Calls For New Yacht Delivery Regulations

Alasdair Crawford died after the boat he was on got caught in storms in the Bay of Biscay

Devon MP Cox Calls For New Yacht Delivery Regulations -- BBC

A Devon MP has called for an urgent review into the regulation of the yacht delivery industry.

In Parliament, Conservative Geoffrey Cox said foreign-registered boats not in British waters were not subject to British enforcement, even if British firms were delivering them.

Mr Cox citied the cases of five sailors who died while working for a Hampshire firm later accused of negligence.

Transport Minister Mike Penning said he would work with Mr Cox on the issue.

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My Comment: People have died ... so yes .... something has to be done.

Superyacht Crew School Set To Open

Most of the classes will be taught by long-time stewardess Julie Humbert (right) assisted by Joy Humskul.

Superyacht Crew School Set To Open -- Phuket News

PHUKET: A new school opens in Thalang on June 16, offering courses that lead graduates to a life of glamour and high salaries – working on superyachts around the world.

The Galileo Yachting school is aimed firmly at the Thai market, initially targeting Thai women for work as stewardesses, and Thai chefs.

The school is the brainchild of Brian Murray, who is ex-British Royal Navy and was a superyacht skipper for 25 years, commanding superyachts owned by the likes of the Getty family.

He and partner Alex Wheeler expect to place graduates of their 18-day courses on superyachts, with pay starting at B100,000 a month, rising – for those who become chief stewardesses – to as much as B420,000 a month.

And that doesn’t include tips.

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My Comment: This school .... and demand for it's graduates .... should do well.

Behold the World’s Finest Superyachts

Dutch yachtbuilder Feadship took home the Motor Yacht of the Year award for Tango. The 252.8-foot yacht was launched in April of last year and features accommodations for 12 guests, an owner's deck, beauty salon, massage parlor and an outdoor movie theater. Despite all that weight, four engines propel the Tango to a top speed of 22 knots. Image: Feadship

Beauties of the Sea: Behold the World’s Finest Superyachts -- Autopia

Even among the most luxurious of pleasure boats, some yachts are finer than others. And the finest of them all win the coveted Neptune Trophy, given out at the World Superyacht Awards.

The ceremony recognizes the ultimate achievements in superyacht design. To qualify in any of the various award categories, yachts must be over 30 meters in length and must have been delivered to their owners in the past 12 months.

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My Comment: My favorite superyacht is this one.

A Close Call Between A Whale And A Racing Sailboat

Racing Yacht's Near-Miss With Large Whale Captured On Video -- Outdoors, Action And Adventure

The helmsman aboard a racing yacht may have averted disaster by swinging the vessel to the starboard moments before it struck a large whale in its path.

Roberto "Chuny" Bermudez was guiding CAMPER swiftly across the Atlantic during the seventh stage of the Volvo Ocean Race when the whale surfaced just off the bow. (Viewers can see the whale eight seconds into the video, and in slow-motion at 23 seconds.)

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My Comment: Definitely a close call.

The New Largest Yacht In The World?

On 24 May 2012 Lürssen launched the world's largest yacht: AZZAM has an estimated lenght of 180m+ and will be delivered in 2013. Video by Carl Groll / TheYachtPhoto.com. The HD version of this video can be purchased at www.theyachtphoto.com. We have the largest choice of professional photos of AZZAM.

This Is The First Photo Of The New Largest Yacht In The World -- Business Insider

Currently, Roman Abramovich's Eclipse is the largest yacht in the world at a staggering 538 feet long.

That is about to change.

Superyachts.com just sent us information on Project Azzam, which will hit the water at a length of at least 590 feet. That means it could actually be longer!

That's more than a football field and a half long. An Airbus A380 is 239 feet long. This ship is massive.

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My Comment: For more info and pictures of this yacht, go here.

John Kerry's Yacht Returns

Unclear Sailing For John F. Kerry -- Boston Herald

NEWPORT, R.I. — Summer is back in New England and you know what that means — backyard barbecues, traffic tie-ups on the Cape, and the return of one of the most storied sailing vessels on the high seas — U.S. Sen. John F. Kerry’s yacht.

The Herald Truth Squad made a surprise inspection of the $7 million Isabel last week while it was docked in tony Newport, R.I. — a strange location considering it’s the place that landed Kerry in hot water two summers ago.

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My Comment: He paid $7 million for that ?!?!?!

The Most Beautiful Boat Race In The World?

Finish line: The race ended off the coast of Dubai. The distinctive Burj hotel - can be seen in the background of this picture

The Most Beautiful Boat Race In The World? Dubai Sets Sail For The Past As Dozens Of Dhows Recreate A Golden Age Of Shipbuilding -- The Daily Mail

Skimming the surface of the sea, brilliant white sails billowing in the wind, they are a timeless image of elegance. But the 99 dhows taking part in this year’s Al Gaffal race are not simply a stunning site on a beautiful day. They are also keeping alive an ancient tradition of shipbuilding which stretches back to Greek and Roman times.

The ships – recognisable by their triangular lateen sails – were once used on the trade routes across the Indian Ocean.

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My Comment: An incredible site to see so many together at one time.

What Went Wrong On The Costa Concordia

What Went Wrong On The Costa Concordia -- Popular Mechanics

The sight of behemoth pleasure vessel Costa Concordia sideways in the sea became an indelible image around the world. Here's the full story of how this entirely avoidable vacation-turned-nightmare unfolded.

Antonello Tievoli, headwaiter on the Costa Concordia, stepped onto the bridge of the cruise ship at 9:15 pm on Friday, Jan. 13, of this year. From the wide windows, Tievoli could see the glittering lights of his home, Giglio Island, drawing closer.

Capt. Francesco Schettino knew that Tievoli's sister lived on Giglio, and invited him to the bridge as they cruised past. With its 13 brightly lit decks, the ship was more brilliant than anything on the island. The 4200 people onboard outnumbered the island's residents four to one.

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My Comment: Something to think about should you decide to go on a cruise.

Azimut Benetti Luxury Yacht Making

Luxury Boats Sink Or Swim By Design -- EE Times

Italians are well accustomed to creating luxury products for world markets, from fashion to fast cars and, of course, food. It should come as no surprise, therefore, that another luxury on Italy’s long list of high-quality exports includes Yachts for the mega-rich.

Azimut Yachts, with a boat making factory at Avigliana, in the province of Turin, is Italy’s premiere builder of yachts and megayachts, some of which total 30 meters (70 feet) in length.

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My Comment: A fascinating video on how super yachts are made .... check it out. On a side note .... having Lloyd Alter give a commentary at the end was a little too much.

Motor Yacht Aurora 160' (A Video Promo)

My Comment: I can live in this yacht forever.

Are Billionaires Dumping Their Superyachts?

Athena

Tycoons Are Dumping Their Superyachts -- Forbes

FORTUNE -- The oldest adage on the sea is that the two happiest days in a sailor's life are the days he buys his boat and the day he sells it. For three business titans, the days seem to be getting happier.

In 2009, Tom Perkins, the nonpareil venture capitalist of Silicon Valley, sold the Maltese Falcon, a 289-foot futuristic Darth Vader-esque square-rigger. Reported price: $90 million. The buyer: Elena Ambrosiadou, a European hedge-fund billionaire. Then, last June, Joe Vittoria -- who made a fortune as head of Avis Rent a Car when he led an LBO of the company in the 1980s -- unloaded Mirabella V, the 247-foot sloop with a 292-foot mast that's so tall the yacht can't fit under the Golden Gate Bridge or through the Panama Canal. Price, according to industry sources: $25 million. The buyer: Rod Lewis, a billionaire Texas oil-and-gas tycoon. Now comes the 68-year-old billionaire Jim Clark, the co-founder of Netscape, Shutterfly and WebMD. He just put his splendid sailboats, Athena and Hanuman, on the market on the same day.

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My Comment: These men buy and sold all the time .... they will be back in the market and/or building another yacht.

Eco Activists Sting And Trudy Styler Go Shopping For A Luxury Yacht

Speed demon: The yacht was steered in the wright direction by a crew, as Sting and Trudie relaxed with a bottle of wine

Eco Activists Sting And Trudy Styler Go Shopping For A Luxury Yacht -- Daily Mail

In 1989, the couple founded the Rainforest Foundation, and they are both well known for being eco friendly.

However, buying a very large luxury yacht is perhaps not the best way to help save the earth from the global warming.

Singer Sting and his wife Trudie Styler were spotted taking out a super yacht for a spin as they decided whether or not they would buy it.

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My Comment: Nice boat. A prediction .... if they buy this or any other luxury yacht .... expect many more celebrities in the music industry to follow in their footsteps to buy a yacht of their own.

Inside A Russian Billionaire's $300 Million Yacht

World's Biggest Yachts And Their Billionaire Owners

Eclipse. Photo by Raphael Montigneaux

The World's Biggest Yachts And Their Billionaire Owners -- Forbes

What do the following people have in common – Roman Abramovich, Paul Allen, Dennis Washington, Larry Ellison, Steven Spielberg, Leslie Wexner, Vijay Mallya and David Geffen? It’s not just that you will find them all on the most recent Forbes Billionaires list.

That is indeed true but they all also own vessels that feature in the list of the world’s 100 Largest Yachts – a club that may have one of the most exclusive memberships on the planet. We estimate that it would cost in the region of $10 billion to replace the 100 largest yachts, and moored end to end they would measure nearly 6 miles, which is an awful lot of quayside space.

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My Comment: An impressive list.

Luxurious Yacht PROJECT MAGNITUDE

My Comment: Now this is a beautiful design.

The Athena Sailing Yacht Is Up For Sale

Jim Clark's Athena, the fourth largest sailing yacht in the world, is listed for $95 million. (Photo: Raphael Montigneaux, Boat International)

Billionaire Jim Clark Seeks More Than $100 Million For Two Superyachts -- Forbes

After nearly three decades of sailing, Jim Clark finally got sea legs.

Citing “big changes” in his life, the Netscape and Silicon Graphics founder and Silicon Valley icon is leaving behind his life at sea and selling his two prized sailing yachts, the 136-foot Hanuman and the 295-foot Athena. The 68-year-old Clark, a returnee to this year’s World’s Billionaires List due to some smart investments in Apple, says he’s decided to sell his boats to settle down at his new home in New York with his 8-month-old daughter and wife, former Australian model Kristy Hinze.

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My Comment: Looking at his new wife, I can understand why Jim Clark now wants to stay home.

Battle Of The Super Yachts

Great white: Roman Abramovich's 158 metre yacht Eclipse is covered in tarpaulin and scaffolding as it undergoes a refit at the dock in Barcelona

Battle Of The Super Yachts… As Billionaires ‘Extend’ Their Pleasure Craft In Bid To Have The Biggest In The World -- Daily Mail

* Roman Abramovich and Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid lock horns in bid to be owner of world's biggest yacht
* Both yachts moored in different harbours undergoing refits at the same time

If they were children they'd probably be told to grow up, but no one tells billionaires what to do.

That's why two of the world's wealthiest men are refusing to back down in their on-going 'mine's bigger than yours' battle to be the owner of the world's largest yacht.

Mega-rich Chelsea Football Club owner Roman Abramovich, who currently owns the world's biggest private superyacht, appears to have been forced to carry out some urgent extensions after Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid launched a bid to regain the title.

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My Comment: I suspect that the improvements will be awesome.

First 'Green' $30million Superyacht Goes On Sale

A new super yacht lets the wealthy go boating without ruining the planet - thanks to an eco friendly design and a hybrid engine

What DO You Buy For The Environmentally Conscious Billionaire? First 'Green' $30million Superyacht Goes On Sale -- Daily Mail

* 130ft Columbus superyacht runs on hybrid fuel, like a Toyota Prius
* 120ft long vessel is made of aluminium to make it lighter

A new super yacht lets the wealthy go boating without ruining the planet - thanks to an eco friendly design and a hybrid engine.

The Columbus Sport 130' Hybrid is powered by a Toyota Prius style mixture of electricity and diesel that reduce the ship’s emissions.

It also has a bilge water separator to stop oily deposits spreading out to sea, even though it is not required by law.

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My Comment: Impressive .... for more news and info on this yacht go here.

One 60m Yacht For Sale At $60 Million

April Fool: yacht for sale with Burgess and Merle Wood

$10 Million Price Drop On Superyacht April Fool At Burgess And Merle Wood -- Boat International

Hot news of another large price cut from Burgess as they tell me of a $10 million drop on Feadship’s 60m motor yacht April Fool, a joint listing with Merle Wood & Associates.

She has recently emerged from winter maintenance at STP Shipyard, Palma, where she completed a full repaint from stem to stern. Having also completed her Lloyd’s Class 5 year survey in 2011, this yacht is perfect for a new owner to step on board without needing to invest another cent.

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Editor: April Fool yacht pictures and specifications can be viewed here.

On Board The Pelican Of London, A Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant Tall Ship

Exclusive: On Board The Pelican Of London, A Diamond Jubilee Thames Pageant Tall Ship -- The Telegraph

The Telegraph gets exclusive access onboard one of the Tall Ships that will form part of the Avenue of Sail during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee pageant down the river Thames.

On Sunday, June 3 the Jubilee weekend will come to a climax with a seven-mile flotilla of 1,000 boats making up the biggest gathering on the Thames in 350 years.

Ships which are too tall to pass under the 14 bridges on the route will be moored downstream of Tower Bridge on an Avenue of Sail. Among them will be the Pelican of London.

The ship was originally built in France in 1946 and her conversion from Arctic trawler to tall ship was completed in 2007.

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My Comment: Impressive.

Standing Out In The Med In A Leopard-Print Boat

On the prowl: The Topshop mogul's runabout boat 'Lion Cub', which ferries him to his super yacht 'Lion Heart', is covered in leopard print and features a leopard on the side

Top Spot! Sir Philip Grrrreen Stands Out In The Med On His Leopard-Print Boat -- Daily Mail

His Topshop stores are awash with leopard print designs season in and season out.

So it is little surprise that Sir Philip Green favours the decidedly eye-catching motif for his boat.

The retail mogul was pictured boarding his speedboat 'Lion Cub' in Monaco yesterday en route to his super yacht 'Lionheart'.

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My Comment: Being incognito is clearly not his style.

The Legal War Between Two Superyacht Billionaires

Under arrest: Solomon Lew's Maridome was 'seized' by the court for ramming Calixe in Florida.

Solomon Lew Sued Over US Luxury Yacht Bump -- The Age

RETAIL magnate Solomon Lew has become embroiled in a legal stoush with a fellow billionaire after their luxury super yachts collided in a Florida shipyard, causing damage estimated at $US500,000.

The resulting US court case against Mr Lew and his 177-foot (54-metre) yacht Maridome is the latest legal battle involving the billionaire, who in recent months has warred with the former spouses of his children over control of tens of millions of dollars held in a family trust and clashed with Mount Eliza locals over a pool built on Crown land without a permit.

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My Comment: If someone rams my boat .... they better pay for the damages. Bottom line .... I have a gut feeling that the insurance company is not happy with how this all came about.

78 Days To Go Before Superyachts Head To London For The Games

The Olympic Flame Marks 78 Days To Go Before Superyachts Head To London For The Games -- Luxe Lounge

The traditional ceremony to light the Olympic flame took place today at the ancient site of Olympia in Greece, signalling the final countdown to the start of the Games in London. In a break with tradition, London is getting set to welcome superyachts, never seen before in the UK capital, keen not to be left out of the action.

The Olympic flame will begin its 78-day journey towards London this morning, making a 10,000 mile trip. It will be carried by 8,000 torchbearers, arriving in Stratford, East London, on July 27. The first torchbearer will be Spyros Gianniotis, the British-born Greek 10km swimming world champion.

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Editor: Superyachts wanting to come to London this summer must hurry as berths are being booked up fast. To find out more and reserve your spot this summer visit http://www.royaldocks2012.com/

The First Solar-Powered Ship To Circumnavigate The Globe

Tûranor PlanetSolar Wikimedia Commons

The First Solar-Powered Ship To Circumnavigate The Globe Completes Its Trip -- Popular Science

The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar pulled into Monaco's Hercule Harbor on Friday, completing its journey around the world--the very first solely solar-powered watercraft to do so. Of course, it's not an ordinary ship. It cost over $16 million USD, has over 500 square meters of solar panels, and can house 200 people.

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My Comment: A top speed of 14 knots .... and 585 days to go around the world. Impressive (for a solar power boat) if you ask me.

2012 World Superyacht Awards

Tango: 77.7m built by Feadship and styled by Eidsgaard Design courtesy of Feadship

Tango And Vertigo Take Top Honours At 2012 World Superyacht Awards -- Boat International

Last night in the magnificent surroundings of the Çırağan Palace Kempinski, overlooking Istanbul’s historic Bosphorus waterway, the superyacht industry’s finest gathered for the most anticipated event in the yachting calendar – the seventh annual World Superyacht Awards.

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Update: World Superyacht Awards -- Boat International

Editor: The World Superyacht awards website is here.

Lamborghini Yacht

Lamborghini yacht by Mauro Lecchi

Lamborghini Yacht - the New Toy for the Jet Set -- Auto Evolution

Nothing in more spectacular than an enthusiast passion taken to the extreme. This is what happened when Italian designer Mauro Lecchi envisioned the Lamborghini….yacht, which we must say is like a drop of quick silver in the crystal clear waters which are dreamed up as its playground. The yacht was penciled in such a way so it would resemble its asphalt walking brother, the Laborghini Reventon.

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My Comment: With a pair of Seatek Turbodiesel engines that can reach a capacity of 950 hp .... I suspect that this will be a fast yacht.