knots, and that can operate with meaningfully reduced noise and emissions at anchor or in low-demand conditions.

This is not a token concession to efficiency. The choice of a DC grid and variable-speed engines reflects a considered position on what responsible ownership looks like in practice: performance that does not come at the cost of the environment you have sailed to reach.

What ARuby represents

The concept is being positioned as an accessible entry point into A&R custom building, carrying the same hull design principles and engineering rigour as the shipyard’s full-custom programme, but with a more streamlined process for owners who value their time as much as the quality of the finished vessel.

For those considering a new build in this range, ARuby offers something relatively rare: a concept with a coherent identity, technical substance, and a design partnership with the history to back it up.