-pic of the month- Wider Takes Flight
Benetti and Rihanna in Sardinia
After working and playing hard recently, taking her recording sessions, Rihanna is now hard at work enjoying herself as she relaxes on a sunny break in Sardinia. She's spending the majority of her time aboard a 52mt Benetti yacht with some of her friend in her current Costa Smeralda, North East Sardinia coast holiday.
Bertram Yacht Welcomes Robert Ullberg
Bertram Yacht has appointed Robert Ullberg as Vice President of Engineering and Product Development. Ullberg brings over 20 years of experience in the design, engineering and development of high performance sportfishing and motor yachts. Beginning his career with Tom Fexas Yacht Design in Stuart, Florida, Ullberg quickly became the project manager for many of the firm’s sportfishing designs. In 1996 he left Fexas to establish Ullberg Yacht Design, an engineering based design firm that focused primarily on the design and development of custom sport fishing boats. Ullberg’s portfolio includes designs for world class custom sportfish builders such as Willis Marine, Whiticar Boatworks, Merritt Boat and Engine Works, Garlington-Landeweer Marine, Mike Rybovich, Bayliss Boatworks and Lyman Morse Boatbuilders. Over the past 16 years Robert has designed and engineered state of the art custom sport fishing boats in the 40-90ft range. Most recent is his launch of one of the largest and fastest express style sportfishing yachts in the world at 65 feet. In his new role, Robert will lead the Engineering and Product Development organization for Bertram Yacht at the new facility in Merritt Island. He will initially concentrate on the new 2013 Bertrams that will be built in Merritt Island, followed by the development of a series of new Bertram Sport Fishing models. Robert will report directly to the President of Bertram Yacht, Alton Herndon. He will also work closely with the Vice President of Manufacturing, Ken Beauregard, and the new Bertram Sales organization led by Don Smith.
Fairline UK Buisness Conference
Fairline Boats welcomed 36 of its international dealers from across Europe and the US to its annual business conference at the Fairline Boats headquarters on Tuesday 17th and Wednesday 18th July. The meeting, which was hosted by CEO Alistair Schofield, provided dealers with a full business update on the company’s future plans, the new products scheduled for the next three years, and included presentations from various elements of the business, including sales, customer service, design and marketing. In attendance were representative dealers from Mallorca, California, Florida, Italy, Norway, Germany and the UK, amongst others. At the end of the conference all attending dealers were given a tour of the new Squadron 60 and Targa 62 Gran Turismo, which will both make their world debuts this autumn.
Hinckley Service Sets Higher Standards
Hinckley service yards set the bar high for customer satisfaction. Dear Bob; Had it not been for your initiative and (I assume) the gentle twisting of several arms, our Parisian guest may well have spent the balance of her vacation sweltering on a dock in Vineyard Haven while we waited for someone to resolve Ransom's alternator and generator issues. Sending Phil and Al out in a Picnic Boat on such short notice to Tarpaulin Cove is something that few yards would have done. I can't thank you enough. I am cc'ing the attached not to garner you a (well deserved) pat on the head, but to share my gratitude and observe that it is through this type of customer focus that Hinckley will raise the service bar. It also explains why Ransom exclusively uses Hinckley yards for repair and service. Best Regards, Tim King
Horizon Group Largest Open House in Taiwan
The Horizon Group hosted a 2012 Open House at the Horizon Premier shipyard in Kaohsiung from June 27th to June 29th to celebrate Horizon’s 25th anniversary as a luxury yacht manufacturer – the Open House also debuted new Horizon models as well as mark the official launch of the brand-new EP148 Horizon Polaris. On display at the Open House on Thursday night were nine new Horizon yachts valuing over $74M USD for guests to view: the EP148 Horizon Polaris, which is destined for a U.S. debut at the 2012 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with Horizon Yacht USA; the RP120 Muses, currently owned by a Chinese client; the E88, also destined for the 2012 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show with Horizon Yacht USA; the P105 in length of 110ft which will be delivered to Australia; the CC80, delivery set to Horizon Motor Yachts Australia for the Sydney Boat Show; the E84 Virginia in 89ft, which currently owned by a Hong Kong owner; the PC58 La Manguita, which will deliver to a client in Mexico; the E54 Windy 8, which will deliver to a client in Japan; and the SC23 100% solar-powered catamaran. Each yacht showcases Horizon’s quality, flexibility and commitment to defining the details in yacht building. The evening events were spectacular with live bands, modern and traditional dancing and light shows highlighting the new Horizon Yachts on display. The weather cooperated in every way with warm temperatures, a slight breeze and no rain, after the previous two weeks of rain this was a very welcome turn of events. The Horizon Group are pleased to announce the sale of four new build Horizon yachts all signed at the recent Horizon Open House event at the shipyard in Kaohsiung Taiwan June 27th – June 29th, with hopefully more sales to follow.
Overmarine Mangusta New Offices in the Balearics
Great party on the 5th July in Marina Ibiza for the official opening of the Overmarine Group Mangusta offices. Many people and Mangusta lovers attended the event, celebrating together with the managers of the company the new, important and exclusive location. The new office is strategically located in the luxurious marina of Ibiza. All guests had the opportunity to admire the several Mangusta Yachts that were docked infront of the office. Organizer of the event was Michl Marine, Overmarine Group's partner in promoting Mangusta in the Balearic Islands and in assisting customers who regularly visit the area. Michl Marine Ibiza S.L. was founded in 1997 by Manfred Michl starting with maintenance services of boats throughout the year in Ibiza. Over time, the firm has represented several names in the world of yachting until in 2011 it signed the agreement with Overmarine Group Mangusta. With fourteen years experience in Ibiza, MichlMarine Ibiza s.l. is able to offer an excellent and rapid service 7 days 7 to existing and new customers.
Princess Finances Show Solid Performance
Princess Yachts International plc has posted yet another strong set of financial results for the year ended 31 December 2011, reinforcing its position as one of the strongest company’s operating in the luxury yacht market. In recently released accounts, the Company reported Profit before Tax of £15.1 million (2010: £21.2 million), on Turnover of £207.8 million (2010: £206.3 million), underpinned by a strong, debt free, Balance Sheet with Net Assets totalling £88.9 million (2010: £82.1 million). Although Turnover was marginally ahead in 2011, profit before tax was held back by costs associated with the development and introduction of significant new products to the Company’s range, including the largest motor yacht the Company has ever developed, the Princess 40M, together with the smallest produced for some years, the V39. There has also been significant investment in new facilities, including the purchase of a 20 acre site which was formally part of the Devonport Dockyard and where larger yachts will be developed and built in the future. With new territories continuing to emerge into the international yachting arena, new distributors are continually being added to the existing network. Notable among these new markets are those based in the Far East, Central and South America.
Riva 170th Anniversary
An intense and extraordinary adventure, in a marvellous setting, for one of the most famous yacht market. Riva, a Ferretti Group brand, has played an important role in a number of events that took place from June 29th to July 1st. These events aimed at celebrating its history and pointed out future development strategies, through the exclusive preview of the 63 Virtus, the latest model of the open range. The new model results, as always, from the cooperation among Officina Italiana Design, the team which is in charge of the design of all the models of the Riva range, AYT - Advanced Yacht Technology, Ferretti Group’s research and naval design centre, and the Centro Stile Ferrettigroup, a skilful team of architects and designers. The events dedicated to Riva started with the presentation of the boat to the international sales network and to the customers of the brand. On Friday 29th the guests of the gala dinner had the opportunity to admire, during an amazing world preview, the 63 Virtus at the St. Tropez dike, the same location of the sea trials of the following day. All guests had the opportunity to discover the details of the new open range. Riva 63 closed the Aquarama Parade in Montecarlo on the 30th June. This event symbolically represented the union between the past and the near future of the brand. The parade was organized by the Monaco Boat Service, the historical Riva dealer in the Principality of Monaco, with the objective of tracing the 50 years of the model that made Riva a world icon. The press conference was held in the marvellous setting of the Monaco Yacht Club on 2nd July. On this occasion, the new model has officially been presented and tested by a lot of journalists. There have been many unforgettable moments, such as: the “Riva Trophy”, an annual competition dedicated to Riva owners, that took place on the Montecarlo - St. Tropez route on 29th and 30th June and the evening party to celebrate the 90-year-old engineer Carlo Riva, who remembered some of the most important stages of the Riva brand.
Rivera Secret Model to be Revealed at Sydney
All will be revealed at the 2012 Sydney International Boat Show as Riviera launches the first model in an exciting and unique new model series. Australia’s largest and most awarded luxury boat builder has remained tight lipped during the development and construction of this new model, which is neither a flybridge boat, sport yacht or offshore express. Riviera’s director of brand and communications Stephen Milne said this new series was like no other ever produced by Riviera. This new model will lead a stunning line-up of impressive new boats with a retail value of $12.8 million, including from the Sport Yacht range; the 5800 with IPS or Zeus, 5000 with Zeus, 4400 Series II with IPS and the 3600 with IPS; and from the Flybridge range; the 63 Enclosed Flybridge with shaft drive, 53 Enclosed Flybridge with Zeus or IPS and 43 Open Flybridge with IPS. Two models never before seen at a boat show are the stunning new 63 Enclosed Flybridge and the exciting new 5000 Sport Yacht that boasts a whole host of new design enhancements. The 63 was originally a customisation of the 61 Series II for a New Zealand client where by extending the waterline length, Riviera’s designers were able to increase the cockpit size making this vessel extremely versatile for both long range cruising, entertaining and fishing. The Riviera display will be located on the southern end of the Cockle Bay Marina, Darling Harbour from August 2 to 6.
Sanlorenzo Crosses the City at Night
Sanlorenzo made an amazing night-transportation for the launch of Achilles, a wonderful steel yacht of 46 meters (46Steel), that travelled across the city of Massa-Carrara (which is where the third Sanlorenzo shipyard in addition to Ameglia and Viareggio is located). This move from the shipyard to the marina was a short, yet spectacular sight. A specialist team drove Achilles to the Carrara Marina, across a road that rarely sees yachts of this size. It took a huge deployment of forces to block off the road’s night time traffic, in order to allow the transit of this 151ft steel giant. Once the yacht was at the marina, she was launched thanks to a special floating metal platform that supported the yacht, whilst gently lowering her into the sea. The 46Steel Achilles is the fourth unit that has been delivered in the 46 metre line, from a total of six that have been sold. Each yacht has been delivered by Sanlorenzo to the owner with the utmost reliability and technologically advanced features. Most notably however, is that for over 50 years every Sanlorenzo yacht has been Made-to-Measure: reflecting each owner’s personal taste and requests, like a bespoke suit.
Sunreef Close to the Big Launch
We have the pleasure to announce that the superstructure of the 60 Sunreef Power was mounted on the hull two weeks ago and that the yacht is now being prepared for its big launch scheduled for the beginning of August. With Sunreefs own CNC machine, the massive flybridge was cut in house, next infused in onepiece and custom painted. At this moment final works are being completed. The 60 SunreefPower is a new 2012 model which will be displayed as a world premiere at the Cannes International Boat Show in September.
Sunseeker Stars in Science Museum Exhibition
Sunseeker International Ltd will take a starring role in the Make it in Great Britain exhibition at the Science Museum, which was opened this morning by Business Secretary Vince Cable and Business Minister Mark Prisk. The exhibition runs from 24 July until 9 September and will demonstrate the very best of British manufacturing. Sunseeker, based in Poole, beat competition from hundreds of UK companies to a place at the exhibition, which aims to dispel the myth that Britain 'doesn't make anything anymore' and educate visitors about the value of manufacturing to the UK economy. The exhibition is the culmination of the Make it in Great Britain campaign; an initiative launched by the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills last year which aims to challenge outdated opinions of the UK manufacturing industry, worth approximately £137bn to the UK economy each year and employing 2.5 million people. A Truly Global leader in the design and build of luxury motoryachts, Sunseeker International exports to more than 61 countries and is widely recognised as the pre-eminent marine brand in the world today. Creating a range of craft from 40ft to 155ft across 22 different models, Sunseeker prides itself on continous design, innovation and style.
Sunseeker Spain A Resounding Success
Sunseeker Yachts Spain SL, the new exclusive distributor for Sunseeker in Spain, Portugal and Angola, held an introductory press conference on the 13th of June 2012 for approximately 20 of Spain's most influential journalists and media. Sunseeker London and R&P Empuriabrava Inversions are 50/50 joint partners with the Head Office of this new business 'Sunseeker Yachts Spain SL' based in Empuriabrava. Other office locations in the group are based throughout Spain and Portugal. Christopher Head, Sales Director of Sunseeker London, explained how excited he was about the new partnership and of their objective to cover sales and service for all areas and all nationalities. Carlos Roig, President of Sunseeker Spain delivered a presentation regarding the facilities that Sunseeker Spain can offer, such as storage, servicing and the recent agreement made with Eric Zobel for Sunseeker Sitges. The one-day press conference was held at Sunseeker Spain's Empuriabrava office.
Tiara Retools for the Future
Leon Slikkers, sixty-six year veteran of the marine industry and chairman and founder of S2 Yachts, which encompasses the Tiara Yachts and the Pursuit Boats brand, has announced that he will be taking a step back in the day-to-day operations of the two divisions. Instead, he will continue to focus on his role as advisor, consultant for S2 Yachts, which is now being run by three generations of Slikkers. In so doing, Leon Slikkers has announced that Tom Slikkers, President of Pursuit Boats, will now be S2’s C.E.O. and President. Robert Slikkers will continue to oversee Tiara’s manufacturing process in addition to focusing on Energetx Composites. Energetx builds composite wind blades, nacelles, and other composite components for the alternative energy market. As Tiara Yachts and Pursuit Boats look to streamline redundancies within the two companies, Tom Slikkers has announced that George Hetzel, Pursuit’s Vice President of Sales and Marketing, has been promoted to Vice President of Sales & Marketing for S2 Yachts. Mr. Hetzel will also coordinate S2’s international sales expansion plans with Pursuit’s Paul Perry, and Tiara’s Graham Nisbet. Mr. Hetzel’s first decision was to hire industry veteran, Nick Bischoff, to serve as Tiara’s Business Development Manager for the northern region of the United States and Canada. Bischoff, as recently as 2009, served as Tiara’s Vice President of Sales & Marketing. In addition, Bischoff will also serve as the company’s Special Projects Manager, with an emphasis on facilitating new product development, and leading Tiara’s much respected sales training program, Tiara University. Mr. Hetzel has also assigned the Latin American and Caribbean region for Pursuit Boats to John Armbruster, who currently handles the Southern Region for Tiara Yachts. Randy Jernigan has been named Business Development Manager for Pursuit Boats for the Northeast and Eastern Canada. Randy brings over 25 years marine industry wholesale and retail experience to the Pursuit brand. He graduated with honors from Western New England College, followed by duty in the Coast Guard then naturally moving into the marine industry with such companies as OMC, Bombardier and HydraSports. In addition to the direct sales responsibilities outlined, Pursuit Marketing Director, David Glenn has been promoted to Marketing Director, S2 Yachts. David will be responsible for shaping both brands, Pursuit and Tiara, as the company moves forward.
Wider Takes Flight
Italian nautical company Wider, founded on a project designed by Tilli Antonellli, celebrates the launch of its tenth 42 footer. This important goal has been achieved just over a year after the company, which registered a turnover of 6 million Euro for the 2011-2012 nautical year, was founded. What makes Wider 42 no. 10 particularly memorable is the unusual way in which she was delivered. Indeed, the shipyard arranged for her to be transported by air, an extraordinary event on the luxury nautical scene, considering motoryachts are normally transported by land or sea. The exceptional transportation occurred last week aboard an Antonov An-124, a four-engined freight plane and one of the largest cargo aircraft in the world, which landed in Falconara-Ancona specially to pick up Wider 42’ and transport her to her destination, in the Near East.
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