In recent years explorers have become a particularly popular class amongst new superyacht deliveries, reason being that they allow their owners to cruise to places that may be inaccessible otherwise, places where one would not expect to find yachts such as polar regions. Several yachts have however already been exploring those regions.
Shipyard: IHC Holland / Icon Yachts (1974 / 2016)
Location: Antartica
Originally built in the Netherlands in 1974, Legend recently completed a transformation into an icebreaking explorer yacht that was relaunched in March 2016 for Jan Verkerk, owner of Sherakhan. Accommodating up to 30 guests on board, Legend boasts a large Jacuzzi, movie theatre, fitness room and large swimming platform amongst her key amenities.
Length: 45m (148 ft)
Shipyard: Timmerman Yachts
Location: Northwest passage
Perhaps not boasting the traditional look one would expect from an explorer, Latitude has proven to be a true explorer at heart. Built by Russian shipyard, Timmerman Yachts to a design by Vripack for Singaporean owner, Anil Thadani, Latitude has crossed the Northwest Passage twice. In her exploration she cruised by orcas and even by polar bears seen in the shot above.
Length: 46.2m (151 ft)
Shipyard: Palmer Johnson (1996)
Location: Northwest passage
Built for a man that wanted to explore the world as Turmoil by US shipyard, Palmer Johnson in 1996, the yacht has since been renamed Pioneer and counts over 450,000 nautical miles under her belt.
Length: 47.7m (156 ft)
Shipyard: Fassmer Werft (2006)
Location: Arctic circle
Built in 2006 by German shipyard, Fassmer with exploration in mind, Hanse Explorer has a mind boggling range of 9,000 nautical miles and can produce up to 20 tons of fresh water per day on its own.
Photo by Justin Hoffman/EYOS Expeditions
Length: 71m (234 ft)
Shipyard: Richards Shipbuilde / Atlantic Refit Center (1987 / 2013)
Location: Northwest passage
Originally built for the Scottish Fisheries Protection Agency in 1988 as Norna, her first mission was to prevent illegal fishing in the North Atlantic. Decommissioned in 2010, she was sold to her current owner who refitted her into a 71-meter superyacht with an exterior design by Philippe Briand. The yacht since embarked on a mission to explore both poles.
Length: 45m (147 ft)
Shipyard: McMullen & Wing (2010)
Location: Antartica
Delivered in 2010 by Auckland-based, McMullen & Wing to Hong-Kong businessman, Richard Beattie, Big Fish became a pioneer in exploring icy regions in stellar levels of comfort. With a master cabin on the upper deck surrounded by floor-to-ceilling glass, Big Fish is one of the best ways to explore the world.
Length: 59.6m (147 ft)
Shipyard: Trinity Yachts (2006)
Location: Arctic
Built in the US for New Zealand's richest man, Graeme Hart, current owner of Ulysses, the 59-meter was damaged by fire shortly before delivery. As a result, a 2-year refit worth nearly 30 million Australian dollars followed and produced the explorer we see today. The yacht was sold in 2014 and renamed from Ulysses to Grand Russalina.
Photo by EYOS Expeditions
Length: 87.5m (287 ft)
Shipyard: Schichau Unterwesser (1969)
Location: Antarctica
Arctic was built in 1969 in Germany as one of two of the largest salvage tugs in the world. She was ultimately purchased by her current owner in 1993 who undertook a two-year refit in Malta to transform the vessel into a superyacht.
The Netherlands-based Vanquish Superyachts has received a new order - for the new 35-metre VQ115 Veloce yacht. Translated exactly as “fast” the model is set to be the world’s fastest aluminium superyacht with normal – albeit state-of-the-art – diesel engines. The very first VQ115 Veloce has been commissioned by and developed with a repeat client who loves entertaining large groups of people.The initial discussions were based on design concepts for a VQ90 but quickly evolved as the owner added an extra cabin, a dedicated dining area on the lower deck and two garages. A trio of MTU-Rolls-Royce 2600s engines, backed up by surface drives, will power the VQ115 Veloce to an exceptional speed of 53 knots. This makes the vessel, quite possibly, the fastest aluminium yacht over 30 metres with ‘normal’ diesel engines – i.e. non-turbine-driven – built to date. Studio Delta in the Netherlands is responsible for the naval architecture of the hull, working in tandem with Swedish company Petestep to optimise comfort and performance levels and increase efficiency by over 15% at top speeds.Exterior designer Guido de Groot and his team have a relatively narrow hull on which to base their design. An impressive range of up to 600 nm will be possible when running on one or two engines, with an extra fuel tank available for cruising at lower speeds. Outdoor entertainment is a major factor in all areas of the yacht. The expansive foredeck, for instance, has a large seating area for lounging and dining, plus the option to lift up the sun beds and create a saltwater jacuzzi. The interior features a futuristic style to match the exterior design, with a casual groove, emblematic Vanquish details and 45-degree treatments. A smart layout makes optimum use of the enlarged space available. The main deck saloon will be fully tailored to the owner’s wishes with movable furniture to allow flexibility of occasion and time of day. Office space is included for when work calls, there is a neat pantry with its own cocktail bar, plus a day head to keep the lower deck private. Stairs rise to the sport flybridge above while the aft door opens fully to create a unified space with the aft deck: matching floors will ensure continuity between the outdoor and indoor spaces. The lower deck features a more extensive galley and a U-shaped seating/dining area in a country kitchen style. Accommodations include a full-beam master suite, a VIP and a guest cabin, all with their own bathrooms. A dedicated media room includes a large television, a high-end sound system plus two Pullmans that bring the potential sleeping capacity to eight. There are also berths for four crew members. This potentially record-breaking powerboat is due to be delivered to the Mediterranean at the end of June 2022 so the owners can enjoy the summer before having her transported Stateside for the Caribbean season.
October 28, 2020
Mangusta Yachts, a brand within the Italian Overmarine Group S.P.A., is presenting the very first unit of the brand new Mangusta GranSport 33 series which blends good looks and great performance. The world première will take place at the upcoming Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (28th Oct. – 1st Nov., 2020). Despite being the entry level model in the Mangusta GranSport line, the yacht can offer spacious volumes and technical details that can normally be found on larger yachts. She can surely be defined as a 33-metre vessel with the heart and soul of a true megayacht. The model was penciled by Alberto Mancini in cooperation with Overmarine Group’s technical departments.The Mangusta GranSport 33 is a sporty and yet extremely comfortable vessel, boasting timeless elegance and a very strong personality. She perfectly combines style and technical solutions, the utmost expression of this flawless blend being her outstanding performance and unmatched efficiency. The same design style harmoniously unravels across both the exteriors and the interiors, turning every inch of the yacht into a pleasant, functional space – something that is a real hallmark of the Mangusta brand. Overmarine Group’s Interiors Department has worked side by side with the designer Mancini and the Owner to select the perfect furniture, furnishings, and décor. The final outcome is a stylish, but also extremely functional yacht, just what her American Owner had asked for.This model can rely on a propulsion package featuring 4 Volvo IPS engines that can push her to a maximum speed of 26 knots while ensuring reduced consumption against vessels of the same size with traditional propulsion systems, and maximum comfort thanks to extremely low vibrations and impressive noiselessness. Other distinctive technical features on this yacht are her excellent maneuverability, enhanced by the Joystick Docking system, the dynamic positioning system allowing to keep the craft stable in one position, and the electrical stabilizing fins. Her very limited draft of 6’2” (1.9 meters), which means she can comfortably cruise even in very shallow waters, makes this yacht ideal, for instance, in the Bahamas in winter or the Hamptons in the summer. (Press release and photos by Mangusta Yachts)
October 27, 2020
The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show located steps from the beach in sunny South Florida is ready to take off. The show will host 1,000+ exhibitors and will have over 1,300+ boats on display. Photo: FLIBS 2019Starting on October 28, 2020, and ending on November 1, 2020, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show could have a positive impact of over $1 billion on the local economy. The FLIBS Boat Show will be held in accordance with AllSecure health and safety standards to guarantee the safety of all staff, attendees, exhibitors and crew members. This became possible as a result of discussions that took place between government officials from Broward County and the City of Fort Lauderdale. Photo: FLIBS 2019The President of Marine Industries Association of South Florida revealed that “FLIBS will boost the economy through direct sales, more hotel stays, transportation, dining and recreation”. To guarantee the safety and health guidelines, FLIBS will offer enhanced transportation and parking. The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show added extra shuttle buses and water taxi services. Photo: FLIBS 2019
October 27, 2020
The all-aluminium hybrid Fourth S501 Hybrid Superyacht is at around 40% completion level. The shipyard will have the cutting-edge technology that will push the boundaries in terms of the efficiency in the fuel consumption and allow the superyacht to be cruising for long-hours. The yacht’s superstructure and hull are joined and complete. The 49.99-metre Tankoa yacht is being prepared for the installation of the new equipment and main on-board machinery, with yacht’s delivery being set for the late 2021. Photo: Tankoa YachtsThe Fourth S501 Hybrid Superyacht features the hybrid propulsion package that has been developed as a result of a collaboration between Man and Siemens. The package will include full electric, diesel-electric and traditional diesel cruising modes.Photo: Tankoa Yachts The yacht will be having an outfitting phase soon, as the Italian shipyard is about to start its preparations. Interestingly, Tankoa is planning to increase its workforce as they are planning to acquire an additional facility adjacent to a Genoa facility. In addition, Chief executive Vincenzo Poerio said that they are “preparing to grow the company in a sustainable way to optimize operational costs and increase market segment”.Photo: Tankoa Yachts
October 26, 2020
The advertising campaign by Ferretti Yachts won the notable Press, Outdoor & Promotion Key Award (POPKA) in the category ‘A4 Beauty, Fashion and Luxury’. The award ceremony was held on October 15, with a live-streamed session to which CEO Alberto Galassi contributed, commenting: “The Ferretti Yachts campaign was ahead of its time, asserting an ideal of wellbeing, calm and peace on a yacht, in order to reconnect with the dimension of a private island on which to take refuge: a subject that could hardly be more relevant in times like these”.The new campaign by Ferretti Yachts offers a new way to experience the sea, one that encloses a universe of stories and emotions in an intimate personal space, combining the dimension of travel represented by the yacht with the feeling of being at home. This is the creative concept behind the new campaign by Ferretti Yachts, the storied Italian luxury yacht brand and a leading global player in the industry, which reasserts its positioning with a more intimate language and a lifestyle aesthetic midway between fashion and design.Media Key is the benchmark magazine for Italian corporate communication. The panel of judges that makes the Awards, now in their 17th year, includes marketing strategists, media planners for top Italian and international businesses, communication operators, and creative directors at production companies, advertising agencies, and TV and Radio digital agencies. The multi-subject campaign published in leading magazines worldwide presents a model of absolute wellbeing that only Ferretti Yachts can make possible, anywhere and at any time. Created by multiple award-winning international agency Lorenzo Marini Group, “Just Like Home” continues on a strategic and creative path that has further consolidated the brand’s image at international level.Press release and photos by Ferretti Yachts
October 26, 2020