TWW Confirms AQUASITION and DAKOTA for Antigua Charter Show 2026

TWW sets out its Antigua charter show pair

TWW Yachts has named the 43.3-metre Trinity motor yacht AQUASITION and the 38.9-metre Fitzroy sailing yacht DAKOTA as its two featured charter yachts for the 2026 Antigua Charter Yacht Show. The Monaco-headquartered brokerage confirmed the pair in its own show announcement ahead of the 4–9 December gathering around Nelson’s Dockyard and Falmouth Harbour. The news is relevant to charter brokers and prospective guests because these are two genuinely different ways of spending a Caribbean week at sea: one built around substantial motor-yacht volume and outdoor entertainment, the other around long-distance sailing pedigree and a quieter deck plan.

The announcement also illustrates why show reports need to distinguish confirmed individual participants from wider fleet projections. Antigua’s December event is a trade-facing charter showcase. Yacht lists, appointments and availability can change before arrival, and a brokerage’s publicity should be read as a statement of intended participation, not an independently audited account of the final marina lineup. TWW has identified two yachts in this release. Superyacht Guide is therefore reporting those two, while directing readers to the organiser for subsequent changes to the official programme.

AQUASITION: a 43.3m Trinity with five suites

AQUASITION was built by US shipyard Trinity Yachts in 2010 and is listed by TWW with a 2023 refit. The broker’s detailed charter profile gives her length as 43.28 metres and shows accommodation for up to 11 guests in five suites, supported by a crew of nine. That guest-to-crew arrangement is one important reason to examine a large charter yacht beyond its headline length. Service, meals, tender operations and water activities all happen simultaneously during a busy charter, and a generous crew complement provides the operational capacity to support those different rhythms.

The main guest spaces are described as a bright saloon connected to a dining area, with a full-beam master stateroom forming the centrepiece of the accommodation. A large sundeck contains a Jacuzzi, sun loungers and shaded seating. The broker also highlights a substantial collection of water toys, a waterslide, an inflatable pontoon and a netted pool. Those features suggest a yacht arranged for guests who intend to spend meaningful time at anchor, moving between swimming, informal deck gatherings and meals without needing to go ashore for every activity.

None of those listed amenities should substitute for inspecting the yacht that actually appears at the show. A broker’s website may show photographs from different dates, and a charter inventory can change as equipment is upgraded or serviced. A serious charter enquiry should confirm the current toy list, what is included in the rate, the available guest-cabin configuration and any limitations applying to the intended cruising ground. The five-suite figure is useful, but the precise arrangement of beds and the accommodation plan still matter for a group with children or guests who do not share rooms.

Why the two published AQUASITION rates differ

TWW’s Antigua show article says AQUASITION is available for charter from €126,000 per week. Its separate yacht profile, however, currently displays a starting figure of $185,000 per week. Those are materially different figures in different currencies, and neither should be converted into a supposedly definitive quotation without a date, season and itinerary. The correct conclusion is that the broker has published both figures in different contexts. Superyacht Guide is preserving that distinction rather than presenting an unverified single weekly price.

Charter agreements commonly depend on departure location, seasonal period, availability and additional operating expenses. A reader comparing costs should request a written, dated offer for the precise week and ask which taxes, advance provisioning allowances, fuel, mooring charges and other expenses are excluded. The useful piece of reporting here is the vessel’s inclusion in TWW’s Antigua showcase; the current payable price for a particular charter remains a matter for direct confirmation with the central agent.

DAKOTA: a Fitzroy sailing yacht with an ocean-going brief

DAKOTA offers a deliberate contrast. The 38.9-metre aluminium sailing yacht was built in New Zealand by Fitzroy Yachts in 2006 to a design by Ed Dubois. According to TWW, the interior was originally by RWD and underwent a refresh by H2 Yacht Design in 2022. Those dates place the yacht’s fundamental construction and the later interior works in their proper order; an interior refresh should not be confused with the launch of a new vessel or a complete rebuilding of every technical system.

TWW’s profile describes accommodation for up to nine guests across four staterooms, with a crew of six. Guests are offered a sunken foredeck seating area, sheltered outdoor dining forward of the twin cockpit and an additional aft lounge. A hydraulic swim platform supports access to the water and toys. On a sailing yacht, the relationship between guest circulation and working sailing equipment deserves particular attention. The attraction is not simply the possibility of hoisting sail, but the experience of a vessel whose movement, sound and deck use differ from a conventional planing motor yacht.

DAKOTA’s published history also includes appearances at regattas such as the Loro Piana Superyacht Regatta, the Dubois Cup and The Superyacht Cup. That is useful background about the yacht’s sailing credentials; it does not, on its own, establish her present condition, recent performance or charter itinerary. Visitors assessing her for a future booking should ask what sailing opportunities are realistic within a planned route, how the crew handles passages with guests aboard and whether the group is seeking active time under sail or a more relaxed coastal holiday.

Charter and sale information must stay separate

The TWW Antigua announcement gives DAKOTA a charter indication from $98,000 per week and also states that she is offered for sale at €7,950,000. This is not unusual in the wider brokerage market, but it introduces two distinct commercial conversations. A charter enquiry concerns an agreed period of temporary use, operating expenses and guest services. A purchase enquiry concerns survey, title, tax position, flag, technical records, machinery, rigging and a longer-term ownership budget.

It would be misleading to treat the asking price as a valuation, a completed transaction or evidence that a sale will take place at the show. Equally, a yacht being advertised for sale does not automatically mean every proposed charter week is available. Dates, booking commitments and conditions have to be checked separately. A prospective buyer may find a charter-show inspection useful for understanding layout and atmosphere, but detailed technical due diligence requires a different process and independent professional advice.

What the Antigua setting adds to the inspection

Nelson’s Dockyard and the neighbouring Falmouth Harbour area put vessels, crew and brokers into a concentrated working environment at the start of the Caribbean winter charter season. For a broker, this can provide a chance to compare the on-board service style, maintenance presentation and guest circulation of very different yachts over the same few days. For a charter client relying on a broker’s recommendation, those observations can be more useful than a specification sheet alone, provided the impressions are reported accurately and without treating a staged viewing as a full operational trial.

The setting also makes the contrast between AQUASITION and DAKOTA unusually clear. A motor yacht with broad social decks and extensive inflatable water equipment serves one pattern of guest use; an aluminium performance-oriented sailing yacht with protected dining and a working rig serves another. Neither is categorically better. The significant question is how the vessel’s arrangement matches the group’s interests, from young families spending afternoons in the water to experienced sailors who want meaningful passages between islands.

Antigua’s historic harbour is a working marina setting, not just a backdrop for photographs. Show attendees need to follow the organiser’s appointment and boarding arrangements. The presence of a yacht on a published list should not be read as an invitation to board without permission, nor should the historic surroundings obscure the practical needs of guest safety, tender movements and the crew’s preparations before the charter season begins.

The practical questions that will outlast show week

After the announcement, the next useful facts will be the yachts’ actual arrival, confirmed viewing arrangements and any revised charter availability issued by TWW. On AQUASITION, potential guests should clarify the present toy inventory, exact accommodation plan, weekly quotation and intended cruising region. On DAKOTA, the important questions include which itineraries permit satisfactory sailing, guest comfort underway, the status of the yacht’s advertised sale offering and the details of a dated charter quotation.

The broker’s yacht profile places AQUASITION in the Mediterranean during summer and the Caribbean in winter. TWW’s earlier appointment announcement for DAKOTA likewise described a Mediterranean summer programme followed by repositioning to the Caribbean. Those statements give a broad seasonal context but are not a live position report. Superyacht Guide will not infer an actual vessel location from marketing copy; the show attendance announcement remains the source for the expected December appearance.

The verified news, then, is narrow and useful: TWW has put two named, over-24-metre yachts forward for the Antigua Charter Yacht Show, with published dimensions, guest capacities and different commercial propositions. The figures are broker statements that should be checked again when booking. Readers can consult the Antigua Charter Yacht Show event guide for the event dates and venue, and the official source links below for current broker descriptions.

Original sources

Primary announcement: TWW Yachts, Antigua Charter Yacht Show 2026 lineup. Vessel specifications and the displayed rate for AQUASITION: TWW’s AQUASITION charter profile. Sailing-yacht background: TWW’s DAKOTA appointment announcement. Dates and entry details should be confirmed directly with the show organiser.