New Model: Viking 66 Enclosed Bridge Convertible

As with any Viking over sixty feet, it only a matter of short time that when the Open Bridge Convertible model is presented, Enclosed version is launched. Like the Open version, the 66 Enclsoed Brige Convertible has four staterooms and four private heads in its standard accommodation plan. The island galley, dinette, and salon also are similar, with the significant addition of an internal spiral staircase that leads to the enclosed bridge. The climate-controlled enclosed bridge is inviting and spacious with the main helm forward on centerline for good visibility. The raised ultra-leather dash handles a bank of navigation and communication electronics, and overhead, an accessory panel is easily read and reached. An adjustable Stidd helm seat provides plenty of comfort and support on long jaunts, and a large companion seat to starboard features drawer stowage and good visibility for crew and guests. Abaft the companion seat, a row of teak joinery houses bottle and general stowage. A flat screen television is mounted above the built-in refrigerator. A raised lounge with a teak cocktail table on the port side creates the atmosphere of a second salon for added privacy and convenience. A weatherproof lockable door leads to the aft deck and the second helm station, a pod design that has single lever controls, a stainless-steel wheel and stop start switches. Safety railing on the aft deck, as well as the exterior flying bridge access ladder is powder-coated aluminum. Power for the Viking 66 Enclosed Bridge Convertible starts from base MAN 1550hp, with other four options available up to twin MTU 2030hp.
Technical Data:
LOA - 20.3 m (66.7ft)
Beam - 5.8 m
Draft - 1.7 m
Displacement - 46663 kg
Fuel Capacity - 7628 l
Water Capacity - 1287 l
Accommodation - 8 berths in 4 cabins
Engines - 2 x MAN V12 CRM 1550hp, V12 CRM 1800hp, Cat C32A 1825hp, C32A 1925hp, MTU 2000 V16 M91 2030hp
Propulsion - line shaft with S class propellers
Speed - 40 knots max with MTU 2030hp
Construction - vacuum bagged grain balsa core, knitted fiberglass
www.vikingyachts.com 

Class 1 - Cernobbio Grand Prix

RACE 1

Victory’s Arif Al Zafeen and Mohammed Al Marri cruised to their third win of the year on an afternoon of drama during race 1 of the Italian Grand Prix.
Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori made it a UAE one-two finishing ahead of Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini in Spirit of Qatar 95 to complete a podium lock-out for the Middle East teams.
The Championship leaders’ led from the start and were clear of pole-sitters Spirit of Qatar 96 when the red flag was shown and the race immediately stopped when FA.RO ACCIAI turned over at the first turn. Thankfully both crew members emerged unhurt through the escape hatch in the upturned hull and were taken back to the pits by the rescue team.
At the restart the Dubai pairing produced more of the same to once again steal the advantage of pole position from their rivals Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis in Spirit of Qatar 96 to lead at the end of lap one, with Team Abu Dhabi also stealing a march on the Qatari boat to move up into second place.
For the remainder of the shortened eight lap race Al Zafeen and Al Marri were untroubled, moving out to an eight second lead by the end of lap 3 and going on to win comfortably by 27 seconds in 20:13.36secs.

Behind the runaway leaders Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori further staked their claim as the main challenge to their Dubai neighbours, taking their fourth podium of the year, and were able to keep Spirit of Qatar 96 at bay for five laps who lost ground trying to make a move on the Abu Dhabi duo, eventually finishing in sixth.
Spirit of Qatar 95’s Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini had trailed their teammates from the start but grabbed the opportunity to move up into third spot when they saw them trip up, going on to take their best result of the year and complete the podium.
And whilst Nicolini can claim the bragging rights as the first Italian home, the battle for ‘Italian team honours’ was being fought out over fourth and fifth place between Luca Formilli Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella in LFF10 and Guido Cappellini and Giampaolo Montavoci in Poliform, with Formilli Fendi and Carpitella holding off the challenge after passing Poliform on lap 2 to finish ahead of them by just two seconds.
Ugur Isik and Christian Zaborowski endured a rather solitary race in seventh spot in Zabo-Isiklar, but team boss Jan Zaborowski was satisfied that with the set-up available to them after losing a propeller yesterday, to get round without any technical problems was a positive outcome.
Today’s win for Al Zafeen and Al Marri, their fifth from six starts together, puts them 15 points clear of Team Abu Dhabi in the Championship table with Spirit of Qatar losing ground but still in third place.
ITALIAN GRAND PRIX, RACE 1 – Results
1. 3 Victory - A Al Zafeen (UAE) / M Al Marri (UAE) - 00.20.13,36
2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - R Al Tayer (UAE) / M Al Mansoori (UAE) + 00.26,89
3. 95 Spirit of Qatar - A Al Neama (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) + 00.37,55
4. 10 Fendi Racing - L Formilli Fendi (ITA) / G Carpitella (ITA) + 00.57,49
5. 74 Poliform - G Cappellini (MON) / G Montavoci (ITA) + 00.59,88
6. 96 Spirit of Qatar - H Al Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (ENG) + 01.03,00
7. 91 Zabo Isiklar - U Isik (TUR) / C Zaborowski (NOR) + 01.41,00
8. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - G M Gabbiani (ITA) / L Nicolini (ITA) - dns
RACE 2
Spirit of Qatar’s Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini produced a simply stunning performance in this afternoon’s thriller on Lake Como to win race 2 of the Italian Grand Prix.
Victory’s Arif Al Zafeen and Mohammed Al Marri just failed to pull off what would have been a remarkable win-double finishing second, with Sheikh Hassan bin Jabor Al-Thani and Steve Curtis making it a double podium celebration for the Qatari Team finishing third in Spirit of Qatar 96.
Al Neama and Nicolini laid the foundation for their first win of the season, in arguably their best drive since they first raced together in Class 1 in Abu Dhabi in 2011, by doing to Victory what they did to Spirit of Qatar 96 yesterday and stealing away the advantage of pole position by winning the drag race from the green flag to lead into the first turn.
LFF10’s Luca Formilli Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella also produced a blistering start to come from fourth place on the start line to follow the Qatari-Italian duo across the line at the end of the start lap ahead of pole-sitters Victory and Poliform’s Guido Cappellini and Giampaolo Montavoci.
But in spite of Poliform’s storming start, fourth spot was short lived, suddenly slowing on lap 2 and retiring from the race elevating Spirit of Qatar 96 to fourth place ahead of Team Abu Dhabi and Zabo-Isiklar.
With Al Neama and Nicolini edging out to an 11 second lead by lap 3, a titanic battle was developing behind them with just two seconds splitting LFF10 and Victory, with Spirit of Qatar 96 hanging on but a further seven seconds adrift.
Fendi and Carpitella looked to be capable of holding of the Victory attack, but their hopes of a podium evaporated on lap six when they took an imposed penalty lap for missing a buoy, dropping them to fifth place.
With six laps remaining Al Zafeen and Al Marri set about trying to haul in Al Neama and Nicolini and overturn their 15 second advantage.
By the end of lap 7 the gap was down to 10 seconds and by lap 10 the margin was just three, but Al Neama and Nicolini looked to have done enough and controlled the final two laps to run out well-deserved winners.
Today’s second place moves Al Zafeen and Al Marri 21-points clear in the Championship standings, with Al Zafeen conceding that the start cost them the race.
With Victory pushing hard to catch their teammates, Spirit of Qatar 96 were unable to match their pace but a race podium to add to their pole position win on Friday completed a good weekend for Sheikh Hassan and Steve Curtis, with Curtis satisfied that they had done all they could from where they started.
ITALIAN GRAND PRIX, RACE 2 – Results
1. 95 Spirit of Qatar - A Al Neama (QAT) / M Nicolini (ITA) 00.30.36,71
2. 3 Victory - A Al Zafeen (UAE) / M Al Marri (UAE) + 00.03,08
3. 96 Spirit of Qatar - H Al Thani (QAT) / S Curtis (ENG) + 00.18,69
4. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - R Al Tayer (UAE) / M Al Mansoori (UAE) + 00.34,85
5. 10 Fendi Racing - L Formilli Fendi (ITA) / G Carpitella (ITA) + 00.50,49
6. 91 Zabo Isiklar - U Isik (TUR) / C Zaborowski (NOR) + 01.05,00
7. 74 Poliform - G Cappellini (MON) / G Montavoci (ITA) - dnf
8. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - G M Gabbiani (ITA) / L Nicolini (ITA) - dns
WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 3
1. 3 Victory Team - 89pts

2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - 68pts

3. 96 Spirit of Qatar - 49pts

4. 95 Spirit of Qatar - 41pts

5. 10 Fendi Racing - 38pts

6. 91 Zabo Isiklar - 18pts

7= 23 FA.RO ACCIAI - 7pts

7= 74 Spirit of Gabon - Poliform - 7pts

9. 90 Welmax - 5pts

10. 9 Welmax - 0pts

www.class-1.com

Project: Azimut 84 Flybridge

Azimut 84 project seems to be so far an interior redesign of the 82 model, which was also a further improvement of the 80.  The renderings and design show changes which will change the interior with a new layout for the main deck and the master cabin.  The main most evident changes will affect the saloon, and new circular dining table. Azimut has so far shown no renderings for the exterior so we see what the presentation at the Genoa boat show in few weeks time will bring in this regard. 

www.azimutyachts.com 

Improve-it = Bertram 64

Bertram shows rendering for the enclosed bridge option of its recently presented 64 model, introduced last year following the eight years production run of the 630.  Designed as its predessor by Zuccon, the Bertram 63 with enclosed bridge option, wants to offer more versatile and comfortable cruising all year to the owner and his guests.  The enclosed bridge of the 64 will feature a full internal curved stair case passage from the main deck saloon.  The layout of the bridge will offer an L-shaped settee to port, central helm station settee, and two companion way seats.  The Bertram 64 reaches a top speed of 40 knots with twin Cats 1925hp engines.

www.bertram.com

Project: Monte Carlo MC5

The MC 5 Monte Carlo project announced by Beneteau at the eve of the Cannes show surprised me, in an intriguing aspect.  This was the return of the Monte Carlo signature used within the Beneteau sphere, something which I thought the brand wanted to separate three years ago when the first top end MCY line was launched and the sport cruiser range with this name then renamed to Flyer.  Designed as the innovative and luxurious Monte Carlo Yachts by Nuvolari Lenard, the looks of the MC 5 surprises for its mix, of ultra modern with classic futures as the bow or its flash deck. The MC5 Monte Carlo being a flybridge motor yacht still does look very sports, as an enclosed hard top sport cruiser.  Interior the MC 5 Monte Carlo designed by Andreani impresses for its abundant space thanks to the use of Volvo IPS pods; here offering a three double guest cabins lower deck, and a main deck with astern galley. Owners cabin is a full beam owners suite, VIP to fore, and a third cabin with bunk berths.  A single berth crew cabin is available aft.  Another area which surprises for spaces on layout seems to be the flybridge, offering a large C-shaped settee, and a settee plus sun pad to port side.  Power is twin Volvo 370 or 435hp with IPS pods units with an estimated top speed of 30 knots coming from the larger choice.   

www.beneteau.com 

New Model: Belize 52 Daybridge

All you could want with that something on top, that is how the Belize 52 Daybridge presents itself in the official website. That unique wind in hair and sun on face boating experience came alive when the stunning new Belize 52 Daybridge made her world debut at the Sydney International Boat Show. Following on from the considerable success of the new 52 Sedan nine sold just after its launch, Belize impressed boating enthusiasts with the new Daybridge flybridge version recording three sales at the show. The Daybridge features a plush L-shaped lounge with hi-lo table, which can be converted to a second sun pad. The second helm station located on the Daybridge offers essential navigation aids, and if the weather becomes too hot, or cold, the Daybridge cover can be snapped on and the party can move to the protection of the lower station with saloon and aft deck. The bespoke Belize Motoryacht line is inspired by classic timeless US down East lobster boat style, incorporating traditional with Australian practicality matched with latest modern boating standards. This showed with tender garage, and three lower deck interior with a full beam midships owners cabin all simulating what was shown with the 52 Sedan at the start of the year. Power for the Belize 52 Daybridge is twin Cummins 600 horsepower delivering a top speed of around 30 knots, 25 cruise.  A comfortable range 400 nautical miles is reached at 22 knots leaving a safety10 per cent reserve fuel margin.

Technical Data:

LOA - 16.1 m (52.9ft)

Beam - 5.03 m

Draft - 1.07 m

Displacement - 19,100 kg

Fuel Capacity - 2400 l

Water Capacity - 700 l

Accommodation - 6 berths in 3 cabins

Engines - 2 x Cummins QSC 600hp

Propulsion - ZF Zeus 3000 aft looking dual propeller pod drives

Speeds - 30 knots max, 25 cruise, 22 knots economic fast

Range - 400 nm at 22 knots 

Construction - hand laid resin infused fiberglass, with solid single skin bottom, keel and chines. Stiffened with longitudinal and transverse foam cored stringers

Hull Type - warped planning Vee shape with 22 degrees deadrise

Project - Stephen Ford and Belize Design team, Giorgia Drudi

Certification - ISO

www.belizemotoryachts.com.au 

Class 1 - Cernobbio Grand Prix Preview

A trio of Italian teams will line up on Lake Como, Cernobbio for the Italian Grand Prix, the 159th Class 1 Grand Prix to be run since the multi-event format was re-introduced in 1992, and the 19th to be played out on Italian waters in 14 years, looking to end the run of wins in 2012 by the Middle East teams.
LFFendi10, DAC Racing and Team D’Alessio-SCAM head the list of challengers who will be looking to unseat the current Championship leaders, Victory’s Arif Al Zafeen and Mohammed Al Marri.
Eight boats will line up on the spectacular Lake Como 21-23 September, when Regione Lombardia and the City of Cernobbio host round 3 of the 2012 UIM Class 1 World Powerboat Championship.
Class 1 first raced on Lake Como in October 1987 in a showpiece event organised by the late Bruno Abbate, which was won by former Italian tennis champion Adriano Panatta, and returned there last year for the first time in over two decades as an official round of the World Championship.
Luca Formilli Fendi and Giovanni Carpitella look well placed to give the tens-of-thousands of spectators who are expected to turn out the home win they crave, after finishing second in race 1 of the Gabon Grand Prix in July and currently sit as the top placed Italian outfit lying in fourth spot in the Championship standings.
Formilli Fendi and Carpitella look a resurgent force in the Championship since switching into a Victory hull SCAM engine package last time out and both are confident that they can challenge for further podium honours in Italy as they go in search of their first win together since teaming-up in 2010.
Cappellini’s Mercury V8-powered Poliform clearly has great pace but the 10-time F1H2O World Champion, who switched to Class 1 in 2010, has struggled to find reliability this season. In Gabon, he and Montavoci,  race 2 winner’s in Cernobbio in 2011 were hampered in both qualifying and in the race by recurring technical issues that ended their podium prospects and both will be eager to post their first race points this season.
Team D’Alessio-SCAM field the same line-up that paired in Gabon and finished in fifth place, with the experienced Luca Nicolini, who finished fourth in both races in Cernobbio in 2011 on the team’s Championship debut, alongside rookie Gian Maria Gabbiani, making his Cernobbio debut and only his third start in Class 1.
Looking to upstage his countrymen is Matteo Nicolini who lines up in Spirit of Qatar 95 alongside Qatari, Ali Al Neama.
Nicolini - who lifted the European title in 2005 and the Edox Pole Position Championship last year - will be looking to add to his haul of four race wins, five pole positions and 27 podium finishes of those taking one win, one pole position and four podiums with Al Neama since they paired for the first time in 2011.
Dubai’s Victory Team will arrive in Lake Como looking to put their name back on the winner’s roster and eradicate the bitter memory of last year’s two race-win and pole position disqualifications.
Defending and four-time World Champion Arif Al Zafeen and double World Champion Mohammed Al Marri top the overall standings on 54 points after finishing third and winning in Qatar, winning again in Gabon and lead their UAE rivals, Team Abu Dhabi’s Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori, by 10 points.
Since teaming-up for the season finale in Dubai in 2011, Al Zafeen and Al Marri have proved to be an intimidating partnership, winning four out of five races and going quickest in qualifying in three-out-of-three Edox Pole Position outings.
Equally as impressive is the team’s record in Italy following their first win in Ischia in 1993 in their rookie season, winning 14 times from 20 races at 17 Grands Prix over 13 years, whereas Italian success post 1992 has been somewhat stifled, with all-Italian pairings winning four times on home waters; Antonio Gioffredi and Carlo Bonomi in Pescara in 1992, Luca Ferrari and Vincenzo Polli in 1995, Eduardo Polli and Lamberto Leoni in 1997 and Guido Cappellini and Giampaolo Montavoci in 2011 - as did Matteo Nicolini with Qatari Ali Al Neama both courtesy of last year’s Victory disqualifications. Britons, Norwegians and an American claimed the other three GPs during the same period.
After opting to sit out the Gabon Grand Prix, Spirit of Qatar’s two-boat line up return to competitive duties and will be looking to claw back lost points and reignite their title challenge.
A first win together in Class 1 for Sheikh Hassan and throttleman Steve Curtis, the defending European Champions, in the season-opener in Doha, Qatar in March put them joint top of the points table with Victory’s Al Zafeen and Al Marri. But the Dubai duo’s win in Gabon now gives them a 22 point advantage over their arch-rivals, with Team Abu Dhabi up into second place after Rashed Al Tayer and Majed Al Mansoori picked up their third podium of the year last time out.
Teammates Ali Al Neama and Matteo Nicolini, the defending Edox Pole Position Champions and race 1 winners in Cernobbio last season, find themselves relegated to fifth with Zabo-Isiklar’s Turkish-Norwegian duo, Ugur Isik and Christian Zaborowski, who produced their best result of the year in Gabon, finishing in fourth place, and who will hope to benefit with more time on the water running their upgraded Mercury V8 engine package.
Teams will face a revised course this year after officials responded to the call by some to modify the race circuit, extending the north end of the course in an effort to take the ‘sting’ out of the turn in front of Villa D’Este that saw both LFFendi10 and Spirit of Qatar 95 come to grief in 2011. LFFendi10 flipping over and Qatar spinning out but recovering to go on and finish on the podium.
Official qualifying in the Edox Pole Position takes place on Friday 21 September at 15.00hrs, with race 1 of the Italian Grand Prix on Saturday at 14.30hrs and race 2 on Sunday at 14.30hrs.
UIM CLASS 1 WORLD POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 2
1. 3 Victory - 54pts

2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - 44pts

3. 96 Spirit of Qatar - 32pts

4. 10 LFF10 - 22pts

5= 95 Spirit of Qatar - 9pts

5= 91 Zabo-Isiklar - 9pts

7. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - 7pts

8. 90 Welmax - 5pts

9. 74 Poliform - 0pts
EDOX POLE POSITION CHAMPIONSHIP - after round 2
1. 3 Victory Team - 40pts

2. 5 Team Abu Dhabi - 21pts

3= 10 LFF10 - 15pts

3= 96 Spirit of Qatar - 15pts

5. 90 Welmax - 14pts

6. 95 Spirit of Qatar - 12pts

7. 9 Welmax - 9pts

8. 74 Poliform - 5pts

9. 91 Zabo-Isiklar - 4pts

10. 23 FA.RO. ACCIAI - 3pts

www.class-1.com 

New Model: Bruno Abbate Primatist B62 Aerotop Pininfarina

 

 

It's been a much long wait for the new second in size model of the Bruno Abbate Primatist family, the B62 Aerotop Pininfarina.  Finally launched the B62 completes the today all in the water five model Pininfarina designed family which starts with the recently launched B41, and goes up to the G70 the start up for the collaboration with the known design firm and the Italian Como boat builder in 2005.  As all the Aerotop Pininfarina I think the B62 brings a breath of fresh air in design terms to the industry versus the competition, from the look of the super structure to some unedited layouts which we have seen in other models of the range as the Special Edition option of the open aft deck shown for the first time on a custom orange colored G46, and since then also developed for another G53, and now shown on hull one of this latest Primatist. Inside the Bruno Abbate Primatist B62 is offered in a standard three cabins versions all with personal shower head; full beam owners stateroom, VIP suite to forward, and double guest cabin to starboard.  Below is also a separate galley located to port side, although in four cabins version I imagine this to be replaced by same and kitchen moved on the main deck.  Relaxing lounge is on the main deck a large L-shaped settee behind the very nice two seat helm, and entertainment area opposite. A crew cabin for one person is located to midships between the owners and engine room.  Power for hull one is from twin Volvo 900hp with IPS1200 pods which should give top speeds in the region of 35 knots.       

Technical Data:

LOA - 18.9 m (6ft)

Hull Length - 18.9 m

Waterline Length - 16.4 m

Beam - 5.45 m

Draft - 0.95 m ex props

Displacement - 34,000 kg

Fuel Capacity - 3000 l

Water Capacity - 600 l

Accommodation - 6 berths in 3 cabins, or 8 berths in 4 cabins

Max Persons - 14

Engines - 2 x Volvo D13 900hp

Propulsion - Volvo IPS1200, or line shafts

Speed - 35 knots max estimated with Volvo 900hp IPS1200 pods

Hull Type - deep Vee

Project - Paolo Pininfarina

Certification - CE A

www.primatist.it

Engine: MAN D2868 LE421 600hp

In the D2868, MAN is offering the first eight-cylinder engine with common-rail technology for medium and heavy-duty operation. Thanks to the use of the latest common-rail technology, with its own internal measures the high-speed engine complies with the most important exhaust-gas standards worldwide. Moreover, this efficient diesel engine from MAN offers further improved fuel consumption with even lower noise emissions. Its full classification by the major societies expands the range of operating options that ship owners and captains have. The first product variant, the D2868 LE423 for light-duty operation, has already established itself on the market.  In heavy-duty operation, the efficient MAN D2868 LE421 marine diesel engine for applications requiring up to 100 percent full load over unlimited periods of time outputs 600hp at 1800 rpm. With the D2868 LE421, MAN has expanded its range of new-generation high-speed diesel engines towards the lower end of the power output spectrum and is thus able to offer attractive solutions particularly for applications in this part of the range. Designed primarily for installation in tugs, push boats and heavy working vessels, this efficient eight-cylinder engine ensures reliable operation with minimal service costs and low fuel consumption The MAN D2868 LE421 600hp is available for delivery from the first quarter of 2013.

www.man-mec.com 

Project: Princess V48

Quick as thunder comes Princess response to the other British builder new fourteen meter offering, and this is the project for a 2013 scheduled V48.  Considering again how much the V42 Mk.3 and V45 are targeting the same customer I actually think that Princess are quite late here, and it is obvious that this model has been in development in Plymouth for quite some time.  The Princess V48 sees the World renowned British builder first use of the 2005 presented Volvo IPS pods.  Conservative looks and new technology usage some might say.  Unlike the other new offer from the competition the Princess V48 will features a more all year round use enclosed main deck thanks to a three part patio door. As is custom this can open all enclose the central part of the main deck, which with the hard top open can make the V48 become very open.  Down below the V48 offers two cabins, with full beam owners room, and L-shaped galley  saloon settee opposite in between.  Think Princess will loose some customers if three cabins are not offered, although I think they did this on purpose as this model will then offer competition to the current V52. We will see if this will be offered at a later stage. Power is Volvo 435hp IPS pods combination with high positive estimates of a 34 knots max speeds 

www.princessyachts.com