From the board of Roberto Starkel, ARABESQUE, launched as Birillo IV, is the first one of four Starkel 60’s built by the Base Nautica Stella Polare shipyard in Fiumicino, Italy, namely: Birillo IV, Ikarus II, Marie Claire (the second was a Vismara project, built to the order of the former Italian Prime Minister Massimo Dalema) and Grande Orazio. All of them highly successful on the regatta circuit as well as being an excellent offshore cruising yacht. ARABESQUE was commissioned from an experienced owner after having seen the Stella Polare Starkel 56 KHIVA, launched just a couple of years before. Built in cold-moulded Mahogany with carbon structures with stainless steel structures to an extremely high specification by the Artisans at Base Nautica Stella Polare.

Featuring a special cast iron cruising draft keel and custom-made keel stepped Sparkraft aluminium rig with aluminium Park Avenue boom, ARABESQUE is a thoroughbred sailing yacht with all the benefits of wood epoxy construction – namely low weight, high stiffness and unparalleled insulation against noise, heat and vibration. Although not well suited to production manufacture (as the hulls cannot be moulded on a production line as with GRP), wood epoxy is considered by many to be the optimum material for performance cruising yachts and alongside a string of notable carbon fibre built yachts launched in recent years (with a number of new designs in this construction launched in recent years and due for launch in 2023).

Internally, ARABESQUE is a beautifully executed cherry and maple interior featuring a luxurious interiors with two aft cabins with ensuite heads, owner cabin forward with twin beds and a further crew cabin portside with ensuite head (now converted in a locker but that can be easily retrofitted) plus one forepeak.

Now in her second ownership, ARABESQUE has been well maintained and lightly used from her owner and his family as a family summer cruiser.

ARABESQUE’ specification highlights include:-
• Carbon-reinforced mahogany cold-moulded construction with stainless steel structures
• 3-guest cabins, further guest/crew cabin. Each cabin with ensuite head.
• Teak deck
• Cherry and maple interior construction
• Twin cockpit deck configuration with centre guests cockpit
• Shallow draft 2,85m keel version
• Sparkraft aluminium rig with aluminium Park Avenue boom
• Self-tacking staysail
• Electric winches
• All winches in the aft cockpit
• Electric furling genoa
• Electric furling staysail
• Carbon fibre removable bowsprit
• Fully-battened mainsail system with low-friction battencars, stackpack and lazyjacks
• All sail controls led aft to cockpit with sub-deck halyards
• Sanguinetti retractable mooring winch
• MaxPower Vip bowthruster – 2023
• Yanmar 150hp diesel engine
• Fisher Panda 12kw generator
• Gel battery banks
• Watermaker – 2022
• Diesel fired cabin heating
• Dishwasher
• Washing machine
• Cherry interior joinery
• LED lighting
• Electro hydraulic retractable gangway
• Electro hydraulic folding transom with bathing platform
• Raymarine Axiom recently replaced chartplotters – 2023