September 27, 2022

Project: Dominator Ilumen Performance P66

Dominator returns where it started in building planning flybridge motor yachts and presents the project for the Ilumen Performance P66.  Dominator was founded in 1999 on the remains of the original Mochi-Craft yard founded in 1960, and becoming a symbol of flybridge cruisers in eighties.  This new Ilumen Performance P66 looks to based on the Dominator 620, which is one of the Austrian owned Italian builder best sellers and based on the Mochi 19 Sonic designed by Nuvolari Lenard.  Dominator is saying P66 hull one will have a trendy dark grey metallic paint with seductive orange design elements complementing the exterior furniture.  This theme continues inside by pairing shades of grey in different textures with modern orange tones to achieve an impression of timeless chic. Exquisite grey marbles with artistic orange veins transform the bar into the center of attention in the salon while the grey oak gives a touch of classic yet contemporary look and feel.  Dominator advises that the Ilumen Performance is a new range of motor yachts blending the best of both worlds with futuristic features like full carbon hard-top, full length hull windows for light filled interior spaces, and a flybridge that can convert into a private sunbathing area, all with planning hull advantages of speed and smooth performance in any kind of sea.  Based on this I think we will see some of the previous Dominator flybridge models redesigned, rebadged, and returned into production as is the case with 620-P66.    

September 26, 2022

Sport Cruiser Destroyed by Fire in Scoglitti

A sport cruiser of about eight meters in length went ablaze while in its berth in Scoglitti harbour, in the province of Vittoria, to the South of Sicily on Monday 26 September at around 1100 hours.  The boat was unattended as the fire started, and was quickly moved away to the West breakwater from the pier berthing crew to avoid damage to nearby boats.  A fire fighting crew from Vittoria was on the spot to control and extinguish the fire as the sport cruiser was fully burned down to the waterline.  The causes of the fire are not reported.
The sport cruiser in this fire is a USA made Cruisers 2670 Rogue produced from 1992 up to 1997.  The 2670 Rogue offered a four berth open plan accommodation and is powered by twin petrol gas engines of 200hp, and or single diesel 200 or twin 150hp Volvo engine with stern drive propulsion.  The 2670 Rogue in this fire is the second series introduced in the fall of 1995 with hull port holes replacing the parallel top side windows.

Classic Motor Yacht Ends Aground in Hurricane Fiona

A 21 meter motor yacht titled Cortina ended aground and on the rocks to the South East of Warwick, in Ports Island, Bermuda following the events of Hurricane Fiona on 25 September, 2022.  Cortina was reported unattended when it broke its mooring and ended on the rocks.  Hurricane Fiona was mostly a non event in Bermuda and on the water, with only another small sail boat reportedly breaking its moorings.  The extent of the damage of Cortina was not reported, though the yacht was later protected with a boom.  The ownership and the Department of Environment and Natural Resources are working for a way to remove the yacht, which as at 10 January 2023 was still in the same place.
Hurricane Fiona formed on fourteen September, reached category four on the nineteen September and dissipated on 27 September.  Fiona was the sixth named storm, third hurricane, and first major hurricane of the 2022 Atlantic Hurricane season.
Cortina is a Kong Halvorsen 68 model, from 1986.  Kong Halvorsen was a boat builder from Hong Kong, which also used other Fairview and Kong-Richardson names with the same KHE hull identification code, with the yard mostly known for its Island Gypsy explorer cruisers and yachts.  Kong Halvorsen started operating in 1978 and went of business in 1994.

New Model: Evo Yachts R4 XT

Evo yachts presents the third evolution of the R4 model and following the standard and WA versions, presents the new XT for Extend version.  The new Evo R4 XT sees the Italian builder bring the concepts of the R6 into its smaller thirteen meter model.   The R4 XT features an extendable beach area with a multi-function platform developed to a custom design by Evo yachts with help from head designer Valerio Rivellini for product design and Besenzoni for production.  The Evo R4 XT is also the smallest boat to feature Besenzoni tender lift transformer in a size of just thirteen meters.  For the remaining the Evo R4 XT is based on the WA layout, with a four berths and one shower head cabin, with power coming from twin Volvo 380hp or 480hp engines with IPS pod drives.   
Technical Data:
LOA - 13.12m (43.1ft)
Hull Length - 13 m
Waterline Length - 11.3 m
Beam - 4.52 m (6.30 m with opened bulkheads)
Draft - 1.1 m
Displacement - 11500 kg unloaded, 12700 kg loaded
Fuel Capacity - 1000 l
Water Capacity - 400 l
Max Persons - 12
Accommodation - four berths
Engines - 2 x Volvo D6 380hp, D6 480hp
Propulsion - Volvo forward looking dual propeller IPS pod drives
Speed - 38 knots max 30 knots cruise
Range - 300 nm at cruise
Construction - fiberglass with infusion method
Project - Valerio Rivellini
Certification - CE A
www.evoyachts.com

September 25, 2022

Sport Cruiser Runs Aground in Totland Bay, Two Injured

A ten meter Sealine sport cruiser with six persons onboard ran aground and ploughed into rocks at Headon Warren viewpoint in Totland Bay, to the South West of the Isle of Wight at around 2115 hours of Saturday 24 September.  Multiple coastguard teams and the Isle of Wight Ambulance service were called on the scene to assist the six passengers onboard, with four taken for observation into the care of rescue teams, and two being grievously injured airlifted to the mainland for further care in a hospital.  The case of the accident are yet under investigation, and review.  As at Sunday afternoon the Sealine sport cruiser was still in the accident spot with a salvage operation still needed to be organized.
The Sealine in this accident is a S330 model.  Introduced in 2014 to a design of Bill Dixon, the S330 was the second and first all new Sealine to come from the Hanse Group ownership who purchased the British boat builder in 2013.  The S330 evolved into the similar evolutive S335 in 2022.

Project: Centouno Navi 28-meter Forza

Centouno Navi is a new super sport yacht builder founded in 2022 by designer Manuela Lucchesi and naval architect Marco Arnaboldi founder and former owner of AB Yachts, who are here giving details for the first project the 28-meter Forza. A custom build to order yacht, Forza is also a highly technological advanced super sport yacht with clean lines, setting new standards from its eco-friendly construction to high performance naval architecture. But in a 28-meter high-tech and speed is half-a-glass and the Forza also offers a standard four double cabins lower deck layout, with two crew cabins sleeping four forward.  Triple Man 2000hp coupled to MJP jet drives power the Forza up to sixty knots of top speed, and a cruise of fifty knots with a promised 70% efficiency to comparable super sport yachts of similar size is estimated to give a five hundred nautical mile range.  Other innovative details of the Forza will be the windshield, which opens forward for easy access to the fore-deck and better air-circulation inside when at anchor.  The Forza also features extendable side bulk-heads aft which expand the bathing beach platform when at anchor, while an additional private sun-deck is also located on top of the hard-top.  According to Centouno Navi website the Forza is available from 27 to thirty meters, with a project for a bigger 40 m Eterea also being announced. 

September 24, 2022

New Launch: Heesen 80m YN 19480

In late 2021 Heesen launched YN 19480, Project Cosmos at the shipyard in Oss, its new eighty meter custom build flagship which is to be christened Galactica. At 80 metres, with a gross tonnage of 1,700GT and a top speed of almost 30 knots, she is the biggest and fastest all-aluminium yacht ever built. The challenges involved in creating such a large and complex yacht are extreme, but made a perfect fit with Heesen’s history and expertise. Precision aluminium construction, high performance and the finest Dutch craftsmanship are steeped into the DNA of this shipyard. Cosmos is the ultimate expression of Heesen’s ability to build daring projects that stretch the imagination of its engineers and crafts people. Thanks to the dedication of the Heesen teams and the shipyard’s loyal subcontractors, who all worked tirelessly through the pandemic, the yacht was launched on schedule in perfect Dutch style. What makes Project Cosmos so impressive is its immense size combined with a remarkable top speed of almost 30 knots. This is achieved thanks to the lightweight and low-drag hull design, honed to perfection by Heesen’s naval architects on an iteration of the Fast Displacement Hull Form devised by van Oossanen, and assembled, millimetre-perfect, by Heesen’s welders. Ensuring sufficient longitudinal strength was one of the biggest technological challenges facing Heesen’s engineering team, who designed and patented the Backbone,  an intricate full-length structural reinforcement system. Power comes from traditional, if highly refined, diesel propulsion of four MTU 4830hp  engines, two gearboxes, variable-pitch propellers and ultra-innovative Promas rudders. Cosmos’s elegant exterior comes from the renowned British studio of Winch Design. Clean lines, a sporty silhouette and the extensive use of glass create a timeless, dynamic profile, which will look as good in twenty years as it does today at launch. Sinot is responsible for the light and soothing interior design that makes guests feel at home from the moment they step aboard. While the overall palette is neutral, splashes of a range of blue hues are infused into the design throughout. The piece de rĂ©sistance is undoubtedly the beach club, with its side and stern platforms. The backlit onyx bar with centrally positioned seating is the focal point of this ample and airy space close to the water. With the size, weight and performance of Project Cosmos so intimately connected, Sinot collaborated closely with Heesen’s in-house engineers to ensure that their stringent weight calculations were always met. Following her launch, Project Cosmos remained at Heesen for commissioning before undergoing intense sea trials in the North Sea commencing in February. She was delivered to her owners in Spring 2022 but no pictures have appeared as yet of the new Heesen eight meter flagship in navigation.
Technical Data:
LOA - 80.07 m (262.6ft)
Beam - 13.40 m
Draft - 3.50 m * medium load
Displacement - 1,700 GT volume
Fuel Capacity - 120,000 l
Water Capacity - 30,000 l
Accommodation - twelve guests in six cabins, nineteen crew in ten cabins
Engines - 4 x MTU 20V4000 M73L 4830hp
Propulsion - line shafts
Speed - 29 knots max, fourteen knots cruise
Range - 4000 nm at fourteen knots
Hull Shape - fast displacement FDHF with bulb 
Construction - aluminium
Project - Winch exterior, Sinot interior, Van Oossanen naval architect

September 23, 2022

Project: Princess Y80

Princess present the project for an all new Y80, a pocket super yacht designed by Pininfarina for external lines with Olesinski doing naval architecture.  The new Princess Y80 is a totally new yacht being a foot wider and a meter longer to the replacing Y78 launched in 2020, and follows similar lines to the Y72 presented in 2021 and one of the current best sellers from the Plymouth boat builder.  The Y80 has an standard interior with a main deck open galley layout, while the lower deck offers the standard plan of four double cabins with owners stateroom to midships.  For those wanting a more traditional main deck Princess will offer separate galley layout as is the same for the lower pilot house which can be split with optional partitions.  Another option in the Princess Y80 will be for the aft deck, which standard is in the traditional U-shaped dinette looking forward, but can be ordered in what is called the Infinity cockpit with opposite bench settees and uninterrupted aft views with a balustrade glass bulkhead.  Crew accommodation is for three persons in two cabins aft.  The Princess Y80 is to be powered by twin Man 1800hp with estimated top speeds up to 32 knots.

September 22, 2022

New Model: Grand Banks Eastbay 60

Grand Banks presents the new Eastbay 60, the largest boat to date in its EB down East lobster boat line here pictured in its first sea trials.  The Eastbay 60 was announced as a project in 2021, and going against recent trends will measure over twenty meters in over-all length, a whooping two meters more to its model designation of sixty feet.  The Eastbay 60 follows what the down East lobster boat inspired range from Grand Banks has done since 1993 after the first 38 Ex and nineteen models later; traditional lines, excellent seakeeping, and interiors valuing comfort over cabin numbers.  An evolution of a classic the Eastbay 60 flagship sets new high standards for its bigger size, and adds the efficiency of the Vee warped hull as evolved by Mark Richards.  After 29 years of C. Raymond Hunt hull design the 60 is the first Eastbay with Mark Richards trademark hull design, following the Grand Banks 60, 54, and 85 of the explorer yachts range.  In the accommodation the Eastbay 60 offers a living on the main deck with an astern galley layout, with three double cabins having an owners stateroom located to port side at midships, a VIP forward, and guest third cabin with an L-shaped layout offering two singe berths below deck.  Grand Banks also offers a lower deck galley two cabin layout with opposite saloon, and owners stateroom moving forward. The Grand Banks Eastbay 60 is powered by twin Volvo 725hp as standard, with optional 900hp or 1000hp with IPS pod drives or shaft line propulsion.  Because of the performance of the standard engine of just thirty knots it is believed that this is only offered with IPS pod drives, while the optional larger engines can be offered with line shaft propulsion.  Hull one is fitted with twin Volvo 900hp and IPS pod drives and has reached 33 knots of top speeds and a 27 of fast cruise. 
Technical Data:
LOA - 20.74 m (68.1ft)
Length - 18.55 m
Beam - 5.8 m
Draft - 1.14 m IPS pod drives, 1.24 m shaft drives
Displacement - 27,000 kg dry
Fuel Capacity - 5750 l
Water Capacity - 1100 l
Accommodation - six berths in three cabins, or three/four berth in two cabins
Engines - 2 x Volvo D11 725hp, D13 900hp, D13 1000hp
Propulsion - line shafts, or IPS pod drives
Speed - 38 knots max 30 knots cruise with 1000hp IPS, 33 knots max 27 cruise with 900hp IPS, 30 knots max 25 knots with 725hp IPS
Range - 894 nm at 21 knots with 725hp, 864 nm at 21 knots with 1000hp IPS
Hull Shape - patented Vee warped 
Project - Mark Richards, Grand Banks
Certification - CE A

September 21, 2022

Project: Bronson 58

Bronson present the project for a 58 model, part and entry level to its twin deck Beach Club range which goes up to 75 feet.  The Bronson 58 will offer a three cabin interior, with a master cabin forward.  The lower aft deck is to be served by a saloon and galley, with direct access to the three cabins.  A second dinette on the upper deck covered by what Bronson calls the Flex-Top, a hard-top which is open on all sides to keep air circulation but covers all the raised main deck.   This raised deck offers a large C-shaped dinette, and L-shaped sofa, and an exterior galley behind the helm station.  The Bronson 58 is to be build in aluminium and is to be powered by twin Volvo or five Mercury outboards.