June 30, 2008

Monthly News - June 2008

-pic of the month- Cabo 6th Kids Tournament

Beneteau Rises Turnover

French boatbuilder and leisure group Beneteau has reported a rise in turnover of 9.1 per cent on last year for the first three quarters of 2007/2008, and is in discussions for the sale of its high performance sailboat company Wauquiez International SAS. From September 1, 2007 to May 31, 2008 the group's turnover amounted to €799.9m, compared to €732.9m for the same period the year before. Boats accounted for €628.0m of the overall turnover, up from €576.1m the year before and representing over 95 per cent of the year's projected boat turnover. The rise of 9.0 per cent on 2006/2007 exceeded the projected turnover growth of 7.3 per cent. Beneteau confirmed its annual group target of €1,057.1m in turnover for 2007/2008. The group also announced that it has entered exclusive discussions with Verdoso Industry for the sale of sailboat brand Wauquiez, which represents less than one per cent of the group's boat turnover. Beneteau says that the sales of Wauquiez and its automotive brand Microcar will allow the group the concentrate on growing two new markets: motorboats from 15m-25m (50ft-82ft) and residences. The group has expressed intentions to grow the mobile home sector of its business to include residential housing. Turnover for Beneteau's mobile home activity was up 35.9 per cent on last year for the first three quarters of 2007/2008. Mobile homes accounted for 15.2 per cent of the group's business in 2006/2007, compared to 78.8 per cent represented by boats. Based on France's Atlantic coast, Beneteau has 24 production sites and employs 6,000 people. It has a presence in more than 50 countries.


Cabo Yachts to hold Sixth Annual Cabo Kids Tournament

Promoting family participation and the great adventures of sportfishing, Cabo Yachts is proud to announce the commencement of the Sixth Annual Cabo Kids Tournament. Designed for kids between the ages of five and sixteen, anglers must be fishing aboard a Cabo Yacht to be eligible for the following cash prizes and awards: Grand Prize — $2,500 Scholarship, and a rod and reel, First-Place Prize — $500, and a rod and reel (within each age category), Second-Place Prize — rod and reel (within each age category), Age categories are as follows – ages 5-8, 9-13, and 14-16. The tournament runs from May 1, through Aug. 31, 2008, and all entry forms must be received by Sept. 1, 2008. Winners will be announced in October.

Cabo New Director of Sales

Cabo Yachts, one of the world’s top builders of sportfishing boats, announced today the appointment of Don Smith as Director of Sales, effective immediately. Smith will report to Austin Rothbard the President of CABO Yachts. With more than 23 years of proven marine industry experience, he will be responsible for managing the entire Cabo Dealer Network. Prior to taking on this role, Smith was a sales manager at Cabo, covering the East coast of the United States. Before joining the company, he was the Cabo brand manager for Marine Max, Cabo’s dealer in Florida. During his six-year tenure with Marine Max, Smith earned numerous dealership achievement awards as a store manager and was responsible for the integration of Cabo Yachts into the dealership.


Itama Power Circle Goes on Tour

The Itama Power Circle is a company initiative specifically created to offer guests a full-immersion experience of the brand's timeless style, enhanced by sophisticated, sun-kissed locations that are always in perfect harmony with the distinctive sea spirit of Itama yachts. Ideal settings in which to savour the wide range of sensations that these open yachts offer their owners through their direct sea contact design. Significantly the very first Itama Power Circle was held on the magnificent island of Capri in 2006, after which it continued its elegant voyage with an edition in Venice in 2007. This year, the event celebrates its third anniversary with another spectacular surprise that sees it become nothing less than a 3-stage tour. This format aims to expand still further the glamour and magic created in the past by stopping in three splendid Mediterranean locations that are world-famous for their natural beauty and prestige. Between June and July then, the Itama team will be presenting the worldwide preview of its brand new 75 footer at the marinas of Porto Rotondo, Porto Cervo and Sitges, Barcelona. The third edition of the Itama Power Circle, an exclusive event devoted to the international press, dealers, customers and Itama enthusiasts, is therefore an ideal opportunity at which to unveil the blue and white flagship that has aroused considerable interest in both markets and sector experts ever since the first news of its launch was released. This model is an achievement the shipyard is rightfully proud of, as this craft boasts amazing performance, a new stylish profile with extraordinary technical advantages thanks to its record-breaking new carbon fibre windshield and avantop, spectacular standards of refined elegance and impeccable interior furnishings and design details. The new SeventyFive is a craft that takes Itama's class and exuberant sporting spirit to unprecedented heights, in a new and seductive interpretation of the typically sleek, streamlined style of these unique yachts. The Itama Power Circle, therefore, offers the shipyard's dealers and professional staff a concrete chance to construct a greater level of interaction between individual markets. In line with Itama's business strategy, which over the past few seasons has succeeded in steadily extending its distribution network towards new overseas contexts, this year the Itama Power Circle has a distinctly international flavour. But above all, the Itama Power Circle is a unique event specially organized by the company to offer all Itama fans the chance to really get to know the shipyard and its craft in truly spectacular settings. With its three splendid Mediterranean locations, a flagship ready to enchant the public with its extraordinary qualities, three unmistakably stylish models, and last but not least, an infinity of exclusive sensations that brand enthusiasts can take home with them, the 2008 Itama Power Circle is guaranteed to take a decisive step towards making this event the annual happening for real open yacht lovers.


Pershing and Luca Ferrari: A Passion for Speed

Luca Ferrari's love of racing is something of a family affair. It's the kind of love that begins when you're a child and then continues to grow until you just can't leave it behind. Being Alessandro and Norberto Ferretti's nephew, it is also a passion that Luca has inherited from a family that used to own an exclusive car showroom in Bologna, featuring prestigious names such as Lancia and Lamborghini. Today, racing continues to be his main hobby even if in the meantime he has become an official test pilot for Ferretti Group boats. After taking a break from racing for a few years, Luca is now ready to compete again, this time in the Carrera Cup, the prestigious Porsche motorsport championship that is organized by Porsche Italia. Motorsport, the purest expression of the Porsche identity, is a competition that no race lover would dream of missing. Something that Luca knows only too well, as this year he will be competing himself with the legendary 997 GT3 Cup, better known as the 997. Other competitors include the well-known Massimo Monti and a series of other professional and non-professional drivers, all with considerable experience at the wheel of a racing car. A number of young Formula circuit drivers will also be taking part, which will make the event thrilling, unique and a highly competitive racing, as Luca puts it. The Carrera Cup Italia is, in fact, a top level monobrand championship in which only experienced drivers battle for victory on prestigious circuits at the wheel of the Porsche 997. There are 8 meetings and two races at every meeting, making a total of 16 races per season with a single qualification session. Besides Luca, the other big star of the Carrera Cup this year will be Pershing, who have sponsored the car he is driving. For some time now, in fact, Porsche and Pershing have enjoyed a close and solid working relationship, especially during events where a passion for high speed is the name of the day! But let's return for a moment to the star of the show and establish the roots of this great love. Luca regards racing as both a hobby and a job! He has always competed in all kinds of races from go karts to racing cars and even vintage rallies. At a certain point in his life, however, he moved from the road to a new sports context, the sea. A decision that provided him with extraordinary opportunities to put himself to the test. Between 1989 and 1997 he raced in innumerable regattas, including winning the Offshore Class 1 world title in 1994 with Norberto Ferretti at his side. After a well-earned rest, Luca is now raring to compete again, this time for the Carrera Cup, which besides being GT enthusiasts' favourite event, is also another benchmark test for Luca who has never raced in GT circles before.


Princess Yachts Owership Change

L Capital 2 FCPR, an investment group sponsored by LVMH – Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Groupe Arnault, has signed on Friday, May 30th a definitive agreement to proceed with the acquisition of Princess Yachts International, subject only to appropriate anti-trust approvals. L Capital controls over 70% of the voting rights company and has been supported by its co-investors including the Belgian investment group Cobepa. Calyon Bank provided an element of funding for the transaction. Princess Yachts International is delighted to team up with one of the leading investment funds in luxury and aspirational brands, where the strengths built over the last 40 years can be combined with a company which has a track record of growing global brands.


Sea Ray AquaPalooza Rregistration Gets Higher

It’s clear that boaters aren’t going to let these stressful economic times keep them landlocked this summer. At least that seems to be the case if early registration numbers for Sea Ray’s third annual AquaPalooza are any indication. As of the end of the day on June 8, the multi-location marine extravaganza had achieved an astounding 352-percent increase in boat registration and a 395-percent increase in guest registration over last year’s numbers. Here’s a bottom-line breakdown of the actual figures: In 2006, there were 442 boat and 1,785 guest registrations by June 8.In 2007, there were 1,048 boat and 4,732 guest registrations by June 8.In 2008, there were 4,502 boat and 22,277 guest registrations by June 8. Last summer, AquaPalooza attracted more than 10,000 boats and 30,000 guests to 120 events around the world. This year, The World’s Largest Boating Party was expecting to draw a more than 50,00 guests this year to 150 events on lakes, rivers, bays and harbors from New York to California, Egypt to Australia. Most of this year’s festivities will take place during the last two weekends in July, but other events are planned both before and after these dates. Sea Ray and its dealers will kick off AquaPalooza stateside from July 18 to 20 at the Signature Event at Coconuts at the Lake, at Lake of the Ozarks, Mo. Hosted by MarineMax Lake Ozark, MarineMax Osage Beach and MarineMax Laurie, this massive heartland jam will feature food, drinks, music, games, giveaways and much more. For those who cannot make it to Lake of the Ozarks, Sea Ray dealerships around the world will transform 150 additional locations into official AquaPalooza party sites, making it easy for boaters to get in on the action.


Sessa Marine Opens a line of Showrooms

Since April, the Italian group has been inaugurating its Italian showrooms in Taglio di Po, Tropea and Porto Cervo, Denia in Spain and La Napoule in France. Before the end of the year, four new outlets representing the Italian brand will see the day: three in Italy and one in Croatia. These past few years, Sessa Marine has worked fervently on the development of a consistent brand image, built on the sum of its communication vectors, from advertising to trade shows, including all promotion-type documents for its boats. Today, the aim is to complement this action plan by involving the franchise holders in the project, creating a Sessa Marine universe, all the way through to the outlets. The layout of the Sessa showrooms, where white and light predominate, was entrusted to the young designer from the Christian Grande brand. And these choices were not made by chance, as light, glass-panelled surfaces and mirrors are also the structural elements which constitute the personality of the new Sessa yacht range; to be revealed in 2009 with the first C65. Finally, presentation of future projects is represented by videos, with lounge music in the background, to give shape to heavenly crafts which remain, for the moment, beyond reality.

Sessa Marine President Honored Cavaliere Dell Lavoro

The President of Sessa Marine, has been honored on Saturday, the 31st of May, with the appointment of "Cavaliere del lavoro", a reward comparable to the British Order of Merit, for distinguished service in the job's world and given by the Italian President.


Sunseeker to appear in latest James Bond Film

British luxury yacht brand Sunseeker International will feature in the latest James Bond film Quantum of Solace, making its fourth consecutive appearance in the action film franchise. Five Sunseeker models have appeared in the previous three James Bond movies. Casino Royale (2006) featured the 108 Predator with appearances from the XS 2000 and Sportsfish 37; Halle Berry climbed onboard a Superhawk 48 in Die Another Day (2002); and The World is Not Enough (1999), in which a Superhawk 34 sped down London's River Thames at more than 60mph.


Wally and Hermes Joins Forces

Monaco-based boatbuilder Wally Yachts has entered into a joint venture partnership with French high-fashion house Hermès. According to the statement release, the two companies will combine their creativity and know-how to conceive and develop innovative projects in the yachting world. Hermès and Wally will closely work together in the design, development and construction of products based on state-of-the-art technologies in the nautical and luxury industries, the statement continues. The content of these projects will be unveiled during the course of 2009. Founded by Luca Bassani in 1994, Wally offers a range of high-end sail and motoryachts that are built at its WallyEurope facility in Fano, Italy. Hermès is a French high fashion house specialising in leather, lifestyle accessories, perfume and other luxury goods.

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