With the hollow booms of its horn to announce Kia Orana, at Avarua harbour, the magnificent Sea Eagle II Super yacht sailed by Rarotonga yesterday morning on its way to New Zealand.

Max Cumming, the skipper of the Sea Eagle II, the world’s largest aluminium sailing yacht, has close ties to the Cook Islands having grown up on the island of Manihiki.

His parents Peter and Alwyn Cumming were the pioneers of pearl farming, and he is married to Ra Tangaroa, who has family in Mauke and Aitutaki.

After pearl farming, Max spent some time in the fishing industry in New Zealand before moving north to work on trade boats in Europe, and eventually navigating some of the world’s largest sailing yachts.

Sea Eagle II was designed by Dykstra Naval Architects and Mark Whiteley.

With an overall length of 81 metres, it is the largest yacht built at Royal Huisman’s shipyard and joins another Huisman build – Athena – in the top 10 ranking of the world’s largest sailing yachts. Length overall81m / 266ft, Delivery 2020.