May 28, 2007

Powerboat P1 - Italian Grand Prix of the Sea, Fountain King of Shaves and Racing Project Roscioli Hotels dominate

Weekend of Domination in both Evolution and Supersport in the 2Nd Grand Prix, held in Naples Italy of the Powerboat P1 World Championship involving Race 3 and 4 of the 2007 Season. Briton's James Sheppard and Craig Wilson showed a super pace for other's to follow in the prototype Evolution Class with a double win in Italy on the USA built Fountain powerboat King of Shaves. Meanwhile Italians Angelo Tedeschi and Fabio Magnani of Italian Team Racing Project Roscioli Hotels Roma with the Malta built 41 feet Chaudron followed the script in Supersport and secured more important points for the championship, after a good 2Nd place in Malta.
The Fountain King of Shaves winner of both races in Italy.
Also a double in Supersport for Racing Project Roscioli Hotels.
RACE 1
19 boats started the race providing a dramatic spectacle for the large crowds. King of Shaves, the Fountain-built boat of Briton's James Sheppard and Craig Wilson made a dream start to its life in Powerboat P1 with a debut win in the Evolution class of the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea. Taking the lead on the second lap from the Italian OSG boat of Giancarlo Cangiano and Giovanni Carpitella, the experienced pairing skimmed across the surface of the Bay of Naples, leaving the Italian boats Fainplast and OSG battling for the runners-up places with Austrian Wettpunkt and Lucas Oil - Outerlimits. By the halfway stage King of Shaves had built a commanding lead of over half a minute but that comfort zone was not to last as Wettpunkt.com of Hannes Bohinc, Miles Jennings and Ed Williams- Hawkes, found its rhythm after a relatively slow start. At the chequered flag the lead had been whittled down to less than ten seconds. The race was full of drama with overtaking, retirements - including the third placed Metamarine craft of Fainplast- and a flip! This happened on lap five as OSG, battling for position with Wettpunkt, 'hooked' 360 degrees before flipping onto its side. It was a heart-stopping moment followed by a huge act of sportsmanship as both Wettpunkt and the American Lucas Oil - Outerlimits team stopped to monitor the situation and respond to any emergency that might unfold. Thankfully, both pilots emerged unscathed and both Wettpunkt and Outerlimits were able to continue racing - Wettpunkt finishing second and Outerlimits third. In SuperSport, the highly competitive production class, once again proved to be intensely competitive and full of surprises. The dominant boat was Racing Project Roscoli Hotels Roma with Neapolitan Angelo Tedeschi using his local knowledge to good effect. The win has put Team Racing Project at the top of the World Championship standings. Behind them pre-event favourites ExtremeBoat suffered engine sensor problems and the FPT-powered Sunseeker had steering difficulties. It was a fast, tough race that took its toll on many of the boats although accomplished performances from Buzzi Bullet, Chaudron and the Hustler of Team VoomVoom saw them amass valuable championship points, finishing in second, third and fourth place respectively.
RACE 2
The domination of the Italian Grand Prix of the Sea continued outright with the winners in race 3 confirming there result. Still a hard fought contest challenge was always behind the Fountain King of Shaves from Wettpunkt.com and the-American Outerlimits Powerboats team. Always in contention, the Austrian Wettpunkt team, led by Hannes Bohinc, looked capable of spoiling the party but despite moving within ten seconds they did not appear to have quite enough horse power to bridge the gap. The diesel powered Kiton, led the field as the second-leg got underway, putting several boat lengths between themselves and the chasing pack. However, the early sign of pace was short-lived as the Ilmor-powered Fountain and the Isotta Fraschini's of Wettpunkt took command. As the two front-runners pulled away, holding station until the chequered flag, it was the nail-biting port-to-starboard battle between the Metamarine-built boats of Fainplast and Kiton that captivated the crowds. When, on lap three Kiton slowed, Fainplast moved into third with Outerlimits fourth. A mechanical problem later forced Fainplast to retire enabling the American's to take the final podium position. A third place was an exceptional performance from the American Lucas Oil- Outerlimits crew of Mike Fiore and Nigel Hook, who had been forced to add additional weight to the boat and then, as today's race began, suffered a drenching at the hands of Wettpunkt.com. The local favourites, OSG, made a miraculous 'last-minute' appearance after yesterday's spectacular sinking! Working throughout the night and morning to repair the boat, it eventually took the start one lap down. The courageous pair of Giancarlo Cangiano and Giovanni Carpitella provided the appreciative crowds with a true show but were unable to make their mark in a race dominated throughout the weekend by King of Shaves, Wettpunkt.com and Outerlimits. These three took first, second and third respectively in the Evolution class of the Powerboat P1 Italian Grand Prix of The Sea.
Important points for the SuperSport title for Italian team, Racing Project Roscioli Hotels Roma. Tedeschi, the teams Neapolitan owner and throttle man, now moves to the head of the championship, a strong endorsement to his pre-season decision to invest in a new boat. The 41ft Malta built Chaudron boat, powered by Mercruiser engines is clearly capable of mixing-it at the front of the field in this intensely competitive production class. In the Sunday 'Sprint', Roscioli Hotels Roma were pushed all the way by the British duo of Mike Shelton and Jackie Shelton in Extremeboat - the distance between the two boats from start to finish was never more than 5 seconds. Third place on the day went to Drew Langdon and Jan Falkowski in Buzzi Bullet, a superb result following yesterdays first-leg where the team finished second. In today's race, the fourth place battle between Casino Portamaso Chaudron and Chinese entry, Sun Lik Beer was a classic 'cat and mouse' encounter over a course distance of 52 nautical miles, with Sun Lik Beer eventually taking fourth place by just one second, having moved through the field from a start- lap position of eighth. A fourth place finish on the day for a team that has had a slow start to the season, after exceptional form in 2006, suggests that a win may not be too far way.
Chart Standings after Grand Prix of Italy

May 25, 2007

Powerboat P1 - Italian Grand Prix of the Sea preview

The stunning Bay of Naples, home to more than one million people, presents a natural amphitheatre for this weekend's Powerboat P1 World Championship as 20 boats and teams from around the world arrive for the action, excitement and glamour of the Powerboat P1 Italian Grand Prix of the Sea. This dramatic backdrop for one of Europe's top-tier motorsports is guaranteed to be matched by the drama on the water with both racing classes, Evolution and SuperSport, fielding ten boats each, all race-prepared and eager to win. For the high-powered prototypes racing in Evolution this is the first time in the history of P1 that boat numbers have reached double figures, promising the motoring-mad Neapolitans noise, speed and furious action as the sleek powerful muscle machines generate upto 2000hp and 100mph. Local hero and 2006 World Champion Giancarlo Cangiano, with team mate Giovanni Carpitella, will lead the Italian challenge, buoyed by a win in the first Grand Prix in Malta but wary of the challenge amassing within the ranks. This includes Outerlimits Powerboats, the all-American US Championship winning team from Rhode Island, who demonstrated in its debut European race that it has the speed, determination and quality to win events on both sides of the pond. The weekend's new kid on the block is the English US team, Fountain Worldwide, with British pilots Craig Wilson and Class 1 and ProVee star James Sheppard, racing a Fountain Lightning 42 powered by Ilmor engines. The team has arrived out of the box in Italy and, with such a formidable package, achieving podium honours should only be a matter of time. Italy's great nautical and motor racing heritages are well represented in P1 and the tens of thousands of Neapolitans expected to line the Bay will find plenty of local flavour to cheer; from the Neapolitan pilots Cangiano, Stefano Cola and Angelo Tedeschi to the all-Italian boats, Fainplast, Kiton and Carpenter, and of course, the royal connection, Prince Emanuele Filiberto di Savoia, racing with Max Ferrari for the Italian Skater Racing team. Definitely looking for a win in Naples is Wettpunkt.com, the Austrian team powered by Italian Isotta Fraschini engines and an Italian FB design hull. There will also be great interest in the performance of Team Sunseeker, one of the leading contenders for the SuperSport title, racing with FPT Fiat Power Train engines in what is the first Formula One-style engine deal in P1. The Powerboat P1 Italian Grand Prix of the Sea comprises an 'Endurance' race on Saturday 26th May and shorter 'Rally' sprint on Sunday 27th. Both World Championship rounds 'power-off' at 12:30pm and with sunshine forecast for the weekend, close-to-the-shore race action and a large grid of pilots eager to impress, a spectacular show is promised.

May 24, 2007

America's Cup - Louis Vuitton Cup Semi Finals End, Luna Rossa and Team New Zealand reach Final


The best of nine, first to five semifinals ended yesterday with Emirates Team New Zealand finally going into the Final of the Louis Vuitton Cup, the last stage for the Challenger selection of the 32ND America's Cup.
The semi finals went always according to plan and only one day Tuesday was cancelled, with the intelligence flag put ashore due to rough weather conditions and winds going from 20 up to 35 knots and waves from 2 to 3 metres in height. This cancellation effected only the NZL92 vs ESP97 match as the Luna Rossa vs Oracle Match concluded on Sunday.
The Luna Rossa Challenge vs Oracle was the biggest surprise of the semi finals with a staggering win of 5-1 from ITA94. No one would have predicted this result, especially after seeing the great performance of the Americans on USA98 during the Round Robin stages, more surprising and amazing it is when one sees that the Italian challenger was always ahead in every bow turn during the races. The point awarded to the USA Challenger during match 2 was in a certain way a mistake by the Italian team due to a big separation in the last down wind leg. Still as Oracle's Skipper Chris Dickson has said Luna Rossa showed good upwind speed and enough down wind speed to handle the situation. The other match between top challenger Emirates Team New Zealand and the locals home team of Desafio Espanol concluded with a 5-2 result. Still the Spanish seemed happy with this result as there main aim was to reach the semifinal and after that was to win or take some races from top rated challenger New Zealand, something they managed very well in doing in Race 3 and 6 of the semifinals. Still the Spanish has to be proud as they have showed a superior pace then in the Round Robins stages. Now it's up for the last two titans Luna Rossa Prada Challenge vs Emirates Team New Zealand on the Final Match which starts on the 1st June in a best of nine first to five duel. Winner will challenge defender Alinghi in the 32nd America's Cup Final.
Picture copyright Lunarossachallenge Cup Magazine

May 22, 2007

Project: Aicon 75 Flybridge

New design for the Sicilian company with launch for the coming Summer. This new yacht will express key concepts of the Aicon style designed by Fulvio De Simoni and will fill the space between the 64 and the flagship 85 Flybridge models. The design of the new motor yacht focuses on flowing lines creating a harmonic unified shape and clever use of space both outside and inside. The interior space is focused on the living area with autonomy that are conversation, dinette and galley areas. Down below 4 cabins equipped with en-suite head all designed to provide privacy and comfort complete the spacious interior.

May 17, 2007

Boat Review: Rizzardi 63 Hard Top

Presentation
Hard Top version for the successful 63 Topline, the Rizzardi 63 Hard Top was presented during the Naples Nauticsud Boatshow of 2005.  Offering customers and Rizzardi open brand fans a requested and practical all weather three part hard top on the classic contemporary lines of the Topline range. This new version for the 63 also offered different cockpit and interior layouts with a more minimal approach to the previous design and a more spacious third cabin.
Accommodation
Four different interior layouts are available for the Rizzardi 63, showing a real semi custom approach for the buyer and not just a selection of materials and colours as is the case in many production yachts of this size. Three of the available layouts are three cabin versions and a small crew cabin forward,  with a four cabin version plus crew something unusual in this size and type of yacht being available.  The four cabin version is an interesting layout especially if one has an interest in the charter market or has a big family to cater for and really does not feel the need for a bigger yacht to nineteen meters. 
The standard 63 Hard Top layout is a three spacious double cabins offer as pictured in blue below.
The interior accommodation features a very spacious owner-master cabin forward, second guest cabin to starboard of impressive size and VIP cabin aft with separate entrance from the cockpit. The aft VIP cabin feature is a really big bonus especially when inviting guests on board, as it really gives a real meaning to privacy both for guests and the owner alike. All cabins feature private en-suite heads with separate shower cubicle of good dimensions. Saloon has an adequate sized L-shaped settee. A medium sized fully equipped galley concludes the interior layout.
All Rizzardi 63 layouts. The no.4 blue colored layout is the standard hardtop interior version.
Performance
The Rizzardi 63 Hard Top has one of the driest rides in the category without having a high freeboard bow. Using the famous Technema derived hull with it's huge winged spay chine is a sure to keep water away in most conditions and provides also good lifting aid. Another good news are the central, perfectly positioned engines which should give easy planning to the 63 and huge stability especially with head seas. A small disadvantage for this solution will be less steering handling proficiency then V-dive or U-drive powered boats with aft positioned engines and tunnel propellers like most of the offers from the British builders. Think personally of what you prefer from a 19 metre power yacht? Making tight curves around the buoys with super handling steering ability or a more solid ride in rough weather. Top speed as declared by the manufacturer is 38 knots from twin Man 1100hp at 2300 rpm with fast cruiseat 33 knots at 2100 rpm, this give a range of 320 Nautical Miles.
Positive
Interior layout options
Standard spacious 3rd cabin in standard layout
Spacious x 3 heads (bathrooms)
Flush deck forward
Negative
Small Galley in standard interior layout
Optional High Safety Railing
Competition
Huge competition in the 18/19 metre Hard Top Sports Yachts with standard shaft driven propulsion. The thee famous British names all have there different offer and so do other major Italian and USA builders. Four cabins option makes the Rizzardi 63 Hard Top unique. Still the three cabins layout is one of the most spacious available in the range and in many of the competition the third cabin or is small or in bunk beds layout. Here is the main competition:
Aicon 62 Open - patio door, three cabin interior, all round deck.
Azimut 62 S - patio door, optional third cabin
Dalla Pieta DP 58 HT - spacious crew or guest fourth cabin aft
Fairline 62 Targa Gran Turismo - patio door, cockpit saloon style layout, crew cabin
Ilver 58 Vista - crew cabin option, cabin area with galley, saloon on main deck
Princess V65 - patio door, two social areas on cockpit, small third cabin, crew cabin option
Riva 63 Vertigo - crew cabin option aft, L-shape bunk third cabin, unique style
Sarnico 60 - crew cabin option, singles cabin aft with VIP and Master cabin forward
Searay 60 Sundancer - patio door, small third cabin option, well sized galley
Sunseeker 62 Predator - patio door, small bunk third cabin
Tecnomar 20 Velvet - patio door, twin saloon upper deck, semi custom
WILDCARD: Baia 63 Azzurra - surface drive 40 plus knots speed, three cabins plus crew forward  
Conclusion
Classic timeless lines are the theme for the Rizzardi 63 Hard Top and are part of the unique character of this sports yacht. Details like the curved windscreen, forward leaning style hardtop and the unique flush deck all have vintage written all over them. Future design touches are the unique Technema hull lines, well designed stern layout with the extended platform and nice stairs on both sides. Practical solutions are the recess aft for the mooring winches and cleats and the visible air intakes on the side for the engines just under the deck. This last a design trademark of the Toplines since the first of the range, the 53 which was presented in 1992. If one likes a conservative classic looking sport yacht outside and engineering wise but with brilliant modern solutions and options inside choosing the 63 Hard Top will be easy, but if you are looking for a more modern looking sports yacht, then may be you should look somewhere else before viewing a Rizzardi 63 Hard Top. .
Technical Data
L.O.A. 19.10 metres (62.6 ft)
Beam. 4.80 metres
Draft. 1.45 metres with props
Displacement. 30 t
Fuel Capacity. 2800 litres
Water Capacity. 700 litres
Accommodation. six guests in three cabins, or four cabins for eight guests, one crew cabin berth
Engines. 2 x MAN D2840LE423 V10 1100hp
Speed. max 38 knots. cruising 33 knots.
Range. 320 nautical miles
Design. Rizzardi
Certification. CE A
www.rizzardiyachts.com
Picture Copyright Rizzardi. Data Rizzardi.

May 13, 2007

America's Cup - Louis Vuitton Semi Finals

11:00 AM today during the semifinalist press conference, all remaining four teams for the semifinal stage of the The Louis Vuitton cup confirmed there latest constructed sail boat as used in the previous Round Robin stages. USA team BMW Oracle skipper Chris Dickson also gave a hint that USA98 will have a New Measurement Certificate. This is the third measurement certificate for USA98 since the regatta's started this year. A new certificate is also expected for Luna Rossa Challenge who have been rumored to have been trying different solutions this week, including a new mast which arrived to the base last Tuesday. Now let's hope for a good stable breeze and some real tight competitive racing.
Challenger's boat's for Semifinals:
Emirates Team New Zealand - NZL 92
BMW Oracle Racing - USA 98
Luna Rossa Challenge - ITA 94
Desafío Español 2007 - ESP 97

May 9, 2007

America's Cup - Louis Vuitton Round Robin Concludes

The 4 Semi Finalists for the Louis Vuitton Cup
After a difficult start for Round Robin 1 due to little wind, the Round Robin 2 concluded today. With only 1 day without racing, funnily enough for strong Ponente West winds. Round 2 offered stable conditions in Valencia and the promise of the much mentioned sea breeze from the East started making it's appearance more often, with temperatures over 25 degrees. The 4 semi finalists have been chosen with no surprise, as the top four challenger's as at the end of the ACT's where confirmed. Still surprises have not been less in the 2Nd Round and fierce competition for the Spanish Challenger of Desafio for the much wanted 4Th place by the Swede's of Victory challenge seemed never ending. Oracle and later followed by Luna Rossa where the first 2 team's to have a guaranteed place in the semifinal. Superb performance for Emirates Team New Zealand who won all there races in Round Robin 2 and managed to obtain the much important top spot, which gives them the opportunity to choose their opponent for the semi final, a big advantage.
The second Round Robin also showed the bigger potential of the 3 top teams with less mistakes happening and really no surprise, accept for the defeat of Oracle at the hands of China Team due to a damaged sail by the American Team during the race.
Comments end of Round Robin 1 & 2:
Emirates Team New Zealand make up for the 3 lost races in Round Robin 1 by beating everyone in the 2nd Round improving power
BMW Oracle Racing defeated by China due to damage sail and New Zealand in the last duel for 1st place the bonus point the bonus point
Luna Rossa Challenge show better composure in Round.2, defeated by 1st/2nd ranked challenger in Round.2 challenge
Desafio Espanol 2007 get the much wanted 4th semifinal place a day before the end as planned
Victory Challenge miss the 4th place by a day, but still gain a place in the ranking improve
Mascalzone Latino Capitalia Team started Round 1 well, went a complete downhill after that and fall to 6th disappointment
Team Shosholoza the wild card of the Rounds, gave a tight match to all teams competitive again
Areva Challenge better results in Round 2 but much work to do average
+39 Challenge when wind was over 10 knots they where looking better, nice win over Shosholoza better 2nd round
United Internet Team Germany a preperation for the next cup light improvement
China Team win top challenger BMW Oracle thanks to a sail damage during the race a win is a win
Round Robin 1 & 2 - Final Results and Ranking
www.americascup.com

May 6, 2007

Powerboat P1 - Malta Grand Prix of the Sea. High Rough Seas cancel Round 2

Malta Powerboat P1 Round One Saturday 5th May, Start for the 2007 Season
OSG Racing Donzi winner Grand Prix of Malta 07 & Evolution Class Champion 2006
OSG Donzi, the powerboat of Italian's Giancarlo Cangiano and Giovanni Carpitella, won the opening Grand Prix of the Powerboat P1 World Championship in Malta in a race that will long be remembered for high seas and unforgiving race conditions. Normally contested over two legs, dangerous sea conditions forced the cancellation of the Sunday race and the Saturday first round results stand, with Wettpunkt.com in second and Kiton in third.
RACE 1
The Italian craft of Fainplast had crossed the line first in the Evolution Class but a protest was lodged and subsequently upheld that the Metamarine boat had missed a course buoy during the race. It resulted in disqualification.
The Italian Team of OSG helmed by Giancarlo Cangiano was awarded the opening Grand Prix of the Powerboat P1 World Championship with Wettpunkt.com in second and Kiton in third. In SuperSport, the result was much more decisive after an emphatic Round the Island performance by the British husband and wife team of Mike Shelton and Jackie Hunt, despite waves of over 5 metres high. For many of the highly experienced seafaring racers, these were the worst conditions ever experienced, making the clear-cut win in Extremeboat, powered by Mercury Engines, even more impressive. The home Malta Team and boat Chaudron Portomaso claimed 4th Place and the other new Chaudron boat of Italian team Racing Project Roscioli Hotel came in second place. A good result for the Maltese powerboat builder.
RACE 2 The Round Two day on Sunday was cancelled due to rough seas, with relief to the battered and bruised boats and bodies from the Saturday race. Malta loves its P1 and the crowds respond in their tens of thousands. However, any initial disappointment for the large crowds was short lived when the organisers, in close co-operation with the Maltese Armed Forces and Civil Protection, created a time trial event within the stunning 'Fortress of the Mediterranean' Grand Harbour, Valletta. This impromptu initiative, though not counting towards the Championship, was won by ExtremeBoat in SuperSport and in Evolution by the Outerlimits Powerboats team. The high speeds generated across the waters of the harbour by the all-American outfit will serve as a timely reminder, if one was needed, that Joe Sgro and Mike Fiore are not in Europe just to make up the numbers. The teams which competed in the time trial where awarded 10 points each as a bonus.
2007 Powerboat P1 World Championship Maltese Grand Prix of the Sea - Results
Evolution Class
Pos. - No. Boat Name, Nationality = Points
1. - 88 OSG Racing - Italian - 80
2. - 81 Wettpunkt.com - Austrian - 60
3. - 90 Kiton - Italian - 50
97 - Outerlimits - American - DNF
64 - Fainplast - Italian - DQF
SuperSport Class
Pos. - No. - Boat Name - Nationality - Points
1. - 55 Extremeboat - British - 100
2. - 44 Roscioli Hotels Roma - Italian - 80
3. - 47 Buzzi Bullet - British - 60
4. - 46 Chaudron - Maltese - 50
5. - 11 Team Sunseeker - British - 40
6. - 09 Marex - British - 30 (Wild Card)
03 - Carpenter - Italian - DNF
07 - VoomVoom.com - British - DNF
08 - Sun Lik Beer - Chinese - DNF

May 2, 2007

Powerboat P1 - The 2007 Season Starts

The coming weekend will mark the beginning of the U.I.M. Powerboat P1 Championship with 12 races scheduled in 6 different Venues in Europe. The start of this year championship as was in the previous 2 editions starts in the Southern tip of Europe, the Island of Malta, in the middle of the Mediterranean sea. The most up North Grand Prix, should be the 4Th venue of Cowes in the United Kingdom, which is a classic and legendary spot for Powerboat racing. This is the third time Malta will host the Powerboat P1 Grand Prix. The Island now is becoming a classic in the P1 circuit and Powerboat racing alike, as the island also hosted 3 Grand Prix for the U.I.M. World Class 1 Championship from 1992 to 1994.
The 2 day racing in Malta will feature 2 different courses. Round One Circuit on Saturday will be a 6 laps circuit on the north part of Malta plus a circumnavigation of the Island for the Evolution Class. The Supersport Class will perform the same course minus 1 lap, which is 5 laps and a Circumnavigation. Round Two Circuit on Sunday will be a spectacular all crowd viewing Grand Prix, with the start to be held on Malta's most famous seafront promenade the Sliema Front. The Evolution Class will perform 10 laps for this Grand Prix and Supersport Class will perform 9 laps. This year competition will feature 20 teams, 10 in the Evolution Class and 10 for the Super Sport Class. Famous Motor and Super Yacht builder Sunseeker will compete officially for the first time in the Supersport category. Sunseeker have also signed a deal with Fiat Powertrain Technologies which will supply the power for the Fabio Buzzi designed Sunseeker Challenger with twin 5.9 litre 480 hp turbo diesel engines, for the season. It is worth mentioning that the Sunseeker Challenger is a racing evolution of the XS-2000 production model. The model also competed in the 2006 season but not in official Sunseeker colors. Fountain powerboats from USA will also compete officially but in the more ambitious Evolution Class. May be in the future we will see more renowned official powerboat and motor yacht builders competing in this class, which apart from the usual good promotion an event like this holds, it can also be a superb benchmark for testing materials and hulls to the limits. In the early mid nineties many renowned builders especially from Italy and USA used to compete in U.I.M. Offshore Class 1 Championship and renowned Italian builder Ferretti also managed to win 2 World Class 1 titles in 1994 and 1997 and 2ND runner up in 1995.
www.powerboatp1.com

April 30, 2007

Monthly News - April 2007

- Picture of the Month - Bruna Abbate Primatist Loris Capirossi Moto GP 

Alicante Doma International recognition

The prestigious international magazine Yacht Design has recognized the innovative design of the DOMA 7. This publication, with a long lived prestige internationally, has always been characterized by showing the most innovative designs of the world. There is no doubt, that this recognition for the DOMA 7 is a great starting point for this project, which continues with a solid progress towards its world premier next year.


Bruno Abbate Primatist Sponsors Capirossi and Capellini

United to win, Loris Capirossi and Guido Capellini will carry the Primatist logo in the MotoGP and Powerboat F1 Inshore championships respectively. Loris Capirossi and his Ducati will challenge the MotoGP around the world with the Primatist logo on the upper part of his gloves. Guido Capellini on his side will try to conquer his 10th Championship with his DAC Catamaran that peeks 230 km/h. The Primatist logo will be present on the helmet and the Catamaran. This partnership goes over the commercial agreement that both these world famous sportsman have, as both of them are friends of the Abbate family and both of them soon owners of a G 46 and G 53 Aerotop Pininfarina. Capirossi and Capellini will contribute to spread the Bruno Abbate Primatist brand in the world, thanks to sport values, what is the development of the constructor in a precise market segment of a range of high quality crafted sports cruisers and yachts.


Ferretti Yachts, Ferretti Custom Line, Mochi Craft Privilege Days 2007

Ferretti Yachts organises the fifth edition of the most exclusive event for Ferretti owners. During the last weekend in March, Cannes hosted the Privilege Days, the exclusive worldly event bringing together Ferretti ship-owners from all over the world. With this fifth edition, Privilege Days renewed the success of the previous editions, consolidating an awaited opening rendezvous of the summer season. Privilege Days represent an exclusive meeting opportunity for the Ferretti Yachts, Mochi Craft and Custom Line aficionados. Since the very first edition, Ferretti Yachts has been able to attract the attention and the appreciation of its loyal ship-owners. The components underlying the success of the event are in keeping with the characteristics embodied in every Ferretti, Mochi Craft and Custom Line yacht: refined simplicity, extreme care for the details and excellent building capacity. Norberto Ferretti, President of the Ferretti Group, and Fulvio Dodich, Managing Director of Ferretti Yachts, perfect examples of the Group's capacity to conquer and retain customers' trust, welcomed invites from all over the world to Port Canto. A portion of the well-equipped marina was reserved for the fleet of FERRETTI YACHTS, flanked by MOCHI CRAFT and CUSTOM LINE fleets. The colourful Dolphins, that launched the Italian lobster boat style, and the splendid yachts by Custom Line, a leader in the production of 29 to 34 m long maxi yachts, all lined up along the dock at the disposal of ship-owners and their friends. Guests were hosted at Martinez Hotel, and Saturday evening they attended to a gala dinner in the suggestive hall of the Palais du Festival. The evening was enlivened by a performance by Kataklò, the first Italian dance company staffed by Olympic class athletes, who staged a series of acts especially designed to express the essence of the values upheld by the brands. Thanks to the complete fleet on display and Ferretti's proverbial hospitality, Privilege Days 2007 gave all participants a chance to feel part of the Being Ferretti philosophy.


CRN - Historic Success Registered by Sales Office

CRN sold 31 megayachts between September 2004 and the present. Semi-custom maxi-yachts ranging in length from 29 to 43 metres accounted for 23 of the sales, while the 8 other vessels were fully customised steel ships at lengths of from 46 to 72 metres. These sales results were unprecedented for the Ancona shipyard, and probably for the entire nautical industry as well. During the last year, a total of 18 vessels were sold under the Custom Line brand, managed by CRN, in addition to 5 three-deck ships that are now part of the CRN composite fleet: 2 CRN 128’ vessels and no fewer than 3 of the CRN 43, a new displacement project whose first hull, sold during the previous year, shall be launched by the end of Spring. The eight steel boats sold are a 46-metre ship of the “Magnifica” line(#118), plus a 54-metre ship (#121), a 57-metre model (#122), a 60-metre yacht (#123), two 56-metre vessels, a 59-metre ship (#126) and a 72-metre mega-yacht (#124), this last the largest vessel ever built at the shipyard, and one of the longest ever constructed in Italy. Specialised in building steel and aluminium mega-yachts that can reach lengths of up to 80 metres, plus 40 and 43-metre composite maxi-yachts, CRN can point to a stellar sales record over the last three years. The shipyard is also looking to increment sales in the United States and North America, a zone to which a new Area Manager was recently assigned: Paul Madden, whose many years of experience selling mega-yachts have been added to the shipyard’s sales team, guaranteeing a skilled, highly trained presence in American territory. The constant attention paid to the shipowner before the sale of the vessel - and, even more importantly, afterwards - is one of the keys to the shipyard’s sales success, as demonstrated by the large number of repeated clients.


Fairline Hosts World First 100% Renewable Biofuel Demonstration in Mallorca

With an audience made up of the world’s media, Mallorcan VIPs, Politicians and boat owners, Fairline North Mallorca hosted the world’s first comparison demonstration of 100% renewable BioFuel-powered and Fossil diesel-powered boats on behalf of fuel technology company, Revego Ltd. The event took place on Wednesday 18th April at Real Club Nautico, Puerto de Pollensa, where two identical Fairline Phantom 46s, the first Phantom powered by Revego 100% renewable and Carbondioxide Neutral Bio Fuel and the second Phantom by conventional fossil-based Diesel fuel, were trialled alongside each other. Guests were able to assess first hand the potential opportunities offered by this alternative energy source and examine the technology system installations. Throughout the demonstration the BioFuel-powered boat performed without compromise, holding its own alongside the fossil diesel-powered Phantom on both speed and performance. Our guests today heard about the technology, saw its potential first hand and have gone away from the demonstration knowing that a choice of fuel for their boats does exist.


Grand Banks Yachts Announces Changes in Top Management

Grand Banks Yachts Ltd. today announced several promotions and changes within its executive management team. The reorganization is designed to better align key roles and responsibilities as the 50-year-old Company builds on two years of record sales. The changes, effective immediately, include the appointment of Rob Livingston to the role of Company President. Mr. Livingston will assume the leadership of daily operations for Grand Banks. He most recently served as Executive Vice President and has been with the Company for almost eight years. Grand Banks also announced that Peter Poli, the Company’s Chief Financial Officer, will assume the additional title of Executive Vice President. Mr. Poli joined Grand Banks Yachts in 2004 and will now be responsible for the human resources and technology functions in addition to finance. Other management changes announced include naming Y.P. Wong, General Manager of Singapore Operations since , to the additional role of Chief Engineer. Engineering groups at Grand Banks factories in both Singapore and Malaysia will now report to Mr. Wong. Brent Perry, Vice President of Quality Assurance and After Sales Service, will now also lead the Company’s Development Group. Mr. Perry came to Grand Banks in 2006 with many years of design and manufacturing experience at several top boatbuilders, and effective immediately will serve as Vice President of Development, Quality Assurance and Service.


Horizon Group Wins

The Horizon Group proudly announces winning the “2007 Taiwan Superior Brand” contest on March 28, 2007. Horizon Yacht’s Chairman, James Cheng, accepted the award on behalf of the Horizon Group at the “2007 Taiwan Superior Brand Award Banquet”. The Bureau of Foreign Trade (BOFT) has commissioned a Branding Taiwan campaign executed by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) in cooperation with the international brand consulting firm, Interbrand. Since 2003 the Taiwan Superior Brand Contest has been organized as part of the campaign with the goal of reinforcing and strengthening Taiwan's international competitiveness by encouraging industries to develop quality and innovative brand products. This year, the award has been assigned to two business sectors, one domestic brand and one global brand. The Horizon Group was one of the 15 global brand award-winning companies for its outstanding performance in research and development, product quality, branding strategy, and branding achievement. The Horizon Group appreciates the value of its brand and achievement in the international yachting industry today. Winning the award not only affirms but encourages our continuous efforts on the “Horizon” brand worldwide. Not complacent of current achievements, the Horizon Group will continuously reinforce global recognition by providing superior quality and high performance “Horizon” yachts with outstanding customer service.

Horizon Yachts have US Congress Members Visit

Vision Yachts was happy to host a visit for US Congress delegates representing both Republican and Democratic parties. The purpose of the visit was to get a better understanding of Taiwan's economic environment and majoy industries. The United States are a very important market for Taiwanese yachts. With the Horizon Group being a leader of Taiwan yacht builders, the delegation came to visit the Horizon Group to learn about the industry. The visit was arranged by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs Republic of China (Taiwan) and the Marketing Center of the Horizon Group. After the visitors' arrival at Vision Yachts, the Marketing Center gave a brief introduction of the Horizon Group describing the history, organizations and facilities of the shipyard. Vision Yachts showed videos about the construction process and current advertising plan. The highlight was a factory tour during which representatives of Vision Yachts guided the delegation through the yard and on board different vessels to view the building process. The visitors were impressed by the professionalism and organization of the yard as well as the state-of-the-art designs. This visit truly succeeded in enhancing the business relationship between the US and Taiwan


Pershing Yacht win Croatia Boat Show Trophy

Lights over water in Split for Pershing, a Croatia Boat Show Trophy winner. On April 22, the ninth edition of the Croatia Boat Show came to an end, celebrating a significant increase in terms of visitors, press representatives and the quality of exhibitors.This is an event that is becoming more and more well known in the Mediterranean, thanks to its spectacular setting in the unspoilt beauty of the Croatian coast and the growing synergy between the Show and the city of Split. Pershing took part in the show, displaying a series of models from its fleet, namely the Pershing 90’, 62’, 56’ and 46’. These craft were immediately welcomed by the public as four of the most prestigious craft on display, a response that was later made official when the Pershing 90’ was awarded the "Croatia Boat Show Trophy", a prize offered by the Yachts Adriatic magazine. This was yet another award for a model that continues to bring visibility to the top segment of the Pershing range, thanks to its highly unconventional personality and captivating design. As happened with the Pershing 90’ that once again, succeeded in making its mark and winning yet another international award.

Pershing 72 Sea Show

The Pershing 72, Sea Show four-leg tour, opened in Split, Croatia on April 20, organized by Pershing to present its latest gem. On April 28 and 29 - coinciding with the Palma International Boat Show – Pershing will unveil its revolutionary new craft, the Pershing 72’ to dealers, customers and brand aficionados with a series of events including sea trials, meetings and an exclusive gala dinner..The star of the Sea Show, to be held at the Real Club Nautico in Palma, is naturally the Pershing 72’, a craft characterised by the innovative design of its exteriors and the luxurious elegance of its “Poltrona Frau” interiors. After Palma de Mallorca, the Sea Show will move onto Italy where it will stop in Venice from June 14 to 17 and then continue to Athens from June 28 to 30 to complete the tour.


Sunseeker International honoured by Queen´s Award

Sunseeker’s flag will be flying high following the announcement today that the company has been honoured with a Queen’s Award for Enterprise, the UK’s most prestigious awards for business performance. Presented in recognition of substantial growth in overseas earnings and commercial success, the Queen’s Award is an independent and prominent endorsement of the company’s sustained achievement in international trade to levels that are considered outstanding for the size of Sunseeker’s operation. Winning the Queen’s Award for the fifth time, Sunseeker increased its exports by over £50 million in three years from 2003 to 2006. Practically all of the company’s production is exported and it now sells to over 40 countries worldwide. Main markets are in Europe, the Far East, the USA and Australia. In the three years 2003 to 2006, its exports have totaled over £510 million and the company has created 291 additional jobs.

Sunseeker employee stashed parts for his dream boat

After four years as a Sunseeker employee, heling to build luxury powerboats in Poole, Dorset, James Light began collecting items to build his own dream boat. Seven years later he got caught and lost his job. Yesterday he pleaded guilty at Bournemouth Crown court and was given a suspended sentence plus 200 hours' community service. Police, who raided his lock-up garage found some 700 boat parts worth £55,000 - mostly electronics. Detectives were at a loss to explain how Light had sneaked all the parts - including a four-foot radar pole and a widescreen TV - through security at the firm's premises.