New Model: Riva 56 SportRiva

Launched on the 9th of August during the Riva Gala in Porto Cervo, the new Riva 56 SportRiva is one of the most expected models to feature in the coming Autumn shows, due to it's innovative exterior design of a sport flybridge yacht. While sport flybridge boats are increasing in the last period, especially over the 25 metres plus dimension on the open sports yacht style, in the 17 metre size this is a new concept and the SportRiva captures this spirit and invents a design philosophy. With this model I remember of past models from the glorious yacht builder, like the 42 Caribe or the 34 Portofino. Again the Sarnico Riva reinvents motor yachting.

Technical Data:

LOA - 17.57 m (57.8 ft)

Length - 16.96 m

LWL - 14.19 m

Beam - 4.64 m

Draft - 1.40 m

Weight - 24.90 t (unloaded), 28.68 t (loaded)

Max Persons - 12

Engines - 2 x MAN V8 CRM 900hp

Speed - 34 knots Max, 30 knots Cruising

Hull Shape - warped vee with spray rails 15 degrees deadrise aft

Certification - CE A

www.riva-yacht.com

Powerboat P1 - Belgium Grand Prix of the Sea, Kings of Shaves & Extremeboat extend lead

1 Grand Prix 2 races -110 points for Roscioli Hotels Roma to try and win Supersport 2007 title

Same Script for OSG 2006 Evolution Class winner but - 130 points

The P1 weekend in Belgium was an action packed competitive offer in both classes and unusual to previous races in the 2007 season, we finally had a different winner in the same venue, as Lucas Oil Outerlimits won Race 2 in Evolution Class. Extremeboat continue to extend there championship lead in the production Supersport Class as they won both races as they did in Britain 2 weeks ago. It was a weekend for the title challengers to gain important points in there respective classes, but the leaders ended the Belgium Grand Prix with more confidence as ever, extending there lead with more points as both came out as winners in this fifth penultimate round.

Race 1

Conditions contributed to a high attrition rate and only two boats completed the course with OSG second despite suffering a broken hull. The Way to Happiness finished third, the first points finish of the season for this Italian team. Points and a podium must surely be the way to happiness! The main protagonists in Evolution, King of Shaves, OSG and Lucas Oil Outerlimits made a storming start with all three reaching the first buoy together. OSG, the reigning world champions, knew that to improve their title challenge they would need to finish ahead of championship leaders, King of Shaves. The same could be said of Lucas Oil and both boats set the early pace, OSG taking the lead. Behind them, King of Shaves was settling into an early rhythm and by the end of the first lap the Ilmor-powered Fountain was leading with Lucas Oil Outerlimits closely following. It was 'nip and tuck' all the way and once the Italian OSG boat backed off a two-boat battle ensued. It was a fascinating race between these two arch rivals in which the lead changed hands four times before the half way point when Lucas Oil Outerlimits started to take control. Then drama! As the American boat entered the home straight for the final lap it suddenly slowed as the fuel ran out, King of Shaves re-took the lead with OSG in pursuit. For the Belgian entry, Limmi Offshore, it was not the dream home race as technical problems forced the team to retire on lap 3.

A racing masterclass on ExtremeBoat, secured the husband and wife team its third consecutive SuperSport win in the first leg of the Powerboat P1 Belgian Grand Prix of the Sea. The Mercury-powered Dragon boat was clearly on a mission from the moment the start flag dropped, taking the lead at the first buoy and forging ahead of the field to increase its championship lead. Only Roscioli Hotels Roma, the Italian title challenger was able to stay within striking distance and its well deserved second place finish. VoomVoom.com, deservedly took third place, the first diesel powered boat to cross the chequered flag, with the FPT-powered Sunseeker crossing the line in fourth. The distinctive Rigid Inflatable of 'wild card' entry Flanders Offshore Racing, provided great entertainment for the enthusiastic home crowd crossing the finish in fifth place.

Race 2

Fountain Worldwide took the Powerboat P1 Belgian Grand Prix of the Sea, following up on Race One victory with a fifth place on the second leg. The pair's early pace and front-line battle with the American Lucas Oil-Outerlimits would however end by lap three when the boat lost power in one engine and with it any chance of a race win. The drama continued as they crossed the finishing line, losing power in the second. Lucas Oil Outerlimits, completed an impressive days racing, securing victory in today's second leg and with it third in the Grand Prix. The win from German team Searex and Italians OSG was a major boost for the team but its title ambitions are no more following yesterday's disappointment when, with a commanding lead, the boat ran out of fuel just one lap from the chequered flag. OSG, the defending champions from Naples, Italy demonstrated once again why they are so highly respected as racers and sportsmen. as on Race One, the boat was badly broken in the choppy seas and effectively ended the team's championship challenge. But true champions do not know defeat and if the maths stack-up OSG, will continue to fight for points. The team worked all night to patch up the damage and whilst not at peak performance they managed to bring the boat home in third to secure second place in the Grand Prix and keep their championship hopes alive. King of Shaves now has a lead over OSG of 150 points in the fight for the world championship with only the Portuguese Grand Prix to contest. Having failed to start yesterday, the German entry of Searex showed the performance of their 42ft Fountain powered by Mercury engines by taking an early lead and later re-taking it when Lucas Oil appeared to be about to forge ahead. It was a brilliant racing performance, surprising many of the championship front runners and proving that their pre-race testing on the Baltic's choppy waters would pay dividends in today's rough conditions. SIF, the Italian wild card entry demonstrated the competitiveness of their diesel powered wild card entry, always in contention with the leaders and finishing a creditable fourth on the day. ExtremeBoat, the British Dragon boat won the Powerboat P1 Belgian Grand Prix of the Sea, its double win moves the team into a commanding position in the SuperSport World Championship with just the Portuguese Grand Prix remaining. The lead changed hands no fewer than four times in today's shorter race. The diesel-powered Voom Voom, where very close to have the first win of the season and only a last lap navigational blip prevented this to happen. The choppy seas and blustery conditions had forced a late change to the course layout and a 30 minute delay. Boosted by their performances in yesterday's first leg, VoomVoom and ExtremeBoat made the early pace, followed closely by Roscioli Hotels Roma, Buzzi Bullet and Sun Lik Beer. These five are the championship's leading boats and a 'ding dong' battle was always on the cards as the season builds to its climax. It was a day for the diesels, all of whom featured strongly. In Belgium first leg, Roscioli Hotels Roma, suffered propeller damage and this clearly affected their attempts to overhaul the leading boats. In the circumstances a third place today and runners-up spot in the two-legged Grand Prix was an excellent effort. VoomVoom took third spot overall and have now appeared on the podium at the last two events. The focus now switches to the final event of the season in Portimao, Portugal over the weekend of the 29/30 September where the championship will be decided. For the third consecutive season the titles will be claimed in the final weekend of the season, a reflection on the competitiveness of Powerboat P1. In Evolution Class OSG have shown that they can still challenge a title till the last race even if this was not there best of seasons. In Supersport, ExtremeBoat has established a strong lead, its main contenders, Italian team Roscioli Hotels Roma and the British Buzzi Bullet are still within striking distance.

www.powerboatp1.com

New Model: Aicon 75 Flybridge

Another exclusive first on PowerYacht, this time it's the new Aicon 75 Flybridge. So before you see it in the coming events and shows, remember that it was here first. The Aicon 75 Flybridge is a smart motor yacht with a modern design approach, showing minimal touches in some details like the forward pilothouse window and the radar arch, which for the pictured hull number one was equipped with a hard top. From my view I can also say that it has one of the most spacious flybridge of the category as it looks really big for a 23 mtr motor yacht, which would testify what is said on the Aicon website as being the focal point of the yacht. This brand new Aicon features 4 spacious cabins all with en-suite heads and 2 crew cabins for 3 members sharing 1 bathroom. The main deck has an innovative design especially in the sociable living area with 2 saloon settees on either side, looking forward you find the dining area with an 8 person dining table. The galley is in the middle being an innovative feature as this is usually on the side and creates a separation between the two areas, living and working creating superior comfort for the guests and people onboard.

Technical Data:

LOA - 23.22 m (76.1 ft)

Length - 22.61 m

Beam - 5.88 m

Displacement - 51 T

Fuel Capacity - 5170 l

Water Capacity - 930 l

Accommodation - 8 berths in 4 cabins, 3 crew berths in 2 cabins

Engines - 2 x CAT C32 1572 HP

Hull Shape - vee with fifteen degrees deadrise aft

Certification - CE A

www.aiconyachts.com

Powerboat P1 - Belgium Grand Prix of the Sea Preview

Pen-ultimate round of the 2007 season, the Zeebrugge Belgium Grand Prix seem to be held at the pinnacle of this highly competitive P1 championship, where winning is going to be very important. The races at Cowes changed the championship charts with some additional surprises to add to the already high competitiveness of this season.

In Evolution Class, King of Shaves are still ahead but with OSG following nothing is sure. OSG had a very difficult season, winning only one race on the table in Malta. They had also a trouble race in Naples when there boat was sinking. Other important close contenders for the Evolution are Wettpunkt.com and Lucas Oil Outerlimits winner of the last British Grand Prix. Italian Kiton and Fainplast had a disappointing season, with speed and good weather being the main concern for the 2 highly expected sister boats.

Supersport Class or should we call it highly competitive production class. Roscioli Hotels Roma after dominating for half of the season found themselves in 3rd place, 50 points behind leaders and UK Grand Prix winners Extremeboat and only 10 points behind Buzzi Bullet, standing at second. On fourth place we find Chinese entry Sun Lik Beer who also seem to have upped there game and speed in this closely fought final part of the season. Disappointment so far for Sunseeker Challenger, who don't seem to have found the right set up.

www.powerboatp1.com

Projects: Beneteau 52 Swift Trawler, Beneteau 37 Monte Carlo Hard Top, Beneteau 32 Monte Carlo

The Beneteau 52 Swift Trawler will be the flagship for the power motor boat range of the famous French builder. This classic live aboard style motor yacht is a nice cross over offering the comfort of power and joy of sailing lovers alike, as Beneteau has come up with the right link from both worlds. Superior interior volumes and maximum use of space, spacious saloon with galley, 3 cabin 2 heads interior, full beam owners cabin, crew cabin aft, well sized flybridge, tender stowage on fly, walk around deck and separate forward deck. Exterior design are for a classic trawler looks as compared to the already introduced 42 in the range. Engine power is for 2 x 575 HP, which estimates similar cruising speeds to the younger Swift Trawler of 18 knots. The 37 Monte Carlo Hard Top is the semi covered cockpit version for this successful sports cruiser model. Italian designer Pierangelo Andreani designed a stylish hard top on the lines of this model creating an alternative offer of what is becoming the rule for open Mediterranean motor boats. The weight increase for this design feature is 400 kg bringing the total weight for 7470 kg. Power comes from Volvo Stern drive D4 2 x 260 HP or the optional 2 x 300 HP. New addition to Beneteau range of Mediterranean style Monte Carlo sports cruiser is the new 32. Designed as the bigger 37 by Pierangelo Andreani, he follows the trend shown for the bigger sister and uses design themes like integrated wind shield, low profile radar arch, classic round side port holes and the red hull color. Cockpit space is very generous for a boat this size and the interior offers 4 berth accommodation with a separate cabin mid ship, separate shower head and a galley. Standard power are 2 x Volvo 270 HP DPS D5.7 Petrol, optional for a more cruiser friendly Diesel 2 x Volvo's D3 190 HP is available.

www.beneteau.com

New Model: Uniesse 70 Sport

During my recent trip in Sicily I encountered the exclusive preview of the Uniesse 70 Sport, a model which has yet to be unveiled to the general public. Presented as a project about 2 years ago, finally we can see this hard top sports yacht, flagship of the Sport range from Uniesse in its' real form. The design is the usuall from the Italian builder and what I call a modern classic European style sports yacht. This builder has a fame for building solid sea going motor yachts and cruisers thanks to the help of American hull designer Fred Hudson. Uniesse strong construction is also recognized by the toughest classification rules for category and size of boats produced. Power is provided by twin 1360hp MAN engines which are estimating to push this sports yacht at around 38 knots of top speed.
Technical Data:
LOA - 22.16 m (72.7 ft)
Length - 19.96 m
Beam - 5.35 m
Draft - 1.55 m
Weight - 32.000 kg empty, 38.000 kg loaded
Fuel Capacity - 4.200 l
Water Capacity - 1.220 l
Max People - 18
Engines - 2 x MAN CR 1360hp
Speed - 38 knots max estimated

www.uniesse.com

Projects: Dominator 92, Dominator 105, Dominator 115

The new Domintor 92 will be the new flagship for the Italian boat builder founded in 1999. Expected to be unveiled the fall of this year, this new model continues the revolution in form function design and has huge panoramic windows views for the cabins. T4 Team designed a sleek and aggressive profile. Interior layout is a spacious four double cabins for guests and a separate crew accommodation for 3. Length over all is 29.1 metres which extends to 30 once the private beach style bathing platform is lowered. Power comes from MTU V16s 2 x 2.210 hp or the optional 2 x 2.434 HP.

Expected to be launched next year the Dominator 105, continues the philosophy of the Fano shipyard to launch aggressive styled motoryachts with plenty of innovations. The rendering design is already teasing on innovative features like the skyroom on the flybridge, the forward dining area and the side opening bathing platform which will be a first for yacht of this size. I think at this stage we just have to wait for the launch of this project. The Dominator 115 is the future flagship for the shipyard and is an evolution of the 105 model with the extra 10 feet of length. Construction is expected for 2008. As the is the case for the 105, little information is available for this project, accept for the rendering design which shows innovative futures as mentioned for it's smaller sister.

www.dominator.it

Class 1 - Victory 77 wins Romanian Grand Prix and 2007 European Title

Victory 77 turns the first corner of the season by taking European title

Victory 77 took the third win of the season in an incident filled Romanian Grand Prix, round four of the WPPA Class 1 World Powerboat Championship, to clinch the 2007 WPPA Class 1 European Championship. Second place went to Qatar 96, with sister boat Qatar 95 completing the podium in third.

Following a chaotic start, with two boats appearing to go early, and despite starting from second place on the start line, Victory 77 was lying in third place at the end of lap 1, behind Negotiator, with Victory 7, out in front. They overhauled Negotiator a lap later and fought back to grab the lead on lap 6. For the next three laps, Victory 77 fought off a strong challenge from rivals Qatar 96, who had moved up through the field from fifth place on the first lap, to be challenging for the lead. On lap 10, Victory 77 took their first long-lap, but as they came off the lap, had to swerve violently to avoid Qatar 96, coming out of the turn. For the next 10 laps, Victory 77 kept a narrow advantage over Qatar 96, going on to take the win and extend their world championship lead to 19 points.

Second place for Qatar 96, the fourth consecutive podium of the season, was not enough for the duo to regain the European crown they won in 2005, but keeps them in the hunt for the overall title. Qatar 95’s first podium of the season was well deserved and hard fought for, with Al-Sulaiti and Luca Nicolini, moving from fifth place into third on lap 9.

Fourth place for Spirit of Norway was not the result they were looking for in a race that went wrong for them at the start, finding themselves down in eighth place at the end of lap 1 after starting from pole position. Having clawed their way back into fourth place, Gjelsten and Curtis then spun out on lap 7 while trying to pass Victory 7, dropping them back down the running order to sixth. And a penalty long-lap incurred several laps later for hitting a turn-buoy ended their hopes of a podium, and despite moving into third place in the title race, are now 30 points off the lead. But both Gjelsten and Curtis were clearly unimpressed and angered by the tactics used by some of their rivals. After a frustrating season so far and a difficult weekend, Negotiator produced easily it's best showing, bringing home a fifth place. Forseti & Sguardi 8, won their on-going battle with Spirit of Norway 20, finishing in sixth ahead of the Norwegian duo, with Jotun salvaging three points in eighth after breaking a propeller, with SeveneleveN and VM Foresti & Suardi picking up points in ninth and tenth. Victory 7 was the only retirement of the race, after breaking a propeller and damaging the boat.

ROMANIAN GRAND PRIX

1. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR)

2. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) + 00.12,12

3. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) + 01.33,87

4. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB) + 02.10,83

5. Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) + 02.34,11

6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) + 2 laps

7. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) + 2 laps

8. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) + 4 laps

9. SeveneleveN 18 – T Polli (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) +4 laps

10. VM Foresti & Suardi 2 – D Cirilli (ESP)/K Selmer (NOR) + 4 laps

Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N B Hendi (UAE) - dnf

WPPA CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 4 of 8

1. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) – 79pts

2. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) – 60pts

3. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB) – 49pts

4. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N B Hendi (UAE) – 44pts

5. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) – 36pts

6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) – 22pts

7. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – 20pts

8. Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) – 12pts

9. SeveneleveN 18 – T Polli (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – 10pts

10. VM Foresti & Suardi 2 – D Cirilli (ESP)/K Selmer (NOR) – 5pts

11. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) - 3pts

WPPA CLASS 1 EUROPEAN CHAMPIONSHIP – after round 4 of 4

1. Victory 77 – A Al Zafeen(UAE)/JM Sanchez (FR) – 75pts

2. Qatar 96 – H Al Thani (QAT)/M Nicolini (ITA) – 54pts

3. Spirit of Norway 10 – B Gjelsten (NOR)/S Curtis (GB) – 41pts

4. Victory 7 – T Al Sayed (UAE)/N B Hendi (UAE) – 36pts

5. Qatar 95 – A Al Sulaiti (QAT)/L Nicolini (ITA) – 28pts

6. Foresti & Suardi 8 – M Pennesi (ITA)/G Montavoci (ITA) – 18pts

7. Spirit of Norway 20 – T Barry-Cotter (AUS)/P Nilsen (NOR) – 16pts

8= SeveneleveN 18 – T Polli (ITA)/N Giorgi (ITA) – 7pts

8= Negotiator 50 – B Eker (NOR)/C Parsonage (GB) – 7pts

10. Jotun 90 – C Zaborowski (NOR)/J Tandberg (NOR) - 3pts

11. VM Foresti & Suardi 2 – D Cirilli (ESP)/K Olsen (NOR) – 1pt

(world championship points include bonus points allocated to teams running engines for two consecutive races - one point, per engine, per race)

www.class-1.com

New Model: Ferretti 881 RPH

The new 881 RPH was presented as a project in January and launched during the Ferretti Privilege Days in the end of March and maintains the building excellence of the original yacht, to whom it has been added an upper deck or as the title says a Raised Pilot House dominating the sea. Apart for the better view and more comfortable position to the pilot, this adds additional space to the yacht as the main deck is used as part of the saloon, dining area and galley which is now moved forward instead of the lower helm for the standard 881. Ferretti offers the usual striking wide spacious interior with light colored fabrics and furniture in matt elm and fabrics which gives is a very natural luminous area. The living room area which is where the gains are to the standard 881, has a symmetrical layout, with a double sofa on opposite sides in the saloon. A separate dining room area forward is featured with a centre positioned wide table apt to accommodate 8 people. In the lower deck, two large open-view windows on both sides turn the master cabin into an incomparable suite in terms of space and luminosity. Two twin beds cabins with private bathrooms and a very wide VIP bow cabin complete the night accommodation for the owner and his guests. Concerning performance, the Ferretti 881 RPH renews the engines in comparison to the original version with two 2211hp MTU engines, pushing the yacht to a 29 knots top speed, and a 26 knots cruise speed.
Technical Data:

LOA - 27.03 m (88.6 ft)
Length - 26.94 m
Length Waterline - 22.15 m
Beam - 6.72 m
Displacement - 93600kg loaded, 81000kg unloaded
Fuel Capacity - 9.000 l
Water Capacity - 1.320 l
Max People - 20
Engines - 2 x MTU 16V2000M92 2211hp

Speed - 30 knots max, 26 knots cruising

Range - 325 nm at cruising

Project - Zuccon

www.ferretti-yachts.com

Project: Riviera 4400 Sport Yacht

Latest of its European-style Sport Yacht series, the project for the soon to come Riviera 4400 Sport Yacht takes the renowned luxury boat builder to new levels with its light weight yet robust hull construction and revolutionary Volvo Penta Inboard Performance System (IPS) propulsion that includes a joystick docking system, making this boat very simple to control and manoeuvre. The 4400 Sport Yacht continues the indoor-outdoor character and sense of light and space introduced on the first award-winning Riviera 3600 Sport Yacht and carried on with the 4700 SY. Exterior lines have been further refined to create even more visual appeal. Bonded glass windows each side of the boat are a striking feature that, together with an opening porthole each side, add natural light and ventilation into the aft cabin of the boat. The interior is a two cabin two bathroom cruiser packed with all the modern conveniences. Power is provided by twin Volvo IPS 500 diesel engines rated at 370hp each. Twin Volvo IPS 600 rated at 435hp each are optional. The Volvo IPS system is an integrated system of marine diesel engines, steerable drive units mounted under the hull with twin counter rotating, forward facing, propellers. This system offers easy handling and manoeuvring even in tight situations and a joystick for easy docking. Volvo IPS also offers up to 30 percent better fuel consumption than traditional shaft drive systems. Cutting-edge technology, contemporary design principals and the quality, value and reliability for which Riviera is famous promising of what should be an outstanding vessel as is the fame of the Australian builder.

www.riviera.com.au