In June 2015 it was announced that yet another superyacht with a name inspired by a James Bond movie would be built, the 66-meter Spectre. Commissioned by American businessman, John Staluppi, the superyacht is set to become his 7th yacht.
Active in the automobile industry since the 1950s, Staluppi is best known for building the fastest yacht on Earth, the 40-meter The World is Not Enough along with the rest of his Bond fleet that keeps growing in length.
Moving up from an 18-meter Viking boat, Staluppi commissioned the 36-meter For Your Eyes Only from Denison as his first yacht. The semi-displacement yacht was eventually launched in 1985 and became the first motor yacht to have a combination of MTU engines with water-jets in the US, which allowed it to reach a top speed of 30 knots.
In the late eighties, For Your Eyes Only hit a sandbar which led to her taking in water from a crack in the engine room. The yacht was eventually salvaged, refitted and renamed with some speculating that the following alleged legal actions, combined with the sinking of two other Denisons within a short amount of time, led to the bankruptcy of the US shipyard.
In 1988, Octopussy was launched as Staluppi's second yacht in a successful attempt to build the fastest yacht in the world. A defining moment for Heesen Yachts, Octopussy had to reach 50 knots in order for Staluppi to take ownership of the boat, which it ultimately did, reaching a top speed of 53 knots. Staluppi eventually sold the 44-meter yacht after having used her for close to a year in and a half, which allowed him to start working on his next project, Moonraker.
A fast cruising trideck, Octopussy now features an interior by Art Line. Fully refitted by her current owners in 2015, the 44-meter now has a sundeck with a Jacuzzi and raised sun pads. On the upper deck, she features a sky lounge and her sporty bridge along with two dinning tables to her aft.
Down on her main deck is the yacht's main lounge with a myriad of seating areas, tall windows, a bar area and a TV screen that slides out amidst ship. Towards the yacht's aft is a dinning table for 12 guests that can be either opened up in good weather or closed down with glass panels. Forward of the deck is the main cabin with four additional guest cabins on the lower deck. The yacht's current owner's are selling it at $4,995,000.
By the time Octopussy was sold, HH the Aga Khan, was building a yacht to overtake the crown of the world's fastest yacht. Staluppi therefore set out to build an even faster one and the 36-meter Moonraker was eventually delivered in 1992 by Norship with a design done by Dutch-based Mulder.
In 1998, Staluppi set up his own business in yachting, Millenium Superyachts that was to handle his project in the superyacht industry. In 2004, the newly created label delivered The World Is Not Enough, a 40-meter yacht with 20,600hp that could reach a top speed of 70 knots but couldn't steer past 66 knots according to the owner.
In October 2007, Staluppi acquired a project in-build from Henry Luken, co-owner of Christensen Shipyards. In 2008, the 49.6-meter Casino Royale which can cruise at a more regular speed of 12 knots, was delivered to her new owner. Built out of composite, the full displacement yacht came in at just under 500GT. It was later listed for sale in December 2008 and sold in April 2009 to Californian businessman, David McDonald.
Built with a more traditional, American audience in mind, Casino Royale features a straightforward layout with a full-beam master cabin forward of the main deck, 2 guest, 2 twin and one VIP cabin on the lower deck. With two tenders and three jet skis carried onboard, Casino Royale features a lounge on the main deck and a sky lounge as well.
In July 2009, Staluppi acquired Midlandia, a 52-meter Benetti with an asking price of €19,950,000, which he renamed to Quantum of Solace and extensively refitted. In August 2009, he listed the boat for sale again at an asking price of $24,995,000 and eventually sold it, two years later, in July 2011.
Designed with Italian roots at its heart, Quantum of Solace has a layout more typical of yachts found in the Mediterranean. Its main tender is brought into a tender garage aft of the lower deck, with a foldable platform for swimming. This clears out the sundeck for lounging, sunbathing, casual dinning and leaves enough space up there for a Jacuzzi.
In a configuration that has proven popular for charters, Quantum of Solace's main deck features a main salon and dinning room with an outdoor lounging area towards the aft. Up on the second deck is a large sky lounge with a playing table, bar area, lounging area and large outdoor dinning table.
In November 2011, Diamonds are Forever was launched for Staluppi who had acquired the yacht whilst in-built, 18 months prior to its delivery. Throughout the construction project, Staluppi made several substantial improvements including the addition of an extra top deck.
Originally intended to be chartered out by its owners, Diamonds are Forever was listed for sale in August 2012, asking $63 million. In October 2012, her asking price was reduced to $59.5 million and she was eventually sold in December 2013.
With a number of features mirroring the Quantum of Solace, such as the large bar area in the sky lounge, Diamonds are Forever became a refined version of Staluppi's previous builds. The main attribute that set the yacht apart from other Benetti's of her size is the addition of a fifth deck to act as a sunbathing area, creating a second master cabin on the upper deck and pushing the bridge up to the third deck.
Born in Brooklyn in 1947, Staluppi started as a mechanic at 16 years old with a life long passion for cars during the golden era of automobiles. His first business became a Sunoco station, which he established thanks to a loan that his father took on.
After establishing a chain of gas stations, Staluppi risked bringing on an unknown car manufacturer at the time to the American market, which is now known as Honda. After 10 years, Staluppi established 20 dealerships of Honda cars in the United States. After Honda, Staluppi established a network of dealerships of Hyundai cars.
An avid collector of cars, Staluppi had established a museum around cars from all eras and an extensive personal collection. In 2012, these cars were put up for auction by RM Sotheby's in Palm Beach and generated over $11,5 million in sales revenue.
"John Staluppi is larger than life and well known in the collector-car hobby. His collection reflects a very precise collecting philosophy, focused on securing only the very best." said Donnie Gould of RM Auctions at the time of the auction.
Commissioned in July 2015, Spectre will become Staluppi's seventh superyacht named after a James Bond film and will also be designed by Mulder.
Italian design studio Lazzarini revealed a helium-powered flying superyacht. Called Air Yacht, the design has twin airships, which are connected by four bridges to a central hull and has helium as the main source of fuel.Made from carbon fiber, the Air Yacht has a length of 150m. According to the studio, helium could supply enough propulsion for journeys of up to 48 hours at speeds of 60 knots. And, while on the water, Air Yacht can cruise at a speed of 5 knots. The futuristic yacht design is attempting to offer a greener option to kerosene.Air Yacht’s twin airships contain 400,000 sq. m of compressed helium propelled by eight counter-rotating motors, each powered by ultralight batteries and solar panels.“The Air Yacht is not an airship intended for public transport or tourist purposes, it is designed for a private owner with a vision for the evolution of the mega yacht / aviation,” says Lazzarini Design Studio.The vessel will be packed with luxury amenities. A large dining area and living room will be located at the central hull, along with the master cabin with a panoramic view. Air Yacht also features a helipad and swimming pool on the roof.Credits: Lazzarini
January 14, 2022
DYT Superyacht Transport has delivered its purpose-built semi-submersible vessel, Yacht Servant. The official delivery took place on 4 January at Yantai CIMC Raffles Shipyard on China’s Shandong Peninsula. Three days later, the vessel embarked on her maiden voyage from Shanghai to Panama.Yacht Servant has a length of 213.70m, a 46m beam and a 4.6m draft. The vessel provides virtually double the capacity than her predecessors. The IMO Tier-III compliant vessel is also 32% more fuel efficient, while her 6,380 sq. m deck space – 30% larger than her sistership Yacht Express – facilitates the transport of more vessels per crossing, including deep draft sailing yachts.Whereas the current vessels in DYT’s semi-submersible fleet require operating water depths of around 14m, Yacht Servant only requires an operating water depth of 9m using a unique float-on, float-off system that is widely considered to be the safest and most efficient in the world. Yacht Servant’s new specialized deck located behind the bridge built to accommodate tenders, containers and small race boats also opens a new world of convenience and flexibility for owners.<iframe width=560 height=315 src=https://www.youtube.com/embed/AU-y0hheTsI title=YouTube video player frameborder=0 allow=accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture allowfullscreen></iframe>“We’re all hugely excited about the addition of Yacht Servant to our semi-submersible fleet,” says Richard Klabbers, Managing Director of DYT Superyacht Transport. “Her sheer size and volume allow for so much more capacity, and we’re looking forward to discovering how the vessel’s additional capabilities – such as onboard cranes, reduced board draft and increased submerged draft – will further what we can deliver.”On completion of her 2022 maiden voyage, Yacht Servant will return to China to transport cargo to Colombia during the yachting off season, before arriving in the Caribbean in May to commence her sailing schedule between Florida, the Caribbean and the Mediterranean.Credits: DYT Superyacht Transport
January 14, 2022
Bilgin Yachts has made a technical launch of the 73.6m Bilgin 243. The steel and aluminum yacht features exterior and naval architecture from Unique Yacht Design. As her bigger sister 80m Tatiana, she spreads across five decks and can accommodate 16 guests. Bilgin 243 has a spacious owner's suite and two VIP suites on the main deck. “We designed Bilgin 74m focusing on the large, spacious structures that characterize a boat of this size, trying to develop them to perfection, rather than trying to fit ‘a little bit of everything’. The result was a great balance between interior and exterior living spaces, pleasing, large and sporty, but not tiring,” says Emrecan Özgün, CEO and the founder of Unique Yacht Design. She also has a 50 sq. m beach club, gym and sauna. Bilgin 243 will have a top speed of 17 knots, and can reach 5,000 nautical mile range at 12 knots.The technical launch and design of Bilgin 243 proved a complete success for the whole Bilgin team. We are very happy and proud of starting the year with a big splash,” says Ismail Şengün, Bilgin Yachts' CEO.To finish outfitting Bilgin 243 will be transported to the West Istanbul Marina and will be delivered in 2024.Bilgin Yachts is a boutique shipyard on the European side of Istanbul, building 50 to 120m luxury superyachts. It has been a family-run business for five generations since the early 1900s.Credits: Bilgin Yachts
January 14, 2022
Cantiere delle Marche has sold the semi-custom explorer Acciaio 130 to her European owner. The naval architecture and exterior have been made by Sergio Cutolo/Hydro Tec. The yacht spreads across three decks and features a generous sundeck sky lounge and a 30 sq. m gym on the upper deck. The owner requested a stern platform to be designed as a fishing cockpit and a storage for rods, tackle and bait. He also has requested two master suites: one on the main deck and the full-beam on the lower deck. The lower deck also will have two guest cabins. The Acciaio 130 has a top speed of 13.5 knots and a range of over 5,000 nautical miles when cruising at 10 knots.“We are delighted with the client’s strong interest in this design which brought to a high level of customization and interesting features,” says Vasco Buonpensiere, co-founder and Sales & Marketing Director of CdM. “Acciaio 130 will be a purposeful passagemaker tailored to the exacting requirements of her owner for long range cruising. The client has been introduced by Jonacor Marine and in the light of the high level of professionalism of all parts involved we are sure that the construction of this beautiful vessel will represent a great experience for us all.”The 39.42 meter explorer will join the Acciaio 105 Gatto and the Acciaio 123 Astrum. This is the nineth sale in the Italian shipyard order list. CdM's story begins in 2010. The facilities cover an overall surface of 16˙000 square meters, including 7˙000 sq m of workshops and 1˙000 sq m of docks. Since 2015, the shipyard has been the world’s leading builder of explorer yachts. Based in Ancona, Cantiere delle Marche builds yachts from 26m to 43m in length.Credits: CdM
January 13, 2022
The Scuderia 65 was built for an owner who loves offshore racing and she had a successful year. From her base in Chioggia in the Adriatic, she has undertaken numerous regattas, including the dramatic Aegean 600 endurance race that weaves around the Greek islands. The season culminated in October with Cinquanta and the Barcolana race. And she has also won a major design award.Penned by Harry Miesbauer, the Scuderia 65 was always optimized for form stability and blistering offshore performance. She is simple to sail short-handed, while a powerful rig and the option of a lifting keel give her thrilling pace in strong winds. “Together with the owner, I opted for a more powerful hull shape,” says Miesbauer. “We knew it would give us an edge when it is breezy, and in some conditions we are even faster than our VPP velocity predictions. When I was on board we did 21 knots on a broad reach in 20 knots of wind and the two-man delivery crew reported a top speed of 28.7 knots.”But performance is just one element of this yacht. The sleek hull lines and clean deck are allied with an elegant and minimal interior. At once practical for sail handling while racing and architectural in its styling, this is an interior that genuinely succeeds at combining form and function.No wonder, then, that the boat scooped a highly sought-after A’ Design Award this year from an international jury of design experts who recognised its aesthetic qualities and sailing abilities. In contrast to many fast IRC boats out there, the Scuderia 65 has been designed to provide a comfortable base for cruising as well. The enclosed U-shaped galley to port is well equipped and spacious, and there are three cabins. The master cabin forward is a double with a dedicated sofa area and ensuite shower room. Two flexible twin V-berths aft also have their own shower rooms, all in lightweight molded composite.Labor-saving appliances like washing machines and ice-makers are fitted in a modular fashion, so as to be easily removable for racing. “It all goes back to a first conversation I had with the skipper and the owner during the Middle Sea Race a few years back,” says Miesbauer. “Together, we came up with a concept for a larger boat, fast offshore and with sexy lines, but where there was still a place for family cruising.”Harry Miesbauer“I believe that we have got the balance exactly right, as this is a boat that you would happily cross the Atlantic in. And despite her performance, she is not a complicated yacht. She is simple to handle two-up, and wherever we had the choice between an elaborate technical solution and something more straightforward, we have kept it simple,” comments the designer.Credits: Dede De Luca OneSails, Max Ranchi, Andrea Muscatello, Rolan Duller
January 13, 2022