Project: Absolute Navetta 62

Absolute present the Navetta 62 project, a new addition to the cross over explorer-motor yacht line up which currently features nine models from 48 up to 75 foot.  The Navetta 62 will feature all of Absolute must have features from a hard-top covered flybridge as standard and an aft deck with open veranda.  The Absolute Navetta 62 is to have an astern galley, in a flush deck layout with dining table for six to starboard of the galley, and relaxing saloon forward.  Two steps up to starboard will lead you to the helm station which is also serviced by a side door.  The lower deck offers a three double stateroom layout, with the owners stateroom located forward, VIP suite at midships, and third cabin to starboard.  A third head which also serves the third cabin is located to port side, just after finishing the companionway stairs which leads to the lower deck.  A crew cabin for two is located aft.  The Absolute Navetta 62 will be standard powered by twin Volvo 900hp with optional 1000hp engines being available. 

www.absoluteyachts.com

New Model: Solaris Power 52 Coupe

Solaris has for the 2024 Dusseldorf boat show debuted its new 52 Coupe model.  The 52 Coupe is based on the hull line of the 52 Open which arrived some months before with the difference of an enclosed cabin pilot house on the main deck, thus it is more of an all weather cabin yacht.  The Solaris 52 Coupe is offered in two lower deck Cabin A and Cabin B versions, with the A offering two cabins and owners stateroom at midships, and B and three cabins two head lower deck layout.  The enclosed main deck offers a living area with saloon to starboard behind the helm station and a galley located opposite to port side.  Tender storage is a garage located behind the aft sun-pad.  The Solaris 52 Coupe is powered by twin Volvo 480hp as standard or optional 600hp, both options with IPS pod drives.

Technical Data:

LOA - 16.2 m (53ft)

Waterline Length - 14.8 m

Beam - 4.95 m

Draft - 1.25 m

Displacement - 19,200 kg unloaded, 23,000 kg loaded

Fuel Capacity - 2000 l

Water Capacity - 500 l

Max Persons - twelve

Accommodation - four berths in two cabins, or six berths in three cabins

Engines - 2 x Volvo D6 480hp, D8 600hp

Propulsion - Volvo forward looking IPS650 or IPS800 dual propeller pod drives

Speed - 28 knots max 22 cruise with 480hp, 33 knots max 25 cruise with 600hp

Project - Bruno Acampora Victory Design exterior and naval architect, Roseo interior 

www.solarispower.com

Project: Rand Realm 44

Rand present the Realm 44, the project for its biggest build to date.  The Realm 44 aims to bring the best from the popular day boat genre, mixed with those of a spacious cruising layout and the performance of an adventure boat. The interior of the Realm 44 will offer sleeping accommodation for four persons in an open plan cabin layout with a convertible U-shaped dinette which becomes a double berth forward, and two single berths at midships, while a shower head located to starboard in between the two areas will serve the guests.  The Rand Realm 44 is to be powered by twin 300 kw E-drive electric motors, Mercruiser petrol sterndrive of twin 350hp and or 430hp, or twin 370hp Yanmar and or 440hp Volvo diesel, and outboard options of twin Mercury 400 and or 600hp.

www.randboats.com

New Model: Princess X95 Vista

Princess has in 2024 updated its X95 flagship model, now being called the X95 Vista. Vista English translates to Views, which is a clear indication of more glazing added to the Plymouth yacht builders current flagship model, with the X95 Vista easily recognizable by the fore to aft uninterrupted hull window serving the lower deck cabin area.  Announced in 2018 as a project to a design of Pininfarina with Olesinki and the Princess design team, the X95 is a volume focused pocket super yacht, with a load line under 24 meters which makes into standard yacht master licence, but also less problematic for certification.  The original X95 debuted in 2020, and has up to the end of 2024 been delivered in 23 units, these including the X95 Vista soft evolution.  The Princess X95 is considered by many as an ugly duckling outside, though many says while you are onboard the volume and spaces of the yacht makes you forget all about the outside.

Technical Data:

LOA - 29 m (95.4ft)

Beam - 6.70 m

Draft - 2.03 m

Displacement - 106,625 kg half load

Fuel Capacity - 13818 l

Water Capacity - 1865 l

Accommodation - 10 berths in 5 cabins, or 8 berths in 4 cabins, 3 crew in 2 cabins, or 5 crew in 3 cabins

Engines - 2 x Man V12 1900hp, V12 2000hp

Propulsion - line shaft

Speed - 22 knots max with 2000hp, 21 knots max with 1900hp

Project - Olesinski hull lines, Pininfarina concept

www.princessyachts.com

Sportfish Boat Wrecked by Fire in Pirates Cove Marina North Carolina

An express sportfish cruiser titled m/y Fin Chaser of twelve meters in length was wrecked by a fire on the C Dock of Pirates Cove Marina, in the Outer Bank of North Carolina at a blaze which started at 15:02 hours of Friday third January.  The fire was attended by crews from the Roanoke Island Volunteer Fire Department and Nags Head Fire Department, who additionally also removed the boat from its place to avoid further damage.  No one was injured in the fire as the sportfish cruiser was reported unattended during the blaze, but parts of the dock were also damaged from the fire.  Manteo Police Department is investigating the cause of the fire.

M/y Fin Chaser the express sportfish in this fire is a 1987 Jersey Cape Devil 40 as designed by Buddy Davis and Donald Blount and produced from 1987 up to the end of that decade.  The Devil 40 was replaced by the Devil 36.  Featuring the custom Carolina look, Jersey Cape is a New Jersey semi-custom boat builder, located in the Mullica river which started boat building in the mid seventies.

Princess Yacht Ends Beached in Redhead Beach New South Wales

A sixteen meter Princess sport yacht with two woman onboard ended beached to the South of Third Creek of Red Head Beach, New South Wales, Australia, on the morning of Friday third January.  The Princess yacht is reported to have suffered engine failure during navigation and ended beached.  Both woman onboard did not have any injuries. The area where the yacht beached was cordoned by the authorities as a salvage operation was organized the following day on Saturday, after which it was towed to a nearby marina.  The Princess yacht is reported to have had minimal damage from this accident.

The Princess sport yacht in this beaching is a V53 as produced from 2005 to 2009 to a design of Bernard Olesinski.  The Princess V53 came out as a replacement to the V55 and evolved into the V56 with the addition of a larger bathing platform aft.

Project: Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery

Cheoy Lee present the 127 Discovery project, a 38 meter triple deck super yacht designed by Nick Boksa. Drawing on his extensive background in both commercial and leisure vessel design, Boksa gave this explorer yacht a traditional steel displacement hull with a sharp entry and spray chine. The hull has been subject to extensive computational fluid dynamics studies, ensuring its stability, sea kindliness, and efficiency. The mission statement for the 127 Discovery is to support luxurious transoceanic adventures. To that end, particular attention has been paid to optimizing the service areas on board. While the yacht can be operated with a smaller crew, there are comfortable quarters for up to eleven, including a bridge-deck captain’s cabin which is something rare for a yacht of this size. Two crew lounges give the staff ample places to refresh during a long voyage. The Cheoy Lee 127 Discovery makes the most of every space on its four decks with interiors designed by Sylvia Bolton. The bridge deck leads into the large midships lounge, one of the most fun and flexible spaces on board. It can serve as a bar, media room or game-day sky box. Open the glass doors to the aft deck to create an indoor/outdoor party space complete with al fresco table. On the main deck, the full-beam owner’s stateroom seems transported from a superyacht. An alcove desk, his-and-her bathrooms and closets, this suite has it all. The galley also is huge, featuring a walk-in refrigerator and freezer, and plenty of space for food prep. It serves a dining area and salon where guests are treated to stunning views through expansive windows. Side decks allow easy crew transit, giving owners and guests privacy when desired. The lower deck holds four spacious guest suites, served by a dedicated pantry and washer/dryer. Forward, the crew enjoys facilities like a full laundry and large lounge typically found on a much bigger yacht. There is also an engineer’s cabin and shop off the engine room, which true to Cheoy Lee form is a paragon of practicality. To aft is the beach club with its own day head makes an inviting getaway and gateway to the sea. 

www.cheoyleeyachts.com

Paolo Vitelli 1947 - 2024

Paolo Vitelli the founder of Azimut Yachts and Azimut-Benetti Group has died aged 77 in his home in Ayas, Aosta on the afternoon of 31 December 2024.  Vitelli died in a tragic accident as he was reported trying to open a shutter door when he fell and hit his head.  Born 4 October 1947 Paolo Vitelli is one of the most important yachting entrepreneur and industrialist of the past fifty years, a man who shaped the yacht industry in Italy and beyond.  Paolo Vitelli will start Azimut as a boat charter company in March 1969, from the savings he made from his student jobs and selling his share in the Temposei Night Club in Turin.  A year later in June 1970 he will get a degree in Economics and Business and in 1971 he will become the Italian dealer of the Norwegian made Amerglass.  In 1975 Azimut Yachts becomes a yacht builder as it builds the first 43 Bali model as designed by Bernard Olesinski and interiors by Terence Disdale. The first Azimut shows the designer inspired direction and is the start to an unstoppable industrial expansion and growth which continues till today.  In just seven years Azimut shows the important super yacht player it will become when it launches the 105 Failaka, which is also the largest fiberglass build yacht of the time and will be delivered in four units in a four year production run.  Vitelli will not stop and in 1985 he will start to make Group as he purchases the bankrupt Fratelli Benetti shipyard.  Paolo Vitelli will restore Benetti leadership in custom and semi-custom Super Yacht production and in 1998 also debuts the shipyard into the fiberglass semi-production market with the Classic 115, which will sell 27 units in an eight year production run and is followed by smaller and larger GRP builds and will put Azimut-Benetti as the leader with the most build Super Yachts from 1999 till today.  Azimut-Benetti Group will also purchase Gobbi shipyard in the fall of 2001 rebranded as Atlantis some years later, and becoming the sport cruiser and sport yacht line up of Azimut Yachts from 2012.  Azimut-Benetti also enters into marina ownership debuting with Varazze in 2005, and then followed with Viareggio and Livorno in Italy, and Valletta in Malta, and on Lake Chimki, Moscow in Russia. Paolo Vitelli also created the small Hotels de Charme chain that restore old buildings in Chamonix in France and Champoluc and Mascognaz in the Italian region of Valle d’Aosta, which conferred on him the title of Amis de la Vallée d’Aoste.  Paolo Vitelli also lead the Italian Boat Builders UCINA Association President from 1998 to 2006, a period of record growth for the Italian Nautical Industry which is still unprecedented.  Paolo Vitelli was also an honorary consul of Norway from 1974 to 2018 and from March 2013 to September 2015, he was a member of the Italian parliament, elected in the Civic Choice list with Monti for Italy. He was a member of the Parliamentary Committee for the Security of the Republic and the Transport and Finance Commissions.  Paolo Vitelli also received the following honours; 1996 Cavaliere del lavoro Order of Merit for Labour; 2004 Honorary degree in mechanical engineering from Politecnico di Torino; 2006 Confindustria “Champions of Growth” award as best Italian business in the five-year period 2001-2006 in terms of growth, innovation and internationalisation; 2011 Amis de la Vallée d’Aoste for his contribution to the development of tourism in various locations by creating quality hotels in old rural buildings; 2017 Carlo Riva Award for entrepreneur of the year; and in 2022 he was named the Torinese of the Year.  Paolo Vitelli will give leadership to Azimut-Benetti Group to his daughter Giovanna in 2022.

Azimut Yacht Ends into Rocks and Sinks in La Quedrada Acapulco

A fifteen meter Azimut yacht titled m/y Amore Mio with fifteen guests onboard ended sinking in La Quedrada, Acapulco Mexico just before 14:00 of Tuesday 31 December.  Amore Mio is video shown ending in the enclosed La Quedrada cliff diving high reefs tourist attraction inlet, and looking incapicated without power and hitting the rocks.  At this stage the yacht is discharging passengers and then in another film is seen towed out of the area, by another smaller boat by which after the towing the Azimut is seen sinking, with its debris ending in the area as the current takes it crashing into the reefs semi-sunk.  No tourists are reported injured as the Mexican Navy came to the scene and cordoned the area.  The cause of why the yacht ended in that spot are not reported, though on social media one person who said the brother of his friend was on the yacht, said Amore Mio ended powerless and tide dragged into the enclosed inlet.  

The yacht in this collision is an Azimut AZ Cinquanta as produced from 1996 to 1997 to a Stefano Righini design.  The AZ Cinquanta soft evolved into the 52 in 1998 with a standard extended bathing platform, and a second lower deck option.  Two hundred units were sold of the AZ Cinquanta and 52 in a six year production run lasting till 2002.

Best of 2024

The year 2024 brought boat and yacht builders back to reality, as the boost to boating from Covid-19 has gone.  We are finally in a polar market, correcting itself to before 2020!  Fortunately but also thanks to the supply chain problems which was generated mostly by the first lock downs, the damage of this boating boom is not bad as it could have been, with the exception of the inflation that has come after the pandemic, which unfortunately is not only related to boating but in everything that touches the purse.  The damage of the past years is not as bad as was that of the Leasing Scheme of the noughties for example, although the hurdle of inflation is a problem which also troubles the new boat market especially in the smaller-medium sizes, which probably will correct itself over the coming years, unless the commanding market says other wise. 

Power Yacht Best of 2024 is the Azimut Fly 62.  Probably you will ask why not give this to the Seadeck 6, which is an innovative yacht which still deserves a lot of praise.  But many times evolving the wheel is harder then inventing a new one, that is why the Fly 62 takes this. The flybridge motor yacht is the most conservative of styles, yet over fifteen meters it still has an important part of the sales.  Azimut has with this new 62 re-challenged the genre again, I do not know how many times they did it since the eighties, thanks to the innovative Beach Cockpit aft-area converting settee, that converts to sun-pad is pure genius, and as a reality of fact more all around usable to the opening balconies some other builders have introduced on similar sized flybridge yachts in the last ten years.   

The others.

BB Yachts Panarea 44.  New brand BB yachts wide-body fore to aft cockpit offers unrivalled exterior spaces, with an interior which is actually also comfortably good.

Blue Game BGM75. Catamarans look to be the next thing, though the BGM75 is the less cat of all with a less width to length ratio. With this all cabins rival that of a mono-hull, and has an aft beach club with spaces of a super yacht.

Bolide 80. A new name from fast hull specialist Brunello Acampora.  To achieve the 73 knots top speed nothing is left to chance on the first Bolide with full use of carbon fibre for the ultimate light to strength ratio.

Fairline Targa 40. A fully new Targa 40, which with its optional transformative cockpit rivals same sized central console walk-around space outside, with a cabin a twelve meter sport cruiser deserves.

Omikron OT-60. Translated Omikron means Little O, the name for Greek's Olympic Marine new brand.  Multi prized the sailing yacht without a mast looking OT-60 brings incredible spaces and a one thousand nautical miles range at best cruise.

Sacs Rebel 50G. Maxi rib becomes sport yacht or the other way round.  It is a mix in this fully enclosed good looking maxi-rib and yacht.  Two options for the lower deck, and four for the main deck makes it also semi-custom as it can get. 

Sanlorenzo 50Steel. Sanlorenzo leads the Super Yachting eco-race as green methanol totally fuels the domestic side for the new 50Steel.  But the 50Steel has other innovations, as its Hidden-Engine-Room making the lower deck its main living area. 

Wally Why100. The smallest Wally Why100 is different to the larger Why150 and Why200 maximum space to length offer, giving a magic unique way how its spaces are delivered.  Futuristic 23rd century fast commuter yacht! 

History Repeat. Apreamare Gozzo 38 Cabin.  When Apreamare revolutionized the Gozzo Sorrentino in 1987 with the Smeraldo 7 model, the cabin evolution that the Smeraldo 8 Cabinato brought five years later, for a more cabin cruising boat was as much important.  The 38 Cabin follows the same script again on the revolutionized Gozzo series which arrived in 2017, what is an enclosed hard-top more cabin cruising version of the Gozzo 35.  The story always repeats itself! 

PowerYacht wishes to all its followers, friends, readers, and visitors a Healthy and Prosperous 2025 year.