Project: Holterman Xtreme-60

Dutch shipyard Holterman is adding the project for a new Xtreme-60 to its Xtreme range of flexible, multipurpose explorer yachts. Construction on the Xtreme-60 is well under way with both hull and super structure complete, and merging of the two structures currently ongoing and then moving to the Meppel shipyard to start fitting out. Design by Bernd Weel’s the Xtreme-60 features the complex shapes and hull openings to bring natural light inside associated with the Xtreme series, with the sixty being particularly influenced by the 78 which launched in earlier this year.  That is offering generous exterior spaces with a long aft deck designed to offer lounging in both shade and sun, and plenty of room for entertaining, along with wide side decks tucked behind deep safe bulwarks running forward to a stylish foredeck lounge, where a table and two banks of seating make the perfect spot for watching the sun-setting or rising, this area also joined by a large forward-facing sun-pad.  The Holterman Xtreme-60 will have an interior designed by Kitty van der Kamp who for this owner operated yacht opted for a two large suite cabins below deck, with a lounging area in between the cabins, and a living with aft galley on the main deck.  The Holterman X-treme 60 is to be powered by twin Volvo 300hp with line shaft propulsion for a top speed of up to twelve knots, and a cruise of eight knots which will deliver a range up to eleven hundred nautical miles. The Holterman Xtreme-60 is scheduled to go in the water in early 2024.

www.holtermanshipyard.nl

Lurssen Shipyard Fire in Lemwerder Premises

A fire broke out in Lurssen Lemwerder premises at around 18:47 hours of Wednesday 28 June.  The police report has indicated that the fire broke out in one of the new construction sheds, with plastic ventilation pipes burning up and catching fire during welding works. 95 fire fighters rushed to the scene, with all the workers being quickly evacuated and one of them being treated for smoke inhalation. The new constructed vessel according to reports has not been affected by the fire, though about 70,000 euros of damage to machinery is estimated to have happened.  

Lurssen shipyard had a terrible fire in fourteen September 2018, with 150 workers evacuated and Project Sassi in its final construction stages being heavily damaged.  Project Sassi a 146 meter super yacht, tenth largest in the World will be rebuilt by Lurssen owned Blohm and Voss and launched in March this year.  

Founded in 1875 the German super yacht specialist is currently in its fourth generation headed by Friedrich II and Peter Lurssen, and is one of the most highly rated for the larger sized super yachts, hundred meters or more.  Lurssen has in its portfolio the largest yacht build in the World for volume with the 2016 launched 156 meter m/y Dilbar, designed by Espen Oino.

Propulsion: Volvo IPS 40

Volvo Penta IPS range introduces a new, larger marine drive, the IPS 40. The new Volvo Penta IPS 40 drive is designed with a pioneering dual power input concept, which manages the power to the water in the most efficient way, but also acts an important enabler to utilize different combinations of energy sources. Starting series production in 2025, the new Volvo Penta IPS 40 drive will be powered by two Volvo Penta D13 1000hp engines, paired with a compact after treatment system to comply with the latest IMO Tier III standards. But, the platform is already prepared for a mix of power sources; from combustion engines running on renewable fuels to fully electric or hybrid solutions. The dual power input design offers flexibility and modularity on the journey towards increased sustainability. The new Volvo Penta IPS 40, as usual to the IPS platform can be installed as twin, triple or quad, meaning each vessel will have from 4 to 8 power sources. The complete package from helm to propeller is designed, verified and serviced by one integrator Volvo Penta. Volvo IPS 40 can be fitted on vessel from from 25 to 55 meters, dual up to twin 1000hp engines per driveline, twin, triple or quad drivelines and up to 8000hp per vessel, new counter-rotating propeller series in bronze, possibility to install to displacement, semi-planning and planning vessels and speeds from twelve to forty knots, steering angle up to forty degrees with dual electrical steering motors, Gear ratio 2.91, and integrated package with compact SCR system

www.volvo.com

Ten Boats Burned in Marseille Marina Fire

A fire in Estaque Marina in Marseille on Tuesday 27 June at about 1430 hours burned ten small boats from five to about eight meters in length.  Fifty fire fighters, sixteen fire engines, and two fire fighting boats from Marseille rushed to the scene to control the flames which they managed to extinguish at 18:00 hours.  Of the ten boats, six are totally burned, with the other four having fire damage.  Three boons where deployed around the fire area and damaged boats in order to contain pollution.

Estaque Marina is located to North West of Marseille, about four nautical miles by sea and ten kilometres of road distance from the sea side city.

Project: Rio 45 Daytona

Rio presents the Daytona 45 project, set to debut in the fall of 2023. This new 45 follows on the footsteps on the ten meter S model which debuted the Daytona range in 2020, and fourteen meter L model from 2021.  Again a project of Marino Alfani the Rio 45 Daytona is a sport cruiser with walk around features.  Two large side bulkheads one to each side which are about 25% of the boat length and will flip downward and extend the aft deck floor space and create a massive beach club.  These bulkheads are among the largest per length of boat, and when down and open the floor space in the area is increased by about 50% compared to when it is closed.  The Rio Daytona 45 will offer a lower deck interior sleeping four and a galley.  The standard accommodation area presents itself with a forward island double, and a midships cabin with twin berths.  A tender garage is also located aft, but probably if one would take the outboard options, this is lost, as the Daytona 45 has the feature of having the outboard engines hidden under the aft sun-pad. The Rio Daytona 45 is to be powered by twin Yanmar 370hp diesel engines with stern drive propulsion, which will give speed up to 38 knots.  Petrol gas outboard option is also available from twin Mercury 400hp with top speeds up to 44 knots. 

www.rioyachts.net

New Model: Absolute 56 Fly

Launched in the second half of 2022 and replacing the 58 Fly after a five year production run Absolute second generation 56 Fly brings the latest ultra modern lines of the Italian brand, where everything revolves around huge windows.  It is probably one, if not the most modern flybridge motor yacht in its size, but it is a modernity with benefits being the only one in seventeen meters offering three heads as standard, largest forward VIP suite, and two flat berths in the crew cabin aft.  The Absolute 56 Fly also offers green technology benefits with solar panels integrated in the hard-top being able to sustain basic energy needs when at anchor without the use of a generator.  The 56 Fly is powered by twin Volvo 600hp and is, please don't say again another Absolute IPS powered boat.  Speed is for 28 knots max with a cruise of 22 allowing for a range of about 250 nautical miles.  

Technical Data:

LOA - 17.64 m (57.9ft)

Beam - 4.79 m

Draft - 1.40 m

Fuel Capacity - 2600 l

Water Capacity - 650 l

Max Persons - fourteen

Accommodation - six berths in three cabins, two berth crew cabin

Engines - 2 x Volvo D8 600hp

Propulsion - Volvo forward looking dual propeller IPS pod drives

Speed - 28 knots max 22 knots cruise

Range - 250 nm at 22 knots

Project - Absolute Research Lab

Certification - CE B

www.absoluteyachts.com

Classic Trawler Burns Down Near San Juan Islands

A classic eleven meter trawler explorer cruiser with two persons onboard went ablaze near San Juan Islands, Washington on the morning of Saturday 24th June 2023.  After making a distress call the two boaters where assisted and off boarded to safety by a nearby boater, with the trawler left to burn, that is until Cascade Pacific Sea Scouts heard the VHF call and turned on the scene with SSS Propeller to control the blaze on the boat.  The Cascade Pacific Sea Scouts controlled the blaze until a fire boat from Seattle arrived to the scene and continued fire fighting operations.  The SSS Propeller had just departed into a ten day trip Summer event, when they heard the VHF distress call, and turned on the scene 35 minutes later.

The explorer cruiser in this fire is a hard to decipher Grand Banks 36 similar unit.  The first call in this would be an Island Gypsy 36 but it has different straight shear line, and then a Monk 36 Classic, but here again we have a different railing and windows serving the aft cabin.

AB Yachts New Web Site

AB Yachts a super sport yacht builder which todays builds yachts from 24 up to 36 meters presents its new web site.  AB Yachts was founded in 1992 by Angelo Arnaboldi and his son Marco, both naval architect and engineer expert in jet propulsion hulls. Jet hulls has since AB Yachts debut characterized all its builds in thirty years plus in building sport yachts, from the smaller units to its largest build to date, the one off 44 meter 145.  AB Yachts first model was the 55 Montecarlo, which was followed by a smaller 50, the smallest model ever made by the Viareggio builder and then by the Montecarlo 72.  In 2001 AB Yachts will become part of the FIPA Group and in 2004 it launches its first above 24 meter super sport yacht with the AB Yachts 88.  AB Yachts will change its ownership in 2017 with the entrance of new share holding in Fipa and becoming the GP Group, and then again in 2021 to Next Yacht Group.  AB Yachts largest model to date is the 145 launched in 2015, with the second largest being the 140 build in five units from 2007 to 2013.  Currently AB Yachts offers four models; 787, AB 80 Sportfly, AB 100 Sportfly, and AB 120 Sportfly its largest offer launched in 2023.  AB Yachts new website is available in English and Italian language takes you around with the following buttons; Homepage, Philosophy, Range, Fleet, Services, Careers, and Contacts.  AB Yachts is also on social media pages with a bottom button links taking you to its; Instagram, Facebook, and Linkedin pages.

www.abyachts.com

Production History;

AB 55 Montecarlo / 55 Follia, 1992-2002

AB 50 Follia, 1994-2000

AB 72 Montecarlo 1996-99

AB 75 Follia 99-2004

AB 68 2000-2012

AB 88 2004 (1)

AB 58 2005-10

AB 78 2005-2015

AB 92 2006-2015 (5)

AB 140 2007-2013 (5)

AB 116 2009-2013 (5)

AB 100 2014-2020 (5)

AB 145 2015 (1)

AB 787 2020- (1

AB 142 2021 (1)

AB 100 Sportfly 2021- (5

AB 80 Sportfly 2022- (5

AB 120 Sportfly 2023- (2

AB 110 2024-

Motor Yacht Burns and Sinks in Korcula Channel

A 21 meter motor yacht titled La Belle with Croatian flag and four persons onboard, went on fire and then sank in the Korcula channel, North Dalmatia islands in Croatia on Saturday 24 June at around 13:00 hours.  The motor yacht was cruising in the Korcula channel between the islands of Korcula, Hvar, and Vis when it developed a fire.  Immediate the response of the Croatia safety agencies with a rescue boat departing the port of Lostovo first on the scene and saving the four crew members, and a fire brigade from Smokvica arriving a bit later to extinguish the yacht fire, with no success as it eventually burned down and sank in a depth of about seventy meters.  No injuries where sustained by the four crew, and the yacht left no pollution in the aftermath of the fire.  According to the crew testimony the yacht fire was developed from one of the engines.

M/y La Belle is a Yaretti 2110 from 1994, refitted in 2015, and was powered by twin Man 680hp engines with accommodation for eight guests in four cabins, and two crew forward.  Yaretti was founded in 1987 by Austrian Walter Sigl with boats sub contracted and build by Horizon in Taiwan.  For example the Yaretti 2110 was based around the Horizon 58 Pantera launched in 1990, extended in length for the extra cabin and some styling differences.  Yaretti stopped production in around the end nineties to restart in 2003 and then stop again in around the 2008 financial crisis.  In its second life Yaretti also sold two 2520, 25 meters super yachts.

Azimut Ends Aground off Dorset Coast

A thirteen meter Azimut flybridge cruiser ended aground in Ringstead Bay off the Dorset Coast on the late morning of Saturday 24 June.  Previous to ending aground the Azimut flybridge cruiser caught a lobster pot on its portside propeller, and with the tide outgoing at the time of the incident ended on top of a reef.  Visibility was also reported poor that morning going down to less to one hundred meters.  The tide was up back afternoon and the Azimut cruiser was reported free from the area.

The Azimut in this grounding is the popular AZ42 presented in the fall 1997 Genoa boat, and as produced till 2008 in a hot selling five hundred plus units.  Designed by Righini and interior by Galeazzi the Azimut 42 was offered in a three cabin version from 2000 and received the Evolution upgrade in the fall of 2004.  The 42 was replaced by the Azimut 43 in 2006.