Project: Storm X-59 Fly

Following consultations with interested and involved parties, Storm decided to further develop the first draft of the X-59. Meanwhile, it has also become clear over recent months that there is serious interest in an X-53 with more space on the aft deck and an additional stateroom for guests. Storm is now delighted to inform you that all this has resulted in the first order for a Storm X-59 Flybridge during the HISWA Amsterdam in-water Boat Show. The yacht will comprise the same innovative Fast Displacement Hull Form underwater section, high build quality and efficient handling properties that characterize all Storm boats. The X-59 Fly is to start construction of hull number one in the first quarter of 2015.

www.stormyachts.com

New Model: Galeon 305 HTS

The Galeon 300 series grows into a more complete range, and now the Strazyn builder presents the new 305 HTS version model. The HTS initials stand for hard top sport, and this latest Galeon third generation showcases an aggressive exterior coupled with the accommodation of a cruiser once entering inside. Below the 305 HTS is full of surprises and offers a two plus two layout plan; double Vee berth forward, and a separate cabins at midships.  In between the cabins is a galley to port side, and a shower head to starboard. But one of the most interesting features of the 305 HTS is also its main deck layout, this offering an aft sun-pad, L-shaped layout, double helmsman chair, relaxing settee to port side, and a well sized wet-bar.  

Technical Data:

LOA - 10.4 m (34.1ft) with optional bathing platform

LOA - 9.6 m

Beam - 2.99 m

Draft - 0.72 m ex props

Displacement - 5500 kg light, 7835 kg loaded

Fuel Capacity - 415 l or 600 l

Water Capacity - 200 l

Accommodation - 4 berths

Max Persons - 9 or 7 in Cat B

Engines - 1 x Volvo D4 260hp, 2 x Volvo D3 190hp, D4 225hp, D4 260hp

Propulsion - Volvo Duoprop stern drive
Project - Roberto Curto

Certification - CE B, CE C 

www.galeon.pl

Class One - Vee One - Abu Dhabi Race Two

Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi delivered another racing master class to win race 2 of the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi and claim Victory Team’s 14th World title.

Race 2 honours in V1 went to Bernico-New Star’s Belgium duo, Nico Bertels and Frank Hemelaer, with fourth place for race 1 winners Aaron Ciantar and Dominique Martini in Chaudron good enough to seal the V1 World Championship.

Starting from pole, Victory’s newly crowned Champions’ only challenge came at the start in a drag race to the first turn with Luca Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella in LFF10, before they grabbed the advantage and disappeared off into the distance.

Today’s win, the duo’s fifth of the season, was another demonstration of their absolute superiority, going on to take the chequered flag and complete the 10 laps by a winning margin of 54.42seconds.

In a repeat of race 1 the pace of the leaders was simply too much for Team Abu Dhabi and LFF10, the only other boats to go the distance, LFF8 stopping on lap 1 followed a lap later by Relekta-Zabo-Isiklar, with New Star-Poliform failing to make the start.

After a processional seven laps the race and the fight for the second and third steps of the podium between LFF10 and Team Abu Dhabi’s Gary Ballough and John Tomlinson ignited.

LFF10 led until lap 8 but could not shake of their pursuers and were slowly and surely hauled in by the American’s with the time split down three seconds.

At the end lap 9 and going into the final turn Team Abu Dhabi came alongside LFF10, both outfits going into the turn side-by-side and both hooking, with Team Abu Dhabi emerging in front and running out the final lap to claim second spot.

Despite the disappointment of today’s retirement Ugur Isik and Cristian Zaborowski’s season-haul of five podiums was enough to give them the runners-up slot in the World Championship, with Luca Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella in third.

Not for the first time this season the V1 teams produced some great racing, with the lead changing hands and the race for the podium places hotly contested.

After yesterday’s somewhat fraught day for Bernico-New Star’s four man squad, DQ’d from both qualifying and race 1, Nico Bertels and Frank Hemelaer came back in style to take a well-deserved win.

Champions elect Chaudron got the jump on pole-sitters Aquasport and led from the start with Bernico-New Star giving chase and keeping the gap too under eight seconds. On Lap 5 Bernico-New Star hit the front and pulled away from a struggling Chaudron to take their second win of the year.

Behind the leaders Aquasport, Karelpiu and Tommy One enjoyed and produced the best fight of the race; first Aquasport held the upper hand, then Karelpiu grabbed the advantage until lap 5 the two trading places again before Daniel Cramphorn and Nico Huybens hit trouble and dropped back, eventually finishing in fifth.

With Chaudron slowing to a crawl and limping home in fourth, the remaining podium positions went to Karelpiu’s Antonio Schiano and Federico Montanari and Tommy One’s Stefano Bonanno and Maurizio Schepici.

It was a frustrating afternoon for Hercules Sagemann’s Andreas Podolsky and Udo Gross who struggled with technical problems, completing just five laps, Silverline's Ian Blacker and Drew Langdon sidelined before the start with broken engine.

www.class-1.com

New Model: Mulder 98 Flybridge

The technical sea trials of the all-aluminium Mulder 98 Flybridge have been successfully concluded. The 30-metre custom-built Mulder with its stunning round-bilged hull achieved a maximum speed of 22 knots; two knots more than expected. Sound levels were also impressively quiet.  The Mulder 98 Flybridge had its global launch in September during the HISWA Amsterdam in-water Boat Show. In addition to being the largest yacht at the show, it is also the largest Mulder Flybridge ever built. The sea trials of the 30-metre Mulder were started immediately after the boat show; initially in Rotterdam and later on the North Sea from the port of Scheveningen.  The Mulder 98 Flybridge features a round-bilged hull and is powered by two Caterpillar of 1685hp each. This results in a maximum speed of 22 knots; two knots faster than expected. The yacht has a fuel capacity of 17,000 litres. At a speed of ten knots, this gives a Trans-Atlantic range of approximately 3,300 nm. Due to a special insulation method and her ‘floating’ interior, the sound and vibration levels of the Mulder 98 Flybridge are extremely low. In consultation with the owner, the yacht was built fully in accordance with RINA certification.  The exterior of the Mulder 98 Flybridge was designed by Guido de Groot Design, the naval architecture was realised by Ginton Naval Architects. The design is the next stage in the successful evolution of the Mulder range of semi displacement Flybridge motoryachts. She will appeal to an owner who appreciates timeless style over current fashion trends. Her dynamic lines and anthracite-coloured bimini emphasise her length while the softness of the yacht’s surfaces adds an extra air of class. Thanks to the generous length of 98 feet, the yacht’s proportions have been optimised and combined with maximum indoor and outdoor living space.  Omega Architects was responsible for the timeless, so called contemporary chic interior with a personal touch, where luxury and elegance can be found in every detail. Mulder's craftsmanship abounds throughout the main joinery, where brushed nickel lines are the main theme, resulting in beautiful and elegantly designed cabinets and walls. Luxurious fabrics of silk, wool and linen like Dedar, Pierre Frei, Elitis and Spinneybeck leather and wool-silk carpets of Tai Ping were used to bring about a sophisticated ambience of comfort and style. The entire custom-built interior consists of stained walnut. The dining area in the spacious saloon with its stunning Onyx Honey window columns accommodates eight people. The professional galley on the port side is fully equipped, including a steam oven, and offers a direct connection to the gangway. The main deck also features a day head. The owner’s suite on the lower deck offers a spacious walk-in-closet and large oval portholes on both sides. Additionally, the lower deck features a VIP suite and two guest cabins. All four cabins have their own shower and toilet.  The crew accommodations are located aft and include two cabins for four crew members. The crew quarters are accessible from the swimming platform and the gangway on the main deck, and also offer access to the engine room. The tender can be placed either on the swimming platform or on the wide flybridge. The flybridge also includes two lounge chairs, two large U-shaped sofas and a wet bar with grill, ice machine and refrigerator.  Initially the Russian owner of the Mulder 98 Flybridge requested a design for a 26 meter model. This was soon extended to 28, and in 2010 a contract was signed for a 30 meter9 Mulder Flybridge. The naval architecture of the yacht was started in early 2011, and the construction of the hull got underway at the end of that year. In late 2012 it was the first hull to arrive at the new location of Mulder Shipyard in Zoeterwoude-Rijndijk. The Mulder 98 Flybridge is likely to go sailing in the south of France in the spring of 2015.

Technical Data:

LOA - 30 m (98.4ft)

Beam - 7 m

Draft - 1.9 m

Displacement - 100 t

Fuel Capacity - 17000 l

Water Capacity - 3000 l

Accommodation - 8 guest berths in 4 cabins, 4 crew bed in 2 cabins

Engines - 2 x Cats C32 1685hp

Propulsion - line shaft

Speed - 22 knots max, 10 knots economic cruise

Range - 3300 nm at 10 knots

Hull Shape - round bilge semi-displacement

Construction - aluminium

Project - Ginton Naval Architects, Guido de Groot design, Omega architects

Certification - Rina C Hull, Mach Y 

www.jachtwerfmulder.nl

Class One - Vee One - Abu Dhabi Race One

Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi moved to within one point of a 14th World title for Dubai's Victory Team following an emphatic win in race 1 of the Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi.

Their superiority was mirrored in V1 by Malta's Team Chaudron whose win moved them 12 points clear in the overall standings and one step closer to the World title.

Starting from pole after clinching the Pole Position Championship in the morning the Victory pairing stormed into the lead and go 12 seconds clear of New Star-Poliform at the end of lap 1, with Miles Jennings and Alfredo Amato in LFF8-Silverline in third. But their race ended two laps later when the escape hatch in the hull blew out.

By mid-race Victory had opened up a 35 second margin and went on unchallenged to close out the eight lap race and take their fourth chequered flag of the year to win by 79 seconds. 

Behind them New Star-Poliform led the processional chase ahead of Relekta-Zabo-Isiklar and Team Abu Dhabi but neither outfit had any answer to the pace of the leaders and the podium places looked to settled. But on lap 6 New Star-Poliform slowed, a broken water pump belt ending Mikhail Kitashev and Guido Cappellini’s challenge.

With New Star-Poliform out, Ugur Isik and Christian Zaborowski went on to take their fourth podium of the year and keep their title hopes flickering, with American’s Gary Ballough and John Tomlinson finishing in third for Team Abu Dhabi.

It was a frustrating afternoon for Luca Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella in LFF10 whose hopes of any challenge for a podium finish ended almost immediately when an engine stopped, forcing them to shut down the other engine to reboot the system.

From lying in 10th place overall at the end of lap 1 the Italians recovered to force their way up through the pack to take fourth and move into third overall in the Championship standings.

In an equally processional afternoon for the V1’s, Aaron Ciantar and Dominique Martini staked their claim on the Championship, cruising home untroubled and unchallenged in Chaudron with a lap to spare. "It was quite rough on the outside for the start but our boat is good in these conditions," said Aaron Ciantar. "For most ofthe race we were able to keep up a good speed and take the turns at full throttle. Now we will try to win the title."

After a late disqualification from third place in qualifying and forced to start from the back, Nico Bertels and Frank Hemelaer recovered well to finish second in Bernico-New Star, with Stefano Bonanno and Maurizio Schepici bringing Tommy One home in third.

Fourth place for Aquasport’s Daniel Camphorn and Nico Huybens keeps them in the hunt for the title, with Hercules Sagemanns’ Andreas Podolsky and Udo Gross finishing in fifth ahead of Ian Blacker and Drew Langdon who limped home in an ailing Silverline to take points in sixth.

Giuseppe and Antonio Schiano's hopes of carrying their challenge for the title into the final day ended when Karelpiu failed to make the start of race 1 after damaging an engine after a spinout in qualifying.

Only a calamity can stop Victory from lifting the C1 crown, with the fight for the title in V1 between Chaudron, Aquasport and Tommy One.

www.class-1.com

Improve-it = Magnum 51 Bestia

This new blue, Magnum 51 has been delivered this summer 2014 to a client in Miami. Equipped with twin MTU 1600hp, this boat represents the results of Magnum Marine new studies in a more environmental friendly boat, especially on fuel economy and speed. Amazingly, this over 60 knots sport yacht will use only 380 lph, thanks to the lighter weight, common rail engines, the stiffer and lighter hull construction and the surface drives system. Interiors of this new model include a large salon and galley, master stateroom, head and crew cabin. Also called “Bestia”  Magnum 51 is characterized by her tremendous speed, acceleration and brute power. She features a narrow beam, deep-vee, very muscular hull, generally equipped with twin Caterpillar or MTU diesels of between 1600 and 1925 HP each coupled to Arneson surface drives. The top speed can reach up to 64 knots. Very impressive is her unbelievable seaworthiness in all weather conditions.  She slices through the waves and can safely and comfortably make long crossings in rough seas, whilst large yachts remain in port. In spite of her small size, the Magnum 51 has approx seven feet headroom and boasts a comfortable double cabin with Queen sized berth and plenty of closet space, a large head with stall shower, a salon, galley and crew cabin. The cockpit, with bolster helm and companion seats also features an L-shaped side and transom seat and sundeck.

www.magnummarine.com

Class One - Vee One - Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Preview

Fourteen boats will line up for the final two races of the season at this week’s Grand Prix of the U.A.E in Abu Dhabi, 3-5 December

The climax to the highly successful and competitive first season of the ‘new look’ ClassOne World Powerboat Championship combining C1 catamarans and V1 monohulls will decide the outcome of World titles in both categories.

In C1 Victory’s Arif Al Zaffain and Nadir Bin Hendi hold a 14 point advantage over a trio of outfits who on paper have a shot at lifting the title, whilst in V1 the outcome of the title race is too close to call, Team Chaudron topping the table on 46 points, a tenuous one point cushion over Aquasport with a mere 15 points separating the top five.

Al Zaffain and Bin Hendi will be looking to celebrate their 2014 racing reunion as they go in search of a fourth World title together and a 14thfor Victory Team. The Dubai duo will start as firm favourites and after dominating qualifying, a win in race 1 to add to their three victories in Ibiza and Terracina would all but seal the Championship.

Fifteen points separates Victory’s three potential title protagonists with Ugur Isik and Christian Zaborowski in Relekta-Zabo-Isiklar leading the challenge from Mikhail Kitashev and Guido Cappellini in New Star-Poliform both outfits grabbing three podium finishes and Luca Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella in LFF10, race winners’ last time out in race 2 in Terraccina.

Hoping for home success and a repeat of the team’s win in 2010 are Team Abu Dhabi’s American duo, Gary Ballough and 1997 Wold Champion John Tomlinson, who were impressive on their first outing together in Terracina, posting third best times in qualifying and taking third spot in race 1.

The competition and rivalry in V1 is as intense as it gets, four different outfits taking the chequered flag and climbing the top step of the podium and five grabbing podium finishes.

Of the top three each has a race win under their belts but a DNF apiece for Chaudron’s Aaron Chiantar and Dominique Martini and Tommy One’s Maurizio Schepici and Stefano Bonanno last time out could well prove costly, their misfortune allowing Daniel Camphorn and Nico Huybens to capitalise and stake their title claim, the Aquasport pairing splitting their rivals and sitting menacingly in second place.

Karelpiu’s Giuseppe and Antonio Schiano match Tommy One on 39 points in third spot and line-up in Abu Dhabi looking for their first win of the year, as do Ian Blacker and Drew Langdon in Silverline – both outfits finishing in podium spots twice.

Nico Bertels and Frank Hemelaer, race winner’s in Terracina, have it all to do with an 18 points margin to overturn, their strategy to run different crews for race 1 and 2 resulting in their points having to be allocated accordingly, whilst Siegfried Greve and Udo Gross will be hoping for a trouble free run in Hercules Sagemann after a frustrating double DNF last time out.

Teams will get their first impressions in tomorrow’s two practice sessions of what looks set to be a challenging course around Lulu Island, with a potentially rough offshore leg and a flat fast leg on the inside in front of the Abu Dhabi Corniche.

Official qualifying takes place on Thursday at 10.30hrs [local] followed by race 1 at 15.30hrs, a second qualifying and race 2 closing out the year on Friday.

www.class-1.com

New Model: Lagoon 630 Motor Yacht

Lagoon has come up with the 630 Motor Yacht, and this Power Catamaran was one of the most talked models during its World wide premier in Cannes. It had to be as the 630 Motor Yacht offers a package of long range, good performance, and incredible fuel economy in total comfort and serenity. Just think of the engines of the 630 which are twin 260 or optional 300hp units. Power usually found in ten meters size sport cruisers.  The 630 is a further development of the Lagoon 620, and is also the work result of talented VPLP architects and Nauta Design and Lagoon’s own engineers. The Lagoon 630 Motor Yacht will be also offered in five different internal layout options. The choice is vast from a standard four cabins, to five or six double cabins. One has also the option of a central or lateral galley in the main deck living area of the 630 Motor Yacht.

Technical Data:

LOA - 19.5 m (63.9ft)

Waterline Length - 18.6 m

Beam - 10 m

Fuel Capacity - 3000 l

Water Capacity - 960 l

Accommodation - standard 8 berths in 4 cabins, optional 10 berths in 5 cabins, 12 berths in 6 cabins

Engines - 2 x Volvo D4 260hp, D4 300hp

Propulsion - line shafr

Project - VPLP, Nauta Design

www.catamarans-lagoon.com

blogger - Reputation

Every year during the fall boat show season, a crop of new boat builders seem to enter the challenging yacht market.  Each of these new builders have a different profile, with two usually standing out; you can have the boat owner who turns builder with financing, or an experienced craftsman who after years on a yard floor takes matters into his hands.  Surprisingly even in recent difficult times new boat brands have not stopped coming up, with the Dutch taking first place from the Italians.    

Sometimes the biggest challenge that some of these new brands will face is image, and a reputation of being a solid company. Unlike a decade ago we live in an age where marketing and communication are very important.  In the eighties and nineties companies where growing up with the owners, for both size and production numbers.  At that time much was about reputation, with a balanced growth.  Many of today's famous brands grew up like this, it was a hand to hand owner builder build up, which started in a village, took a regional direction, national, and then international recognition.   

Today on the other hand you rarely see this growth. You can have the super yacht builder starting up with eighty plus footers, or a builder of smaller sub fifteen meters cruisers. That is why sometimes a brand name, even if closed for a few years, sometimes even decades always hold its values, and will have fans turning around and supporting it, even if the product has not yet been released yet.  

Monthly News - November 2014

-pic of the month- Ferretti Group Opens Shanghai Showroom

Azimut Internatioanl Awards

Even though it was just launched this past May 2014, it has already received two prestigious awards in the USA and China. Named Best Yacht of the Year 2014 by renowned magazine Robb Report China, the Azimut Grande 95RPH earned the "Best of the Best” classification that identifies the most extraordinary products in the luxury sector. In doing so, it has joined the ranks of world famous brands like Ferrari, Piaget, Ducati, and many others. The Italian boatyard's new 29-metre vessel impressed the jury with its elegance and style, its welcoming interiors, and its incredibly roomy flybridge (more than 60 m2); so much so that that they awarded it "Best in Class" among the other boats in its category. Similarly, the boat's superior performance made quite an impression on the jury at the AIM Marine Group Editor's Choice Awards. Held in conjunction with the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2014, the Editors’ Choice Awards is sponsored by AIM (Active Interest Media) Marine Group representing the following publications: Yachts International, Power & Motoryacht, Sail, Soundings, Soundings Trade Only, Passagemaker, and BoatQuest.com. At the official ceremony on 29th October 2014 in Fort Lauderdale, the Azimut Grande 95RPH was awarded Best Motoryacht in the 90-100 foot category. The jury recognized the Azimut model for its extraordinary design, innovation, technology, and creativity. These awards are significant for the Italian boatyard because they indicate the USA and China markets' enthusiasm for these new models, two strategically important markets for the Azimut|Benetti Group.

Bavaria Opens Office in the USA

In October Bavaria opened its new office in the USA at Fort Lauderdale in Florida. This is the second direct representation from the German Shipyard and follows the Bavaria Shanghai office opened recently. Under the name of Bavaria Yachts America, this office based in Florida will supervise the US market, Canada and the entire South American region. The Bavaria Yachts America operation is represented by Vincent Guiot, Sales Director at Bavaria. The first test of this new Bavaria office in the United States was the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Out of the Bavaria product range for motor boats, the Bavaria Virtess 420 Fly and the Virtess 420 Coupe were displayed. Customers from all over the United States visiting the show appreciated the brand Bavaria very much and the first orders were closed following the show. With the opening of this head office in Fort Lauderdale, Bavaria is making a clear commitment to the “Americas” market. The expansion of the dealer network and participation to all major shows such as Miami Boat Show, West Palm Beach, Rio de Janeiro, and Cartagena will strengthen Bavaria presence for 2015.

Beneteau 50th Boat Show

The third Boat Show opened its doors at the heart of the huge construction work that prefigured the Défense business district. Beneteau entered the French sailing scene, confidently showing its first polyester boats. At the same time, Suzuki wrote the first page of its motorboat history. In fifty years, we have come a long way since then. The Boat Show became the Nautic at Porte de Versailles and Beneteau and Suzuki have become two undisputed world leaders, working together and enjoying an increasing number of partnerships. Like an ode to the currents that carried them, Beneteau and Suzuki will celebrate the 50th anniversary of their presence at the Paris Boat Show. To create a connection between the two brands, four legendary Suzuki VanVan motorbikes have been customized in the anniversary colours of the two brands. So, as a prelude to the Show, three Beneteau Flyers will symbolically sail along 50 km of the River Seine, from Ile des Impressionnistes to Port Javel in Paris 15th arrondissement, escorted by this motorbike squad riding alongside. After these ‘Furious 50s’, the Flyers and VanVans will head to the Beneteau stands of the Nautic and these unique versions of the legendary Suzuki motorbike, redesigned by Style & Design and prepared by MFC Paris will be offered to the buyers of a boat whose purchase agreement is signed during the Show, following a draw. Designed by Style & Design, it is worth recalling that the new generation of Beneteau Flyers benefits from the latest technology developed by Suzuki Marine for its motorization. This close collaboration comes with European agreements between the engine manufacturer and the Vendée boatyard for the development and renewal of all of its outboard ranges.

CRN and Riva Finest Art on Water

“The Finest Art on Water” will be shown as part of the Rich Pickings. Displaying Wealth exhibition at the Museum Für Kunst Und Gewerbe, Hamburg. The exclusive collection by Christian Jankowski has been created in partnership with CRN and Riva, which are two Italian luxury yachting brands of the Ferretti Group. In collaboration with the magazine POP. Kultur und Kritik, Rich Pickings. Displaying Wealth brings together 20 contemporary approaches from a wide range of countries and artistic methods. Artist Christian Jankowski aims to engage directly with the idea of sales and exchange and the value of luxury goods. “The Finest Art on Water” is not only a yacht but also a piece of art that fully immerses the spectator. Visitors to the exhibition will explore the presentation of wealth in contemporary society, and through “The Finest Art on Water”, be confronted with the idea of luxury objects; that artwork can generate cultural capital and elevate the buyers above the level of conventional taste and material consumption. Jankowski collaborated with yacht builders CRN, the Italian shipyard specialised in the construction of fully customised steel and aluminium maga yacht over 40 metres, featuring a 68m vessel, whose exteriors and interiors lines were designed by Officina Italiana Design, and have been produced by the shipyard in the contemporary artwork. The Aquariva Cento, a limited edition boat, also designed by Officina Italiana Design, that can be available as a tender for CRN superyachts, will also be sculpturally displayed as part of the installation, simultaneously challenging an art audience and yacht lovers alike. 

Ferretti Group Opens First Flagship Showroom in Shanghai

Ferretti Group, world leader in the design, construction and sale of luxury motor yachts, proudly announces the opening of its first Flagship Showroom in Shanghai, located in the prestigious Mandarin Oriental Hotel in Pudong. The new Showroom sits on the bank of Huangpu River, in a beautiful location inside Mandarin Oriental Hotel. This place represents welcome, elegance, excellence, Italian style and the ‘Made in Italy’ quality, which are the key values of Ferretti Group. The design is by Officina Italiana Design - the studiothat designed the whole Riva fleet - which already gave its unmistakable mark to the previous Showroom, opened last June in Qingdao. The new opening demonstrates, one more time, Ferretti Group’s determination to expand the Mainland China business and the efforts to enhance the brand awareness and reputation in the most important market of Asia Pacific. Ten years ago, Ferretti Group pioneered the global luxury yacht industry by opening a representative office in Shanghai. Today, after years of efforts and investments, Ferretti Group is leading the industry in a fast growing market with unrivalled capabilities. Today’s celebration is for those past years and contextually marks the beginning of a new exciting era.

Gulf Craft Extends Service Portfolio

Gulf Craft, one of the world’s top 10 superyacht-building shipyards, has launched a new online portal to list yachts and boats for resale. The new listings webpage on Gulf Craft’s 360-degree service portfolio. The company offers to buy back its own boats and yachts from owners of Gulf Craft products looking to trade-in and trade-up. The pre-owned craft are then listed online for purchase by other interested buyers. The webpage offers buyers the ability to tailor their searches by model, brand, year of delivery and location as well as send purchase queries to the Gulf Craft team. As part of the policy of selling used craft, Gulf Craft will provide factory warranty of up to 6 months making the vessels ‘certified preowned yachts and boats’. The announcement comes just ahead of the Dubai Pre-owned Boat Show 2014 which will take place from November 27th to 29th at Dubai Creek Marina. Last year’s event attracted more than 5000 visitors.

Mulder Turkey Dealership

In addition to Russia and France, Mulder Shipyard is now also being represented in Turkey. Mulder Shipyard signed an agency agreement with Ahmet Hanif, the Managing Director of the Turkish HNF Yachting during the Cannes Yachting Festival. HNF Yachting is very experienced in selling large sailing yachts. With the Mulder Shipyard dealership, they will expand the sales of high quality luxury motoryachts. HNF Yachting represented Mulder Shipyard at the International Istanbul Boat Show last September.

Nordhavn Add New Broker

Chuck Pickover joins Nordhavn Yachts Southeast bringing with him nearly 30 years experience in yacht brokerage sales. He most recently spent time selling Nordhavns with Yacht Tech and is excited to come to Nordhavn where he can “build upon the experience and relationships” he developed there. A Miami native, Chuck always had a passion for the sea, and started his career in yacht sales with the renowned Allied Marine Group. Although inexperienced at the time, he made up for it with perseverance, enthusiasm and a willingness to learn. He spent the next 17 years at Allied selling hundreds of boats. He followed up his time at Allied with two years at Lazzara Yachts before starting his own brokerage firm, CMP Yacht Sales. He teamed with Sun Power Diesel and turned the partnership into the nation’s top Rampage dealership. Chuck’s vast knowledge of the boating market will serve customers well, no matter what boat they might be looking for, but he is especially keen to work with Nordhavn prospects. 

Otam New Monte Carlo Dealer

Monte Carlo Boat Sales founded by Massimo Aggeri and Petteri Turunen, both with more than 25 years of experience in sales of prestigious brands like Riva, and currently partners of Sanlorenzo and Pirelli Inflatables, add the OTAM brand to their prestigious portfolio. 

Outer Reef Makes Another Hit

A short update to let you know that Outer Reef Yachts has yet again won for the third time in a row the industry’s top award for outstanding quality, performance and customer satisfaction. The company’s latest 800 series launching Ti-Punch won the AIM (Active Media Interest) top award at a ceremony at the Fort Lauderdale yacht show this last week. AIM publish over six yachting titles and their respective journalists selected the Outer Reef 800 series for its top honours award.

Riviera Acknowledged Best of Best

The very versatile SUV collection from iconic Australian boat-builder Riviera is set to scale even greater heights after the series flagship 565 model secured Best Motoryacht honours at the biggest boat show in the world. The prestigious Editors Choice awards for the ‘best of the best' in production and semi-custom yachts were announced at a special gala presentation during the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, hosted by Active Interest Media (AIM) Marine Group. The sporty and adventurous 565 stood out from a sea of contenders for judges in the 50-59 feet category, endorsing Riviera’s credentials as a world-class builder of luxury yachts and reinforcing its position as Australia’s most-awarded boat-builder ever. Riviera chairman and owner Rodney Longhurst said the high-performance features and flexible design of the 565 SUV were certainly hard to ignore – catering for both the avid angler and the cruising entertainer. Mr Longhurst, on his return from Fort Lauderdale, paid tribute to the team of 430 international designers, engineers and master craftsmen at Riviera’s 14-hectare, state-of-the-art facility at Coomera on Australia’s Gold Coast. AIM Marine Group publishes a prestigious stable of boating titles including, Power & Motoryacht magazine, Yachts International, Sail, PassageMaker, Soundings, Anglers Journal and Soundings Trade Only. Mr Longhurst said the judges in each category were armed with precise selection criteria after editors from across the AIM Group nominated boats that were solid, well designed, built to high quality and performance. Riviera Director of Brand and Communications, Stephen Milne, said the team from AIM Marine Group’s Power & Motor Yacht magazine were scheduled to put the stylish and sophisticated new 6000 Sport Yacht through her paces this month. 

Selene Rendezvous and Rally Success

After the success of the first event, the second Selene Yachts Rendezvous in June again took place in the beautiful Marina Punat in Croatia. The rendezvous saw nine yachts and their owners, various journalists and other interested parties come together to enjoy a varied programme. It included informative events such as a presentation about safety at sea, as well as exciting highlights such as a battle scene onboard. Naturally, the yachts were also taken out for a spin on the water as well. Immediately following the rendezvous, Selene Yachts hosted a rally for the Selene owners. This included a visit to the historic city of Rab and excursions to nearby nature parks, such as the Kornati National Park and Krka waterfalls. We are already preparing for a third rendezvous next year!

Selene Charter Service Europe

Selene Yachts Europe now offers people the chance to experience the pleasure of being onboard a Selene even if they are not yet ready to buy a brand-new yacht themselves. Since September Selene has three Trawler yachts available for charter. The Selene 54 Too Slow and Selene 62 Silver Fox can be booked from Port de La Napoule in France. This is the perfect starting point for a sophisticated trip along the French Côte d’Azur, with its wealth of picturesque and historic coastal towns. The Selene 53 Visa M has its home berth in the Adriatic, in Dalmatia, Croatia, which also offers a stunning coastline, as the owners of Nomades confirm.

Sunseeker Appoint New Chief Executive Officer

Sunseeker International today announces the appointment of Phil Popham as Chief Executive Officer. Phil will join the company on 1 January 2015. Phil joins Sunseeker from Jaguar Land Rover where he has had a long and successful career over the last 25 years contributing to a major UK-based automotive success story. He has worked most of his career at Jaguar Land Rover, latterly as Group Marketing Director but he has also held the positions of Group Sales Director, Managing Director of Land Rover, as well as working in North America and South Africa for the company. During his time at the company he presided over a period of rapid growth and success for these iconic brands.

Sunseeker Appoints New Financial Officer

Sunseeker International today announces the appointment of Hugues Jacquin as Chief Financial Officer, with immediate effect. Jacquin joins Sunseeker from Bombardier where he has had a long and successful career over the last 18 years within the Aerospace and Transportation Divisions. His mandates have spanned between North America, Europe and Asia. Sunny Thakrar, previously Group Finance Director, will now focus on his principal role as Group Executive Director, overseeing Design and Development, HR, Operations, IT and Supply Chain functions and with responsibility for driving change and performance improvement initiatives throughout the business.

Viking Really Big Show

The waves of people have receded, the boats have returned to their ports, and while memories will linger, the 2014 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show is in the history book. And what a show it was. The Viking display of 15 boats attracted over 7,000 visitors during the five day run and for countless good reasons. We introduced our new flagship 92 Enclosed Bridge Convertible, the just launched 75 Motor Yacht and the inaugural appearance of the exciting 52 Sport Tower. Each day was marked with significant events like media press conferences to announce the new models with accompanying photo shoots. A flurry of notable awards flowed in including AIM Editor's Choice commendations for the 92 Enclosed Bridge Convertible and the 52 Sport Tower as best in their respective classes. Viking's co-founders Bill and Bob Healey were justifiably recognized with a Lifetime Achievement Award for their concerted dedication, contributions and efforts to promote and grow the marine industry over the past 50 years. Viking president Pat Healey spoke at the American Boat Builders and Repairers Association Business Leaders Reception Breakfast. We even managed to christen a new Viking convertible in our display, while welcoming the thrilled owner into the Viking family.

Viking Is More Then Just Fishing

Another block of dates you need to mark on your calendar is April 8-11, 2015, when the 2nd Annual Viking Key West Challenge family fishing tournament takes place. Last year the inaugural event celebrated our 50th Anniversary and this year we have more fun times scheduled for the entire family including two great days of fishing, a kid's dockside tournament, a lay day pool party and barbeque, daily prizes, plenty of fun activities, and a bunch of great looking trophies to celebrate your participation. Get started by checking out the Viking Key West Challenge website or on facebook, reserve a slip at your favorite Key West marina and then email Viking. Slips are limited so don't delay. 

Viking In A Win

Captain KJ Zeher kicked off the winter sailfish season with a win! Fishing on Mike Walsh's Viking 65 De Bait Able, the crew released four sails to take top honors at the 19th Annual Jeb Bush Florida Classic Sailfish Tournament in Fort Lauderdale. Captain Brian Komer on the Viking 62, along with the Honeywell Corporation and mates Mike Provow and Scott Adams, finished in Third Place. This charity event attracts elite fishing teams and has raised over $6.7 million to support the research and care programs of the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation.

Wider Surveyors Dinner in Fort Lauderdale

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show offered a great opportunity to discuss the technical aspects of Wider 150' with new clients, brokers, and some of the world's finest marine surveyors. Wider Sales and Marketing Office, in collaboration with Wider Yachts USA and Camper & Nicholsons International, organized for an event at the Harbour Beach Marriott Hotel. After a lively discussion over cocktails and canapés, the formal presentation started. A group of recommended surveyors enjoyed a review of the company and an overview of the diesel electric system. Valuable feedback was exchanged, and many of the participants visited the Wider stand to discuss further details.