Trump's election as president of the United States marked a number of firsts, including the institution of what has historically become the wealthiest cabinet ever in existence in America. The billionaire's effect on politics and policy has become the subject of many international debates, yet his interests in yachting tend to be less talked about but remain no less fascinating when coupled with his administration.
In his former life as a billionaire businessman, Trump not only owned an 86m superyacht as well as a shipyard for a brief period of time, but he also ordered the world's largest yacht, although it was never completed. Meanwhile, US Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, with a net worth estimated at $1,5 billion, and her family have been linked to no less than 13 yachts over the years.
In 1980, the late Saudi businessman and arms dealer, Adnan Khashoggi took delivery of the 86 meter (282 ft) Nabila. Built by Benetti in Italy, she became the 8th largest yacht in the world and appeared in the 1983 James Bond movie, Never Say Never Again.
When Khashoggi, however, ran into financial problems, the Sultan of Brunei took possession of the yacht to cover one of his loans. The Sultan quickly flipped the yacht to Donald Trump for a reported $29 million in 1987. In an interview in 1988, Trump said he received a $1 million discount for agreeing to change the name from Nabila, Khashoggi's daughter.
Khashoggi probably spent $200 million building this yacht, probably the best yacht ever built. I purchased it for a business. I use it for my hotels. I use it for a lot of different charities.
After acquiring Nabila, Trump renamed the yacht to Trump Princess and had it refitted by Holland-based, Amels for a near $10 million according to the LA Times. The H on the helipad was also changed to a T to stand for Trump.
Spread into over 100 separate areas over five decks, Nabila was without a doubt one of the most complex yachts of her time. With luxurious materials including onyx used for her interior, the yacht was also ahead of her time from a technological standpoint. Remote controls were installs next to the bed for shades, room service, and the entertainment center.
Amongst the yacht's main feature was a hair salon with 3 separate chairs, a sauna, a private elevator for the owner, one for guests and one for the crew, a 2.4-meter in diameter spa pool with a waterjet behind bulletproof glass. Whilst still owned by Khashoggi, many arms deals were signed onboard the yacht.
In June 1989, Donald Trump announced that he would build a larger yacht, "something in excess of 400 feet long, closer to 500 feet" as he told Newsday and that he was accepting bids from yacht builders for this project. Amels, then owned by a group of 4 British investors, secured the deal to develop the 128-meter Trump Princess II according to NRC.
In May 1990, it was announced that Trump bought Amels altogether. At a press conference in Makkum in 1990, Jeff Walker, VP of Trump's investment empire, denied that the shipyard was sold due to the previous owner's financial difficulties, which some have said, resulted from Trump canceling the construction of the Trump Princess II.
In September 1990, two months after the acquisition, Trump sold Amels to American businessman, Peter Kutell according to Deseret News due to financial problems. At the same time, the Trump Princess was put up for sale and all work on the Trump Princess II stopped. In 1991, Trump Princess was sold to Prince Al-Waleed for $19 million who renamed the yacht to Kingdom 5KR.
The superstructure for Trump Princess II allegedly remained at the Amels Makkum facility until summer 2001 when it was eventually removed. According to sources familiar with the matter, the superstructure is still parked at the Makkum facility, now owned by Feadship De Vries and reportedly sometimes used as a bike parking space.
Although Trump never came back to yacht ownership, other members of his cabinet remained involved in the space to this day. Betsy DeVos, US Secretary of Education, and her husband have a combined net worth valued at $5,1 billion. Amongst their long list of assets are no less than 10 yachts and reportedly an interest in the shipyard that built them.
Delivered in 2008 by US shipyard, Westport, Seaquest measures 50 meters (162 ft) and was designed by Donald Starkey. Reaching a top speed of 24 knots, she is part of the Westport 164 series. Interestingly, she's also not the only Westport 164 linked to the DeVos family as the 50-meter Legacy is also reportedly owned by the family.
Whereas the actual construction price of this particular Westport is unknown, as is typical with the vast majority of new build yachts, a similar 50-meter Westport sold at an asking price of $29,950,000 in November 2016. It is standard for the final, actual price to be 30-40% lower to the asking price in yachting.
Delivered in 2011, Legacy is a slightly updated version of the Seaquest. According to the media, the DeVos family has a solid preference for Westport yachts, having reportedly owned several of them in the past years. In fact, the family may even have acquired a stake in the US yacht manufacturer according to SYF.
Amongst the Westports linked to the DeVos is a Westport 112 from 2003 and a Westport 130 from 2005. Their fleet also includes an 85ft Pacific Mariner ( a brand owned by Westport) called Sun Quest. Additionally, an 80ft Hatteras called Kitsune can also be found in their fleet according to the media.
Although the DeVos fleet may already sound expansive as it is now, the family hasn't always been buying Westports and went through a number of other yacht shipyards as well. One of these superyachts was the 53-meter sailing yacht Independence, delivered by Italian shipyard, Perini Navi in 1998.
The yacht has since been sold, renamed to Jasali II and made available for charter from €138,600 per week. Accommodating up to 10 guests in 5 cabins, she stretches over a beam of 11.4m and can cruise at up to 12 knots.
Prior to their long run with Westport, the DeVos have reportedly owned no less than five Feadships according to SYF, all of which have been named Enterprise. The first to qualify as a superyacht would become Enterprise II, a 116ft Feadship delivered in 1970 now known as Utopia II.
Although from a different era and with different standards, in the 1970s, Utopia II was a true superyacht for its time. Amongst her classical feature are a round aft with an open top deck, partly used to store its tenders. 10 years following her delivery, a new Enterprise was built by Feadship, this time measuring 131ft.
Now known as Seagull of Cayman following changes of ownership, she features several enhancements over the previous Enterprise. The most noticeable of these is a dedicated sundeck, an upper deck skylounge and a larger main salon aft of the main deck. Several weeks ago she was put again on the market at an asking price of €5,900,000.
Yet another improvement on Enterprise III, the 149ft Enterprise IV was also built by Feadship in 1985. Through the Enterprise line can be seen the growth of a niche industry into the superyacht sector it is today. Now known as Explora, the yacht features larger windows, a sleeker line and a swimming platform aft of the yacht, all of which weren't found on classical yachts.
The last Enterprise to be built was delivered by Feadship in 1993 and is today known as Chantal Ma Vie. Measuring 55-meters (179 ft) in length, she already was a good representation of the modern superyacht, featuring a sleek line, large sundeck, expansive lounges, spacious cabins, a swimming platform and purpose-built tenders. In 2010, she was sold at an asking price of $15,9 million to her current owner.
Although their effect on US policy can be polarising and debated throughout the world, the effect that Trump and member of his administration have had on yachting throughout the past decades has undoubtedly played an important role in growing the market to the point where it is today.
The Dutch company Van der Valk has developed a new line of crossovers Pilot.The new Pilot line will be available in a range of lengths, starting with a 23-meter model. The interior design was created by Cor D Rover. The design has a wheelhouse, freeing the front main deck. aft deck allows you to sunbathe and store tenders, jet skis and other toys.Owners can make a number of adaptations to the 23-meter model, including adding a gym at the stern and changing the size of tenders and toys on board. The cabin can also be extended aft to expand the space for communication.Floor-to-ceiling windows for distant ocean views will be installed inside the yacht in the living room, while the main deck also includes a galley and a full set of the main beam forward.The rest of the guest house is located on the lower deck, consisting of two double cabins with bathrooms and a VIP. At the same time, the crew room includes two double cabins and a separate crew area with a bathroom and a cabin, which is served by its own staircase.
February 21, 2020
After a growth period of 20-30 meters and megayachts, which is even closer to the recession, there was a short period for high demand for medium-sized superyachts.The market for 40-60 meter yachts, the last of which began to grow before the recession began, has also recently begun to gain momentum, as owners are looking for yachts in order to switch to them with growing disposable incomes. Indeed, if several years earlier it was expected that yachts in this range would be traded at 30-40% at the asking price, this gap narrowed to 25-30% in recent quarters.Shipyards, primarily known for their 20-30-meter yachts, are also expanding their ranges to 40-60 meters in order to keep customers who want to grow in size. For example, Sanlorenzo, which for decades focused on 20-30-meter yachts, put at the beginning of this year its newest flagship - the 64-meter Attila.Atilla is a 64.25m luxury yacht, built by Sanlorenzo and delivered in 2019. Her top speed is 18.0kn and her power comes from two 2375.0hp Caterpillar 3516-C diesel engines. She can accommodate up to 12 people with 18 crew members.Yacht was designed by Officina Italiana Design, and the interior design was created by Francesco Paszkowski.
February 21, 2020
A steel hull and an aluminum superstructure were attached to the integrated 55-meter Feadship superyacht, known as Project 704.The full displacement yacht was developed by RWD in conjunction with the Feadship De Voogt Naval Architects and the interior of the 499GT was written by FM - Architettura d'interni.The delivery of the yacht is expected in 2022.
February 21, 2020
The sixth superyacht Otam 80HT Attitude is nearing completion at an Italian shipyard.The 25.5-meter Attitude is the sixth building in the series and remains on track for delivery this April.The yacht designed by Umberto Tagliavini is 80% ready. Interior equipment is currently on schedule for a technical launch next month.Attitude offers a number of modifications to the original GA model, including the individual design of the front deck, which has a large solarium and a height-adjustable table to maximize the use of outdoor space.The cabin was also enlarged to accommodate a horseshoe-shaped sofa that can accommodate 10 guests. Another tanning bed is located on the transom, and modified protective gates lead down to the swimming platform.The tender bay garage under the aft sun deck has also been expanded to accommodate a 3.95 meter long Williams sports tender, capable of carrying six passengers.Attitude will feature four cabins with a common main cabin, the best VIP room, a guest cabin with two single beds and a fourth cabin for the owner's chef.Two 2600 hp engines MTUs combined with Arneson drives allow Attitude to reach a maximum speed of 47 knots and a cruising speed of 40 knots.
February 21, 2020
The Magnum 60 Furia was launched in 2001, designed by Magnum Marine and Ceo Catherine Theodoli. They say that this is the most successful of the Magnum models.Back in 2001, the 120-kilometer 60 Furia Magnum was named the fastest yacht of this size in the world and after extensive repairs at the Perini Navi Hammer shipyard reached higher speeds.Changes include new air intakes in the engine compartment along with a customizable display on the control panel.The new Magnum 60 concept is attractive to the original design, but much more pleasing to the eye, with distinctive details throughout the American style of the 50s. The owner’s room has individual storage solutions on either side of the room to ensure clean space.Marnix Hoekstra from Vripak says that they kept the overall layout and tuning of the boat, but improved it where it was possible, for example, expanding the companion from the saloon in the middle to the double and twin cabins. They also added daylight, and in the interior they used the same tree that was used in the construction of the boat, painting it in matt white.
February 20, 2020