Antares: Life Beyond the Circuit - Journal By Yatco
Captain John van der Straaten’s 40m sailing yacht Antares has journeyed far beyond the usual routes, blending exploration, diving, and sustainable sailing with modern connectivity and timeless adventure.
There are yachts that stay tied to the Côte d’Azur and Caribbean circuit, and then there are yachts that roam further. For Captain John van der Straaten, the joy of his role has been steering
, the 40-metre Royal Huisman sailing yacht that has carried him and her owners across oceans to some of the most remote corners of the world.
“The last five years have been especially good,” he says. “Not doing the usual Caribbean run but exploring Southeast Asia, Australia, the Indian Ocean. That’s what I really enjoy.”
was designed by Bill Dixon with an Art Deco–inspired interior by Rhoades Young. Van der Straaten knows her quirks well. In parts of Indonesia or Palau where official charts resembled “rough sketches,” he resorted to iPads, Google Earth, even Yandex satellite imagery to thread her through reefs. At other times, the sails did the work: “Even with light winds, putting up sail saves 30–40% fuel compared to motoring. Sometimes we sail entirely, and then we’re only running the generator—10 litres an hour versus 70–100. On a sailing yacht, we’ve always been hybrids.”
Owners Who Dive First
Her owners are avid divers and photographers, shaping the rhythm of life onboard. “A lot of diving,” John laughs. “That’s been a big part of the adventure.” With four staterooms for up to ten guests and a crew of six,
has always felt more home than hotel. “We’re private, no charters. I like it that way. With Starlink, they can work remotely. For them it’s like a second home, and for us it’s more stable.”
Technology as a Lifeline
Connectivity has been transformational. “Our data demands just kept getting bigger, and traditional satcom was crazy expensive. With Starlink, everything changed,” John explains. Beyond communication,
carries the modern kit of superyachting—drones, e-foils, underwater scooters. “The challenge is managing it all: charging, fire safety, special storage. Battery technology has to get safer and more efficient—that will make a massive difference.”
Crew: The Timeless Puzzle
Even with technology, people remain the core. “Always crew,” John admits. He’s been fortunate to retain a stable team, but he’s seen plenty of dayworkers grow into strong engineers or mates. “It’s about personality first. They need to care about others, be easygoing, have a good work ethic. Skills can be taught. Attitude can’t.” To keep morale high, he organises karting, paintball, and group activities with other crews in port. “It keeps people happy.”
Generational Shifts
Change is just as visible among owners. “They’re younger, sometimes in their 30s, and much more active. They want to explore, go off the beaten path, dive, get adventurous. And I prefer that too—it keeps things interesting.”
Regulation, meanwhile, is a more sobering reality. Anchoring bans in the South of France, new EU entry systems, pump-out rules in Turkey—all complicate planning. Yet John sees the environmental benefits. “When you compare Europe’s clean waters to Southeast Asia, you see why it matters.” If he had a magic wand? “Standardised recycling. Too often we carefully separate everything, then it all ends up in the same bin ashore.”
A Philosophy of the Sea
Technology, sustainability, younger owners, changing crew expectations—all of it folds into van der Straaten’s daily reality aboard
. Yet he sounds most alive when talking about the water itself. “It’s just another world down there,” he says, recalling dives with the owners. “Giving your kids that experience early is fantastic. By the time they’re 20 and certified, they’ll be off exploring.”
—not simply as a 40-metre ketch with a 3,500-nautical-mile range and a Lloyd’s 20-year survey recently completed, but as a vessel with a philosophy: one where sailing, diving, and genuine adventure remain at the heart of the story.
“ANTARES is priced to sell and ready to go now. She’s been superbly maintained and upgraded, and for a buyer looking for a proven sailing yacht with real cruising capability, she’s one of the strongest opportunities on the market today.”
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