Top 10 stories of the week

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

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

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

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

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