April 16, 2024

New Model: Rio Daytona 45

In mid 2023 Rio presented its new Daytona 45 model, a walk around sport cruiser of thirteen meters in length. The Rio Daytona 45 offers a spacious and flexible layout, a sport cruiser which its main features remain true to the range: sporty streamlined and symmetrical lines, walkaround deck, and maximum exterior space thanks to the fore to bow use of the exterior and two significantly sized fold down sea terraces. Welcoming you onboard the cockpit, the Daytona 45 has a large sundeck, a tender garage, and movable seating that allows the cockpit layout to be changed in minutes. The two fold down terraces that open to the sides allow you to break down visual boundaries, feel immersed in nature, and make the sea part of your decor. The technological and modern helm station located central off-set to starboard is protected by a rigid T-top. The walk-around passages are wide, comfortable and safe, taking you fore deck when you have a sun-pad on top of the coach roof, and two opposed settees. The bright interior is represented by a smart, multi-use open space. Two cabins, one bathroom and an exceptional distribution of space for a thirteen-meter sport cruiser designed around the exterior. The Rio Daytona 45 is also flexible in its power choices offered in both inboard with twin Yanmar 370hp and stern drive propulsion, or outboard twin Mercury 400hp outboard engines.
Technical Data:
LOA - 13.70 m (44.9ft)
Hull Length - 11.9 m 
Beam - 4.10 m
Draft - 0.70 m ex. props and drives
Displacement - 12,000 kg unloaded
Fuel Capacity - 1200 l
Water Capacity - 300 l
Max Persons - twelve
Accommodation - four berths in two cabins
Engines - 2 x Yanmar 8LV 370hp, Mercury Verado 400hp *outboards
Propulsion - Yanmar stern drives, or Mercury outboards
Speed - 38 knots max 32 cruise with Yanmar, 44 knots max 32 cruise with Mercury outboards
Project - Marino Alfani

April 15, 2024

Motor Yacht Explodes Then Goes Ablaze in Calanova Mallorca

A 23 meter yacht titled m/y Tomi had an onboard explosion which then set an onboard fire while moored and berthed in Calanova, Palma, to the South West of Mallorca Island on Monday fifteen April.  Reports say a malfunctioning bow thruster set an explosion which then started a fire onboard the yacht.  Palma fire fighters rushed to the scene to control the flames, while Calanova marina personnel moved the yacht to a safe location out of harms way in order not to damage other yachts.   At this stage it is not reported if anyone was injured in this explosion and subsequent fire.
M/y Tomi is a 2015 Pearl 75 as designed by Bill Dixon with interiors by Kelly Hoppen and produced from 2011 up tol 2016.  The 75 apart being Pearl's new flagship at launch marked also the change to a midships-fore cabin area from the aft cabin design which made the brand famous in the noughties.  The 75 was replaced by the Pearl 80.

Classic Wellcraft Beaches in Haulover Beach

A classic seven meter Wellcraft sportish cruiser with three persons onboard ended Beached at Haulover Beach, Florida on the afternoon of Sunday fourteen April.  The whole event was filmed by Wavy Boats, from the boat going out of Haulover Inlet into moderate to rough seas with winds of fifteen knots and wave height of about one meter, to it having engine problems, the beaching, and subsequent arrival of the Police and then towing by Fast Response.  The Wellcraft cabin cruiser took over half an hour for it to end up beached, enough time for a proper anchor deployment, and although this was made to aft port side, this was too short and deployed late.  Thanks to the boat beaching in sand, this classic Wellcraft should live another day as the towing back to safe harbour showed.
The classic Wellcraft in this beaching is a 250 Coastal as produced from 1986 till 1989.  Part of Wellcraft fishing line the 250 Coastal, was a soft evolution and replacement to the 248 Sportsman, recognizable by the larger window, and was replaced by the 2600 Coastal.

Project: Hatteras Chub Cay 77

Since the buy out by White River Marine Group of Johnny Morris in May 2021, Hatteras has been rather flat, with the company not presenting any new models and major moves for over two years, with it's latest model being the 105 Raised Pilothouse which debuted in that year.  Finally though at the Miami 2024 boat show, Hatteras finally announced not one but three new projects from 48 to 77 feet set to debut in the coming two years.  This Chub Cay 77 is the largest of these upcoming projects from Hatteras with the other two being an outboard powered cabin walk-around and a twenty meter sportfish yacht.  The Chub Cay 77 is the one which was provided with the most details of the three projects, with Hatteras advising for a four double cabins layout with a full beam midships located owners stateroom.  The rendering of the Chub Cay 77 shows a sportfish yacht immersed more then ever in Carolina sportfishing roots from the dramatic curved reverse shear line to an importantly flared bow.  Engine and performance information has not been announced with launching of the first unit planned for 2026.

April 14, 2024

Improve-it = Sunreef Power 80

Sunreef Yachts Power 80 is offered in the environmentally-friendly Eco version, what is a fully-autonomous power catamaran using revolutionary green tech for fuel-free cruising in total silence and luxury.  Designed and built to navigate in complete harmony with the elements, the Sunreef Power 80 Eco version is a pioneer in the world of responsible yachting, and unique in the industry, with its solar power system panels constructed from ultralight composite-integrated within the hull sides, mast, superstructure and bimini roof. Using an industry-first technology, the photovoltaic system can deliver up to 36 kWp. The yacht’s wind-free propulsion comes from twin 180kW electric engines providing top energy efficiency and performance. While under power, the Sunreef 80 Eco recovers energy from the passive motion of the two propellers thanks to an advanced hydro generation system. The energy obtained will be used to power both the propulsion and house appliances. The Sunreef Power 80 Eco system is also able to generate over 15 kWh while sailing above seven knots.

April 13, 2024

Roberto Cavalli 1940 - 2024

Iconic fashion designer and serial yacht owner Roberto Cavalli left for the better World on the twelfth April, in his loved Florence at the age of 83. Roberto Cavalli was reported suffering from a long illness, and in his last hours was supported by his since fifteen years companion Sandra Bergman Nilsson. Born fifteen November 1940 Roberto Cavalli had a hard upbringing as his father was killed in the 1944 Cavriglia massacre, a Nazi reprisal on civilians, when he was four. Cavalli enrolled at the local Florence art institute, concentrating on textile print. While still a student, he made a series of flower prints on knit that caught the attention of major Italian hosiery manufacturers. In the early seventies he invented and patented a printing process on leather, and started creating patchworks of different materials, debuting these techniques in Paris, and winning commissions from the likes of Hermès and Pierre Cardin. At age 32 Roberto Cavalli presented his first namesake collection at the Salon for Prêt-à-Porter in Paris. He brought it to the catwalks of the Sala Bianca of Palazzo Pitti in Florence, and later his Milano Collezioni featured jeans made of printed denim, intarsia leathers, brocade, and wild-animal prints. In 1972 Cavalli opens his first boutique in Saint-Tropez, three years later Roberto Cavalli fashion house is opened incorporating "femininity, spiritedness, and leopard print" as its pillars. Roberto Cavalli acquired appeal for its stable and unvarying looks despite the changing trends. In 1994 at the Milan fashion week Cavalli presented the first sand-blasted jeans. By December of the same year, he had opened boutiques in Saint Barth, in the French Caribbean, followed by others in Venice and Saint-Tropez. Besides his main line, which is sold in more than fifty countries worldwide, Cavalli expanded his fashion house with the RC Menswear, Just Cavalli, Angels and Devils children, Class, and Cavalli-Cafe lines. Roberto Cavalli was on 18 June 2013 awarded an Honorary Master Diploma in Fashion Management from Domus Academy in Milan, during a ceremony after which he held a lectio magistralis. Roberto Cavalli will sell his company in March 2015 to Clessidra SGR fund of Claudio Sposito but keeping a minority share in the company. Roberto Cavali was married two times and had six children; Silvanella Giannoni in 1964, Eva During in 1980 , and his last companion since 2010 Sandra Nilsson Bergmann. As yachts go Roberto Cavalli owned five yachts; two super yachts, two maxi ribs, and a twelve meter sports cruiser. Roberto Cavalli first boat was a mid seventies Tecnomarine Tiger C42 as designed by Paolo Caliari, in 1999 he takes ownership of a Novamarine HD17 the largest rib build in that time, in 2004 he launches the Spadolini designed custom build Baglietto 40,8 mt Hull.10232 which he will keep till 2015, this is followed by the Novamarine Black Shiver 220 which he takes ownership in 2014, and then in 2018 he launches Spadolini designed custom build Cerri 27m Freedom. Roberto Cavalli also re-designed the interior of m/y Thunder during the 2015 refit of the 1998 build Oceanfast 49.98 meter Hull.71 as designed by Jon Banenberg.

Prestige Yacht Ends Aground in Cayman Brac

 
A nineteen meter Prestige yacht ended beached on the West end of Cayman Brac, Cayman Islands on the night between Friday to Saturday thirteen April.  A night of strong winds broke the swing mooring with the Prestige Yacht ending up beached. According to the photos and reports the yacht did try to deploy the anchor, but probably no time as the swing mooring was only located about two hundred meters away from the beach.  The Prestige yacht was rescued a week later, with reports of shafts and P-brackets hull puncturing damage coming from the beaching. 
The Prestige in this beaching is a 620 Flybridge model as designed by Garroni and produced from 2012 to 2015.  The 620 was Prestige flagship at launch, coming out as a replacement to the 60, and replaced by the 630.  Prestige also offered the 620 S, similar in many things but with a smaller sportier sport bridge up top.

Classic Chris Craft Ends Beached in Ocean Park

A classic ten meter Chris Craft cabin cruiser with one person and a dog ended aground and beached in Ocean Park, Long Beach, Washington state after a mechanical problem and rough seas disabled it on Friday twelfth April.  Michael Bonome the lone navigator in this story also ended in the water to rescue his dog, while trying to deploy his anchor.  The locals brought an ambulance to the lone navigator, and also opened a GoFundMe account to help him return his boat back in the water.  After navigating in the lakes and rivers, Bonome was trying his ocean navigation skills for the first time, when a mechanical problem put him in this situation.  Bonome is waiting for high tide to return his boat in the water.
The Chris Craft in this grounding is a 33 Offshore model as produced in the seventies.  The 33 Offshore was also offered in the 33 Sport Sedan variant, with a totally different convertible sportfish super structure and cabin layout.  The Chris Craft 33 Offshore came out as a replacement to the Catalina 33 Sedan in around the mid seventies.

Project: Azimut Grande 44M

Once upon a time Azimut-Benetti Group never felt the confidence to push Azimut Yachts beyond 35 meters, this was particularly shown in 2012 when the Grande 140 and 125 projects were eventually rebadged as Benetti Fast Line during project stages.  Things change with times and after 2021 and the launch of the Trideck 38 meter and its success of 21 hulls sold to date, Azimut is now going further into bigger dimensions, with the project for this new sleek looking and innovative Grande 44M project presented during the Palm Beach 2024 boat show.  Azimut’s new flagship is as all the recent offers a Low Emission Yacht with concept and exterior styling by Alberto Mancini and interiors by M²atelier, who are working with the Shipyard for the first time.  The Grande 44M as is the usual course of Azimut brings the future to the present, an expression of its mission to marry technological innovation, visionary design and a focus on environmental sustainability. Grande 44M amazes by offering something that doesn’t exist today: a superyacht with reduced CO2 emissions that brings bold, flowing lines to a design with four decks rather than the traditional three, embracing and sculpting significant volumes. Grande 44M is a super yacht that offers a unique and unexpected onboard lifestyle for this segment, with a stand-out Upper Deck, which can be converted into an Owner’s Deck with uninterrupted sea views both forward and astern. The concept underpinning the innovative styling created by Azimut in partnership with Alberto Mancini, is the decision to move the helm station to the fourth deck, freeing up the Upper Deck so that it can be transformed into an Owner’s Deck featuring the master suite and a private terrace offering spectacular views. to aft, the Grande 44M reoffers the Mezzanine Deck with Sea View Terrace that was central to the success of Grande Trideck theme. On the Grande 44M, this stage overlooking the sea is made even more unique by the See Through Pool, with its plays on transparency that establish continuous contact with the water and generate reflections that give the beach club an even more magical feel. The new layout means that architecture firm M²atelier, who are working with Azimut for the first time, could create an interior design that balances functionality and aesthetics, making the owners’ experience central and offering versatile settings to configure according to how they like to spend their time with family and friends. The forward section of Grande 44M’s Upper Deck can be fitted out as a media room for guests or reserved for the owner, or alternatively as a dining area with veranda accommodating twelve people. In both cases, almost two-meter-long windows on either side provide open views outside, where a lounge area in the bow with a small firepit offers a cozy space from which to watch the sun set over the water. It’s a lifestyle aspired to by everyone who loves the sea. Water is the key element in the narrative told by m²atelier, capturing its essence and giving back fluidity, dynamism and reflections. m²atelier, a firm with an international reputation for creative projects in multiple sectors, from residences and hotels to retail and product design brings as a distinctive signature for Azimut a clear message, accented by refined, subtle, whispered details that seduce with a discreet simplicity completely free of affectation or overemphasis. Grande 44M is not only a design and lifestyle masterpiece, but also a highly advanced naval architecture project and a new milestone in the green course charted by Azimut. The yacht is also the flagship of the Shipyard’s family of Low Emission Yachts, models that offer a reduction  between 20 and 30% in emissions compared to more traditional naval architectures of the same size. The innovative naval platform of Grande 44M is based on a Dual Mode hull, the introduction of the Hull Vane® foil technology and the Mild Hybrid Plus Zero Emission Hotel Mode system. The Dual Mode hull, developed in partnership by P.L. Ausonio Naval Architecture and the Azimut Research and Design department, represents the union of two types of conventional hull: the bow section is typical for fast displacement boats, while the part from midships to the stern has a chine commonly found on planning hulls. This results in a hull that allows a considerable reduction in fuel consumption and emissions at every speed range. The foil technology is installed for the first time on an Azimut yacht thanks to the collaboration between Hull Vane, Dutch company global leader in the design of advanced hydrodynamic solutions, and the Azimut|Benetti Group Research and Design Department which has gained a great experience in the design and production of carbon components. The Hull Vane® carbon wing fitted to the stern of Grande 44M is able to suppress the stern wave and generate forward thrust, providing further reduction in overall drag as well as damping of pitch, sway, and roll in navigation. The ability to combine onboard comfort with a focus on environmental sustainability is a stand-out feature of the designs developed by Azimut, which now already offers six models that can be fitted with a Zero Emission Hotel Mode system, making it possible to stay at anchor from up to eight hours with the generators turned off. On the Azimut Grande 44M this technology achieves maximum efficiency in combination with the Mild Hybrid Plus system, a new level of electrification developed by Azimut|Benetti Group in partnership with Asea Nautica. The Mild Hybrid Plus Zero Emission Hotel Mode system is the only solution today that makes it possible to cruise with the generators off and all loads connected, as well as producing a surplus of energy used to recharge the battery pack. Grande 44M is scheduled to be presented to the public at the Cannes 2026 boat show, with Azimut already announcing five units sold at the unveiling of the project during the Palm Beach boat show.

April 12, 2024

New Launch: Baglietto Superfast 41m hull #10242

Baglietto has launched an aluminum custom build 41m Superfast super yacht hull number 10242, titled m/y Francesca II. This Baglietto 41m custom Superfast is characterized by a strong personality and comes from a design by Francesco Paszkowski who also signed also the interior in collaboration with Margherita Casprini, and naval architecture by Bacigalupo.  Paszkowski designed a flybridge yacht of important size, yet with a stream lined profile that even though she is a flybridge yacht, makes her one of the most sleekest yachts in size.  Fully custom this 41m Superfast bears a personal layout, with all guests cabins located on the lower deck: master stateroom at amidships, VIP suite forward, and two guest cabins with twin single beds that can slide convert into double beds. On the same deck, closer to the stern, are the crew quarters and lobby located beside the engine room and conveniently accessible directly from the main deck, they include accommodation for five with a captain’s cabin and two double cabins for the crew, and a galley with dinette. The aft garage, which opens on one side, is used to store a tender. The main deck has been devised in such a way as to ensure a harmonious continuum between interior and exterior areas. Two sliding doors, one located aft and the other on a side, provide access to the dining area and to the conversation area of the main salon. The latter is brightened by the natural light flowing through two ceiling-high windows, which also ensure a wonderfully close contact with the sea even when living indoors. The pilot station can be found forward of the main salon. The outdoor aft cockpit hosts a lounge area, while the sunbathing area on the aft swimming platform is perfect to relax by the sea. Another sunbathing area and a second conversation area have been set up at the extreme bow of this modern, impressively functional yacht. A second pilot station, with a pleasant relaxation area just behind it, can be found on the fly bridge. Baglietto's custom Superfast hull number 10242 is fitted with triple MTU 1920hp with jet propulsion system, delivering a top speed up to 33 knots and a cruise 28 knots. 
Technical Data:
LOA - 41 m (134.5ft)
Beam - 8 m
Draft - 1.40 m
Displacement - 165 t half load
Fuel Capacity - 15,000 l
Water Capacity - 2500 l
Accommodation - eight guests in four cabins, five crew in three cabins
Engines - 3 x MTU 12v2000 M96L 1920hp
Propulsion - jet drives
Speed - 33 knots max 28 cruise
Construction - aluminum
Project - Francesco Paszkowski exterior interior, Margherita Casprini interior, Bacigalupo naval architect
Certification - ABS