-pic of the month- Sea Ray AquaPalooza
CRN Open Monaco Branch
CRN, a division of Italy's Ferretti Group, has opened a new sales office in the Principality of Monaco. Strategically located on the French Riviera, CRN Monaco will serve not only as a point of contact for customers and crew, but as an outlet for the promotion of the group's commercial activities, public relations and product research in the region. It will also provide all of the Ferretti brands with a headquarters for their strategic operations.
Chris-Craft Lays off 40 Workers
Chris-Craft has laid off 40 employees in its plant in Sarasota, Florida. The layoffs come on top of the furlough of 55 other workers in its North Carolina facility, which will temporarily stop building boats. There are about 195 workers still at the local plant, according to the Sarasota Herald Tribune. Chris-Craft spokeswoman Meghan Stout told the paper that dealer orders for 2009 are down for the first time since Stellican Ltd. acquired Chris-Craft in 2000 from Genmar. Because of a slowdown in sales, Chris-Craft transferred production of its Catalina line of center console boats back to Florida from North Carolina. Stout said Chris-Craft will continue to build the Catalina line, but will focus on its higher-end products. Chris-Craft also intends to launch new models. Stout said that a staff of about 40 remains in North Carolina to perform product testing and engineering.
Dalla Pieta 2008 Campaign
“My boat is my island. It's a home, a refuge, a castle... where you are like the owner of the entire world cause that is the entire world. Who owns an island has already entered paradise." The creative though based on which the entire Dalla Pietà Yachts communication has originated has remained unaltered, on the other hand the image has evolved in order to adapt itself to a new target. From black and white to colour, from the woman who owned a boat which was like her island, to the woman who owns an island boat. Notice the island-boat: from a metaphor on the concept of freedom to an icon of new luxury. A luxury that has become more aggressive in a market which has given the cards a shuffle and has substituted the pleasure of living emotions with the desire of emerging: an eternal chase towards wanting "always more". It seems as if the target is chasing itself in a global market, dominated by a return to the pleasure of showing one's belongings and oneself, which frequently characterizes the high social classes of emerging countries such as Ukraine, Russia, and Arab Emirates. A new luxury which needs a language which becomes a show, an ephemeral appearance to contrast the desire of showing off. For these reasons the new advertising campaign was inspired by the fashion world, by the will of surprising and showing-off, and by its international language. Two fantastic women, the shoots of Pierpaolo Ferrari, a famous Photographer from Condé Nast, a brave and recognizable message: fashion suggestions to tell a brand. A path made of images which match the new strategies of Dalla Pieta Yachts: following clients and markets in an objective which leads them to a broader internationalization.
Ferretti Group Launch Ferretti Luxury Beach Residence
ACI Real Estate and Ferretti Group today launched two luxury waterfront residences, “Ferretti Luxury Beach Residence” and “Pershing Luxury Beach Residence”. Announced earlier this year, the two companies joined hands in what is believed to set new trends in luxury waterfront living. The freehold ownership project branded as “Marine Legends”, valued at about UAE 6 billion Dirham - over USD 1.6 billion - and situated at the Waterfront, offers a sprawling 1,969,607 Sq Ft of saleable area. The Ferretti Group is globally renowned for its luxurious, high performance yachts. This unique partnership is another example of ACI Real Estate creating a unique concept to add tangible and intangible value to its offerings. The result in this case is a convergence of prime real estate with a world famous luxury brand to fashion an out of this world living experience. The twin tower Ferretti Luxury Beach Residence and Pershing Luxury Beach Residence are, quite simply, unique. With landscaped gardens amidst canal and sea views, the property offers the latest amenities such as pool, fitness center, sauna and Jacuzzi, and a little something else: eight luxury yachts per brand will be available for residents to charter at preferential rates. These yachts will be purchased by ACI Group. The twin tower Ferretti Luxury Beach Residence will have over 44 floors each, while the Pershing Luxury Beach Residence will have over 41 floors, along with individual retail units at the ground floor of each tower. Ferretti Yachts and Pershing Yachts designers are proposed to design common areas of the towers, lending them their signature touch of elegance and sophistication. The project is slated for completion by 2011.
Ferretti Yachts Aquires Allied Richard Bertram
Ferretti SpA, parent company of Italy's Ferretti Group, has signed a contract to acquire the assets, brands and ongoing operations of US yacht distribution and service provider Allied Richard Bertram Marine Group (ARBMG). Headquartered in Ft Lauderdale, Florida, ARBMG specialises in aftersales service and marketing of both new and pre-owned motoryachts, as well as brokerage services. The acquisition, which is due to be completed in the first week of September, will provide Ferretti with a strong distribution platform to reach and service customers in Florida and the US. ARBMG claims to be one of the leading privately owned yacht sales and service organisations in the US. The company has nine service and distribution centres throughout the state of Florida.
Hatteras Cuts 325 Jobs
Two Brunswick brands in The Hatteras Collection said today that they would be permanently cutting their collective workforce by 325 workers as they reduce production for the 2009 model year. Hatteras, which employed 960 workers, and Albemarle, which employed 95, told employees on Thursday that the two brands would be resized in order to stay "more competitive and profitable" during current market conditions. The 325 jobs were eliminated at the company's North Carolina facilities in New Bern and Edenton. The statement noted that the reduction involves both hourly and salaried personnel. Last January, Hatteras announced the closure of its Swansboro facility, resulting in 200 job cuts.
Intermare Days 2008
The annual appointment with the Intermare days was held the 2nd and 3rd August, what is always a special moment to present the new products in project, but also to unite the Intermare family. For the 2008 of the Intermare days, the organization was set for a dynamic party, involving all the affectionate clients, in a family navigation experience with there Intermare cruisers and yachts, with destination to one of the beautiful islands of the Tuscany archipelago, Capraia. The meeting for the 2008 edition was held in Cala De Medici harbour, with famous Italian TV presenter Carlo Conti welcoming the guests. Now it’s just to wait for the 2009 edition.
Nordhavn 2008 Rendezvous
New event sees the most Nordhavns ever assembled in one place at the same time. Nordhavn's first-ever 'Rendezvous' was an overwhelming success with 29 boats and an additional 9 sets of owners who came sans yachts, taking part in the 5-day event hosted by Nordhavn's US Northeast sales office. In all, more than 100 people converged on the Herreshoff Museum Marina in Bristol, Rhode Island, USA for nearly a week of fun, education, relaxation and comradeship. The event commenced Wednesday July 16th with 16 of the boats pulling up dockside while the rest grabbed moorings. After move-in and registration, guests were treated to welcome cocktails and an address by PAE president Dan Streech who told the crowd how proud he was of the turnout. The remainder of the week unfolded with a tour of Newport, a series of seminars covering topics from Lugger engines to liferaft survival to fishing from trawlers, and finally two evenings of dinner and dancing. In fact, it was the spirit of camaraderie embraced by the owners - many of whom had never met other Nordhavn owners - that prompted PAE's decision to make the Nordhavn Rendezvous an annual event. L.A. Key said she almost didn't make the inaugural affair due to a busy schedule. Like most of the boats, Lucent made the trip from Florida gradually edging its way north. Only Maggie May, a brand new Nordhavn 55 that had just finished commissioning a couple of weeks prior, had to race to make it to Rhode Island in time specifically for the Rendezvous. Only a few weeks old, and already Andy and Susan Francis have put 1,200 nm on Maggie May. With two of the Nordhavn Atlantic Rally boats in attendance, many of the Nordhavns were well-traveled, giving PAE's promotions coordinator Randy Robertson the ideal audience to announce the company's forthcoming Distance Pennant program in which Nordhavn owners will receive special burgees based on incremental mileage they've accumulated since owning their boats.
Riva 2008 Diner Party
Arriving at the end of the nautical year 2007/08, Riva has decided to party, as it does every year, with its Owners and friends. The destination chosen is one of the preferred for the Italian and international summer holidays: Porto Cervo. The traditional rendezvous of the end of the season, that also celebrates the opening of the new year before the official boat shows, took place this year on August 6th at the Yacht Club Costa Smeralda. The enchanting frame of Porto Cervo Marina, where many meetings between Riva and its Owners had already taken place, was once again the set of the gala dinner, during which the shipyard’s novelty for 2008 was revealed in preview: the sophisticated and elegant 92’ Duchessa. During the night, that offered evocative music and an involving ballet accompanying the unveil of the new yacht, Riva was joined by its long-term partners: Audi, Credit Suisse, Veuve Clicquot and Vini Pasqua. The 92’ Duchessa will be officially launched at the Cannes boat show from September 10th to 15th 2008.
Riviera Announces Key Appointments
Australia’s largest luxury boat builder has today announced two key appointments. John Anderson has been appointed CEO of Riviera following the retirement of former CEO Wes Moxey. Following the strong result for Riviera at the Sydney International Boat Show that concluded Tuesday of last week and the overwhelming successful launch of the company’s new flagship 70 Enclosed Flybridge, Mr Moxey felt that the time was right to retire from Riviera. Mr Anderson joined Riviera 18 months ago as Director of Operations of the company’s 14 hectare manufacturing facility on Queensland’s Gold Coast. Prior to joining Riviera, Mr Anderson served for nine years as President of American boat builder Four Winns, who built over 7,000 boats each year. The second key announcement by Riviera this week is the appointment of Les Galbraith as Managing Director of R Marine, Riviera’s retail dealer network, which now spans 13 locations within the region. Mr Galbraith takes over the role from founding Managing Director Tim Sayer. Mr Sayer will undertake an Advanced Management Degree at Harvard University in the US over the next two months before returning to take up a senior strategic role within Riviera. Mr Anderson said that Mr Sayer had performed an outstanding task to bring the R Marine network together. Les Galbraith comes to R Marine from Travelscene American Express where he was General Manager. Mr Galbraith brings to R Marine a passion for delivering lifestyle options for clients around Australia. His other great passion is boating. Mr Anderson said that Les Galbraith will bring to the role a wealth of knowledge about the leisure retail market.
Riviera Largest Infusion Project
Riviera has taken another major technology step with the infusion of the hull on its new 5800 Sport Yacht – one of the largest infusion projects ever undertaken by an Australian boat builder. The 5800 Sport Yacht is scheduled for release at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show in May next year. John said the benefits of infusion included a lighter weight hull that is very strong, with an exact glass-to-resin ratio and consistent thickness throughout. Riviera has already received orders for six of the four-cabin 5800 Sport Yachts which include three of the revolutionary Volvo Penta IPS drive units.
Riviera Solar Challenge
It was a special boating demonstration in the middle of the Sydney International Boat Show at Darling Harbour on Saturday – the Riviera Solar Boat Challenge featuring competitors from the boating media. The boats are specially developed by apprentices at Riviera for the International Solar Challenge later this year. The boats are modelled on Riviera's popular 45 Open Flybridge model and feature two catamaran hulls with a solid deck between. Each boat is powered by an electric outboard motor that draws energy from a solar panel mounted on the boat's deck. Hillary Buckman represented Ocean magazine and the female journalists while Gary Dickson from SeaSpray competed on behalf of New Zealand. Charlie Walter from BoatsPlus raced on behalf of the online media. They were joined by Miss Wolrd Australia contestant Sonia Lipski. Competition was fierce and fast through two laps around the small area of waterway still clear in Cockle Bay during the massive show. The result was completely confused when the Water Police arrived and arrested Gary for offences unknown. He was quickly released and the police decided they needed to trial one of the boats instead. Everyone declared the boats exciting and fast.
Riviera Cuts 120 Workers
Riviera Yachts announced yesterday that it has cut 121 workers in its Coomera, Australia facility. The company told local news sources that it had "no choice" but to lay off the workers because orders have dropped by 35 per cent. The company also cut 136 workers and 70 contractors several months ago. About 800 staff currently remain. John Anderson, Riviera CEO, also denied rumours that receivers had visited its corporate headquarters last week. He also said that last week's retirement of former Riviera CEO Wes Moxey was not due to any financial troubles at the company. Anderson told the website that the decision prompting the layoffs was based on lower sales from the Sydney and Sanctuary Cove boat shows and a lower order book. He said that Riviera, which has a turnover of A$400 million per year and made A$73 million from both boat shows, has seen orders for new boats drop about 35 per cent. Anderson said that Moxey's retirement was unrelated to the layoffs. Anderson said its new models have attracted interest.
Sea Ray Wins NMMA Customer Satisfaction Honours Again
In professional sports, they would call it a dynasty. For the fourth year in a row, Sea Ray Boats has won more National Marine Manufacturer Association (NMMA) Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) awards than any other boat builder in the program. In addition, this is the fifth consecutive year that Sea Ray has been recognized by the association for continued excellence in customer satisfaction. Each year, the Marine Industry CSI Awards recognize companies that actively pursue continuous improvement by measuring customer satisfaction. The NMMA’s 2008 CSI award recipients will be formally acknowledged during the annual International Boat Builders’ Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), which will take place from October 6 to 8 at the Miami Beach Convention Center in Miami Beach, Florida. This year, Sea Ray received top honors in eight categories, including Deck Boats, Fiberglass Outboard Boats, Inboard Express Cruiser Boats, Inboard Fishing Express Boats, Inboard Flybridge Sedans & Convertible Boats, Inboard Motoryachts & Trawlers, Sterndrive Bowrider Boats, and Sterndrive Cuddy & Express Boats. This impressive showing is more remarkable in that no other boat builder won more than five awards. In meeting the requirements for the Marine Industry CSI Awards, Sea Ray achieved and maintained an independently measured standard of excellence of 90 percent or higher in customer satisfaction over the past year. This score is based on information provided directly by the consumers who purchased a new boat and engine during the period between April 1, 2007 and March 31, 2008.
Sea Ray AquaPalooza World Largest Boat Party
Third time is the charm for AquaPalooza, the world’s largest boating party, which wrapped up festivities last weekend on rivers, lakes and other bodies of water around the world. Not only will the 2008 edition of the annual event go down as another stunning Sea Ray success, but by all accounts the third year of this multi-location marine celebration was the biggest and best yet! There were more parties, more boats and an astonishing 54 percent more guests as compared to 2007 numbers. This year’s Signature Event, hosted by MarineMax Lake Ozark, MarineMax Osage Beach and MarineMax Laurie, drew thousands of revelers to a giant raft-up on Lake of the Ozarks, Mo., during a picture-perfect Saturday afternoon. Major-league rock bands Cracker, Soul Asylum and Everclear headlined the main stage, while on shore attendees enjoyed food and drinks at Coconuts Caribbean Beach Bar & Grill, as well as volleyball, carnival games, giveaways and vendor booths. The day ended with a fireworks display rivaling that of any Fourth of July exhibition. According to local water patrol estimates, more than 2,500 boats gathered at the Signature Event — that’s nearly double the number of boats that were originally registered. Indeed, in other parts of the country, Sea Ray dealers invited boaters of all stripes to their own local AquaPalooza events. On Canyon Lake near San Antonio, Texas, The Sail & Ski Center organized an overnight cruise and poker run. Port Sandfield Marina, in Port Sandfield, Ont., Canada, hosted an event that featured antique boats and cars, as well as a kids’ coloring contest. Sea Ray of Knoxville rocked the company’s world headquarters in Knoxville, Tenn., with three bands, food, drinks, fireworks and more. Pictures and videos of AquaPalooza 2008 can be viewed at AquaPalooza website. Those interested in details about the next edition of AquaPalooza can check the Web site periodically for updated information.
Sunseeker Charitable Trust Gifts Cancer Unit to Poole Hospital
Sunseeker Charitable Trust Gifts Cancer Treatment Unit to Poole HospitalThe Sunseeker Charitable Trust has made its first major award with the gift of a new HDR Brachytherapy unit to Poole Hospital. The new HDR unit will initially be used to treat gynaecological malignancies and will dramatically reduce treatment times. Patients will now be able to be treated on an outpatient basis in the specially designed suite, thus freeing up room in the hospital as well as valuable theatre time. The Sunseeker Charitable Trust donated £220,000 enough to buy the unit outright, complete with couch and dosimetry equipment as specified by the hospital. The Sunseeker Charitable Trust was launched earlier this year to benefit a range of charities and organisations close to the heart of the company.
To round off the success of the Spider, Cantieri di Sarnico presents a new “PERLA” version at the Genova Boat Show characterised by a provocative livery and exotic furnishings. The model is complete with an unprecedented white body but as with true pearls, the value is not merely measured by how bright they are, but by the shape, the lustre and the many translucent layers. In order to highlight the sporting nature of the boat, it's sides are complete with a dark brown line realised with a very special painting. The same dark and brilliant tones are used for the upholstery on deck and illustrate the exclusivity of the boat and the modernity of its styling. The light and the colours give the boat its lines as much as the fiberglass structure does, adding great value to the shape designed by Nuvolari and Lenard. In addition, the colour of the accessories, furniture and bridge are painted in order to give a chromatic contrast. The cockpit deck of the "Perla" is realised with large and impressive teak strips separated with white lines. The layout of the lower deck is the same as the original version but uses carefully selected bamboo in order to distinguish it from the standard version. Other stylistic changes include polished ebony wood in the kitchen, leather floor and white polished overhead lockers. The hull is conceived by Victory Design considering all their racing experience making the boat agile and extremely light to optimize its trim without any need for corrections by the pilot. With twin Volvo Penta D6 Turbosiesel Common Rail 435 hp engines, the maximum speed is nearly 40 Knots and because of the new Joystick system the Spider is very easy to moor regardless of the conditions.
The Genoa Boat Show will also see the arrival of an upgraded Sarnico 60 “Gran Turismo” dedicated to those clients who want to use a boat in all seasons. The new model is closed at the rear of the cockpit with a central glass overlapping door, which can be fixed in the open position to allow access to the main deck. Closing the rear of the boat allows for the cockpit to be heated or cooled according to the external temperature and the requirements of the owner. The living area has been decked out in bleached oak with a leather floor and the dark brown pilot chairs up front catch the eye as does the bronze underside of the hard top. The ample table, long sofas and the 40'' LCD TV and Bose stereo system were created so the space could be used to look after guests in the finest surroundings which is principally what led to the changes to the internal layout. The below deck has been dedicated to an ample kitchen, in order that the owner can cater for a large numbers of guests and the galley top means guests can enjoy the experience altogether. The kitchen is equipped with a 244 l fridge, a 101 l freezer and there is a wine cellar in order to keep precious bottles safely. In addition there is four burner electric hob, a large oven and a double sink which would not be out of place at home. The sleeping arrangements include the owners cabin which is centrally positioned and a completely separate guest cabin at the rear and the sleeping quarters for the staff which complete the cabins aboard the vessel. The style and class of the furniture and finishing are clear examples of the workmanship of skilled artisans and an indelible imprint of their care and attention to detail. The care and craftsmanship is present in every aspect of the boat, from all its hidden parts to every detail and component. Propelled by twin turbo diesel Man common rail engines of 1100 HP, the Sarnico 60 can reach maximum speeds of 39 knots and achieve high cruising speeds even in the choppiest of waters. This is thanks to its extraordinary adaptable hull and the central positioning of the engines which grant great stability to the boat. This new version breaths life into the Sarnico 60 as a grand cruiser of the seas, able to match the performance of the original in perfect comfort. 
Posts
