Project: Benetti 85m Project Life

During the 2025 Palm Beach boat show, Benetti presented in a meeting with yacht brokers and the media Project Life, an 85-metre steel super yacht, as designed Espen Oino for exterior and interior by Francois Zuretti. Project Life is Benetti’s largest ever engineering-platform-based yacht: this approach allows owners to focus on design and lifestyle-related aspects with the trust they can count on the best configuration for the technical aspects, systems and performances. With this project, Benetti brings together its expertise and technological excellence with the most prestigious names in the industry. The renowned architect Espen Øino designs the yacht’s exterior and layout, while François Zuretti, a celebrated interior designer with a long history of collaboration on Benetti’s iconic models, crafts the refined interiors.  Project Life is designed to offer tailor-made experiences that vary from deck to deck, aiming to promote social entertainment through a convivial layout and versatile spaces for socialising that are always surrounded by nature. Sleek, elegant lines merge with iconic Benetti features, crowned by a tall, sharp bow for excellent seakeeping and high efficiency. Expansive windows bring in abundant light and visibility while shielding the interior from direct sun, ensuring optimal energy performance. One of the distinctive features of Project Life is the Beach Area, the result of a deep cooperation between Espen Øino International and Zuretti Design, which sets the stage for a new lifestyle in the yacht’s stern area. This space is open on three sides allowing guests to move freely between the various settings as well as providing greater interconnection between the Beach Platform and the indoor Beach Club. Two fourteen-meter fold-down side doors and a spacious swim platform connect the Beach Club directly to the sea, creating a seamless, immersive experience. The Beach Club is also illuminated from above by sunlight streaming through a glass-bottomed swimming pool, linking the spaces and creating a charming aquatic atmosphere. Spanning a total of 270 square meters, this exclusive Beach Area offers guests an unparalleled connection to the water. Designed for versatility, this area transforms throughout the day, it’s an inviting retreat for relaxation and water sports; by night, it evolves into an intimate, sophisticated space, perfect for entertaining in style. Upon entering the spacious 112-square-meter Main Salon, guests are immediately drawn in by the soft interplay of natural light and carefully chosen décor. Floor-to-ceiling windows define this space, inviting ocean views and establishing a constant dialogue between the yacht and the surrounding environment. Positioned at the front of the Main Deck, the six guest cabins boast expansive windows that flood the interiors with natural light while framing stunning ocean vistas. The upper foredeck serves as a private sanctuary, offering an uninterrupted 270-degree view of the surrounding sea. This breath taking panorama deepens guests connection to the sea, enhancing their experience of nature’s beauty. Complete with a helipad, a secluded Jacuzzi, and plush lounging areas, it provides an exclusive haven for relaxation. The Owner’s cabin is a 98-square-meter haven of tranquillity. Next to the Owner’s Suite, a versatile room adds even more personalization, easily adapting to different needs, whether as a private office or a space dedicated to the owner’s passions. The Owner’s area continues with the Sky-lounge, a glass-enclosed space furnished with comfortable sofas. It creates a unique spot to enjoy the sights and sounds of the sea, offering the owners a truly special retreat. The Bridge Deck aft is designed as a breath taking open-air dining space, delivering an unparalleled al fresco experience. Sheltered from the wind and surrounded by nature, the carefully arranged lounges and dining areas cater to both intimate dinners and larger gatherings. A standout feature of the Bridge Deck is its innovative live-cooking setup, with two dedicated outdoor stations that allow guests to interact directly with the chef. Benetti Project Life also stands out for the use of innovative technological solutions to reduce environmental impact. Taking an integrated approach, the yacht’s high-efficiency, optimised hull is combined with diesel-electric architecture with pod propulsion for the best efficiency, manoeuvrability and comfort. It is also designed to operate on both diesel and non-fossil fuels including HVO, enabling emissions to be drastically reduced. An advanced, direct expansion HVAC system reduces energy consumption by up to 60% compared to conventional chilled water solutions, while latest generation solar panels, perfectly integrated into the yacht’s superstructure generate clean energy and help recharge the electric tenders and water toys.

www.benettiyachts.com

Liveaboard Yacht Aground in Key West Florida

A sixteen meter trawler type aft cabin explorer yacht ended aground and partly sank in Bahia Honda, Key West, Florida on the morning of Saturday twelfth April.  The explorer yacht which is a live aboard for three; one man and his two sisters and a dog, is reported to have hit an object and started to take on water.  Seeing this the captain anchored at the bay, with the boat then ending partly sunk and listing to its starboard side, damaging its central keel, and running gear.  With the tide becoming a bit lower by Tuesday fifteen April, the explorer cruiser was righted by the crew and the people who are helping, with the next aim now to  make a temporary repair so they can take the yacht to a haul out yard for full repairs.  Interestingly and according to Trawler Tom who is sharing the story on social media said the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conversation Commission, US Coast Guard, local police, park rangers were watching the story happen but did not intervene. 

Trawler Tom who has been assisting the trawler since the accident, also opened a fund raiser on GoFundMe of which I will post a link on the comments section.

The explorer yacht in this part sinking is a Gulfstar 53 Trawler as produced from 1975 to 76 in ten units.  The 53 Trawler shared hull with the 53 Motorsailor, with both models being Gulfstar flagships in that time of production, with the model replaced by the full planning hull 48 Motor Yacht in 1981.  Gulfstar Yachts was founded by Vince Lazzara and existed from 1970 to 1990, and produced both sail and power boats, with the company selling some of its assets to Viking.

New Launch: Feadship 76.05m Hull.822

Feadship launched the 76.05 meter hull number 822 titled m/y Alvia.  Called during construction known as Project Hanami, which is an iconic Japanese cherry blossom, and taking five years to build Feadship hull 822 presents itself as a large volume super yacht, with a two thousand two hundred plus of gross tonnage, and features exterior design by the British firm Redman Whitely Dixon, interior by Peter Marino, and naval architecture by Feadship De Voogts.  Some unique details of Feadship Hull.822 are the aft most on main deck partially covered pool deck featuring an oval pool, blending seamlessly into a living space envisioned as the ‘pool lounge’. A spacious spa, gym and toy storage are positioned below the pool. Full height windows and sliding glass doors give it the feeling of lavish veranda. The main deck is also the location for six guest en-suites, including two VIP staterooms with integral balconies. Feadship's Hull 822 is powered by twin MTU 2574hp for a sixteen knots top speed and a fifteen cruise.

Technical Data:

LOA - 76.05 m (249.6ft)

Beam - 13.40 m

Draft - 3.60 m

Displacement - 2265 gt *volume

Fuel Capacity - 213,468 l

Water Capacity - 49,988 l

Accommodation - fourteen guests in seven cabins, 22 crew in eleven cabins

Engines - 2 x MTU 16V4000M63R 2574hp

Propulsion - line shaft

Speed - sixteen knots max, fifteen knots cruise

Range - 5500 nautical miles at best cruise

Construction - steel hull aluminium super structure

Project - Redman Whitely Dixon exterior, Peter Marino interior, De Voogt naval architecture 

www.feadship.nl

Project: Sunseeker 135 Yacht

Sunseeker has during the 2025 Dusseldorf boat show presented project details for an upcoming 135 Yacht model.  The 135 Yacht is a replacement to the 131 Yacht, which was in itself a further evolution of the 40M Yacht, with these two models selling nineteen and thirteen hulls respectively for a production which started in 2010 and lasted till 2022.  This is not the first time Sunseeker present a replacement to the successful 131 Yacht, as in 2019 they announced the 133 Yacht project, a vertical bow volume focused super yacht with round bilge semi displacement hull which was to arrive two years later, and ultimately never materialized, although that project evolved eventually into the still in project Ocean 460.  The first 135 Yacht is scheduled for a delivery in 2027, although it is not advised if Sunseeker has an order, or is building one on speculation.  Sunseeker so far advised that the new forty meter super yacht has the hard chine planning hull form of the previous 131 model extended in length.  This extension will give a beach club area, with retractable bulwarks which become balconies and expand the size of the aft deck.  Another announced novelty in the Sunseeker 135 Yacht will be a sky-lounge in the upper deck.  Interior design for the 135 Yacht will come from long time Sunseeker collaborator Design Unlimited, which presented a five cabins layout, with a main deck master stateroom which will feature an office space and a bath tub en-suite bathroom.  Performance details have not been provided but for guidance the 131 Yacht used to be powered by twin MTU 3181hp engines which give a top speed up to 25 knots and a fast cruise of fourteen knots. 

www.sunseeker.com

Four Yachts Destroyed by Fire in Fethiye Turkey

One sail boat and three super yachts which lengths go from 24 up to forty meters were destroyed by fire in the Port of Fethiye, province of Mugla, to the West of Turkey for a fire which started about 08:30 morning time of Thursday tenth April.  The fire is reported to have started on a sailing boat of about twelve meters in length, and then jumped to a larger 24 meter Ferretti yacht and then onto two larger yachts, of about thirty and forty meters in size respectively.  Four persons were intoxicated with smoke inhalation and were treated on the spot with additional oxygen, for a fire which took two hours to control, and involved Police, Ambulances, Fire Engines, and the Coast Guard which ultimately towed the four yachts off the pier.  The cause of the fire is not reported with the Fethiye authorities investigating how the blaze started.

The 24 meter motor yacht in this fire is a Ferretti 810 as designed by Zuccon and produced from 2002 to 2005 in ten units.  The 810 was also available as the 810 RPH with raised pilot house, and was a replacement and evolution of the 80, and then replaced by the 830.  The two other super yachts, are not identifiable although both of them look to be of Turkish origin.

New Model: Invictus ST550

Invictus have debuted its new ST550 flagship, as designed by Christian Grande. The ST550, also debuts the new more S for Space focused line, which Invictus says marks a new frontier in spatial design as envisioned by the creativity of designer Christian Grande.  This means more a living yacht, as the ST550 is the first Invictus with enclosed main deck, which makes enjoying time onboard in the off months an easier task.  Measuring just short of seventeen meters in length the new Invictus flagship represents the pinnacle of research and innovation, while preserving the defining features that distinguish the World known brand such as the iconic semi-reversed bow, extending the South Italian builder growth and reach. The Invictus ST550 stems from a project that draws inspiration from the past while looking towards the future, creating a captivating blend of tradition and modernity.  Inspired by the timeless allure of classic tenders, it adopts softer, rounded forms, giving rise to a modern silhouette that, while maintaining a strong connection to tradition, fully embraces innovation. Paying homage to classic tenders, it integrates timeless stylistic elements, such as the antenna housing enhanced with a carbon fibre detail that evokes the aesthetic of a funnel, and offers the option to choose a glossy mahogany finish instead of teak, blending elegance with modernity.  The Invictus ST550 also comes as a flexible offer not only in trim, offered in fifteen color trims for the exterior, but also for the interior with two Kitchen and Living versions available for the main deck, and three; Living, Cabin, and Kitchen for the lower deck.  These layout choices revolve around more living area or to go for a third cabin with twin bunk berths sleeping two, which in this case the a galley up layout becomes a must.  A single berth crew cabin is located to port side at midships.  The Invictus ST550 is powered by standard Volvo 600hp or optional 725hp with IPS pod drives propulsion. 

Technical Data:

LOA - 16.87 m (55.3ft)

Beam - 5.04 m

Draft - 1.40 m

Displacement - 25 t

Fuel Capacity - 2200 l

Water Capacity - 500 l

Max Persons - fourteen

Accommodation - four berths in two cabins, or six berths in three cabins, one crew cabin

Engines - 2 x Volvo D8 600hp, D11 725hp

Propulsion Volvo forward looking IPS800 or IPS950 dual propeller pod drives

Project - Christian Grande

Certification - CE B

www.invictusyacht.com

Project: Otam 45 T-Top

Otam has always been ahead of the evolution of the open cruiser and yacht style, and showing its innovation presents a 45 T-Top project.  Presented in 1997 to a design of Paul Martin as the Heritage 45, the Otam 45 has been the semi custom sport cruiser which has seen its evolution expand and revolutionize.  With the T-Top variant of the 45 Otam adds again a degree of flexibility to the model, which is available among other things with radar arch roll bar, or fully open, and in single or two cabins layout, and all the cockpit versions possible from sun-pads to an open cockpit.  The Otam 45 T-Top is also again flexible in its power department with three engine choices from twin Cats 650hp and or 1000hp with surface drives, and or Volvo 600hp with IPS pod drives.     

www.otam.it

New Model: Stratos Dutch Build 50

Stratos is a new brand from the Netherlands which debut with the Dutch Build 50, a day sport yacht as designed by Bernd Weel.  Saying Dutch Build and then made of fiberglass might sound like whiskey from France to some or wine from Scotland, but Stratos say they wanted to build the best sport day yacht in its size and type.  The Stratos Dutch Build 50, is a latest entry into the ever competitive and popular walk around large day yacht offer, and design wise she reminds me of the early BlueGame models, before they went for the more tug boat look.  Though the name is new, Stratos comes from a long standing brokerage and dealership firm founded in 1970, as the name behind is Lengers Yachts a previous Ferretti Group and today Sanlorenzo Yachts dealer among other brands.  As a big walk around slash sport yacht go, the Stratos Dutch Build 50 offers fore to aft deck easy use, with the standard layout of aft sun-pad, dinette, wet-bar, quadruple seat helm station, and a fore deck sun-pad all this surrounded by full deep port and starboard walk around decks.  Down below the Stratos Dutch Build 50 offers a four berth accommodation in a two plus two layout, with a midships double berth, a U-shaped dinette which converts to a double berth, with a galley to port and shower head in between.  The Stratos Dutch Build 50 is powered by Volvo 480hp as standard, and or optional 600hp engines with IPS for top speeds up to 36 knots with the large engine option, with excellent sea keeping performance being noted thanks to a 22 degrees deep Vee hull shape.

Technical Data:

LOA - 15.06 m (49.4ft)

Beam - 4.45 m

Draft - 1.28 m

Displacement - 20 t half load

Fuel Capacity - 2100 l

Water Capacity - 450 l

Accommodation - two plus two berths

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

Propulsion - Volvo forward looking dual propeller IPS pod drives

Speed - 36 knots max, 32 cruise

Hull Shape - deep Vee with 22 degrees deadrise aft

Construction - Vinylester resin with PVC sandwich core, super structure full carbon sandwich

Project - Bernd Weel design, Sea Level naval architecture

Certification - CE A

www.stratosyacht.com

Project: Rivera 4300 Sports Express

It's been a long time since Riviera presented an open express hard-top boat, the last which was the 43 Offshore Express as produced from 2009 to 2011.  Now Riviera present the project for a 4300 Sports Express, a versatile open hard-top sport cruiser, with a no patio door open cockpit but an extended hard-top which covers all the aft deck. The Riviera 4300 Sports Express is designed to spend more time on the water and want to make the most of every opportunity, with its main deck joining lounging, dining, and entertaining area, a fore deck sun bathing area for relaxation at anchor, and aft bathing platform for water sports. For overnight or longer the lower deck brings living and accommodation area comfortably sleeping five adults with a private master stateroom, aft cabin, lavish bathroom with separate shower, main galley and TV lounge.  The area will also feature two cabins, with a master double berth forward, and a midships cabin with three berths diving in a double bed and a single bed to starboard.  The Rivera 4300 Sports Express is to be powered by twin Volvo 440hp as standard, or optional 480hp with IPS pod drives, that will propel it at wide open throttle at over thirty knots.

www.rivieraaustralia.com

Prestige New Web Site

Prestige presents its new website.  Prestige was officially started in 2009, although the name first appeared in Jeanneau's model line up in 1989, when the Prestige 41 sport cruiser as designed by Massimo Musio-Sale and Vittorio Garroni, and naval architecture by Japec and Jernej Japokin.  The Jeanneau Prestige 41 was a good seller, with the first hull sold to famous French actor Alain Delon and selling a total of 45 units, but ultimately the model will only be produced for two years till 1991, and its platform used for the Ferretti joint venture Yarding Yacht brand and the 42 Fly and 42 Open models for another two years till 1994.  Eight years after the Jeanneau 41 Prestige is discontinued, the French boat and yacht builder now since 1995 owned by the Groupe Beneteau decides to return Prestige, and again gives design duties to Vittorio Garroni, as it presents the 36 with flybridge in the fall of 1999.  The Jeanneau Prestige 36 will start the Prestige line, as the model is followed by the Prestige 32 a year later in 2000, and the Prestige 34S sport cruiser in 2003.  Thanks to its nice design by Garroni and competitiveness the Prestige line is by the mid noughties a top selling name in the motor and sport cruisers from ten to fourteen meters in size segment, and Jeanneau notes this and in 2004 opens a solely Prestige factory in Nantes, with the plan to enter into the larger fifteen meters plus sizes, which it does in 2006 as it presents the Prestige 50S.  Seeing again more success Groupe Beneteau decides in 2009 to re-brand Prestige as an independent brand, as it launches the new Prestige 60 flagship model in that same year.  Following the rebranding Prestige keeps on expanding into larger sizes, as in 2013 it also launches the 750, which is produced for four years and still its largest build to date.  Prestige has in its story made two bold design choices; with the X-Line and M-Line series. The X-Line is a wide body volume focused series which arrived in 2019 and debuts with the X70 and is followed by the asymmetric semi-wide-body X60.  The M-Line comes in 2022 entering Prestige into the power catamaran segment with the M48, which is followed a year later in 2023 by the M8, what is Prestige largest for volume model to date.  As top sellers go the Jeanneau Prestige 34S from 2003 to 2009 is its best sold model to date with over five hundred units sold, and is followed by the 500 Flybridge and S sharing platform as produced from 2011 to 2019 which sells four hundred plus in total for the two model versions.  Currently Prestige offers thirteen models, divided into four lines; M-Line, X-Line, F-Line, and S-Line which start from the 420S and go up to the X70.  All Prestige models have to date been designed by Garroni, with the latest models being the F4.3 which debuted last January, and the upcoming M7 which is set to arrive in mid this year.  The Prestige web site is available in English, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Turkey, Portuguese, Russian, and Chinese, and takes you around with the following buttons; The Brand, Our Yachts, News, Services, Our Dealers, Configurator, and Contact.  Prestige is also on social media with bottom page links taking you to its Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Youtube, and Linkedin pages.

www.prestige-yachts.com

Production History:

Prestige 41 1989-91 (47) *design by Garroni **Jeanneau Prestige models

Prestige 36 1999-2009

Prestige 32 2000-09

Prestige 34S 2003-09 (500+)

46 2003-10

42 2006-10

50S 2006-08

50 2008-10

50S2 2009-10

38S/390s 2008-10/11

42S/440s 2008-10/11

60 2009-11 ** Prestige becomes an independent brand 

39 Flybridge 2009-10

400 Flybridge 2010-14

350 Flybridge 2011-12

500 Flybridge 2011-19 (400+) *includes S version

500 S 2011-19 (400+) *includes Flybridge version

60 S 2012-13

550 Flybridge 2012-15 (170) *including S version

620 Flybridge 2012-15

620 S 2013-15

550 S 2013-16 (170) *including Flybridge version

450 Flybridge 2013-17

450 S 2013-17

750 2013-17 *720 Yacht project

420 S 2014-19

420 Flybridge 2015-19

680 Flybridge 2016-20

630 2016-20

560 Flybridge 2016-20

560 S 2016-20

680 S 2017-21

460 F 2017-

520 F 2017-

460 S 2018-

590 F 2018-

520 S 2018-

420 F 2019-

590 S 2020-22

420 S 2020-

X70 2020-

690 F 2021-

X60 2022-

M48 2022-

M8 2023-

F4.9 2023- *F4 project

F5.7 2024- *F5 project 

F4.3 2025-

M7 2025-

Jeanneau Prestige 41, 1989 to 1991.  Jeanneau Prestige before Prestige.