Arksen is a new name in luxury sailing. Announced in January at the Düsseldorf Yacht Show, it promises to be much more than your average super-yachting business. Founder, the entrepreneur Jasper Smith, is asking Arksen owners to dedicate 10% of their vessels’ time to support research and conservation projects supported by the Arksen foundation, such as scientific research or film-making.
"Superyachts generally conjure up the idea of extravagant - elitist vessels built in ways that don’t necessarily have any benefit other than satisfying the voyeuristic. We are challenging this. We build vessels that are robust, highly efficient, sustainable and designed to minimize maintenance. I don’t see Arksen as a superyacht company at all. We take a much wider view than most boat brands. By running the “Arksen Foundation” we offer owners access to curated marine research and media projects conducted on the vessels, whilst the “Arksen Explorers’ Club” offers adventure and explorer trips for our community, providing powerful life experiences", explained Jasper Smith the Forbes in the interview.
Designed by Humphreys Yacht Design and built by the Wight Shipyard Company in Cowes, they will feature self-righting, aluminium hulls that can slip through the water at 7 knots using minimal power or push on to 14 knots when needed. Hybrid propulsion is optional but even with diesel, the 85 has a range of 6,000nm from its 16,000-litre tanks. Fins, gyros and flopper stoppers maintain stability while solar panels generate up to 4.2kw of power. Interiors by Design Unlimited are said to be stylish but also easily reconfigured from leisure to research or commercial use.
The 23 metre Arksen 70 is the smallest model of the fleet. It has a 6.25-metre beam, full beam master and can accommodate a total of eight guests on board.
The 26.2 metre Arksen 85 has a beam of 6.8 metres and can accommodate a total of 14 guests. At Boot Dusseldorf was known that the builder has already sold its first Arksen 85, which has begun construction at Wight Shipyard this April.
The biggest of the fleet, the 30 metre Arksen 100, has a beam of 7.05 metres and can accommodate 14 guests with crew accommodation located forward.
“Fusing performance and functionality with aesthetic appeal, while never losing sight of safety as the overarching consideration, is the design ethos that has driven all our work for Arksen”, said Rob and Tom Humphreys, chief designers, Humphreys Yacht Design.
The saloon of the inaugural vessel in build, the Arksen 85, features easily accessible AV, electrical and system solutions, as when you are exploring the remotest corners of the globe the crew need everything to be functional.
The galley comes complete with a 90cm hob and oven, combi oven, two freezers, two fridges, two dishwashers, recycling dry stores and equipment storage.
The master cabin is also a multi-function suite that incorporates sleeping, extra sea berth and an en-suite shower and steam room.
HYD achieves these performance targets for Arksen in the following way. First, Rob and Tom analyse seakeeping behaviour and performance data from their back catalogue of powerboat and fast displacement sailboat hull designs. A preliminary Arksen hull form is then developed and run through HYD’s in-house CFD (Computational Fluid Dynamics) programmes to assess the potential speed and power requirements.
After further refinement of the hull form Arksen model is subjected to a battery of tests which include all the vessel’s seakeeping behaviour. The behavioural findings and the quantitative data then feed back into the computer model to produce the final hull shape.
The ultimate aspect is the ability to recover from a 180-degree rollover. HYD has designed the Arksen vessels with this almost unique ability when they are transiting the more tempestuous regions of the globe.
From cork walls, reclaimed wooden panels and surfaces made from recycled post-industrial plastics to the flexible and multi-use interior design, the Arksen Series are a unique force in the marine sector. Only through partnering with industry-leading companies such as Design Unlimited, Wight Shipyard Co and Humphreys Yacht Design, it is possible to achieve the goal of building Exceptional Explorer Vessels.
Prices, as reported, start at £4.5million ex VAT for the Arksen 70 rising to £8.5m for the Arksen 10.
@Photos via Arksen
Italian builder Perini Navi has announced the sale of the first 47-metre hybrid sailing yacht out of their E-volution line, where the ‘E’ stands for electric. With the yacht’s construction already begun on spec, the delivery to her European owner is scheduled for summer 2021.The hull of the 47-metre is currently in build at the yard in Tuzla, Istanbul, and will arrive into the Viareggio shipyard in spring 2020 for completion.Edoardo Tabacchi, Perini Navi Vice Chairman & Majority Shareholder, comments:The S/Y 47m E-volution is a project we believed in strongly from the very start. This is why we accepted the challenge of starting construction on spec and we are very happy that the market has proved us right.Built from aluminium with a carbon-fibre boom and rigging, this sloop features naval by the Perini Navi in-house team and a 1,275 sqm sail surface. Perini Navi has evolved its classic keel design in this new version. It offers a shallow draft to allow the yacht venture closer to the coast. A sophisticated swing system also guarantees optimal safety in case of collision.Perini Navi Style & Design Director Franco Romani penned the vessel’s exterior lines. The yacht’s interior design will be developed by Perini Navi in collaboration with Marco Costanzi Architects. Like the other vessels in the E-volution series, the S/Y 47m introduces a new concept of space, while extensive glazing draws exceptional light into the interiors. The transom has been innovated, too. It now opens to the sea through a large beach area with a sunbathing zone and a fold-down platform. The saloon on the main deck feels like an effortless extension of the cockpit and aft deck with which it creates an open-plan space of around 20 metres in length.The S/Y 47m E-volution has three guest cabins in addition to the master suite aft and a versatile cabin which can convert to an office or a gym depending on the owner’s needs. A spacious flybridge of around 90 sqm offers uniquely generous space for a craft of this type.After the S/Y 42m E-volution and the S/Y 42m E-volution GTS, the S/Y47m is the third vessel in the E-volution gallery sold by the yard in the last 15 months, and is a testament to the success of this modern and high performance new line. The yard has also recently presented new Falcon Rig Gallery.Meanwhile, Perini Navi currently has the largest number of over-40-metre sailing yachts under construction in the world. Its production plans span the building of seven yachts, five of which are sailing yacht and two motors.
November 11, 2019
At the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2019, the 43-metre superyacht Majesty 140 by UAE-based shipyard Gulf Craft received a prestigious “Best in the Show” award. The vessel took delivery earlier this year, ahead of the Monaco Yacht Show.The title of the “Best in the Show” boat is annually awarded to new models at FLIBS. Independent experts, who are not directly related to the yachting industry, evaluate architecture, design, technology and technical characteristics of applicants. For instance, this year’s jury included American IndyCar racing champion Ryan Hunter-Reay, the designer and head of the Creative Workshop Studios, Jason Wenig, and the marketing director of Ulysse Nardin, Francoise Bezzola among others.The builder first introduced this model during the 2018 Dubai International Boat Show and has sold four units since then, with a fifth under negotiations. The tri-deck Majesty 140 represents a collaboration between the shipyard’s in-house Design Studio developing her exterior lines and naval architecture and Cristiano Gatto Design Team responsible for her interiors.Majesty 140 features a spacious beachfront deck with balconies on both sides aft of the main deck, a Jacuzzi on the sundeck and two large opening sunshades on the hardtop. The full-height glazing in the main and upper decks, large and expansive interior and exterior spaces meant that the guests can enjoy a limitless flow throughout the yacht.The collaboration with Cristiano Gatto Design Team comes following the successful introduction of the Cristiano Gatto designed Majesty 175, the brand’s first megayacht project due for launch end of this year. The Majesty 140 features five staterooms with the full-beam master in the forward main deck. The owner’s stateroom also features a private extendable balcony, a bathtub and walk-in wardrobe among many other amenities.Key interior materials include Italian leather, Onyx Costa Blanca marble and crystal door handles. The open-plan saloon on the main deck includes an L-shaped wrap of seating and a dining area for up to ten guests, while other key features include a superyacht beach club and a skylounge of 55 square metres.With her 398 GT of interior volume, the vessel was built in compliance to MCA LY3 Cayman Island registry. The Majesty 140 is powered by twin MTU 16V 2,600hp engines toa top speed of 20 knots. She cruises comfortably at 16 knots and can reach an extended range of 4,000 nautical miles at an economical speed of 10 knots. This is not the first award for Majesty 140, which also received World Yachts Trophies award for “The Best Interior Design” among yachts from 30 to 50 metres, during the Cannes Yachting Festival.
November 11, 2019
On the 3d of November, upon the end of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2019, one of the exhibited boats was arrested by local authorities. The 22.5-metre motor yacht Sunseeker is reportedly worth over $ 4 million. That way, the yacht was secured from ‘being handed over to a wrong person’.Courtesy: Kevin Turner From the exhibition area, the boat was driven to an undisclosed place, where she will be kept until the court resolution is stated. National Maritime Services, court-appointed third-party custodian, will taken responsibility guarding her.Four parties are participating in the trial related to her. So far, the failed buyer of the 22-metre is Kevin Turner. In May 2019, he filed a lawsuit against Sunseeker International, its US distributor Sunseeker USA, and Fort Lauderdale-based broker Rick Obey & Associates, one of the largest Sunseeker dealers in the United States.Turner accused the broker of refusing to ascribe to him $ 4 million, which Turner transferred on the construction of the boat. At the same time, Obey and Sunseeker are mired in another lawsuit: the manufacturer refuses to take responsibility for the catastrophic engine failure on the yacht of Obey’s customers on their first trip in May 2018.As a result, the payments that Obey transferred to Sunseeker for projects under construction or sales on spec first slowed down and then completely stopped even before Turner’s boat was delivered to the owner. According to Sunseeker’s USA spokesman Stacy Schwartz, Obey simply could not pay for the construction of Turner's boat.'In order to prevent future damage,' the contract between Sunseeker USA and Obey was terminated in March this year. In June, the broker received a court order to stop positioning itself as a partner at Sunseeker USA. Turner claimed, it took about 10 days of hard work to find out that ‘his’ boat had departed to the USA from the UK. Identification numbers in the carrier's waybill proved it was the same Sunseeker. Obey admit that Turner has become an innocent hostage to the situation, and are trying to help him get his boat.According to Alan Swimmer, head of National Maritime Services, vessel arrests are routine but rare. About 100 yachts get arrested annually around the world. In Fort Lauderdale, which is considered the yachting capital, such incidents happen 5-10 times a year. Most often, it takes place when a boat becomes the subject of a commercial dispute.
November 8, 2019
The 69.7-metre charter superyacht Sherakhan built in 1966 as merchant navy training vessel by Dutch yard Vuyk, underwent a conversion into a superyacht in 2005. She has recently returned to Holland and has been pictured at Shipyard de Schroef in Terneuzen.Photo: Dutch YachtingBack in 1965, the classic yacht started out as Princess Margaret. Her present owner, Dutch hospitality entrepreneur Jan Verkerk, managed to breath a new life into the boat in 2005, when it was rebuilt at his yard and renamed to Sherakhan.Maintaining the vessel’s beautiful classic 1960s lines and style, Verkerk upgraded the interior with Rijntjes Interior Design and carried out a complete technical overhaul.Certified to accommodate up to 26 guests, with a dedicated crew of 20 including Michelin-starred Chef Toine Smulders, Sherakhan has undergone several more extensive refits, with the most recent one conducted at Icon Yachts in 2017.Photo: Dutch YachtingThe most noticeable upgrade of 2017 was the 70-metre hull repainted to a minimalistic white colour from its original vintage blue hue. Along with cosmetic adjustments to the yacht’s interior areas and A/V upgrades, her main generators were replaced with low emission ones.The onboard layout of Sherakhan is trademarked with double-height dining room with galleried atrium, skylight courtesy of the glass-bottomed sundeck Jacuzzi and seating for all 26 guests at a dining table. The interior colour palette is calm and neutral, with creams and tan-coloured wood allowing the natural textures and tones to harmonise. The layout comprises 13 ensuite cabins, including a full-beam master suite.Sherakhan offers a choice of guest deck areas, from the generous wicker seating on the main deck or several loungers on the large foredeck to the stellar sundeck with an 18-person Jacuzzi, wet bar and barbecue, dining tables and multiple sun loungers. The toy storage can fit a pair of 7.3-metre tenders, three Waverunner jetskis, wakeboards, surfboards, a number of inflatable towables and an 8-metre custom-made slide.What is more, Sherakhan comes with a full wellness suite including a beauty salon, massage room, gym and sauna. Sherakhan’s technical characteristics allow her to cruise to the most remote areas of the planet, accommodating up to 24 guests within her 12 staterooms.The yacht’s winter charter rate starts from $ 425,000. Sherakhan can usually be found in the Mediterranean during the summer season and the Caribbean over the winter. However, she is claimed capable of exploring more remote areas and has many circumnavigations.
November 8, 2019
Italian La Spezia-based yard Baglietto has presented its new 40-metre yacht project Abaco. The vessel was signed by Maria Magnolfi during the 2019 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.Ideal for sailing in shallow waters, Abaco is the perfect vessel to enjoy the warm crystal waters of the Bahamas, from which she takes her name. The Abaco project is a tribute the Italian shipyard and designers wanted to make to the people of one of the islands most affected by Hurricane Dorian. Baglietto, as part of a humanitarian initiative, will give a percentage of the proceeds from the sale of the first project to the reconstruction of the Abaco island.Innovative, modern, and robust lines, open spaces, and the proximity to the sea, as well as generous volumes for the interior, are some of the main features of this yacht.The main deck can boast over 120 square meters of outdoor spaces, harmoniously stretched towards the stern where the cockpit and the beach club join in a single space in direct contact with the sea. In this ample space, there is an infinity pool and a comfortable sunbathing area. Behind it, a conversation area can become, if necessary, a dining area for 16 guests. Going forward, there is a real “winter garden” occupied by a bar and living space, which can be fully opened if required thanks to floor-to-ceiling sliding glass doors. The connection between the interior and exterior continues in the main saloon, which was designed with the same logic of opening both aft and in the large side windows. This extreme modularity makes it possible to get 150 square meters of outdoor spaces on a single bridge.The owner’s suite has an office and a his and her bathrooms. The accommodation area is located in the lower deck, occupied by four large cabins. On the same deck, at the bow, the crew mess and crew area are found.The upper deck, sundeck, and bow area add 170 square meters of open space, offering different areas for long conversations, gratifying lunch, or relaxation in the sun, satisfying every guest’s needs.The interior design was created as a continuity of the exterior, using natural materials and bright tones such as teak, straw, raffia, linen, and tropical woods, which give an exotic touch, freshness, and elegance.The yacht is equipped with a garage capable of accommodating a tender of 6 meters in length, and a forward garage that can fit a rescue tender or yacht toys.The power will come from two CAT C32 ACERT D rate engines able to bring the boat to a maximum speed of 17.5 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots. Alternatively, a hybrid solution is also envisioned.Baglietto currently offers its customers a full range of products between 35 m and 65 m in length in the planning and displacement segments, plus the ‘tender’ line, with a 13 m and a 19 m MV model. Meanwhile, during the recent Monaco Yacht Show, the builder revealed the Francesco Paszkowski Design of its new 65-metre superyacht V-Line.
November 8, 2019