1. What you should know about event charters
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.
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.
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.
The Daily Mail has revealed the owner of 35.2m Sunseeker 116 superyacht, which is currently docked at Poole Harbour in Dorset ahead of her delivery. Thai billionaire Vichai Srivaddhanaprabha has reportedly spent £11 million on his latest toy. You may know Mr Srivaddhanaprabha as the founder and CEO of travel retail giant King Power International Group and the owner of Leicester City F.C. According to the magazine, the billionaire even gifted his 19 players BMWs in the team’s colours to mark their Premier League success.
Australian yacht designer Scott Blee has shared with us his latest creation, 85m highly efficient and modern superyacht, developed by Sabdes Design studio. The design of this vessel can be fully customized or it can be developed around yacht builders' 80-90 metre engineered platforms. Sabdes has held discussions with some of the best Northern European shipyards to further their version of the design on clients demand.
Despite her impressive size, Savannah is the first superyacht to be entirely metallic painted, including the ceilings and fixed deck furniture. The magnitude of the challenge faced by the Feadship crew was such that they were already making paint samples a full two years before the actual build of Savannah got underway. By the time the team got to work, it consisted of 46 specially trained personnel: 21 spray painters, 21 ‘helpers’, three overall managers and one paint maker. Together they worked as a single unit that took care of spraying a particular section of the hull and superstructure in a single day, always heading in the same direction. Starting at five in the morning and working for as long as it took, their goal during these long but ultimately hugely rewarding sessions was to ensure every part of the area in question was painted in exactly the same way without even using tape lines.
Aston Martin and Dutch boat builder Quintessence Yachts revealed the 37-foot Aston Martin AM37 powerboat in April 2016. Now the vessel made its world debut in Monaco, marking the luxury British brand’s entry into the nautical world. The 37-foot model is available in two versions – the AM37 with an estimated top speed of 45 knots and a choice of two 370 hp Mercury diesel or two 430 hp Mercury petrol engines. And the AM37S version with an estimated 50 knots derived from its twin 520 hp Mercury petrol engines.
Dutch studio Mulder Design has revealed a new superyacht concept in Monaco. This 72m yacht’s exterior can be characterized by modern yet harmonious and elegant lines, employing a design formula displaying Mulder Design’s signature over the years. But the vessel carries it a step further, using style features in a unique way. The concept features a touch & go helicopter platform, which allows one to board also in remote locations. Lay-out featuring the owner’s suite on the upper deck providing one an amazing panoramic view. On main deck the yacht has two spacious VIP suites each with private balcony. Lower deck hosts 6 guest cabins totaling 12 passengers and crew accommodation for 22 crew.
For the new product line, which will be in the market segment of vessels between 40 and 50 m, Baglietto asked two leading Italian design firms – Francesco Paszkowski Design and Hot Lab – to develop a new project concept. The new crafts will stand out for their contemporary profile and vertical bow, to respond to an increasingly widespread market demand. The project will include 3 different models, 41 m, 44 m, and 50 m long, each of them featuring very distinctive, unmistakable features. Initially, a semi-displacement, light aluminium alloy hull will be introduced, but a steel and light aluminium alloy displacement version is already being developed.
47m project NB60 hit the water at Turquoise Yachts one week ago. The vessel represents the first launch from the Turkish shipyard since the introduction of the new strategy in 2015. London based H2 Yacht Design is responsible for both the exterior and interior design. Named Razan, the superyacht is a nod to contemporary interior and exterior design, introducing key features such as a long swim platform on her exterior, and fresh, clean styling on both the main and upper decks. The sun deck also boasts a modern roof and mast design. These include a longer swim platform on the exterior, while the transom area has been restyled and the fashion plates on main and upper decks have been removed to provide a cleaner appearance.
The sailing yacht Taniwha (SW105 GT), a smart custom yacht with a strong character, was christened in Cape Town.Her deck configuration and exterior and interior design were by Nauta Design.“This new deck design has an innovative and clean look that is driven by composite construction and racing yacht styling. We think that our GT design will be a successful new style because it rests on a solid base of concepts which are the expression of a pure design,” says Massimo Gino from Nauta Design.The naval architecture was made by Farr Yacht Design. SW105 GT has a full carbon hull with her foredeck and cockpit in Nomex and pre-preg. Lightweight and with a generous sail plan, the yacht has a mast and boom in high modulus carbon and EC6 standing rigging.The interiors feature Southern Wind’s most popular owner’s cabin forward. Aft of the saloon, she has two cabins, an en suite VIP cabin with a walk-around bed and a second en suite twin a guest cabin. “The interior design is 100% new. It’s the result of a well-planned mixture of materials and geometries that we have developed on our most recent yachts. It’s elegant and understated but never predictable,” adds Massimo Gino.Taniwha is now ready for sea trials before the yacht leaves Cape Town. Southern Wind is a boutique bluewater sailing yacht shipyard founded in Cape Town in 1991. Since its foundation, SWS has specialized in the production of semi-custom high-performance superyachts. Credits: Southern Wind
April 20, 2021
The Sunreef 70 Ginette was launched recently. Ginette has refined interior design, supreme comfort and reliable performance.She can accommodate up to eight guests. The master suite has a king-size bed with a tufted backrest, a vanity and an elegant ensuite bathroom. The starboard hull houses a VIP cabin with a walk-in dressing and desk as well as a guest stateroom with a convertible twin bed.The bespoke décor is contemporary and classic with numerous velvet and brass accents. All the bathroom fittings are matt black in order to match the classic black and white floor tiling.With nearly 11m of beam, the Sunreef 70 boasts a spacious stern cockpit with plenty of space for dining, a barbecue and bar as well as a hydraulic swim platform. Accessed from the main saloon, the bow terrace features big sun pads, a sunken lounging space and clever diving gear storage. Ginette’s flybridge was given an open layout with oversized sun pads and a large u-shaped sofa.Sunreef Yachts was founded by Francis Lapp in 2002 in Gdansk, Poland. Since then the shipyard has been designing and manufacturing luxury sailing and power multihulls. Credits: Sunreef Yachts
April 20, 2021
The support vessel Time Off has been launched at the Damen yard in Antalya. She is the ninth hull of the popular 55m YS 5009 design.
Like her predecessor Gene Chaser, Time Off has a large multipurpose main deck hangar which is technically ready for stern A-frame installation and allows for a flexible deck layout. Configurations can include submersible and dive operations, vehicle garage or workshop facilities, equipment stowage, space for social engagements or even transporting relief goods. <iframe src=https://player.vimeo.com/video/538999740?color=6e9ed7&title=0&byline=0&portrait=0 width=640 height=360 frameborder=0 allow=autoplay; fullscreen; picture-in-picture allowfullscreen></iframe><p><a href=https://vimeo.com/538999740>Yacht Support TIME OFF launched</a> from <a href=https://vimeo.com/damenyachting>Damen Yachting</a> on <a href=https://vimeo.com>Vimeo</a>.</p>
Her Sea Axe hull form gives her unrivalled sea-keeping capabilities.
“The fact that Time Off is the ninth Yacht Support to be launched from our YS 5009 design speaks volumes. The flexibility this design offers our clients to really make the vessel work to their own yachting needs and requirements is what continues to make it so popular. We are all very proud to see her hit the water in Antalya and look forward to seeing the finishing touches come together,” says Design Manager Yacht Support Wouter Kleijpoel.
Time Off will be available for immediate delivery this summer.
Damen Yachting, a division within the Damen Shipyards Group, was created in 2019. The division combines the pedigree and heritage of Amels yachts with the growing portfolio of SeaXplorer yachts and Yacht Support vessels.
Credits: Amels
April 20, 2021
On Friday the 16th, Feadship launched the 42.5m Project 709. This full-aluminium yacht was designed by Studio De Voogt; she was sold by Camper & Nicholsons in 2019.The interior design was made by Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design, and she can accommodate twelve guests in five staterooms. This tri-deck superyacht is set to be delivered in the summer of 2022.Feadship was formed as a group in 1949 as a marketing partnership between six Dutch shipyards, de Vries Lentch, Van de Stadt, Witsen & Vis, Akerboom, De Vries Scheepsbouw and Van Lent Shipyard, and De Voogt Naval Architects. Feadship is well-known as one of Netherlands’ most elite yacht builders and delivers superyachts from 50–100+ meters in length.Credits: Feadship Facebook
April 19, 2021
Heesen Yachts announced the delivery of Moskito, YN 19255, previously known as Project Pollux. At 55m, with a Gross Tonnage of 760 GT, she is the second yacht delivered by Heesen in 2021. Her muscular exterior lines were made by Omega Architects and are characterised by 'shark-tooth' superstructure overhangs and vertical windows. The design features the latest iteration of van Oossanen’s ultra-efficient Fast Displacement Hull Form. Powered by IMO III-compliant MTU 8V 4000 M63s, it offers frugal fuel consumption of just 150 litres per hour at 11 knots.Her interior design was made by London-based studio Bannenberg & Rowell. The décor combines bold solutions with casual appeal, as is seen for example in the main saloon’s dark eucalyptus and pale sycamore joinery and chevron parquet flooring. As Dickie Bannenberg describes it, "It works equally well whether you’re in shorts and a T-shirt or dressed for dinner". "We've really enjoyed the journey from conception to completion on Moskito, greatly helped by the new owner not only going with every aspect of our original design for Heesen, but also asking us to select artwork and books,” continues Bannenberg. “Not forgetting the yacht's identity and graphics. We don't always get to remain design control freaks like this! We want to thank Minotti, Holly Hunt, Armani Casa and Parkway Interiors, among others, for going above and beyond during these challenging times of Covid-19 and Brexit, to deliver the items we selected. We also owe a special thank you to those artists who drove their work to our shippers to make sure we got them on board," he added.Moskito’s well-appointed amenities are illuminated by floor-to-ceiling windows and open bulwarks, whose sweeping sea-to-sky vistas immerse guests in the beauty of the environment.After delivery, Moskito will depart for her maiden voyage to Malta. Captain Phil Larkin and his crew of twelve will take her non-stop over 2,800 nautical miles via the 81 waypoints of the passage plan – a true shakedown cruise, ideal for testing their brand new yacht in all conditions.Moskito will be available for charter by selected guests via International Yacht Collection in the Mediterranean in summer and in the Caribbean in winter.Heesen Yachts is a Dutch ship building company that specializes in custom-built superyachts in aluminium and steel from 30 to 70m in size. Founded in 1978, it has launched more than 170 yachts since its inception.Credits: Heesen Yachts
April 19, 2021