October 9, 2021

New Launch: Feadship 94.00m Hull. 817

Feadship hull. 817 set the target of keeping the environmental impact for a ground-breaking eco-friendly 94-metre pure custom super yacht.  One of the ways in which this highly ambitious goal was approached, has been to install an exceptionally advanced hybrid propulsion system. This will allow this new 94 meters Feadship to travel a comfortable twelve knots cruise on diesel-electric power in the pristine areas the yacht is set to explore.  Hull. 817 also strikes for the giant glass construction, a prominent feature in the remarkable exterior design by Feadship Studio De Voogt and Azure. They also obviously play a key role in the open beach-house-style interior by Peter Marino Architects. The owner who came from a previous 62 meters smaller Feadship has put a less is more philosophy in this new construction, influencing every aspect of the design inside and out, with an abundance of clean lines.  Titled M/Y Viva, hull 817 was put pen to paper in 2015, and features a special pearl-white livery, the hull has been designed, engineered and built to be as efficient as possible and reduce the engine power required to move through the water. 
Technical Data:
LOA - 94 m (308.5ft)
Beam - 14 m
Draft - 3.90 m
Displacement - 2999 gt
Fuel Capacity - 280,000 l
Water Capacity - 72000 l
Engines - 2 x MTU 16v4000 M73l 3916hp
Speed - twenty knots max twelve knots cruise
Hull Shape - displacement
Construction - steel hull aluminium super structure
Project - De Voogt naval architecture, Azure and De Vooget exterior, Peter Marino interior
Certification - Lloyds class of Malta 100A1 Ssc Mono G6

October 8, 2021

Project: Azimut Grande 26 Metri

During the 2021 Cannes boat show Azimut unveiled its future plans of five upcoming projects for 2022. One of these new projects will be this Grande 26 Metri, the Great 26 Meters is Azimut response to a competitive part of the market, more so with main stream brands for yachts between 24 to thirty meters in length.  Very little information is available about the Grande 26 Metri but from this rendering we can say that interior spaces are being giving a lot of attention, especially in the forward wide body part of the main deck.  From this rendering the wide body seems to take over half the length of the Grande 26 Metri which should make for a spacious owners stateroom in this area.

October 7, 2021

Improve-It = Fairline Squadron 68

Fairline announces details of an improved Squadron 68, set to launch in November 2021 and to be displayed for the first time at Boot Dusseldorf in January 2022. The subtly revised exterior has updated hull windows to bring the exterior design in line with other Fairline models, as well as a new sleek hardtop with fabric sliding sunroof and integrated electric sunshade aft. Inside, the main deck caters for multiple entertaining spaces, from generous dining to comfortable saloon seating. The Squadron 68 features a new galley design maximising workspace, increased fridge/freezer capacity and incorporates a sociable bar that extends into the cockpit. The latest model also comes with the option of a tri-fold patio door and a lower helm side access door, perfect for creating that indoor/outdoor feel. The interior layout of the updated Squadron 68 has been completely refreshed. The lower deck is available with either three or four-cabins - both options offering lightness, space, and a fluid design. The master cabin comes complete with a king-sized bed, dedicated bureau with stool and drawer storage to starboard and large port side sofa. The guest cabin has more width than the previous model with an electric bed conversion option to convert the twin berths into a double. The new Squadron 68 boasts a completely new interior design with updated materials and finishes throughout, all complemented with a refined and neutral colour palette, creating a chic and modern vibe.

October 6, 2021

New Model: Austin Parker 44 Ibiza WA

Following the success of its traditional lobster boat inspired line Austin Parker has in 2020 presented a  new range of sport cruiser and yachts.  Called Ibiza this Austin Parker new sport cruiser and yachts line debuts with the 44 WA, and is to be followed by a 52, and the currently in construction new 85 flagship model.  Design as all Austin Parker since 2009 by Fulvio de Simoni, the 44 Ibiza WA presents itself as a versatile sport cruiser centre console walk-around of thirteen meters in length, with an exterior featuring all living and entertainment amenities; dinette, galley, fore deck sun-pad, which with the walk-around deep bulwarks make the exterior deck usable from fore to aft any time and moment.  Down below the accommodation layout offers two double cabins, with a spacious shower head to port side.  Showing again its versatility the Austin Parker 44 Ibiza WA is offered with three distinctive engine and propulsion choices; twin Volvo 480hp with IPS pod drives, two Cummins 550hp with shaft drives, and triple Mercury 350hp outboards.
Technical Data:
LOA - 13.70 m (44.9ft)
Beam - 4.21 m
Displacement - 15 t
Fuel Capacity - 1500 l
Water Capacity - 400 l
Max Persons - twelve
Accommodation - four berths in two cabins
Engines - 2 x Volvo D6 480hp, Cummins QSB6.7 550hp, 3 x Mercury Verado 350hp outboards
Propulsion - Volvo IPS650 dual propeller pod drives, shaft drive for Cummins engines
Project - Fulvio de Simoni
Certification - CE A

October 5, 2021

Project: Sunseeker Predator 65

Sunseeker present the project for a new Predator 65.  Based on the 2021 launched 65 Sport Yacht but without the sport flybridge, and this being replaced by a large half roof opening hard-top.  The Predator 65 just like the 65 Sport Yacht is pure classic Sunseeker essence, a sporty profiled yacht aggressive yet smooth lined and modern as it can get.  The Predator 65 offers a three double cabins lower deck layout with a single berth crew cabin aft.  All living is on the single floor flash main deck and here Sunseeker went for an aft galley layout, with a dinette forward to port side.  The Sunseeker Predator 65 is to be powered just like the Sport Yacht 65 by twin Volvo 1000hp engines with IPS pod drives, with top speeds up 35 knots, and a cruise which by my estimates should get you less to ten litres per nautical mile.

October 4, 2021

New Model: Beneteau Grand Trawler 62

The Grand trawler 62 is the result of Beneteau's collaboration with Massimo Gino of Nauta Design and Amedeo Migali from MICAD and capitalizes on the highly successful Swift Trawler range of practical, spacious explorer cruisers and yachts, with a considerable cruising range, and put Groupe Beneteau’s experience in producing luxury boats to good use.  The Grand Trawler 62 comes with a displacement hull developed by MICAD with the aim of improving  cruising range and efficiency. With a beam of over five meters the Grand Trawler 62 offers two layouts.; six berths in three cabins with owners midships stateroom, or eight berths in four cabins.  A two berth crew cabin is located aft.  Other features of the interior spaces are the spacious and well appointed galley that can be completely enclosed, and the VIP suite in the bow with a considerable amount of headroom.  The Beneteau Grand Trawler 62 is finished in satin wax woods, leather and elegant textiles making for a stylish interior and exterior, carefully designed by Nauta Design.  The Grand Trawler 62 is powered by twin Man 730hp with line shaft propulsion.  Possibly this is the first Beneteau, outside the Monte Carlo Yachts range that is Man powered.
Technical Data:
LOA - 18.95 m (62.2ft)
Hull Length - 16.4 m
Beam - 5.45 m
Draft - 1.4 m
Displacement - 28500 kg light
Fuel Capacity - 2 x 1935 l
Water Capacity - 840 l
Max Persons - sixteen
Accommodation - six berths in three cabins, or eight berths in four cabins, two crew
Engines - 2 x Man i6 730hp
Propulsion - line shaft
Construction - infusion moulding with sandwich Polyester resin and balsa core
Project - Massimo Gino Nauta exterior, Angelo Micado from Mican Naval Architecture
Certification - CE B

October 3, 2021

Project: Ferretti Custom Line 140

During the Cannes boat show 2021 Ferretti Group presented the project for a Custom Line 140, a three deck 42 meter super yacht designed by Francesco Paszkowski for the exterior and Margherita Casprini for the interior.  The 140 will be the largest Ferretti Custom Line in volume ever made with a gross tonnage of just under 400 tonnes.  The Custom Line 140 will offer five guest cabins including the main owners stateroom located on the main deck.  The owners room will use the full beam of the yacht thanks to the wide body configuration in the forward area, and as optional can offer an opening balcony.  The other four guest cabins, three VIP and a double are on the central part of the lower deck.  A crew area in the forward part of the lower deck can sleep seven persons in three cabins, while a captains cabin is located on the upper deck behind the pilothouse.  Some impressive features in the Custom Line 140 will be the sundeck all reserved for entertainment from fore to aft, and the upper deck with is the sky-lounge with fore to aft glazing.  Custom Line 140 will feature a fast displacement hull and is to be fitted by twin MTU 2683hp estimated top speeds up to 21 knots, and is to be build to MCA certification and IMO Tier III environment standards.

October 2, 2021

Stefano Righini 1951 - 2021

Stefano Righini left for the better World on Saturday second October.  Born in Rimini 1951 Righini will become one of the most important yacht designers of the past three decades, inventing and introducing together with Azimut-Benetti Group Research and Design important novelties in yachting which today have become a standard in yacht design.  From the large hull cabin windows first with profile and then without a profile, large glazing on the main deck, he will also change how the large open sport yacht above fifteen meter in size look and function with the Azimut S series introduced in 2003. Righini started his career in the seventies, with a bit of luck when his father who was a beach guardian, becomes a shipyard guardian due to the purchase of an area by Lavagna Admiral.  He will enter Admiral in 1971 and stay till 1979, then an ownership change happens and he moves to Viareggio.  Here he works with Tecnomarine, Falcon, and Overmarine Mangusta of which he will design all its yachts from 1986 till his retirement in 2017.  With Mangusta Righini will subsequently break the record for the largest open sport yacht ever build every other year till we arrive to the Mangusta 165 in 2008.  With Falcon, Righini will have the same rapport he had with Mangusta designing all there yachts from the late eighties when founded till the yacht builder closes its doors in 2015.  He will also work with Baglietto in the eighties doing three custom yachts for them, and also for Castagnola in the nineties doing two custom designs.  In the early nineties Righini will possibly mark his most important move when he starts to work with Azimut.  His first model is the 78 Ultra launched in 1993, and is followed by the AZ54 CinquantaQuattro in 94, with both yacht models changing how motor yachts in there respective sizes look and function.  From there onwards Stefano Righini will take full design duties at Azimut, designing after that date all the boats and yachts with the exception of the Magellano line introduced in 2009. In the end nineties the Azimut-Benetti Group also gives Righini design duties for the semi-custom less to 45 meters Benetti super yachts.  He starts first with the 35 Classic introduced in 1999, and eventually this line will become known as the Class line.  Righini will also design most of the Azimut-Benetti Group entry level Atlantis range models from 2003 to 2008.  Today Stefano Righini has to his credit over six thousand produced boats featuring his design, most of these being production Azimut yachts.

New Model: Rosetti 38m Exp

After putting its super yacht project in motion in 2017, the 1925 founded Rosetti shipyard finally puts pen to steel and aluminium, launching the 38m Exp in July 2021, its first pleasure super yacht to touch the water.  Designed by Serigio Cutolo's Hydro Tec, this triple deck super yacht surprises for its volumes, with an interior designed by Burdisso Caponi offering five guest cabins, including an owners stateroom on the main deck.  A request for the first RSY 38m Exp was that the owners did not want any opening balconies in the yacht.  Rosettu 38m Exp is powered by twin Man 800hp engines which give a top speed of thirteen knots, a cruise of eleven, and a ten knots economic giving a five thousand nautical mile range.  The 38m Exp is a fine looking machine, and at its first boat show appearance in Cannes 2021 Rosetti secured the sale for the already in construction hull number two.  
Technical Data:
LOA - 38.15 m (125.2ft)
Waterline Length - 36.7 m
Beam - 8.85 m
Draft - 2.53 m
Displacement - 410 gt volume
Accommodation - ten guests in five cabins
Engines - 2 x Man D2868 LE425 800hp
Propulsion - line shaft with Reintjes reduction gear box
Speed - 13 knots max 11 knots cruise ten knots long range
Range - 5000 nm at ten knots
Construction - steel hull aluminium super structure 
Project - Hydro Tec naval architect and interior, Burdisso Caponi for the interior
Certification - RINA cross of Malta Mach YPart A Compliant

October 1, 2021

Not a Hawk

For new boat building 2021 was a great year, with sales and order books being full as we have not seen since over a decade, and a new build will take you into 2023 and in some cases 24.  With this success of sales boat builders start looking at other sectors of the market, to enter or re-enter parts of which they left in the past years.  For Sunseeker it is the later, as in the Cannes 2021 boat show it presented the project for an upcoming 55 Superhawk.  The Hawk is back and bigger then ever is the title here.
The Sunseeker Hawk line was started in 1987 when the British boat builder launched the very modern and striking 37 Tomahawk.  An evolution in hull shape and totally different in looks of the 34 XPS Portofino the 37 Tomahawk started a series, and from there onwards the Sunseeker performance powerboat line started to feature the Hawk in its name.  Afterwards came the 43 Thunderhawk in 1988, 29 Mohawk in 1989, Hawk 31 in 1995, 1998 48 Superhawk which years later will became a 50, 34 Hawk in 2000 which became available as Superhawk 40 with surface drives and fifty knots performance, 2008 43 Superhawk becoming notorious for its orange Quantum of Solace James Bond movie appearance, and last in 2019 the still in production outboard powered Buzzi designed Hawk 38.   
Designed all with the exception of the newest Hawk 38 by Don Shead, Sunseeker designer since the founding up until 2010 when he retired, the Hawks had one thing in common up to today, they where slim, fast and in most cases with the large engine choice always had top speeds of more to forty knots.  The Sunseeker Hawk line was an answer to the Italians Bruno and Tullio Abbate, Cigala and Bertinetti, and DonziCigarette, and Wellcraft Scarab on the North American side of the Atlantic, certainly with less speed but with a unique modern style statement, and more onboard comfort especially to the American Powerboat version.  
Many might not know but the pedigree of the Hawk series also came from the Cuv 38 aluminium hull, which became one of the most race winning mono-hulls in powerboat racing history, taking Class 1 title many times in the eighties.  The 34 XPS Portofino featured a Cuv 38 shortened hull, and the Tomahawk 37 was nearly an exact copy.
The new Superhawk 55, which is a superb project from many ways you see it, misses the Hawk.  It's performance numbers are not there, and the wide beam makes it more in line as an open Predator then a Superhawk.  38 knots performance does not cut it for a Hawk! Can Sunseeker surprise us offering 55 Superhawk versions with speeds close to fifty knots, the Hawk legacy the real one is surely asking for this.