65m Heesen superyacht Galactica Star, has been renamed Illusion and entered charter market after her recent sale. The second largest yacht by the Dutch yard, she was sold asking $ 42 million, as a result of a notorious corruption case in Nigeria.
Custom-built by Dutch yard Heesen in 2013, the vessel seconds only to the builder’s 70-metre Galactica Super Nova in terms of LOA. She features exterior styling by Omega Architects, engineering by Van Oossanen & Associates, finished by interiors from the boards of Bannenberg & Rowell.
In April 2019, the vessel was listed for sale after a sealed bid arrangement, proposed by the U.S. Department of Justice and the Federal Republic of Nigeria and approved by U.S. federal court. The sale process rooted back to a corruption case against two Nigerian nationals.
Allegedly, the superyacht was originally owned by Nigerian oil magnate Kolawole Aluko, who is one of four defendants accused of cheating Nigeria out of almost $1.8 billion in siphoned crude oil sales, reports The Marine News. The U.S. government also accused Aluko and another oil executive, Olajide Omokore, of laundering money in the United States and using it to acquire the yacht, among other assets.
The sale followed a court-ordered seizure of the yacht's owner's assets due to possible connections to an ongoing Nigerian oil corruption scandal, triggered by the Panama Papers investigation. The latter refers to 11.5 million leaked encrypted confidential documents that were the property of Panama-based law firm Mossack Fonseca, exposing the network of more than 214,000 tax havens.
Illusion accommodates up to 12 guests overnight in 6 cabins, comprising a master suite, 1 VIP stateroom, and 4 double cabins. She is also capable of carrying up to 13 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience.
The most alluring feature about the vessel is what goes on below the waterline. Van Ossaanen Naval Architects successfully created a yacht that cruises 30% more efficiently than a conventional round-bilged motor yacht in this size range.
The superyacht comes with two lounge areas, one shaded and one sunny, a fully equipped sit-up bar and a large jacuzzi with sun pads aft on the sun deck. She also offers a spacious air-conditioned beach club with fully equipped bar, sauna, day head and shower. A 22-square-metre fold-out swimming platform and a 10-square-metre drop-down sea terrace to port, bring a sense of the outdoors.
Powered by 2 MTU 5,592 HP diesel engines and propelled by twin screw propellers, Illusion is capable of a top speed of 27 knots, and comfortably cruises at 24 knots. With her 90,000 fuel tanks she has a maximum range of 4,200 nautical miles at 14 knots.
The yacht used to be popular for charter among celebrities, for instance, once rented by American music industry power couple, Jay Z and Beyonce for a holiday cruise, according to WithinNigeria.
The superyacht is available for charter in the Caribbean at winter charter rate starting from $ 434,000.
Italian engineering startup company iSpace2O has offered an interesting 'craft', with no analogues as of today. Named DeepSeaker DS1, it can dwell both above and below water. DeepSeaker is a multipurpose craft. The vessel can be deployed for leisure, tourism, search and rescue, research and other utilities.DeepSeaker DS1 is capable of diving to a depth of 50 - 100 meters, depending on the mode. To go underwater, it is necessary to fill the inflatable tank that plays the role of a ballast tank.Oxygen cylinders that allow people inside to breathe are not needed, since the Oxygen for the passengers will be extracted from sea water.According to the developers, this process requires minimum energy, which is important, since DeepSeaker DS1 is a 100% electric device.On the surface, equipped with water jets and foils, the DS1 is capable of speeds up to 30 knots under the most powerful performance. With two electric motors of 40 kW each, which are included in the basic package, the maximum speed capabilities are limited to 23–25 knots.Lithium-ion batteries guarantee six to eight hours of battery life. A full recharge of batteries takes eight hours, but there is also a quick charging system that allows you to manage in no more than an hour.The small size of the four-sear Deepseaker DS1 enables her to fit easily in a garage of any superyacht or support vessel. The owner is also entitled to personalise his model opting for a colour scheme in the style of a mothership.The standard equipment on-board the vessel includes a digital dashboard, connectors for iPad, GoPro cameras and even such peculiar devices as hydrophones, with which one can listen to marine inhabitants.According to Giuseppe Carusi, co-founder at iSpace2O, the project has existed for five years, but only now they received financing. The first prototype of DS1 is planning to attend the Dubai Expo in October 2020, while the final version of the prototype will be ready by early 2021.The price of DeepSeaker DS1, according to preliminary data, will vary from € 950 thousand to € 1.2 million, depending on the version. In the future, it is planned to develop a larger and more spacious version, based on the platform.
November 13, 2019
Two months after presenting its new Espen Oeino-designed superyacht Amels 60, the Dutch yard has announced the sale of the first hull. The yacht is now under construction for delivery in spring 2022. The 60-metre superyacht with Amels Hybrid technology, Amels 60 offers cruising at up to 7 knots on electric propulsion motors. The system will deploy multiple sources of energy, working together seamlessly throughout a wide operating profile.Amels and Damen’ Managing Director Rose Damen expressed:Since we introduced our new Amels 60 design at the end of the summer, we’ve been blown away by the market’s reaction. The fast sale of the first yacht is very rewarding for everyone in our design, engineering and project teams who have worked so hard on the Amels 60 during the last few years. We’re very proud of the design and excited about building this new yacht for her owner.The model has become the second collaboration with Oeino for the yard, following the 78-metre Amels Full Custom that is now under construction for delivery in 2021. Amels 60 will stand out with a huge open sun deck, swim platform and folding owner’s suite balcony, 9-metre luxury tender, and a generous interior volume of 830 GT. As for the interiors, the team of Studio Indigo has been invited to create the design concept.The vessel’s owner will benefit from low noise and vibrations, lower fuel and maintenance costs, while reducing harmful emissions. Amels 60 will feature a transatlantic range of 4,500 nautical miles at 13 knots, while her top speed will make 15.5 knots.The news come just after Amels announced the sale of in-built 60m Limited Editions superyacht Amels 200.
November 13, 2019
The USA-based yacht builder Nordhavn presented a new project of a 45-metre research vessel Nordhavn 148. The vessel with designs from the Dutch studio Vripack was revealed at the recent Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show.The model will be the debut superyacht entirely built of metal in the brand’s history. She will also become the yard’s new flagship, displacing the 36.75-metre N120 model.Jim Leishman, Vice President of Pacific Asian Enterprises, Inc., which manufactures Nordhavns, says:We’ve talked about building a larger boat for a while now. It would be something specifically meant for the most challenging worldwide conditions.The ice class explorer needs is set to come out innovative in many ways for Nordhavn itself. The project is difficult to classify to a specific category, therefore, the shipyard speaks of it as a crossover, which combines the features of commercial ships and luxury superyachts.PAE looked to Vripack, with whom they’ve had a successful partnership on the interior design of the Nordhavn 80, to mentor the project and head up engineering. Vripack has overseen the design of the most notable of Northwest Passage-exploring yachts and have a rich, successful history of building in steel. Marnix Hoekstra, co-creative director at Vripack expressed:Nordhavn were keen to tap into our explorer heritage. Nordhavn boats are renowned for venturing to remote off-the-beaten-track destinations, and so the aim was to demonstrate to owners that this significant latest model has been conceived by a design studio that has a proven track record in this arena.Not many details on N148 have yet been disclosed. Key to the design are Vripack’s reinterpretation of particular features, including a flared, rounded bow, the yard’s interesting combination of square and round windows, and an industrial chic aesthetic.It is also known that the internal volume of the new model, designed for 12 guests and 10 crew members, will exceed at about 25% that of N120 (constructed of FRP), with 495 GT against 400 GT. The yard explains rejection to use FRP by lower costs and a shorter delivery time due to greater convenience in working with metal.The new Nordhavn 148 is expected to be built in less than two years. There is also a probability that the construction will take place in Europe, and not in China or Taiwan, where other Nordhavns are built due to the cheaper cost of the Asian assembly.
November 12, 2019
DutchCraft, a subsidiary of Dutch builder Zeelander Yachts, has revealed an eight-metre DutchCraft 25 tender, to be 100% electric and fully built of carbon fibre. The boat’s international premiere will take place at Boat Düsseldorf in January 2020.With her modular design, Dutchcraft 25 is a multi-purpose tender. She can serve as a diving boat, sports fishing boat or even a family day cruiser. A practical and multifunctional boat with a colourful design, DC25 is very similar to the 17-metre DC56 model. The latter was well received during the recent Cannes Yachting Festival and got a nomination for “The European Power Boat of the Year 2020” award.DutchCraft Sales and Marketing Manager Floris Koopmans expressed:With a clear remit to give owners the flexibility and fun they desire from life on the water, backed up by robust and practical design, the DC25 is a natural addition to our offering. There is nothing else like it in the size category; the sheer capacity and range of uses is phenomenal.The vessel has quite impressive transforming capabilities. For example, soft benches with backs for a company of 12 people convert easily into a flat space for transportation of, for instance, a pair of jet skis. Furthermore, a hardtop above the centre console can be folded to make it more convenient to store the tender in a garage of a superyacht (with folded top, the vessel’s height makes 1.97 metres).The authors of DC25 model paid close attention to landing and disembarking, since with her shallow draft of 0.82 metres, the boat can easily approach the paradise islands. For this purpose, there is a door in the nose, which becomes a gangway in the lowered form. The stern bulwark leans back and turns conveniently into a bathing platform.Another feature that helps save space aboard DC25 is her compact electric transmission sitting low. Moreover, DC25 is said to come with complete absence of vibrations, almost no noise.Koopmans added: “At DutchCraft, we believe electric propulsion will be key in a future that cares about ocean preservation. We are committed to investing in this positive movement, and the technology that we have developed for the DC25 is a step in the right direction.Still, the tender will be capable to run for about 75 minutes at a speed of 32 knots, and for up to 6 hours at the leisurely 6 knots. Meanwhile, the hull form of the boat also contributes to her speed characteristics. Developed in-house by DutchCraft in-house, it has a "deep V" shape for on-water efficiency. At present, the yard is also developing a limousine version of the model. It will feature a greater comfort and will be less vulnerable under different weather conditions.The base price on DC25 starts from € 275,000.
November 12, 2019
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