September 14, 2024

New Model: Benetti B.Now 67M

On July 19 at its Livorno shipyard, Benetti marked a new milestone with the launch of M/Y Iryna 66m, the first model in the B.Now 67M semi-custom family. The owner renewed his confidence in the Shipyard by commissioning the construction of this vessel, eager to continue his evolution in the Benetti range, with the guarantee of superior construction and design quality. The exterior styling is by Redman Whiteley Dixon, the renowned UK firm with which Benetti has worked successfully on the entire B.Now line. The first B.Now 67M features the innovative Oasis Deck® concept, a solution that revolutionizes the aft cockpit concept, transforming the vertical barriers into an extension of the deck and offering more conviviality in contact with the sea, a built-in pool, and a 270-degree field of view in 190 square metres of surface area. The aft salon is a mix of sunlight and shade so that guests can enjoy the deck at any time of day, while the Social Design turns the entire deck into a spacious oasis of conviviality. The colouring of the hull and superstructure is personalized to point up the exterior styling with three different shades of grey. The boat is also characterized by extensive, mainly curved glazing that covers up to 70% of the overall vertical surface area. The almost entirely bespoke interiors were designed by Benetti’s Interior Design Department under the direction of Mariarosa Remedi. A crucial role in defining the spaces was played by the owner, who asked the Shipyard to create a setting to showcase the loose furniture produced by one of his favourite brands, Visionnaire. The spacious interiors are exquisitely clad in leather that hasn’t been treated with chemicals and, in the case of the Lower Deck, is custom designed for this boat. Prestige woods, such as curly maple wood and macassar ebony, cover the floors together with marble-effect ceramic tiling, chosen by the customer as a more ecological alternative to marble. With a steel hull, the Benetti B.Now 67M has six decks. From the top observation deck down to the under Lower deck, this super yacht is extremely spacious both outdoors, with around 500 square metres of usable space, and indoors with a 65-square-metre Main Salon and a full-beam owner’s suite on the Upper Deck, made possible by moving the wheelhouse and captain’s cabin up to the next deck. With two VIP cabins on the Main Deck and four cabins on the Lower Deck, the B.Now 67M accommodates up to 15 guests. There are numerous wellness areas, including a sauna in the beach club and a gym on the Main Deck, both built at the owner’s request. This new boat will be delivered to her owner at the end of the summer in a new record for Benetti, which with the B.Now platform concept successfully completed the project in under three years from the first sketches on a blank sheet of paper.
Technical Data:
LOA - 67 m (219.9ft)
Beam - 11.2 m
Draft - 3.10 m
Displacement - 1296 gt* volume
Fuel Capacity - 115,000 l
Water Capacity - 33,000 l
Accommodation - fourteen guests in seven cabins, seventeen crew in ten cabins
Engines - 2 x Cats 3512E 
Propulsion - line shaft with ZF5356 gearbox
Speed - sixteen knots max, fifteen fast cruise, twelve knots long range cruise
Range - 5000 nautical miles at cruise
Construction - steel hull and aluminium super structure
Project - Redman Whiteley Dixon exterior, Azimut-Benetti Group and Sinot for interior
Certification - Lloyds cross of Malta A1

September 13, 2024

Azimut Yacht Saved from Fire Near Fontainebleau Hotel Miami Beach

A 25 meter Azimut yacht titled m/y My Way with twelve persons onboard had a fire as it was anchored half a mile off the coast to the Fontainebleau Hotel, Miami Beach, Miami on Thursday twelfth September.  Miami-Dade Fire Rescue Fire Boat 73 attended first to the fire as she was nearby the area, and offloaded the ten guests, and was followed by another Miami-Dade boat and then by the City of Miami Fire Rescue boat, and a US Coast Guard rib.  Ultimately four boats assisted to the blaze and a county helicopter supervised from above, as the two crew remained onboard to control the situation.  The fire was contained with the fire suppression system working its job to mitigate the blaze.
The Azimut yacht in this fire is an 85 model as produced from 2005 to 2009 to a design of Stefano Righini in nineteen units.  The Azimut 85 came out as a replacement to the 85 Ultimate, with the model evolving into the 88, which was the same yacht with bigger hull windows to the cabins in the lower deck and a larger extended bathing platform.

Project: Ava Yachts Kando85

AvA Yachts is delighted to announce the addition of a new model to its famed series of Kando contemporary explorer yachts: the Kando85. At length overall just over 25 meters the Kando85 is constructed with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure and can either be operated by crew or run privately as an owner-operated vessel with its waterline length being just under 24m. Designed as a full displacement world cruiser capable of immense distances and long periods at sea the Kando80 boasts an outstanding interior volume of 160 GT and a range up to 5000 nautical miles at a cruising speed of nine knots. Powered by twin Volvo 408hp engines the Kando85 will reach a maximum speed of elven knots. The Kando85 offers on-deck capacity for a 4.2m tender. The standard internal configuration is a four cabin arrangement including a main deck master suite, with two crew cabins. The Kando85 is to be build to CE A category, with a steel hull thickness of eight to ten millimetres and construction time of about a year and a half.

September 12, 2024

New Model: Van den Hoven Voyager 56 Fly

Premium Dutch boatbuilders Van den Hoven have completed the Voyager 56 Fly, a fast-sailing family-oriented motor yacht with fabulous indoor and outdoor spaces. Offering superyacht standards of luxury and comfort for six people, this latest addition to the Voyager line features the inimitable lines and first-class performance of a RenĂ© van der Velden design. Like all Voyagers the 56 Fly is built in aluminium and this offers a range of significant benefits: lighter hull, speeds up to 22 knots, and a custom flexibility in layout. The Voyager 56 Fly makes the most of the trend over recent years of optimising outdoor living. This is reflected in the following aspects: spacious mostly covered aft deck with its extra corner sofa, garage for the Williams tender for fast shuttles between yacht and coast, large flybridge with extra helm station, sunbeds, lounge set, dinette and outdoor galley with fridge and grill. The Van den Hoven also offers an expansive foredeck with sunbeds, forward facing settee, and the option for a sun roof. The Voyager 56 Fly interior revolves around a three double cabins layout, and a living all located on the main deck. The spacious owners’ suite is located forward, with a VIP suite located at midships, and a third cabin with L-shaped bunk to port side. The living is on the main deck, with an astern galley located to port side.  The Van den Hoven Voyager 56 Fly is powered by twin Volvo 600hp for top speeds up to 22 knots.
Technical Data:
LOA - 18.45 m (60.5ft)
Hull Length - 17.3 m 
Beam - 5.30 m
Draft - 1.05 m ex props, 1.50 m with running gear
Displacement - 35 t
Fuel Capacity - 1520 l
Water Capacity - 390 l
Accommodation - six berths in three cabins
Engines - 2 x Volvo D8 600hp
Propulsion - line shaft
Speed - 22 knots max
Hull Shape - semi displacement
Construction - aluminium
Project - Rene van der Helden
Certification - CE A

September 11, 2024

Not a Fire at Cannes Yachting Festival

On the second day of the Cannes Yachting Festival on the afternoon of Wednesday eleventh September, a sport yacht of 23 meters in length was filmed smoking, and then shared on social media by the L'eau Club Instagram page.  The Instagram page Leauclub titled the short video clip misleadingly Yacht on Fire at the Cannes Yachting Festival.  After further investigation and following comments on social media, it was reported that the yacht in question, had no fire at all, with its fire fighting system getting activated by accident.  Following this accident in-fact the yacht was cleaned in about an hour, and back in display mode, and went on sea trials the following day.  
The yacht in this misleading clip is the new Swan Arrow 23.20 m which just World debuted at the 2024 Cannes boat show.  Founded in 1966 Nautor Swan second time trying motor division debuted in 2021 with the thirteen meter Shadow, and this new 23 meter Arrow being the third model in a series of sport cruisers and yachts, as designed by Jarkko Jamsen.

Project: Sacs Strider 13

After ten years Sacs presents the new second generation Strider 13, a successor to one its long time best sellers. Designed by Sacs long time standing partner Christian Grande the Strider 13 represents a completely renewed project: offer a wider redesigned hull for better stability, projected and tested to offer the best balance between seakeeping, comfort and performance. The dynamic design with sleek profiles and large spaces below deck ensures that the cruising experience combines speed and relaxation on board. The new Strider 13 conveys solidity and safety through carefully studied geometries and high-quality finishes, making it an excellent choice for the experienced owner seeking innovation and comfort in a high-performance maxi RIB. Its sporty vocation is paired with an unexpectedly comfortable and practical cruising experience, courtesy of the spacious cabin below deck which can sleep four persons in two separate double beds; fore and midships, offering a convertible L-shaped sofa, and a spacious bathroom with separate shower to starboard.  All this integrates perfectly with the outdoor areas, usable from fore to aft facilitating socialization and relaxation. The Sacs Strider 13 is to be powered by twin Volvo sterndrives up to 440hp, while the outboard version can be powered by twin Mercury 600hp outboards. 

September 10, 2024

Super Yacht Collides Into Fort Lauderdale 17th St Bridge

The 94 meter Feadship super yacht Viva has collided into the 17th St Bridge in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on the late morning of Tuesday tenth September.  The yacht is reported to have drifted in an outgoing tide, hitting two of the bridge protective arms on its starboard side.  It is not yet understood what happened for the yacht to collide with the bridge, with some unconfirmed news saying it had some mechanical issues as it was manoeuvring.  TowboatUS arrived first on the scene to assist the yacht, although following videos show it removing itself from the awkward spot. Videos on social media also show the crew of the yacht putting fenders between the yacht and bridge arms in order to minimize the damage.  The damage to the bridge arms and the yacht is not reported.
M/y Viva is a 2021 Feadship 94 meter hull number 817, build to an exterior design of De Voogt and Azure, with interiors by Peter Marino.  Viva was commissioned by Frank Fertitta III an entrepreneur in the World of casinos and MMA, with the yacht sold earlier this year to hedge funder Ken Griffin.

Two Injured in Lake Higgins Powerboat Collision

Two persons were injured as a nine meter powerboat collided about one nautical mile offshore to the North West shore of Lake Higgins on the afternoon Monday ninth September.  The two occupants were thrown off the powerboat as it lost control and spun off, and then sustaining some important damage from stern to midship.  Other boaters were unable to help the boaters, as it seems they were unable to board a boat, with Roscommon County Marine Patrol coming to the scene with a borrowed pontoon boat.  Following this the patrol lifted the boaters from the water and took them to shore, who were then assisted by Emergency Medical Services as they suffered broken bones from the impact with the seabed.
The boat in this collision is a Sunsation 32 Dominator as produced the noughties.  Sunsation was founded in 1982 in Algonac the original Chris Craft home, by Wayne Schaldenbrand debuting with the 16 Sunburn model.

Three Boats Destroyed by Fire at Browns Point Marina in Keyport

Three boat were destroyed by a fire at Brown's Point Marina in Matawan Creek, Keyport for a blaze which started at 14:30 of Monday ninth September.  The fire started on a central boat which first jumped to a boat on its port side, and then on its starboard.  Monmouth County Fire Marshals responded to the fire, with two fire fighters them getting light injuries in the extinguishing operation.  The fire was controlled by 18:30 and an investigation has reported the fire to be accidental.
The boats involved in this fire are a twin outboard powered bay boat of about eight meters the first which went ablaze in the middle, a single outboard center console of about six meters located to port side of the bay boat, and a Luhrs 30/31 Open sportfish as produced from 2004 till 2010. 
 

Southampton 2024 Boat Show Preview

The Southampton boat show enters its 55th edition, currently British largest, this show is known to showcase the latest novelty coming from Britain.  Nearly fully held in water the 2023 edition of the Southampton boat show offers eight locations; Watersports Zone, Dinghy Zone, Classic and Day Boat Zone, Mayflower Park and Ocean Hall, Showmarina, Shipyard, On the Water Stage, and Beachaven and Watersports Lake.  The 2024 Southampton boat show opens on Friday 13, and goes up to Sunday 22 September; ten days of boating days full of events and interesting stuff.  As is usual to Southampton, the famous trio of British builders will all be present, with World debuts coming from the Rustler 41, and Sunseeker's Ocean 156.
The Southampton boat show debuted in 1969 with the first edition held from September 29 to October fourth.  Organized by Norman Kemish and Arthur Gale the first edition was a modest affair with about fifty exhibitors, solely contained within Mayflower Park, with the army based on the other side of the river supplying the small pontoon to display the handful of boats displayed.  In 1983 the Southampton boat show was sold to the Boat Builders National Federation today known as British Marine, with the sale becoming complete four years later as the Federation took hold of the event organization in 1988.  This switch resulted in the Southampton show expanding space for 254 boats afloat.  2019 was the Southampton boat show record year, with 103,000 visitors attending the event and the showcase of 600 plus of brands.  The Southampton boat show was cancelled in the 2020 Covid-19 year, while the last day of the 1981 event was remembered for gale-force-winds ripping into the event and flattening and ship wrecking everything on site.
1975 Southampton Boat Show