The 76-meter Ebony Shine, reportedly owned by Teodorin Obiang, vice-president and son of the president of Equatorial Guinea, was seized by Dutch authorities in The Netherlands on December 2nd at the request of Swiss courts according to L'Hebdo.
According to the publication, the Swiss government had already been investigating Teodorin Obiang for some time due to alleged money laundering charges, seizing 11 cars from him back in November. A spokesman for the Malabo government however denied claims that Teodorin Obiang was the owner of those cars and yachts, explaining to L'Hebdo that those were owned by the State of Equatorial Guinea.
Ebony Shine was launched by Feadship's De Vries yard in 2009 as Ocean Victory for Victor Rashnikov according to Forbes Russia. In July 2013, she was listed for sale ahead of the delivery of the 140-meter Ocean Victory and was eventually sold in 2014 at an asking price of $120 million. After the sale, the yacht was renamed to Ebony Shine.
The 76-meter yacht had arrived to the shipyard in Makkum for a refit programme back in October 2015 and just finished her extensive refit in November of this year. As the Ebony Shine was departing for Equatorial Guinea, she was seized at the first lock she tried to pass according to L'Hebdo's sources.
The flagship of the fleet of Equatorial Guinea however remains the 90-meter Ice. Originally built as Air for Augusto Perfetti, co-owner of brands such as Mentos and Chupa Chups according to Bilan, the yacht was sold to Russian billionaire, Suleiman Kerimov who renamed her to Ice. Since then, the yacht was reportedly sold in 2015 to the State of Equatorial Guinea. In mid-November, Ice has moved from Gibraltar to Tanger, Morocco according to Marinetraffic data.
Photos by Dutch Yachting and DrDuu.
ISA Yachts has sold a new bespoke 66-meter project to a European customer. The yacht will be built in Ancona. The Vallicelli studio is responsible for the exterior lines and Pinto for the interiors, naval engineering is by Palumbo Superyachts.With steel hull and aluminum superstructure, ISA Custom 66 meters will be characterized by a dynamic profile with the typical ISA’s hallmark of the three arches connecting the decks. In addition, at beach club level the easily opening platforms will create a large living area equipped with a gym, lounge and spa.“This new construction is the result of the constant work that our shipyard has undertaken since 2016 when we acquired the Ancona facility together with the ISA brand. Excellence is our ultimate goal in everything we do and I would like to thank all the clients who have placed their trust in Palumbo Superyachts and all the commercial and production teams who work alongside me on a daily basis. We have many exciting challenges ahead of us and we will face them with the concreteness that has guided and distinguished us up to now,” comments Giuseppe Palumbo, Founder and Sole Director of Palumbo Superyachts.Currently under construction at Palumbo Superyachts shipyards, there are two ISA 80m, two ISA 66m, one ISA 45m, a Columbus Custom 50m with hybrid propulsion, three Columbus Atlantique of 43m and 47m, one Columbus Crossover 42m and four Extra models of 26m, 30m, and 40m.Palumbo Superyachts took root in 2008, when the Columbus Yachts brand was established, and in 2011 it launched its first 54m superyacht, emblematically christened Prima (the First). Currently, Palumbo Superyachts comprises a representative office in Monaco and a logistics network of five shipyards in the Mediterranean (Ancona, Malta, Marseille, Naples, and Savona); it also operates the following brands: ISA Yachts, Columbus Yachts, Mondomarine, Extra Yachts and Palumbo SY Refit.Credits: ISA Yachts
March 23, 2023
The 41st annual Palm Beach International Boat Show starts today. Owned by the Marine Industries Association of Palm Beach County and produced by Informa Markets, the PIBS will be taking place along Flagler Drive in downtown West Palm Beach, directly across the Intracoastal Waterway from Palm Beach Island. An analysis of the boat show from 2022 showed that the event has an estimated total statewide economic impact of over $1.05 billion. With over 55,000 visitors attending the show in previous years, this has contributed to over $725 million in total sales resulting from the show. This year's edition will feature 600+ exhibiting brands and over 800 vessels, more than $1.2 billion worth of yachts and accessories. Here is the list of the yachts worth seeing. Arrow75mFeadship Arrow was delivered by Feadship in 2020, and hit the market for the first time, listed for sale by Fraser. The 75-meter is a full displacement superyacht built in steel and aluminum and Lloyd’s registered. Her exterior and interior were penned by London-based H2 Design. She can accommodate 12 guests in six spacious cabins, including an impressive full-beam owner suite complete with an office and his and her dressing room; and a VIP stateroom on the main seck. Arrow features the latest generation of Feadship hybrid technology – enabling the most efficient use of energy with the lowest possible impact. Calex67mBenettiFor the 67-meter vessel it’s an American debut. This tailor-made superyacht was delivered to her Californian owner in 2022. With a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure, Calex testifies to the shipyard’s ability to build superyachts that perfectly reflect their owner’s personality. Calex’s sleek, modern exterior styling was made by Giorgio Cassetta, while the interiors were drawn by Benetti Style Department. The yacht provides accommodation for 14 guests across seven staterooms. Her notable features include a private sundeck with gym, spa and gas fireplace. Come Together60mAmelsThe Amels 60 Come Together is the first of a new generation of Amels Limited Editions and was delivered to her owner in Spring 2022. This 60-meter features the Espen Oeino exterior design. Her custom interiors, with a relaxed and natural theme and a subtle masculine edge, have been created by Winch Design. With an 830 GT, a large sun deck and folding owners suite balcony as well as hybrid power and propulsion technology, this first Amels 60 retains the sought-after Amels Limited Editions DNA now shaped for future. The yacht has a touch-and-go helipad, a DJ booth, and a spacious beach club. 26XP Fast25.89mNumarine Numarine will present for the first time the fastest 26XP with a planing hull, built for the US market. The Numarine 26XP is a large-volume motor yacht that can be customized with either a displacement hull or a planing hull with bigger engines, as well as with a 4- or 5-cabin layout. The 65 sqm flybridge is one of the biggest in the market. With twin MAN 560 engines, the 26XP Fast can go up to 3000 nautical miles and has an impressive speed of 31 knots. PC6820.73mHorizon For Horizon’s PC68 the 2023 Palm Beach International Boat Show is the global debut. The new, ultra-spacious Horizon PC68 model has been meticulously planned to meet and exceed the cruising needs of discerning boaters. She offers a four-stateroom layout with the option for an expansive open-plan saloon or an on-deck master stateroom. The debuting PC68 features an Open Salon layout, which offers an expansive saloon area and a large seating and entertainment space on the main deck. Honey Fitz28.3mDefoe Boat & Motor WorksThis legendary wooden yacht was originally built in 1931 and has been used by five U.S. presidents: Harry S. Truman, Dwight D. Eisenhower, Lyndon B. Johnson, Richard M. Nixon, and President John F. Kennedy. She has been carefully reconstructed by her current owner, Charles R. Modica, and will debut at the show after three years' restoration. Zeelander 514.7mZeelander For Zeelander 5 the PIBS 2023 will be an international debut. The curvaceous Zeelander silhouette is still instantly recognisable, but compared to the Z44, the shearline is more voluptuous than ever, and now follows an elongated ‘S’ shape. The yacht features bigger windows in the wheelhouse and in the hull. The Zeelander 5 has a maximum speed of 40 knots courtesy of three Volvo Penta IPS-650 drives and at the same time manages to be 2dBA quieter than its predecessor. Arksen 288.57mArksenThe Arksen 28 is one of the latest models in the Adventure Series, and a perfect day boat. Her aluminum deep-V hull makes her perfect for a safe and stable ride, the 360 views from the saloon and helm station provides panoramic views on the way to and at anchor. The boat has a day-bed, pantry unit and toilet. The top speed of 40+knots makes her perfect for a day adventure. Credits: Arksen; Benetti; Damen Yachting; Feadship; Horizon; Numarine; PIBS; Zeelander
March 23, 2023
The 76-meter research yacht Petrel dislodged from the dry dock at the Imperial Docks area of Leith, Edinburgh. The 3,000-tonne vessel, now owned by the US Navy, is leaning at a 45-degree angle. The incident happened because of strong wind on Wednesday morning. Information about the incident began to arrive around 9 am. According to the BBC, thirty-five people have been injured, 23 people have been treated in hospital. <iframe width=560 height=315 src=https://www.youtube.com/embed/UEOWOif48Ec title=YouTube video player frameborder=0 allow=accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share allowfullscreen></iframe>Leith councillor Adam McVey said on Twitter: “Emergency services are responding to a major incident at Leith docks- a ship has been dislodged from its holding in strong winds. Terrifying for those on board, my thoughts are with those who’ve been injured & hope everyone recovers quickly. Please avoid area”.<blockquote class=twitter-tweet><p lang=en dir=ltr>Emergency services are responding to a major incident at Leith docks- a ship has been dislodged from its holding in strong winds.<br>Terrifying for those on board, my thoughts are with those who’ve been injured & hope everyone recovers quickly.<br>Please avoid area. <a href=https://t.co/aREtG80Gq1>pic.twitter.com/aREtG80Gq1</a></p>— Cllr Adam McVey (@adamrmcvey) <a href=https://twitter.com/adamrmcvey/status/1638488569177075716?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw>March 22, 2023</a></blockquote> <script async src=https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js charset=utf-8></script>Petrel was formerly owned by Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen, who died in 2018. Credits: @adamrmcvey; The Telegraph/YouTube
March 23, 2023
Ocean Independence has announced the sale of the 68-meter Soaring. The yacht was sold by Peter Hürzeler and Daniel Küpfer in an in-house deal. The 68-meter yacht attended the Dubai International Show 2023. Built by Abeking & Rasmussen in 2020 she was designed inside and out by Focus Yacht Design.She can accommodate 12 guests across six cabins. A master suite with a private terrace and a library located on the upper deck. Guests' staterooms are decorated according to a distinct theme, allowing owners to distribute staterooms according to their guests' preferences. On the lower deck Soaring has the wood-paneled beach club with a spa and wellness area complete with sauna, hammam and a well-equipped fitness room. The hot tub with a bar is located on the sundeck. In terms of performance, the twin MTU engines give her a top speed of 16 knots and allow her to cruise at 14 knots. Soaring’s last known asking price was EUR88,000,000.Abeking & Rasmussen was founded in October 1907. The German based shipyard is looking back to 114 years of ship and yacht building. A&R is now able to launch yachts of up to 125 meters length.Credits: Ocean Independence
March 22, 2023
Pearl Yachts will showcase the Pearl 62 and Pearl 95 at the upcoming Palm Beach International Boat Show with Atlantic Yacht and Ship Co, official Pearl dealer for the East coast. These two models represent the shipyard’s boutique approach, with alluring design by the exclusive duo of Bill Dixon for the exteriors and Kelly Hoppen CBE for the interiors.Pearl 95“Palm Beach ranks high among our favorite events, and we look forward to welcoming old friends and new ones, together with our partners at Atlantic Yacht & Ship Co,” says Iain Smallridge, Pearl Yachts Managing Director. Pearl 62The 18.6m Pearl 62 offers accommodation for eight guests across four cabins, including a full beam owner’s suite with a private entrance, plus the owner’s choice of a crew cabin or jet ski garage. Pearl 62Other highlights include an aft galley open to the cockpit, a vast flybridge, a foredeck lounge, and the benefits of Volvo IPS pod drive propulsion, including joystick control.Pearl 95The flagship Pearl 95 boasts a full beam owner’s cabin on the main deck, as well as an expansive beach club with fold-down buttresses. She has won the title of “Best Layout” at the World Yachts Trophies, and “Best Interior Design – Power Yachts” and “Best Main Saloon” at the International Yacht and Aviation Awards.Pearl 95Pearl Yachts was founded in 1998 and is now one of the UK’s most prominent shipyards. Every Pearl is designed and built to exceptionally high standards using quality materials and experienced craftsmen. Pearl’s fleet consists of the Pearl 62, the new Pearl 72, the Pearl 80 and the Pearl 95. All Pearl Yachts are covered by a five-year warranty program.Credits: Pearl Yachts
March 22, 2023