If you've ever thought about yachting, chances are some specific images jump to your mind. The fact is, those images are most influenced by social networks and virality than ever before. We've decided to take a look at what are the most viral yacht images of the past few years and at the stories behind them.
To establish these rankings we've looked at Google's image index, social sharing signals collected through crawling tools, mentions in mainstream media and interest on networks such as Instagram.
#1 Tropical Island Paradise
A perfect example of viral content, this 90m concept by Yacht Island Design named 'Tropical Island Paradise' is centered around a Caribbean-like theme. The design company states in its brief that the goal of the project was to create an "idyllic, floating island, with all the features of a tropical island getaway built into the design".
Based in Derby, UK, the design firm led by Rob McPerson, stated that the main purpose of this design was to create something fun and different from the current state of the market.
#2 J'Ade's tender garage
There is a good chance you've already seen images from the photo shoot of J'Ade and her innovative garage which a tender can float into through a side door in the hull. Shared over 25,000 times on Facebook alone, these images have been used in articles by mainstream publications such as GQ, Buzzfeed and the Daily Mail.
Float-in garages had actually been done before J'ade which was built in 2013 by CRN but never on a 60m yacht and through a dedicated side entrance. Pumps installed onboard allow the 18.400 liters tank to be emptied in under three minutes. The yacht is now for sale asking 36,950,000€.
#3 Aloha sinks in Mykonos
On August 20th 2015, the 33m M/Y Aloha sank in Mykonos after running aground on a reef. No injuries were reported but the yacht happened to sink near a populated area allowing amateur photographers to capture many images of the half submerged yacht.
Mentioned over a 1,000 times on the web, this photograph made its way through mainstream media such as RT and Metro.
#4 SeaXplorer
At the 25th edition of the Monaco Yacht Show, Damen, parent company of Amels, introduced the SeaXplorer range. Famous, in-part, for launching the support vessel range, Sea Axe, Damen designed the SeaXplorer series to explore remote polar and tropical areas.
The subsequent PR campaign caught the attention of most media organizations with Business Insider, the Telegraph, CNN and many other reporting on the concept. As a consequence, the 3D mockups of the yacht in polar regions in particular have gone viral on the net.
#5 Silver Fast and Mercedes
It might seem like a given that when two iconic brands such as Mercedes and Silver Yachts join on a marketing campaign, it works. This particular co-marketing effort was promoting the S-Class S500 cabriolet to potential clients interested in yachtin.
The video presentation got over 75,000 views on YouTube and was covered by Maxim, Business Insider and other large organization. Silver Fast is now for sale.
#6 A
The 119m A, owned by Russian billionaire, Andrei Melnichenko, is perhaps one of the most iconic yachts and often springs debates across industry professionals. Data however shows that the A is often looked at and the photo above is the most shared on social media across all of the photo coverage of the yacht: 603 links on the web.
#7 Serene
Originally commissioned by Yuri Schefler, owner of Stolichnaya, from Ficantieri, an Italian shipyard specialized in larger ships, the 134m Serene has since changed owners. The photo above was shared a numerous of times in social media and linked to by 596 websites. It has reportedly been taken during a photo shoot that included interior pictures and might have indicated the fact that the yacht was being marketed for sale.
#8 Admiral X Force 145
The Admiral X Force 145 yacht concept is a 465-foot created by Dobroserdov Design in a partnership with Admiral Centro Stile and The Italian Sea Group. Boasting two pools, two helipads and large chandeliers, the concept got its largest audience from not one, but two Business Insider articles which got shared over 3,500 times on Facebook alone.
#9 4Yacht's introduction of Triple Deuce
In October 2014, yacht broker, Craig Timm issued a press release stating that he had secured a contract for the build of a 222m megayacht from an undisclosed buyer. The statement came complete with promotional images and approximate cost which is peculiar in such statements.
To this date, there is still no hard evidence that such a project is underway. The images however have gone around the web and CNN even did a story on the project.
#10 The Calibre 102m project
Perhaps it is the labeling of some articles in the yachting press that introduced the Calibre 102 project as worthy of a Bond villain or its unusual hull color that made the 3D mock ups some of the most shared yacht images on Instagram.
The yacht concept in fact is inspired by fast ferries and was created by Mahjoub El Mahmoudi of MUB Design.
Camper & Nicholsons have announced the sale of the 43m Mangusta Oceano in-build project Project Como.Como is planned for early delivery in the summer of 2021. Hull number 06 in the series comes complete with in-house exterior lines, styling and all Italian décor. The interior has some upgrades and personalisation such as stainless steel details, ebony joinery, high gloss lacquers and fine leather throughout. Both the exterior and interior were designed by Alberto Mancini Yacht Design. With her full displacement steel hull and aluminium superstructure construction, this is a long-range ocean-going tri-deck yacht offering accommodation for up to twelve guests in five well-appointed cabins. There is a shaded guest lounging area with plunge pool at the foredeck, and, down aft, she boasts a spacious beach club with a bar and gym area along with a large swimming platform. She can reach speeds up to 15 knots and has a range in excess of 4,500 nautical miles at 11 knots. Her tender and toys are stored in a dedicated garage under the foredeck. Overmarine Group was founded in 1985 by the Balducci family. The shipyard builds open and displacement power superyachts under the Mangusta and Mangusta Oceanco brand names.Credits: Overmarine Group
January 16, 2021
Cantiere delle Marche announced that explorer RJ 130 has been successfully launched.The exterior and interior of RJ range were designed by Francesco Paszkowski and naval architecture by Hydro Tec. The 40m explorer can accommodate 12 guests and seven crew members.“The RJ range of yachts is definitely a game changer for CdM. With three sales and five interior designs commissioned to Francesco Paszkowski, cooperation with multi-award-winning designers has already proven to be the right choice!” says Vasco Buonpensiere, co-founder and sales & marketing director at CdM.RJ features twin heavy duty MTU 10V2000M72 engines delivering 900kW each at 2250rpm, allowing a top speed of 14.5 knots. At an economic speed of 9 knots, she will have a range of around 5500nm with about 10% fuel left upon arrival.RJ 130 was sold to a European owner. “It was a great pleasure to work with an owner who was keen to bring his experience to CdM,” says Vasco. “Choosing CdM, he offered a serious statement of trust in our yard’s reliability and construction quality. I’d like to add that it’s inspiring and a reason for pride to see that a growing number of experienced and motivated owners prefer CdM to build their yachts,” Buonpensiere maintains. “Our clients have fantastic ideas for cruising, diving, luxury toys and serious boating. They are planning adventures, getting involved in underwater exploration, marine life observation, etc. As a shipbuilder, it’s exciting to be a part of making their ideas a reality, with this range merging the world of white yachts with that of real explorer vessels even more.”CdM’s story begins in 2010. Since 2015, the shipyard is the world’s leading builder of explorer yachts. Cantiere delle Marche builds long-range, luxury yachts and superyachts from 26m to 40m in length.Credits: Cantiere delle Marche
January 15, 2021
After the successful launch at the Miami Yacht Show last February, the MCY 70 Skylounge has arrived in Hong Kong for its first-ever Asian live premiere.The online live event staged by Asia Yachting, MCY’s official dealer for Hong Kong and Southeast Asia, aired on January 14th across a number of well-appointed media channels, arousing considerable interest and attention among the brand’s friends and followers around the world.Credits: MCY
January 15, 2021
The 1930’s yacht Atlantide was shipped from Newport, United States, to the Netherlands, and arrived at Royal Huisman’s headquarters in Vollenhove in the first week of 2021. Following the 2020 refit by Huisfit of Jim and Kristy Clark’s famous J-Class yacht Hanuman, and with three newbuild orders already completed by Royal Huisman in the recent decades (Hyperion in 1998, Athena in 2004, and Hanuman in 2009), the owner of this 37m classic motorsail yacht, Dr. Jim Clark, decided the same craftsmen and women are best suited to take on this new project – rebuilding Atlantide at the Royal Huisman.Atlantide was designed by naval architect Alfred Mylne and built by the British shipyard Philip & Sons in 1930. The Royal Huisman’s team has an established successful track-record with the restoration of classics, conversions, and rebuilds of historical yachts: structural work, updates and conservation work are all embarked on with keen interest and great skill. Rebuild and conversion projects by Huisfit are never a “typical refit,” and the scope of such projects is often as comprehensive as a newbuild – perfectly suited for a team equally at home in both areas of expertise.Jan Timmerman, CEO Royal Huisman comments: “If a discerning client commissions a fourth very substantial project to the same shipyard, you just know that the work you perform is truly appreciated. So we are most honoured to find ourselves in the position to realise yet another dream for our esteemed clients Jim and Kristy Clark.Having received the prestigious Best Rebuilt Yacht award for rebuilding the 1913 Herreshoff schooner Vagrant in November 2020, we look forward to starting a new restauration in addition to the current refit projects of Huisfit – a project so grand in scale that we will be allocating it the same status as a new project, and, a very special, unique, and historic project which we are certain to make into a success thanks to our skilled craftsmen and women, together with the owners and their team!”The rebuild of Atlantide is scheduled for delivery in spring 2022.Royal Huisman is a Dutch shipyard established in 1884 in Ronduite, building and refitting custom luxury sailing and motor yachts at its shipyard in Vollenhove, the Netherlands.Credits: Royal Huisman
January 15, 2021
The ceremony for the Baglietto’s Hull Number 10238 keel laying, the first of 52m of the new generation of TLine yachts signed by Francesco Paszkowski Design, took place just before the Christmas holidays.The 52m Hull No. 10238 is a yacht that draws inspiration from Baglietto’s tradition – preserving its most classical stylistic features – but reinterprets it in a modern, contemporary key. The stern has been completely restyled and is now open, with a beach club on three different levels. The large pool can be “hidden” by an original up/down moving flooring system. Inside, the salon’s floor-to-ceiling glazing ensures a constant contact with the sea even when living indoors. The sky lounge on the upper deck can be opened on three sides. A retractable ladder directly connects the sun deck and the upper deck at the bow, making the latter a natural extension of the former. The yacht will be equipped with a standard hybrid propulsion system that will allow one to choose a more efficient navigation mode, reducing both costs and environmental impact. When cruising in electrical diesel mode, the T52 will have a range of up to 7,600 nautical miles and will be able to remain at anchor for up to ten hours just using batteries. However, her two MTU 16V2000M86 engines will also allow her to reach quite an impressive maximum speed of 17 knots and a range of 3,600 nautical miles in traditional navigation mode.Baglietto Spa is Italian boat builder based in La Spezia and specializes in the construction of new aluminum light alloy yachts ranging between 35m and 50m in length and steel and light aluminum alloy displacement mega-yachts starting 40m.Credits: Baglietto
January 15, 2021