62m ARES SIMENA Receives RINA RIG Gold Certification

A Specific Milestone for the Sailing Rig

ARES Yachts has announced that its 62-metre sailing yacht SIMENA has received RINA RIG Gold certification for her ketch rig. The shipyard's statement, issued on 26 October 2026, identifies SIMENA as the largest sailing yacht to have received that particular rig certification from RINA to date. The news concerns the assessment of an engineered sailing system; it is a distinct milestone from the yacht's earlier construction, launch, photography and sailing announcements.

The certification should be understood by its actual scope. It is not an assertion that SIMENA is the world's largest sailing yacht, nor does it necessarily cover every piece of equipment on the vessel under a single rig-specific label. The published achievement relates to RINA's requirements for sailing rigs and associated review and survey stages.

What RINA RIG Gold Covers

According to the release, certification was issued under RINA's Rules for the Certification of Sailing Rigs. The listed assessment elements include approval of rig design, approval of the mast maker's workshop, surveys of mast stepping and sea trials, and acceptance of the rig booklet. These stages cover the progression from engineering documents and manufacturing capability through physical installation and observed operation.

ARES also states that the rig was assessed against applicable RINA requirements and the REG Yacht Code 2024. That statement should be read as the shipyard's explanation of the approval basis, rather than as permission to infer anything about unrelated vessel systems. Buyers, charterers and technical managers need to refer to original certificates and their stated limits for precise obligations.

Stepping and Tuning in Antalya

The two masts were stepped and tuned in Antalya in August 2025, with RINA surveyor supervision reported by the builder. Mast stepping is a major commissioning stage because substantial loads must be transferred through the standing rigging, mast partners and support structure as intended. Survey attendance provides an identifiable oversight element during an important installation phase. The release does not publish a detailed defect log or every adjustment made during the work.

The elapsed time between mast stepping and the October 2026 announcement is worth noting. Formal reporting of a certification milestone does not mean all the associated work occurred in the same month. SIMENA's stated chronology spans installation, subsequent trials and the final certificate announcement. That progression is typical of complex engineering programmes in which design review, installation, test evidence and paperwork must be aligned.

Winter Sea Trials Under Sail

The builder places dedicated rig sea trials in the Gulf of Antalya between 28 January and 4 February 2026. Different sail combinations were tested to observe the rig's behaviour under sailing conditions, the statement says. Those dates anchor the certification story in completed verification work rather than a theoretical design exercise. They also distinguish the rig trials from ordinary owner cruising, later promotional sailing photography or any separate full-vessel acceptance process.

Sea trials can provide evidence about sail-handling loads, mast and rig response, and how equipment behaves when actually deployed. The release, however, does not provide a trial-by-trial measurement table, acceptance thresholds or a complete technical report. It should not be used to invent performance under extreme weather conditions. What is confirmed is that rig trials formed part of the survey package and were completed before the newly announced RIG Gold certification.

A Tall Aluminium Ketch Rig

SIMENA's arrangement comprises a 59.7-metre aluminium main mast and a 48.9-metre mizzen mast. ARES quotes a bare weight of approximately 12.9 tonnes for the main mast. With furlers and rod rigging fitted, the mast's quoted weight is about 16.6 tonnes; the mizzen is approximately 6.2 tonnes. These are engineering specifications attributed to the yard, not independent market statistics.

The ketch format places a second, smaller mast abaft the main mast, creating a different set of sail combinations and handling considerations from a single-masted rig. The dimensions alone do not prove that one configuration is superior to another for all voyages. Sail selection, balance and crew procedures must be considered within the vessel's design envelope.

Sail Area and Reported Performance

The yacht is equipped with approximately 1,588 square metres of upwind sail area supplied by Doyle Sails, according to the release. ARES says SIMENA has reached roughly fourteen knots under sail in favourable conditions. The speed is presented as a reported sailing performance, not as a guaranteed sustained cruising speed or a test result at a published wind angle. Conditions, displacement and sail selection significantly affect any comparison between yachts.

Large sail plans also demand extensive coordination of deck equipment, controls and trained crew. Performance should be interpreted together with the engineering and safety arrangements supporting it. The public information does not provide polars, reefing schedules or detailed maximum operating conditions. Anyone evaluating the yacht's actual sailing capabilities would need the approved documentation and operating experience. The release is strongest as evidence of the certification milestone and the essential dimensions of the rig.

Design and Specialist Collaboration

ARES Yachts credits Taka Yacht Design with SIMENA's naval architecture and exterior design and Design Unlimited with the interior. The certification announcement focuses on the sailing system rather than the interior, yet the different design disciplines illustrate how a yacht of this type requires coordination across teams. Hull structure, deck layout, sailing controls and guest spaces must work within a common overall project.

Piraye Şahinkaya Orhun, Yacht Projects Director at ARES Yachts, describes the certification as the culmination of detailed engineering, planning and collaboration. That is a project leader's assessment of the work and should be attributed accordingly. The statement does not disclose a new owner, sale or charter contract. The milestone belongs to technical commissioning and classification news, and its importance does not depend on constructing a separate commercial development around it.

Why the Rig Certificate Matters

On a large sailing superyacht, rig loads are fundamental to the vessel's operation and require engineering scrutiny beyond the appearance of the masts and sails. A documented design-review and survey process gives technical managers a clearer basis for understanding the approved installation. It does not remove the need for inspections, maintenance and correct operation. Owners must still manage wear, inspection intervals and any limitations set out in the relevant documents throughout the yacht's service life.

For Superyacht Guide, SIMENA's new RINA RIG Gold status is a precise, verifiable technical achievement. The largest-to-date description applies to the society's own certified sailing-yacht portfolio, and the evidence includes mast installation supervision and early-2026 rig trials. The achievement adds a new chapter to the story of the 62-metre yacht, separate from previous coverage of her appearance or delivery. Subsequent operating records will determine what else can be said about long-term performance.