The New York Times has named the owner of 134-meter Serene to be Mohammed bin Salman, Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince. Serene was previously owned by Russian billionaire, Yuri Shefler who sold the megayacht to the crown prince in the summer of 2014. According to an associate of Mr. Shefler and a Saudi close to the royal family, Prince bin Salman had first spotted the 440-foot yacht whilst vacationing in the south of France. Interested in the megayacht, he dispatched an aide to buy the ship and the deal was supposedly done within hours at a price of near €500 million with Mr Shefler moving out of the yacht on the same day according to the New York Times.
The Australian Maritime Safety Authority (AMSA) received an emergency call from 37m yacht, Masteka 2 at 5am on October 1st. According to the Maritime Herald, the vessel started getting water ingress and lost steering gear near New South Wales, Australia. Six people were on board at the time of the incident. The cruise ship Carnival Spirit, which was en route to New Caledonia, responded after the alert came in. The passenger vessel evacuated two crew members from Masteka 2 using their fast rescue boat. Engineers from the cruise ship assisted the rest of the crew in the salvage operation and stopped the water intake. The yacht was stabilized and under control, waiting for local authorities to dispatch a tug to tow it to the nearest harbor.
The Daily Mail has shared the pictures of 142m S/Y A on her sea trials. The vessel, owned by Russian billionaire Andrey Melnichenko, was built at Nobiskrug in Kiel. At the end of August Mr Melnichenko came to the German shipyard and the two A has finally met. With masts taller than Big Ben, she is worth an estimated $450million. During the sea trials, S/Y A has built up a speed of 20 knots despite of the fact that her three sails have not yet been revealed.
On 27th October 2016 Lurssen launched 123m Project Jupiter at its facility in Bremen, Germany. She features a very sporty and aggressive look similar to the owner's first yacht. With exterior design by H2 Yacht Design and interiors by March & White the yacht is scheduled for delivery in spring 2017. For both design teams this is their first Lürssen yacht, and the collaboration between all parties, including Winterbothams technical services and Y.CO Management team, has worked extremely well. March & White have designed a contemporary interior throughout the vessel defined by timeless styling, nautical details and highly innovative bespoke finishes.
With a beam of 20m her interior atrium opens up the center of the yacht to pull natural light deep into the yacht.
As you might know, The New York Times has recently named the owner of 134-meter Serene to be Saudi Arabia's deputy crown prince, Mohammed bin Salman. Russian billionaire, Yuri Shefler had commissioned Serene from Italy-based Fincantieri back in 2006 according to Italian media. In 2014, Fincantieri launched its second megayacht, the 140-meter Ocean Victory which was commissioned by another Russian oligarch, Viktor Rashnikov. Prior to its launch in December 2014 however, Fincantieri was ordered to pay €20.9 million to Serena Equity Limited (the company controlled by Shefler that owned Serene) by London courts. Shefler's main claim was that Fincantieri had used Serene, on which the billionaire says he holds intellectual property, to develop Ocean Victory which he says is a near sistership.
When reading about megayachts, it is easy to forget the actual scale of these vessels, often comparable with that of military and cruise ships. Here are a few images that show just how enormous these yachts are.
If you've ever been to the MIPIM real estate show or the Cannes Lions advertising festival, you've probably seen some of the most famous brands such as MailOnline or Yahoo chartering a superyacht to act as their local headquarters. Booked up to 9 months in advance, according to Bespoke Yacht Charter Broker, Alexander Coles, event charters offer a myriad of advantages for such companies during these trade shows. Synonymous with wealth and power, the yacht itself can act as a canvas for a company's brand, significantly increasing its standing during the show through the use of banners, flags, custom carpets and lots more.
The latest edition of the Monaco Yacht Show came to a close 6 days ago after 4 action-packed days for the Principality, writing the 26th chapter of a story full of ups and downs. The Monaco Yacht Show was initially created by Maurice Cohen, head of Media Plus and creator of several other shows. The French entrepreneur however later sold the rights to the show in 1994 to IIR, a show management company that, at the time, owned a competing event, the Superyacht de Nice which has since slipped into oblivion. By 2002, the show boasted 65 yachts, half of the number of yachts in Port Hercules this year, with the 62-meter Lady Lola as a headliner. 300 onshore exhibitors had already taken up booths by this 12th edition and spanned over an area of 4,500 square meters, attracting near 15,000 visitors.
Dutch Yachting has shared the new photos of the latest Oceanco sailing yacht Y712. 106m superyacht hit the water for the first time at the Keppel Verolme shipyard in Rotterdam on September 19. She is Holland's largest yacht to date as 110m Project Jubilee is currently under construction at Oceanco. Nuvolari Lenard Design is responsible for both the exterior and interior design and Oceanco & Dykstra Naval Architects for the naval architecture. The three DynaRig masts will power the 2,700 GT full-rigged sailing yacht to more than 20 knots.
Earlier this week Chinese conglomerate, Lai Sun Group acquired 49.9% of Camper and Nicholsons International for €13 million in what became the latest deal in a series of yacht-related acquisitions led by Chinese beneficiaries. The deal turned out to be a major financial success for Camper and Nicholsons' majority stakeholder, Colosseum Services, a Swiss luxury-goods company that had acquired the brokerage firm for a mere sum of €1 million following the liquidation of Rodriguez Group in 2014. It didn't however become the first time a struggling company in yachting was saved by Chinese behemoths.
Lürssen has announced the new superyacht Project JASSJ. The 103m vessel will be overseen by Moran Yacht & Ship New Construction. At the moment we don’t have a lot of information, but it is already known that the design will be handled by the UK's premier yacht design studio Redman Whiteley Dixon. The yacht will be accommodated by 22 guests in 11 cabins and will feature a spacious beach club aft, a full-beam gym and extensive outdoor space for entertainment and relaxation. First details were released during the Monaco Yacht Show 2021. More details will come later. Lürssen is a German shipyard with headquarters in Bremen-Vegesack and shipbuilding facilities in Lemwerder, Berne and Bremen-Aumund. Founded in 1875, Lürssen is one of the world's leading builders of custom luxury superyachts and has launched many of the largest yachts in the global fleet, including Octopus, Rising Sun, and Azzam.Credits: Lürssen
September 27, 2021
Sea Machines announces 1,000 nautical miles remotely commanded autonomous long-distance journey of discovery and demonstration.September 30, 2021, marks the start of The Machine Odyssey, an epic voyage to circumnavigate Denmark with a commercial vessel commanded by marine officers seated in the United States.Intrepid vessel, the Nellie Bly, will be controlled by Sea Machines’ SM300, an autonomy system leveraging cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence, giving the riding crew the ultimate confidence and comfort:1. route planning and navigation via ENC-based GUI and GNSS localizations;2. dynamic situational awareness with computer vision, radar, AIS, depth transducer, IMUs, audio and streaming video;3. obstacle detection and collision avoidance with dynamic path re-planning;4. true redundancy of remote communications with fail-over, long-distance cellular radiosThe SM300 enables operators to remotely command and monitor multiple autonomous vessels from a shipboard or shore-based center. The shore-based center is located 3,500 miles away in Boston, Massachusetts. The system is managed by the Sea Machines team, which developed and refined the SM300 to the advanced product it is today. From the remote command center, marine officers will plan and manage the daily journey, and will monitor and oversee the autonomous operations.
September 24, 2021
New FD80 Skyline by Horizon Yachts during construction to a first-time yacht owner.This latest FD80 will be named Parabolic and features an enclosed skylounge configuration with a full-beam master stateroom on the main deck and three guest cabins on the lower deck, with crew quarters for four and a beach club situated aft.Plentiful deck areas distinguish the FD80 from any competition, and the owner of Hull 5 customized the upper deck layout to accommodate two jet skis on the boat deck aft along with a six-person Jacuzzi with counter seating and a bar area. The foredeck is fitted with a large sunpad and U-shaped seating with dinettes for enjoying the view at anchor. A large dining table for eight occupies the main deck aft, while additional dining can be enjoyed at the convertible dining table in the main salon.Throughout the interior, light anegre wood with walnut highlights is complemented by expansive windows and a light ash flooring for a bright and airy feel. The main salon features a dayhead and seating area with an off-white leather sofa to port and a fold-down television, console and convertible dining table to starboard. The galley is situated forward to port and features privacy glass and a bar area with three stools.The master stateroom occupies the forwardmost area on the main deck, while two VIP en suites and a convertible twin comprise the lower deck accommodations. The anegre and walnut finish continues throughout these areas as well.On the topmost deck, the customized enclosed skylounge configuration houses the wheelhouse with twin helm chairs forward and an L-shaped seating area facing a pop-up television and storage just aft.The owner worked with Horizon’s in-house design team to select a bright and cheerful soft goods package in a theme inspired by the Ginko tree that adds pops of blue, green and coral red hues complemented by decorative forms representing the ocean, earth, passion and geometry, all of which are intended to represent life’s infinite cycle peppered with the unexpected.Parabolic will be on display at FLIBS October 27 – 31. Upon delivery, the owner plans to cruise the U.S. East Coast and Caribbean aboard his new yacht. Founded in 1987, Horizon Yachts has celebrated 30 years as one of the largest luxury yacht builders in the world as well as the number one builder in the Asia Pacific region. In the past three decades, Horizon has delivered over 855 luxury yachts, with more than 220 of these over 80 feet in length. Popular models ranging from 52 to 150 feet include motor yachts, superyachts, power catamarans, expedition yachts, and fast displacement motor yachts.Credits: Horizon Yachts
September 24, 2021
Meyer Group continues to work on realizing innovative ship concepts in new market segments: At the Monaco Yacht Show, the family-owned company will show for the first time a concept for a mega yacht under the Meyer Yachts brand powered entirely by fuel cells and batteries, named ONE 50. The Meyer Group is thus further diversifying its product portfolio. "Since 1795, we have built more than 700 ships in Papenburg alone. So our references can be seen on all the world's oceans. Now we are opening the next chapter in our history and entering the market for mega yachts. We have already received very positive feedback because we can realize almost limitless ideas and ship sizes - even the seemingly craziest ones. We are currently seeing that the demand for mega yachts is increasing and there is room for another shipyard in this segment," says Bernard Meyer. Large and complex ships are part of the Meyer Group's core competence. In the shipbuilding halls, which can be up to 504 meters long, ships with a length of almost 350 meters have been built almost exclusively for years. "Mega yachts are a new market segment that we can serve at all our three shipyards. At Meyer, it is always our ambition to position ourselves at the top - in environmental protection as well as now in yacht size. That's why the ONE 50 is just the beginning of our ideas and plans," says Thomas Weigend.150-meter yacht concept with fuel cells and battery systemAs the first model from Meyer Yachts, ONE 50 immediately shows what the new brand stands for - pioneering spirit, exceptional excellence and no limits. At 150 metres long and 20 metres wide, ONE 50 has an enormous volume of 15,000 gross tons. On six decks, the yacht for a maximum of 44 guests offers a spa on two levels, a cinema with an adjoining billiard salon, an entertainment area including a stage, an art gallery and a huge infinity pool at the stern. Fuel cells and battery banks are installed in the engine room to make ONE 50 as sustainable as possible. Electrically powered by 25 000 kilowatts, ONE 50 will reach a maximum speed of 23 knots. Building megayachts may become next Meyer success story"We see a lot of potential in mega yachts for new environmentally friendly technologies, which we also use directly in the ONE 50, for example the fuel cell for emission-free ship operation. We attach very great importance to this. In addition to the many competencies and skills we already have, we will also bring additional specialists from the yacht building industry into our team and strengthen the Meyer Group," says Malte Poelmann.Bernard MeyerMega yachts have the potential to become the next Meyer success story and thus also secure employment at all locations. "We are experts in building special ships, we have proven that many times. Now we are working on making mega yachts even bigger and, above all, greener," says Bernard Meyer.
September 24, 2021
72-meter motor yacht Axioma is one of the most popular and successful charter boats on the market since her launch in 2013. She comfortably sleeps 12 guests but is often in demand among larger parties who wish to bring extra guests, be it more children, grandchildren, or friends. This left the owner with two options, to either build a larger boat or to create a support vessel that provides further accommodation.The Axioma and YPI team are delighted to announce that a new 48m (157.5ft) catamaran support vessel, My Bro is now in build, with delivery expected in 2023. Dunya Yachts are building the vessel and the project is a result of a new design and technical collaboration with industry expert Gregory C. Marshall Naval Architecture. The stylish yacht combines class-leading function in layout, engineering, performance, stability, and safety features. A unique beam ratio allows twice the capacity of any competition in the market at the same range. My Bro will be capable of reaching a speed of 18 knots. My Bro will operate alongside Axioma and carry an additional ten guests in five cabins, offering the same level of comfort and leisure as they would expect from a mega yacht. They will have use of their own dedicated main saloon, gym, spa, Jacuzzi and swim platform, and enjoy a non-stop water sports regime. Alongside an array of toys and tenders, My Bro will also carry a mini submarine. An additional stand-out feature of My Bro will be a touch-and-go helipad which has been designed for multi-purpose use, capable of transforming into an outdoor disco, open air cinema, basketball court, tennis court, yoga space or entertainment area suitable for a wide range of events.The multi-role vessel is also suitable for solo adventure-based charter operations or as a dedicated fleet support vessel to Axioma yacht.Credits: Yachting Partners International
September 24, 2021