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. The order for the vessel was placed by American businessman, John Staluppi as the owner's 7th yacht.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Commissioned in July 2015, Spectre will become Staluppi's seventh superyacht named after a James Bond film and will also be designed by Mulder.
Prince Philip passed away on Friday 9 April at age 99. His funeral will be held today at St George's Chapel, in the grounds of Windsor Castle. The Prince PhilipThe Duke of Edinburgh was well known for his love of sailing and also for the naval career. He trained at the Royal Naval College in Dartmouth in 1939, during the Second World War he served with the Mediterranean and Pacific fleets. He married Princess Elizabeth in November 1947. His active naval career as a commander ended in January 1953, but he held a position Honorary Admiral of the Fleet and the title of Captain General of the Royal Marines till December 2017. He was an experienced yachtsman, racing in Cowes Week in 1957 in the Dragon Bluebottle. Sailing yacht BloodhoundIn 1960’s the Queen and Prince Philip has their personal yacht – the 63feet Bloodhound, built by Camper and Nicholsons and launched in 1936. Prince Philip often used to cruise on her with Prince Charles and Princess Anne. The family sold it in 1969.Bloodhound is a classic racing yacht with many achievements, such as winning the legendary Fastnet Race (twice), the North Sea Race, the Southsea to Brixham Race and the Round the Island Race.The family continued to attend Cowes Week with the Queen on board the HMY Britannia. HMY BritanniaThe Royal Yacht Britannia was in service from 1954 until 1997 and became the 83rd such vessel since King Charles II acceded to the throne in 1660. HMY Britannia travelled more than a million nautical miles around the globe and the Duke of Edinburgh has travelled around 70,000 miles on Britannia. He wrote about the vessel: ‘The combination of her ocean-going capacity and efficient management reflected our long maritime traditions and made an invaluable contribution to the prestige of this country.’HMY Britannia receives a last visit from the British royalSince 2017 Britannia has been sitting at a dock in Edinburgh and attracts more than 300,000 visitors each year.Since Prince Philip’s death last week the Britain’s authorities have begun to discuss the idea to name the yacht in his memory – HMY The Duke of Edinburgh. “The towering figure that was the Duke of Edinburgh deserves a permanent tribute to his support for the country, the Commonwealth and the Queen,” says MP Craig MacKinlay. “I can think of nothing better than a replacement for Royal Yacht Britannia bearing his name as the permanent memorial to his love of Commonwealth, Britain and the sea.”“The Duke of Edinburgh was well known for his love of Britannia – it is a fitting tribute to now create a new royal yacht named the Duke of Edinburgh in his memory and for the Queen,” says Jake Berry, chairman of the Northern Research Group of Conservative MPs. Credits: Wikipedia; YouTube
April 17, 2021
Sea Eagle II is the world's largest aluminium yacht, and yesterday she entered the Whangārei Harbour (New Zealand), which created some difficulties at the Whangārei Airport due to her mast height of 62.5m (large enough to impede arriving and departing aircrafts). This led to a five-minute delay for air traffic, which was not a big problem, according to the airport manager. The airport staff were warned in advance by the port team. Sea Eagle II was launched by Royal Huisman in 2020 and supposedly belongs to Taiwanese billionaire businessman and philanthropist Samuel Yen-Liang Yin.Royal Huisman is a Dutch shipyard established since 1884 in Ronduite, building and refitting custom luxury sailing and motor yachts at its shipyard in Vollenhove, the Netherlands.Credits: Rusty Russell/New Zealand/Facebook
April 16, 2021
Denison Yachting, ranked #1 in superyacht sales in 2020 with 65 total transactions of yachts over 80 feet in length, started this 2021 at full throttle. The leading brokerage company presents an overview of the top 5 yachts sold over 100 feet during the first 2021 quarter.ReviveRevive is a 150′ Richmond superyacht built in 2013 and located in Savannah. She represents the last and best Richmond yacht ever built. In 2019, the second owner spent roughly $2 million making this yacht flawless, including a completely new interior decor package by Patrick Knowles Designs. Other updates include all-new hydraulics systems, bottom job, zincs, prop speed, shafts, and propellers. This 150’ Richmond accommodates up to twelve guests in six staterooms. The staterooms include an on-deck king master, four guest cabins below decks, and an optional VIP queen stateroom on the upper deck, which can be used as the captain’s cabin. Revive’s asking price was $14,900,000 at the time of sale.Catching MomentsCatching Moments is a 120′ Benetti yacht built in 2008 and located in Palm Beach. This Benetti motor yacht was refitted in 2015 with an interior upgrade to include new floors, furnishings, marbles, and main salon redesign. Twin Caterpillar C32 diesel engines give her a range of 3,500 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 12.5 knots. She’s fitted with Naiad zero speed stabilizers.Catching Moments sleeps ten guests in five cabins consisting of a main-deck master suite with a king-sized bed, two double cabins with queen-sized beds, and two twin cabins. The aft deck is perfect for al fresco dining, while the sun deck boasts panoramic views, bar, fridge, barbecue grill, sun pads, and a hot tub. Catching Moments asking price was $7,800,000 at the time of sale.Isabella Isabella is a 118′ Westport motor yacht built in 1999 and located in Fort Lauderdale. This custom-built 118′ Westport was constructed in Hoquiam, Washington, and launched in 1999 with refits in 2008 and 2017. The yacht’s general design is by naval architect Anderson Yacht Design. She’s powered by Detroit Diesel engines and cruises comfortably at 18 knots. Isabella can accommodate ten guests in five staterooms, with the master cabin on the main deck. The full-beam main salon comfortably accommodates large gatherings.Isabella’s asking price was $2,499,000 at the time of sale.108 Custom Line The 108′ Custom Line was built in 2018 and is located in Fort Lauderdale. This 33m superyacht was custom built by an experienced American yachtsman and overseen by a well-known build surveyor. She has 1622 horsepower CAT main engines, with only 700 hours, and comes equipped with zero-speed fin stabilization along with Seakeeper Gyro stabilization for a smooth ride. This 108’ Custom Line is perfect for charters or big groups, accommodating ten people in one full-beam master stateroom, plus four additional lower deck staterooms. A stern garage can fit a Williams 505 Diesel Jet tender and can also transform into a beach club. The sun deck is custom-designed with a jacuzzi, wet bar, and a drop-down 180-degree rotating TV.Her asking price was $11,500,000 at the time of sale.FridayFriday is a 101′ Arno Leopard built in 2007 and located in Miami. This superyacht was built at the Arno Shipyard in Italy features a recognizable hull with excellent performance and speed. Friday was delivered in 2007. The planing hull and three 1,800 horsepower MTU diesel engines linked to triple KaMeWa water jets give her a cruising speed of 30 knots and a maximum speed of 37 knots. Friday can accommodate nine guests in four cabins, consisting of a full-beam master suite, a forward VIP suite, and two cabins to port and starboard. Each room is equipped with flat screen televisions and ensuite bathroom facilities.Friday’s asking price was $1,649,000 at the time of sale.Denison Yachting has long been a leader in the yachting industry and has a rich family history dating back to 1948 with the start of Broward Marine in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Denison's locations include twenty brick-and-mortar marina offices in the U.S.Credits: Denison Yachting
April 16, 2021
At their shipyard in Viareggio, Benetti has launched the eleventh unit of the Delfino 95, a 29m yacht of the Class category, BD111. The naval architecture was developed by P.L.A.N.A. Design, the dynamic exterior lines by Giorgio M. Cassetta, and the bright interiors were developed by the Benetti Interior Style department. She accommodates ten guests across three decks and the main saloon and galley, located centrally on the main deck, precede the full beam owner's cabin. Four VIP cabins on the lower deck provide privacy in a separate area from the three forward cabins, which house the five crew members. At a cruising speed of 10 knots, the range is 2,320 nautical miles. This yacht is owned by SeaNet Europe Ltd, a Yacht coownership company based in Malta, which now boasts a fleet of four Azimut|Benetti yachts.Founded in 1873, Benetti is the oldest Italian shipyard specializing in luxury yachts. Benetti designs, builds and sells composite vessels from 29 to 44m and steel and aluminium boats from 37 to over 100m. The fleet consists of five categories: Class, Oasis, B.Yond, B.Now and Custom to meet all the needs of the market. Benetti belongs to the Azimut|Benetti Group, the largest privately owned luxury yachting group in the world.Credits: Benetti
April 16, 2021
Project Altea, YN 19550, the second yacht to be built on the Nova Plus design and engineering platform, has been sold. The all-aluminium 50m yacht features the patented Fast Displacement Hull Form. Her contemporary exterior design was made by Frank Laupman of Omega Architects. Six elegant staterooms can accommodate twelve guests, while five cabins are provided for the yacht’s nine-strong crew. Cristiano Gatto is now working with the owners and their team to fine-tune the yacht’s warm and tranquil interior design, with a selection of contemporary loose furniture that will personalise the yacht to their taste and lifestyle. The yacht will be primarily used by the owners’ family, but will also be available for charter by selected clients. During the purchase process, the owners were represented by Franco Ambrosi of Zarpo Yachts. After delivery, Project Altea will join the Zarpo Yachts and Tony Lovec Yacht Management fleet and be used for charter in the Mediterranean and Caribbean. Her experienced Italian captain, Antonio Gerini, will supervise the yacht's completion and take the owners to explore the Mediterranean this summer and the Bahamas next winter. Captain Gerini has a long history with Heesen, having previously supervised new builds and captained other yachts in the fleet."We are honoured to welcome the owners and their family to the wider Heesen community and look forward to delivering their dream yacht in time for a glorious Mediterranean summer filled with sunshine, sea breezes, and perfect days,” says Heesen CEO Arthur Brouwer. Project Altea’s top speed of 19.5 knots and transatlantic cruising range of 3,750 nautical miles at 12 knots come courtesy of two 1,080kW (1,448hp) MTU 12V 2000 M72 engines and with, her FDHF hull design, she will be one of the fastest and most economical motor yachts in her class. A draft of just 2.15 metres also makes her the perfect yacht to enjoy the Bahamas' shallow anchorages and the crystal clear seas around Sardinia.Project Altea will soon leave her dock and remain in Heesen’s harbour for commissioning before going to the North Sea for intensive testing, and she will be delivered in time for the summer season.Heesen Yachts is a Dutch ship-building company that specializes in custom-built superyachts in aluminium and steel from 30 to 70 metres in size. Founded in 1978, it has launched more than 170 yachts since its inception.Credits: Heesen Yachts
April 15, 2021