World exclusive: Astondoa AS5 - An ultra-modern €1.5M yacht

Introduced in July 2021 and presented publicly at that year's Cannes Yachting Festival, the AS5 followed the larger AS8 into Astondoa's As range. Built in Santa Pola, near Alicante in Spain, it uses the yard's own design team for its contemporary exterior and interior. Automotive influences appear particularly in the angular styling and sports-car-inspired helm console, while extensive glazing is a defining feature of the accommodation.

The main deck connects an aft galley with the saloon and cockpit through glazed doors. On the boat tested in 2022, the galley occupied the port side, opposite a counter and storage, with facing sofas farther forward. The cockpit seating faces towards the sea across a transparent aft barrier. Side decks lead to the foredeck lounge and sunbathing area; above, the flybridge provides a second helm, seating, tables and a bar arrangement.

Below deck, the full-beam owner's cabin sits amidships, with a double VIP cabin forward and a twin guest cabin to port. These three cabins provide six permanent guest berths. Published specifications describe two guest bathrooms plus a separate bathroom for the single crew cabin aft, explaining the three-head total encountered in specifications. The builder's maximum capacity of 18 people aboard should not be confused with overnight cabin accommodation.

The GRP planing hull has a published V angle of 15.5 degrees. Current shipyard dimensions are 17.34 metres overall, a 4.94-metre beam and a maximum loaded draught of 1.43 metres. Unladen displacement is 26.7 tonnes, increasing to 32.4 tonnes fully loaded; tank capacities are 2,400 litres of diesel and 600 litres of fresh water. Astondoa identifies RINA as the certifying organisation.

Standard propulsion comprises two 725 hp Volvo Penta D11 diesels on shafts. Alternatives are twin 800 hp MAN i6 shaft-drive engines or twin 725 hp Volvo Penta D11 IPS 950 installations. The advertised maximum is 32 knots, although an independent IPS-equipped test recorded 28.8 knots and cruising at 20–22 knots. That test reported combined consumption of approximately 180–200 litres per hour at those cruising speeds; the current builder's sheet gives no range figure.

Personalisation was part of the original specification, including an open flybridge or optional hardtop and an extended bathing area with folding side sections. Documented equipment choices include a Seakeeper 6 stabiliser, hydraulic bathing platform, watermaker, cockpit docking station and IPS dynamic positioning. These are specification-dependent rather than universal equipment: individual boats require careful comparison. The separate crew cabin also permits a skipper to stay aboard without occupying a guest cabin.