October 7, 2023

New Launch: Heesen 60m YN 19959

Heesen presents the fully custom YN 19959, titled Project SkyFall during construction phase and now christened as m/y Ultra G. Heesen says 19959 was inspired by two luxury sportfishing yachts built in the nineties which occupy a special place in the Dutch fleet, the 38 meter m/y Obsessions YN 10137 launched in 1996 which was then overtaken by the meter larger sister Red Sapphire in 1999 yn 10638. Heesen YN 19959 is the ultimate expression of the knowledge and experience gained in over forty years of shipbuilding to the finest Dutch quality standards. Despite its phenomenal top speed, there is no shortage of luxury on board this exceptional 60 metre super sport yacht. The layout in this 60 meter Heesen is conceived to welcome friends aboard for sociable fishing adventures while allowing the master apartment to maintain a necessary level of privacy, peace and quiet on the bridge deck with its private terrace. A jacuzzi, a large walk-in wardrobe and an ample bathroom with a central oval bath and separate shower stall provide all the home comforts. Entertaining family and friends is the raison d’être of all social areas, indoors and out. A custom wine fridge, with discrete sections at different temperatures, takes pride of place in the main saloon. The media room, home to a Samsung The Wall screen 1814mm by 8063mm and an elegant games table on the main deck forward, is undoubtedly the pièce de résistance. The sundeck, with its infinity pool facing aft, is ideal for receptions and musical entertainments. Canine guests are well taken care of too, thanks to a series of carefully thought-out details to make their life at sea as safe and stress-free as possible. Among several features, the most notable is certainly the 'relief area', a self-flushing area of the side deck finished in synthetic grass, complete with sensors, cameras and sprinklers. Heesen YN 19959 has thirteen crew beds to take care of ten guests, with discreet separate routing allowing them to seamlessly service every area of the yacht. Heesen YN 19959 presents an ultra-technological and sophisticated propulsion system with 22,000 horsepower generated by four MTU engines, driving four Kongsberg waterjets. The outer engines, compliant with the latest Tier III environmental regulations, drive steerable jets, while the centre engines operate fixed booster units. With less back-pressure and a slightly higher power output, the centre engines will be used solely for the highest speeds. Waterjet drives lower the yacht's draft to less than three metres and reduce vibration by 40 per cent compared with traditional shafts and propellers. Thanks to its lightweight aluminium Fast Displacement Hull Form, complete with course fins, gyro stabilisers and interceptor trim plates, Heesen yard number 19959 has an extraordinary top speed of 37 knots in light load conditions. Her efficient FDHF hull will also deliver a much smoother, flatter ride compared to a conventional semi-displacement shape, while its extra volume offers plenty of space for equipment and amenities. Three gyro-stabilisers will keep the yacht comfortable at low speeds.
Technical Data:
LOA - 60 m (198.6ft)
Beam - 11.3 m
Draft - 2.7 m
Displacement - 880 gt *volume
Accommodation - twelve guests in five cabins, thirteen crew in seven cabins
Engines - 4 x MTU 20V 4000 5500hp
Propulsion - Kongsberg S90 water jets
Speed - 37 knots top speed light load, 33 knots loaded top speed
Hull Shape - FDHF fast displacement hull form
Construction - aluminium
Project - Frank Laupman Omega exterior, Eidsgaard interior, Van Oossanen naval architect
Certification - ABS class

October 6, 2023

Tecnomar Lamborghini Collides Into Pontoon Dock in San Diego

A Tecnomar for Lamborghini slow crashed into a pontoon dock on the morning of fifth October in San Diego on the West Coast of the USA.  According to the reports this is the second Tecnomar for Lamborghini which arrived in the USA and the first in the West Coast.  The Tecnomar Lamborghini suffered a small slow crashing incident in a marina tight spot, which can easily be repaired.  It is obvious this becomes a media sensation because the Tecnomar for Lamborghini is probably currently the most popular yacht to show off on the social-media platforms at this moment in time. 
The Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 has been produced since 2021 designed outside by the automaker with Brunello Acampora doing the naval architecture.  The 63 apart meaning the length and maximum speed to the Tecrnomar for Lamborghini, is also a tribute to the founding year of the sports car marker and the units Tecnomar will produce.

Project: Sunseeker 120 Yacht

During the 2023 Monaco Yacht show, Sunseeker unveiled the project for a new 120 Yacht model.  Considering the success Sunseeker had over the thirty meters size from 2000 onwards when it launched the 105 Yacht, and since then selling 147 yachts in fourteen models the Poole builder has been rather quiet in its one hundred feet plus Super Yacht range in recent years, that is excluding the 100 Yacht which launched in 2022.  The 120 Yacht project looks to be an evolution of the 116 Yacht, which Sunseeker debuted in 2016 and has sold in 24 units. Apart sharing hull dimensions and similar looks, the 120 Yacht though is rather revolutionized, and the further up you go in the more different it is to the 116, with glazing being extended and a new hard top with a forward looking inclination. The 120 Yacht has also been redesigned with an option as the rendering above shows to have a splash pool on the foredeck, while the transom area will feature opening gull wing doors which extend the bathing platform to a beach area with spaces which will include a day head with shower, and more space for waterside enjoyment.  The Sunseeker 120 Yacht will offer accommodation for ten guest suites including a very customisable owners stateroom forward of the main deck, while crew space is for six in three rooms forward of the lower deck.  The Sunseeker 120 Yacht is to be powered by twin MTU 2600hp for top speeds up to twenty knots, and a 1700 nautical miles range at ten knots.  

October 5, 2023

Sportfish Cruiser Ends Aground in Portsmouth River

An eleven meter sportfish cruiser ended aground in Sandy Point Beach, Portsmouth River on the early morning of fifth October.  Reports say it was a foggy morning with very poor visibility when the grounding of the sportfish cruiser occurred.  Although some might say that the sportfish cruiser looks equipped with full radar and GPS equipment, so even in poor visibility this was not supposed to happen. Obviously in these cases quick judgement on social media is fast, but before a full story is known better be careful, considering that the sportfish looks to have drifted aground rather gently then going on it at a speed.
The sportfish cruiser in this grounding is a Stamas 370 Express, as produced from 2000 to 2004. as an evolution of the 360 Express. The 370 evolution featured a raised bridge deck and a full transom design.  Stamas flagship at launch, the 370 Express was an evolution and replacement to the 360 Express, with the difference of a raised deck and transom redesign, and was replaced by the bit smaller 340 Express.

Two Yachts Burn Down in Pasadena Marina Florida

A fire in Pasadena Yacht and Country Club located in Boca Ciega Bay, southwest of Gulfport Boulevard, Florida which started after about 16:00 hours of Wednesday fourth October totalled and sank two boats and damaged two more.  The fire started on a thirteen meter flybridge cruiser, which then jumped to the starboard side on a sixteen meters sportfish yacht.  The flybridge cruiser which ignited the fire was totally burned down to the waterline and sank with the fire, while the sportfish yacht to starboard also received extensive damage and partly sank later on.  Another seventeen meter sportfish yacht to port side of the fire starting flybridge cruiser also had fire burning damage, with some minor damage also hitting a same sized sportfish yacht located to starboard a slip away from the fire starting boat.  Gulfport Police Department dispatched officers, emergency crews, and fire fighters to the scene around 17:00 hours.  The cause of the fire is reported as starting from the battery compartment of the thirteen meter flybridge cruiser.  No one was injured in the fire although damages are reported to be about 1.3 million US dollars.
Pasadena Yacht and Country Club was also involved in a fire on 03:00 hours of eighteen December 2020.  We did not report that fire back then as I found nearly zero information apart a photo of three empty slips damaged by fire.
The boat which started the fire is a Meridian 441 Sedan as produced from 2003 to 2008 in over three hundred units.   For this the 441 Sedan was one of the biggest successes of the Brunswick created and 2003 to 2016 existed Meridian brand.  
The other yacht which burned down and partly sank is a Viking 52 Convertible, as produced from 2002 to 2009.  The other yachts which received fire damage, are a Viking 55 Convertible from 1998 to 2003 to port side, while the further boat to starboard is a Viking 56 Convertible which was produced from 2004 to 2010.

New Model: Evo Yachts R+ 17.71m

For the 2023 fall boat show round-up Evo Yachts presented the new R+, a fully enclosed hard top sport yacht which takes boating into the future.  The R+ is based on the hull of the 2019 launched Evo Yachts R6, which was followed by an Open variant in Summer 2020.  This new R+ which uses the hull and a complete different layout outside and inside takes the opposite route to its more open sisters for a fully enclosed hard top with patio door. The enclosed main deck, ideal for long, comfortable stays on board, is added by a multipurpose stern platform which extends astern and apart easy to launch and haul up tender or jet ski generates a split level second entertainment area with the aft deck. For this first unit of the R+ the owner did not opt for the extendable Evo bulkheads in the aft cockpit which extend away, but are always available as an option in future builds.  As the other Evo Yachts, designer Valerio Rivellini in the R+ silhouette shows eye-catching modern minimal sporty lines with the aluminium top painted in black emphasizing futuristic angular looks, in keeping with Evo Yachts signature style, while the interiors feature high ceilings for maximum comfort and liveability for this unit offered a living lounging galley area on the main deck with a three double cabins lower deck. The minimal, sporty and dynamic style chosen for the interiors is a hallmark of the R line with interior design and exterior styling express the desire to achieve the ideal combination of dynamism and onboard comfort with futuristic modernity.  The Evo R+ is powered by twin Volvo 725hp with IPS pod drives propulsion for a top speed up to 34 knots and a cruise of 26.
Technical Data: 
LOA - 17.71 m (58.9ft)
Hull Length - 17.6 m
Waterline Length - 15.5 m
Beam - 5.31 m
Draft - 1.20 m
Displacement - 25 t loaded, 21 t dry
Fuel Capacity - 2100 l
Water Capacity - 510 l
Max Persons - 16
Accommodation - four berths in two cabins, or six berths in three cabins, one crew cabin berth
Engines - 2 x Volvo D11 725hp
Propulsion - Volvo IPS forward looking dual propeller pod drives
Speed - 34 knots max, 26 knots cruise with Volvo 725hp
Range - 280 nm at cruise
Hull Shape - modified Vee with 16 degrees deadrise aft
Project - Studio Rivellini
Certification - CE A12, B16
www.evoyachts.com

October 4, 2023

Prestige Yacht Struck Rocks and Sinks in Mercury Bay

A fifteen meter Prestige sport yacht with two person onboard struck rocks near Motukorure Island, and then sank to the near about of Mercury Bay, to the East of Auckland, in New Zealand at around 15:45 hours of Wednesday fourth October.  The yacht sank fairly quickly in about twenty meters of water, with the two passengers coming out unscathed from the sinking.  Regional Council Officers inspected the scene before the sport yacht fully sank in deep water.  The yacht was reported as being a new purchase by the current owner, and was carrying 1300 litres of fuel.  A salvage operation is being organized by the owner, although this is taken some time for it to get going, with the risk of fuel pollution to the area increasing by the hour.
The Prestige yacht in this sinking is a ten year old 500S as designed by Garroni with naval architecture by JandJ and produced from 2010 till 2017.  The 500S was a replacement to the Prestige 50S, and was replaced by the 520S.

Project: Botnia Targa 41

Botnia present the project for a new Targa 41 model, sitting behind the 44 and 46 flagship models.  The Targa 41 looks to be based on a new platform rather, then the 2004 launched 42 model, which then became the current 44 and 46 models.  Like the bigger sisters the new Targa 41 will offer a living on the main deck, with two separate cabins areas, forward and midships sleeping five.  Both cabins will feature en-suite bathrooms, with the midships cabin offer a double berth and a single, and a difference from the bigger models will be the addition of larger vertical window serving the midships cabin.   The flybridge on the Targa is a cozy affair, offering an L-shaped dinette and helm station to port side.  The Botnia Targa 41 is powered by twin Volvo 400 to 480hp engines in stern drives of IPS pods drives.  Top speeds are estimated up to 42 knots probably reachable with the twin Volvo 440hp stern drive propulsion match up.  

October 3, 2023

Sea Ray Sport Cruiser Saved from Sinking in Mallets Bay

A thirteen meter Sea Ray sport cruiser with one person onboard was in danger of sinking after hitting a solid object at about 17:00 hours of Monday second October to the South West of Valcour Island, Mallets Bay, Lake Champlain, Burlington, Vermont.  Receiving a call the Cholchester Fire department rescued to owner-boater with its rescue boat, the coast guard followed later, and started the operation to save the Sea Ray sport cruiser, which was sinking in over a meter of water and its bow already buried in the sea bed.  The coast guard initiated the saving with a gas-powered pump and later received the assistance from Red Cap Marine and Salvage who added another pump, floated and patched the Sea Ray and then towed her to Champlain Marina area to dry dock her.  No one was injured in the collision, with the solid object opening a gap of about two feet in the sport cruiser's hull bottom to port side.
The Sea Ray in this near sinking is a 440 Sundancer as produced from 1993 to 1995.  Introduced as a 420 Sundancer in 1990, she was updated as 440 with port holes replacing the window and propeller tunnels added in the hull.  The 440 Sundancer was replaced in 1995 with the Sea Ray 450 Sundancer.

New Model: Wajer 44

Wajer continues to expand its line of classic inspired runabout and yachts, presenting its new 44 model which sits in between its long standing popular 38 and second in size 55 models.  The Wajer 44 comes as its larger sisters from a design of Sinot, with naval architecture by Van Oossanen.  Sinot really presented a thing of beauty with the Wajer 44, a classic fitted in a modern profile.  Like the smaller runabout of the sixties which inspire the Wajer 44, it is mostly about day cruising and enjoyment in the cockpit, this offering two aft sun-pads, an L-shaped sofa with bench settee opposite, and dual seat helm station to starboard with a single forward facing passenger settee to port-side.  The cabin area down below the Wajer 44 offers sleeping for two; with a galley to port side, C-shaped dinette to starboard which becomes a double berth, and a forward shower head.  The Wajer 44 is standard powered by twin Volvo 380hp with IPS pod propulsion for top speeds up to forty knots, and a cruise of 26.  Wajer is also declaring a very good range for up to three hundred nautical miles at cruise, although with its declared consumption of 130 litres per hours at 25 knots, which equals to 5.2 litres per nautical mile the range is up to 230 nautical miles without allowing for reserve.
Technical Data:
LOA - 13.10 m (43ft)
Beam - 4 m
Draft - 1.10 m
Displacement - 12.6 t half load
Fuel Capacity - 1200 l
Water Capacity - 290 l
Accommodation - two berths
Max Persons - sixteen
Engines - 2 x Volvo D6 380hp
Propulsion - Volvo forward looking dual propeller IPS pod drives
Speed - forty knots max 26 cruise
Range - up to 300 nautical miles
Hull Shape - deep Vee with 21 degrees deadrise
Project - Sinot exterior and interior, Van Oossanen naval architect
Certification - CE B