Mercedes-Benz Style and Silver Arrows Marine confirm joint development of a yacht project

Mercedes-Benz Style is a luxury design brand derived from the strength and success story of car maker Mercedes-Benz. The products target design enthusiasts and stand out for their expression of modern luxury, perfect craftsmanship and highest quality in every detail.

Now they plan to turn their hand to yacht design and SilverArrows Marine will unveil the first ever yacht during the Monaco Yacht Show

The new 14m yacht will feature innovations in functionality and layout never before seen in luxury motor yachts.

Visitors to the Show will get an exclusive first sight of the new yacht in concept form at a design presentation for press and clients to be held close to Port Hercules on 20th September 2012.

“It will be unique in a number of ways,” said Jacopo Spadolini, Chief Executive Officer of Silver Arrows Marine. “Our design solutions will not only transform the quality of the on-board experience, but also result in a profile unlike anything else on the water.”

Yacht designers Martin Francis and Tommaso Spadolini have each played a key role in the yachts design.

Heirlooms Exhibit for 10th Year at MYS 2012 with New Stand and Collection

It is not just superyachts that are exhibited each year at the Monaco Yacht Show each September.

For their 10^th year exhibiting and featuring a brand new stand designed to accommodate their 50% increase in exhibition space.

Heirlooms Ltd, the luxury bespoke linen company based in West Sussex UK will showcase 10 exciting new additions to their linen range at this year’s event

“The Monaco Yacht show is regarded as the most prestigious show in the yachting calendar and the only show that we currently present our luxury linens at,” commented Heirlooms Managing Director George Reynolds 

The design team will be presenting new and innovative bed linen designs that will be sure to inspire designers and owners.

Following on from their success at the Monaco 2011 Yacht Show, they have, also, recently completed the refurbishment of their manufacturing facility in West Sussex, UK expanding their production facility by 30% to accommodate an ever increasing team including new machinists and embroiderers

The company’s extensive experience has cumulated from working on hundreds of yacht projects including

• Maltese Falcon
• Hemisphere
• Candyscape II
• Nirvana
• Amnesia IV
• Adastra
• Excellence V

The linens produced by the company, with their durability and lasting beauty, are widely regarded as one of the most luxurious available. In addition, they offer an extensive range of fabrics in both plain and jacquard including 1000 thread count cotton satin and 200 cotton percale ideal for crew linens.

Heirlooms are the only UK linen manufacturer to hold the Royal warrants to supply linens to the households of both Her Majesty the Queen and His Royal Highness the Prince of Wales as well as other international Royal Families.

Take me up the River Thames to London’s East End Captain!

Superyacht’s here for the Olympics along with the facilities and infrastructure available within London’s Docklands are helping to champion efforts by London 2012 to showcase the UK and its capital as a whole.

It is as a result of the interest shown in the River Thames as a superyacht destination creating a fantastic platform from which to showcase the city and the country as a Superyacht destination.

With facilities and infrastructure to rival many popular European Superyacht resorts the UK is finally putting itself on the Where to Sail to Next map. Testament to this is West India Docks, a project overseen by the Canal & River Trust working with London Port Authority.

Gareth Stephens of the Trust has been spearheading the development of West India Docks commented ‘It’s fantastic that the UK and more importantly the retired commercial docks of London’s east end have this unique opportunity to show the world we are still able to handle large boats, build new infrastructure and help further develop this exciting business district just 1.5 miles from the Olympic Park’.

With a berthing list reading more along the lines of the Monaco Yacht Show than London’s east end, West India Docks is playing host to two cruise ships, two tall ships and ten Superyacht’s.

As the new playground for the rich dominates the South Quay of London’s old West India Docks and the Royal Victoria Dock, and a yacht concierge company  will be ensuring the owners and guests continue to receive the luxury treatment they expect.

With access to nigh on impossible high profile Olympic event tickets, last minute reservations at the capitals most celebrated restaurants and theatres, they have it covered.

Ben Sutton of MGMT Yachts commented, ‘This is a one off opportunity for us to show these owners and their guests what London really has to offer, compared to many other SY destinations. It’s great to be able to finally give them a taste of Great Britain.’

With transport links to central London and the Olympic venues close by, when the super rich are not using their helicopters to travel, they are perfectly based to explore the city our heritage, design and of course pomp and ceremony.

How To Make Antigua Sailing Week Better

Photo by Kevin Johnson, www.kevinjohnsonphotography.com

Known throughout the world for its splendid beaches and top hotels Antigua and Barbuda can rightfully claim to be the Caribbean’s Capital of Sailing.

No one event demonstrates this more than its world famous race week.

The organisers of Antigua Race Week the Caribbean’s number one come-one come-all sail boat regatta know that they produce a good event.  Like most organisers however, they strive constantly to make it better.

Antigua Sailing Week’s tag line clearly states ‘where sailing comes first’ and therefore by extension, it suggests: ‘where sailors come first’.  Receiving feedback from participants on a regular basis is therefore crucial to the future success of the event.

Gaining feedback, using surveys, is a useful and frequently productive means of understanding how participants enjoyed the event and how they would like to see things change in the future.  So, hoping they would not open up a can of worms, the organisers decided to conduct their own survey and have been pleasantly surprised with what they found out.

Kathy Lammers, Chairman of the Regatta Organising Committee said:  “We were very pleased with the positive feedback particularly in light of the many changes that were made.” 

Antigua Sailing Week has had online surveys in place for a number of years.  It welcomes feedback via social networks, email and the old style of meeting and talking to each other face to face, all of which have become increasingly useful in providing insight into what worked and what didn’t.

Photo: Tim Wright

Feedback received since last years regatta has been overwhelmingly positive, although it is recognised that there is always room for improvement.

What worked well the organisers found was, the dividing boats into classes.  Not always popular with everyone but overall the concept works well.  Race courses used were found to have worked well but start times and course overlaps may be altered in time for next year’s event to make for safer racing.

The vast majority of competitors were happy with the number of races and the time spent on the water.  There were a few exceptions coming mainly from sailors anxious to get to the golf course in the afternoon.  As the majority of participants come to Race Week for the sailing, the concerns of golfers are going to be somewhat difficult to address.

The optional Yachting World Round Antigua Race, open to all boats whether or not entered in Antigua Sailing Week, was exceptionally well received, although there were very few entrants who didn’t also participate in the full week of racing.  As awareness of it spreads, considerable growth in participation is anticipated, including from boats not entered in Antigua Sailing Week.

Antigua Race Week provides as much fun ashore as it dies on the water and this years parties centred on English Harbour and Falmouth were in general favoured over the multi destination events of previous years

Almost all respondents to the online survey said that they would recommend it to their friends.  When asked what they would do to improve the event, most said it needed nothing more than a few tweaks.

Photo: Rick Tomlinson

The more humorous respondents suggested ‘free rum’ and ‘more dancing girls’.   Others said simply ‘just can’t make it better really’, ‘nothing comes to mind’ and ‘just keep doing what you’re doing’.

Overall, the resounding message that has been received from all feedback is that it is once again the regatta on the Caribbean circuit and one not to be missed.

With that message comes the expectation that entry numbers will continue to grow in 2013 and future years.  Online entries are open at www.sailingweek.com now

Superyacht Designer Helps Chronometer Maker Relaunch

Thomas Mercer, the chronometer maker founded his company in 1858 and will forever be remembered by seafarers for his marine chronometers that were used to safely navigate around the globe in years before GPS was conceived.

The value of the original company, of course, lies in its name and history and recently it has been acquired to launch a new generation of marine chronometer.

Helping in the re-launch is superyacht designer Andrew Winch recognised for having created some of the most beautiful yachts in the world.  He has designed a new marine chronometer specifically for the horologist that will be seen for the very first time next month

The partnership is more than the meeting of two famous British names: the fusion of the clock makers brand and heritage added by the creativity of the superyacht designer is set to write a new page in the history of the timepiece that once enabled adventurers to explore and map the World.

It will at the same time continue the tradition of engineering and design excellence, allowing the marine chronometer to evolve from being an essential tool of the Navigators’ trade into a revolutionary design object desired and collected by owners of the world’s finest yachts.

Paul Allen to Loan Octopus to Royal Navy in Search for Bell from HMS Hood

The 126 metre superyacht Octopus currently in London for the duration of the Olympics is to be loaned to the British Royal Navy by her owner so that they can recover the bell of the warship HMS Hood sunk during World War Two.

Owner Paul Allen has told newspapers in the USA and UK that he will make the yacht available for the expedition after the Olympics is finished later this month.

The expedition to locate the bell is expected to last 10 and once located the bell is to be given to the HMS Hood Association who will use it create a memorial to the 1415 who died when the biggest British ship of her time was sunk.

Just three people survived the sinking.

The association supports veterans who served on the ship and families of those who were lost when HMS Hood went down.

HMS Hood was sunk on May 24, 1942 in the Denmark Strait by the German battleship, Bismarck built at Blohm & Voss.

None of the newspapers carrying the story of the loaning of Octopus to the Royal Navy explain why it is a superyacht carrying out the expedition and not a properly equipped salvage vessel.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2180621/Paul-Allen-American-billionaire-use-mega-yacht-search-bell-sunken-British-ship-Olympics.html#ixzz225hVzQpz
New York Times: http://www.nypost.com/p/pagesix/allen_deep_see_wwii_search_AVh41nmb96Yfv45JWJUrCK

The added value of fitting crossover boxes onboard yachts

Switching from shore delivered power to on board diesel generated power is a common cause of blackouts.  It can be just as tricky doing the operation in reverse

The often familiar problem starts like this.  The generator starter batteries are flat and the engineer only discovers this fact when trying to start the diesel engine. At such moments there is very little time to carry out the activities required to get the generator set started. Engineers normally therefore try to start the diesel engine involved using loose starter cables linked to the starter battery set from another diesel engine than the affected generator.

To increase comfort, efficiency and operational safety for engineers and ensure that generators are always able to start, it is good practise to fit crossover boxes on superyachts.

Electrical engineers Piet Brouwer Electrotechnology in Holland recommends installing a crossover box  onboard superyachts, as project engineer Hessel Bakker explains.  “Using key switches it becomes easy to start one generator battery via another diesel engine and vice versa without requiring loose cables. Additionally, a battery monitor is connected to the battery charger and all individual batteries. Whenever a fuse or battery charger fails or batteries need replacing, an alarm goes off, warning the engineer and ensuring that he is able to start the generators and keep the onboard network working properly.”

Crossover boxes have been installed by the firm on various projects, including a 46-metre yacht built by Vicem Yachts in Turkey.

This vessel is part of the Vulcan Line with which the yard seeks to enter the superyacht market. In addition to the 46-metre yacht, Vicem is also building a 35-metre Tri-deck and a 32-metre Raised Pilot House. The yachts were developed with various partners from the superyacht sector, including designer Frank Mulder and interior design studio Art-Line.

Vicem Yachts selected Piet Brouwer Electrotechnology as supplier for the entire electrical system based on the company's wide experience in the superyacht market and the reliability of its installations.

Superyacht Agent in Malaysia - Captain Nick Coombes

Superyacht owners and captains dreaming of a fantastic yachting journey in magnificent Malaysia can count on having a friend in place.

PHOTO: Asia Pacific Superyachts Malaysia

Captain, Nick Coombes, has swallowed the anchor given up commanding superyachts and now heads up AsiaPacific Superyachts Malaysia.


From there he welcomes yachting visitors, smoothing out all the logistics and sets up amazing cruising itinerary options for visiting Captains to consider.

Nicks life at sea started small and when he learned to windsurf as a young boy. The next step was renting Hobie Cats from a beach in Florida USA, then slowly moving up to larger and larger vessels.”

He became a superyacht Captain worked in Europe, eventually moving to run a new yacht for an Indonesian businessman. He then sold it to a man in Malaysia and relocated to Langkawi, Malaysia where he built a successful business with his agency, Asia Pacific Superyachts.

The company provides yacht support services throughout Malaysia, and everything is overseen by Captain Coombes from the head office on the island of Langkawi... the premier yachting destination for the region.

Nick reports, “Langkawi has a duty free port, no traffic, no pollution, very little crime, pristine waters, beaches, modern facilities, an international airport, and three great golf courses. Why wouldn’t you want to live here??”

Telaga Harbour in Langkawi has the most spectacular scenic backdrop in Asia!” 

Kota Kinabalu, in Borneo, has incredible facilities for the owner and crew, including a great golf course and tennis, squash, gym facilities, etc. It’s another great marina.”

PHOTO CREDITS: Asia Pacific Superyachts Malaysia

The unrivaled facilities and natural beauty of Langkawi make the surrounding ninety-nine islands of Malaysia the perfect cruising ground for yachts of any size.  This is especially true for superyachts, with a location just south of the border of Thailand and only 98 NM from Phuket.

Within a day’s cruise of Langkawi, the islands of Penang, Pangkor Laut, Butang Group, Phuket or the Similans all await yachting visitors; making Langkawi a perfect logistical center for the temperate Asian winter season - away from a cold European climate.

Sabah's cruising grounds of Borneo offers some of the most spectacular and beautiful waters, islands and mainland attractions in South East Asia. It is one of the most diverse cruising playgrounds in the world.

Visitors can combine the delights of crystal clear waters, tropical islands and mainland coastal bays with an extraordinarily diverse mainland beauty.  The highest mountain in South East Asia, virgin rainforest conservation areas, waterfalls, canyons, exotic wildlife, flora and fauna and a myriad of adventure and eco-tourism activities – are all accessible as a day or overnight excursion from your yacht.”

The best time for cruising Langkawi is the Easterly Monsoon season, stretching from October through April, when conditions provide a gentle 10-15 kt North Easterly breeze providing calm seas and blue skies.

Captain Nick comments, “With Caribbean marinas filling up so quickly, South East Asia is a breath of fresh air to Captains and owners.”  He adds, “The abundant cruising grounds, modern marinas, cruise terminal and refit dock for berthing vessels up to 200M L.O.A., fresh supplies and repair facilities for any Sail or Motor Yacht, Mono or Multi hull, makes Malaysia is a wonderful home away from home during Europe’s cold winters.”

RINA publish Annual Report in digital format

The RINA Group, have for the first time published their Annual Report in digital format, with the results achieved in 2011.


This year, in line with the environmental policy adopted by the Group, they have decided not to send out the usual hard copy.


The entire report can be downloaded here

46m Concept Sailing Sloop Exo Unveiled in London

In the evening of one of the hottest days in London ClaydonReeves launched Exo their 46m concept sailing yacht developed in partnership with Dykstra Naval Architects.

The event was hosted at the London offices of Fraser Yachts in St James’ and the exhibition will be running there until the end of September and no appointment is needed to pop in and take a look. 

The idea behind the radical looking sailing yacht was to add in a new design element to enhance the experience of performance cruising.

Instead of a hull providing a strong sense of enclosure this one instead allows unparalleled views of the external and underwater environments.

The design shows the influence of an organic and natural approach inspired by shapes and forms not usually found in traditional yacht design.

The interconnected root structures of large trees seemed like a good starting point as the basis for a yacht. Not only does the long vertical trunk represent the mast, but the root ball forms the hull, providing strength and the support for the vertical structure.

The skeletal structure of small but strong creatures has also been considered. In nature it is the exo-skeleton which provides the ‘chassis’ for these organisms. These exo-skeletons do not employ straight lines but instead have twisting and turning curves which imbue the creature with optimal strength - their forms defined by millions of years of evolution.

By setting aside some of the established thinking of past projects, a new aesthetic that is both attractive and buildable as been conceived.

Exterior Design

All technical and structural elements are integrated into the design so that the typically engineered solutions such as boom, helm stations and spreader bars share a consistent organic aesthetic.

The main load bearing elements are constructed from a carbon monocoque space frame, much like that of a modern motorbike, whilst the hull skin are to be developed using lighter construction methods.  Even the deck caulking is based upon the radiating growth rings of a tree trunk, which illuminate at night, forming intriguing patterns and effects.   The twin helm positions grow out of the bulwarks like tree branches.

The huge glass windows wrap over into the deck and are framed by the carbon fibre ‘chassis’ that is further accentuated by the bold material breakup.  The cockpit maintains the organic form language; the sofas providing undulating islands of soft expansive seating and the table forms appear eroded by the sea.

As one moves rearward the decks gently step down, firstly with a concave cut-out and then approaching the stern a convex wall of glass that defines the edge of the aft beach club and saloon.

Interior Design

The concept is perhaps best explored and understood from inside the yacht where one can fully appreciate the implications of the new design approach. The main objective with this yacht was to allow far greater amounts of light into the interior and to provide ground breaking views of the passing environments.

The carbon chassis is apparent internally and the organic mullions that separate the massive glass panels imbue the interior with the sensation of being contained within the ribcage of a large aquatic creature.

To further emphasise this feeling, the interior architecture of the main saloon suggests being partially separated from the hull structure, giving the impression of a soft cocoon floating within a rigid structure.  The seating and furniture has been designed with an integrated philosophy of organic forms and subtle level changes delineate the different areas.

The material pallet is a combination of strong technical carbon fibre and the softness of natural woods, wools and silks bathed in subtle lighting that accentuates the key design elements.

Specifications:

• Length Overall                      46.00m
• Length Waterline                   42.73m
• Beam                                  8.88m
• Draught                               6.50m
• Displacement                        240t
• Mast construction                   Carbon spars & rigging
• Accommodation                     8 Guests 

Purely for Enthusiasts or the Future of Yachting?

Are sailing yachts purely for enthusiasts or are they the future of yachting?  That interesting question has been posed by yacht brokers Yachting Partners International (YPI).

Traditionally sailing yachts make up about 18% of the overall world fleet. Still viewed by many as a pretty idea with too much work and not enough comfort attached (to quote one of the company’s clients) they are seen as the choice of enthusiasts and those who don’t mind working at sea - a notion which doesn’t sit at all well with many of today’s owners.

“But now,” says the Company, “There seems to be a groundswell of change that has been ruminating around the industry over the last few years and which is not showing any signs of slowing.”

In 2011, there were 27 new orders for sailing yachts. 39 pre-owned vessels were sold where the average length was 32.8-metres, the asking price EUR 5.5 million and age was 16 years. Those figures may have been slightly skewed given that Lulworth was 91 years old at the time!

So far this year, there have been 7 new orders for sailing yachts including the largest sailing project ever at 147m and one project at 85m.

Over 20 vessels have come to the market for the very first time including the latest and most technically advanced J-Class in the world, Rainbow (now for sale with YPI) and there have been 7 sales including the largest of the last 18 months at over 50m.

The number of sailing yachts taking part in the increasing array of regattas around the world continues to grow as does the amount of people chartering them. So just what are new buyers seeing in sailing yachts today?

So what is the attraction?  For the yachting aficionados, it seems it’s the thrill of the race, the excitement of the challenge and working together as a team that makes the sailing experience so much more than anything motor yachts can offer.

Danish Royal Yacht Arrives in London

Her Danish Majesty's Yacht Dannebrog has been sighted inbound up the River Thames bound for the West India Docks

Launched by Queen Alexandrine at Copenhagen in 1931, the yacht now serves as the official and private residence for Queen Margrethe II of Denmark, the Prince Consort, and members of the Royal Family when they are on official visits overseas and on summer cruises in Danish waters.

When at sea, the Royal Yacht also participates in surveillance and sea-rescue services.

Named after the flag of Denmark, Dannebrog was built at the Naval Dockyard in Copenhagen.

The ship’s hull is a riveted steel construction on transverse frames. The ship has a clipper stem and an elliptic stern. 

The Royal accommodation comprises studies for the Queen and The Prince Consort, a dining salon, a lounge, the bedroom, etc. They have taken a personal interest in fitting out the vessel and the choice of furnishings.

The Royal Apartment contains furniture and fittings from the previous 1879 Royal vessel.

A major overhaul was carried out in 1980/81 to extend the life of the yacht beyond the turn of the century. Having now passed that point, the 75-year-old yacht is still in excellent condition, with major improvements including replacement of the yacht's main engines.

Phil Friedman launches Yacht Build Advisor

Superyacht Industry veteran Phil Friedman, has launched a blog entitled Yacht Build Advisor to provides information and advice for buyers, owners and sellers of new yachts.


“With 30 some years in the marine industry, I've worked variously as a yacht designer, yacht builder, marine business manager, yacht surveyor, consultant, writer/editor, and industry educator,” says Friedman.


He adds, “So naturally, I’ve accumulated a significant “library” of real-world studies, anecdotes, and especially lessons learned.


“On Yacht Build Advisor, we’ll be sharing those, as well as expressing opinions based on hard-earned experience. Readers may not always agree with me, but I believe they will always find stimulating food for thought on the blog.”


The first blog discussed financial protections available for new-build buyers in both the US and overseas.


Future posts will deal with assessing the capabilities of a shipyard, dealing with designers and naval architects, maintaining control of a new-build project or purchase, and other discussions anticipated to be of significant value to any yachtsman who is considering buying a new yacht or having one built.

Bella Anna handed over ahead of contract.

Bella Anna the second of the 50 metre superyachts built this year by ISA in Ancona Italy has been handed over to her owners ahead of the date specified in the contract.

The yacht which will appear in the Monaco Yacht Show is currently visiting Croatia and Montenegro from where her owners are reporting great feedbacks of the boat.

Designed by Architect Andrea Vallicelli, in collaboration with ISA Yachts’ in-house team  Belle Anna has an interior design by François Zuretti  of Zuretti Interior Design.

Huge internal and external volumes, great performance and low fuel consumption rates are main features of this excellent platform.

A three deck displacement motor yacht with her steel hull and aluminium superstructure is a modern, sporty yacht with an elegant stern enriched by a versatile beach area accessed from the swim platform by two wide curved glass doors.

A master cabin plus 5 guest cabins allow 12 guests to comfortably enjoy Belle Anna, cared for by 9 crew.

Powered by two 2 x CAT 3512C with a max power output of 1230 kW @ 1800 rpm, she can reach 16.9 knots at maximum speed. 

Future Fibres Signs two 60 metre Superyacht Rig Contracts with Perini Navi.

When Perini Navi, chose to partner with Future Fibres, the message to the industry was clear: It was one of mutual trust.

The contract won earlier this year are for two 60m sailing yachts and confirms the arrival of the Future Fibres spar division onto the superyacht scene.

Both luxury yachts, one a sloop and the other a ketch, come from a new generation of 60m sailing yachts sold by Perini Navi.

For the sloop, Future Fibres will be supplying a full mast, furling boom and rigging package, which will be completed by 2014. The mast tube will measure a massive 72.2m and the boat will become one of an elite few yachts that cannot transit the Panama Canal due to rig height.

The client's desire for performance will see the sloop's rig built with race-bred features throughout: locking mechanisms on halyards to reduce mast compression and save weight, a stowable staysail system, high modulus fibre for a lighter stiffer mast and an innovative batten slide solution to increase sail life. The clear finish carbon mast will leave nothing to hide – show-casing precision tooling and the build accuracy of the product.

The sloop will also have a female moulded carbon pre-preg boom with electronic furling motors. The new furling system will be fully tunable, using state-of-the-art software and torque feedback to optimise furling performance.

Once complete, the boom will have an overall length of 22.2m.


This project comes off the back of a series of massive 25m+ furling booms currently in production, and will put Future Fibres behind the four biggest furling booms ever built. A set of solid carbon rigging will complete the fully optimised mast and rigging package.

For the ketch, the spar maker has already started building almost a kilometre of TSC solid carbon rigging. The V1 for the main mast will have an impressive -750 equivalent cable (the 46m sloop Pink Gin has a -540 equivalent V1 span).

In its first two years of business, the Future Fibres spar division has already delivered two Volvo 70s, an America's Cup wing, an Open 60 and a 72' Mini Maxi. 

Phocea in the centre of alleged criminal activity

The superyacht Phocea in the centre of alleged criminal activity in  Vanuatu Image: BlooSee
Source: Vanuatu Daily Post. Report – By Len Garae

Twenty Vanuatu police officers, headed by Acting Police Commissioner Arthur Caulton, boarded a super yacht in Port Vila Harbour at the weekend in what he described as a “pretty big operation” in which four people were arrested.

The skipper and a woman, a Tongan and a Samoan were arrested and a locally-owned truck was impounded.

It was a joint operation mounted by customs, immigration and quarantine officers.

The operation continued until 6pm on Sunday but the Acting Commissioner did not reveal the reason for the operation, saying it was connected to local political leaders, including a cabinet minister and a backbencher.

Her did not name anyone.

The Acting Commissioner said the woman on the yacht was detained for “obstructing police officers on duty”.

He said the yacht was going to be towed to the wharf by tug boat Roimata II but his men assured him they were satisfied with what they had had access to on board.

There was no need to bring the yacht in.

Alleged offences
The Police Media Unit named the yacht as Phocea and said it was suspected of being involved in smuggling high powered arms, money laundering and breaching maritime borders.

A police statement said: “A court warrant was issued and a search was conducted and numerous documents in relation to bilateral arrangement and the forging of signatures on official documents were confiscated.

“On board the yacht were 16 crew members including the captain and a Samoan and Tongan, who were involved in ta Vanuatu citizenship controversy in March. [The Tongan and Samoan] are now in the hands of the police.”

According to the statement, the yacht was travelling from Panama from Italy and via Tonga. The yacht’s next destination was Papua New Guinea.

The yacht was registered in Vanuatu in 2005 as a diplomatic yacht of Vanuatu owned by Anh Quan who became a citizen of Vanuatu in 2012.

Arms smuggling
Police information said people on the yacht were arrested for illegal arms smuggling earlier this year in Thailand on the way to Vietnam.

In the latest arrest, the skipper and a woman appeared along with the Tongan and Samoan in court but the outcome of the hearing was not available at time of going to press.

Police said investigations were continuing.

The 82m yacht Phocea and was built in France in 1976.

Marina in Cyprus to Cash in on Italian Yachts Fleeing Tax Crackdown

With the Italian Government’s tax crackdown on yacht owners, causing mass migration from many Italian marinas, Karpaz Gate Marina in Northern Cyprus has offered to provide a home port for those owners looking for a new location to safely and conveniently berth their yachts in the Eastern Mediterranean with the advantage of substantial cost savings.

The newly opened marina has duty-free status and as such offers highly competitively priced berthing in the Eastern Mediterranean as well as duty-free fuel and top class maintenance and engineering services.

The marina provides berthing arrangements for yachts up to 55 metres. It also benefits from a new travel lift accommodating up to 300 tons, including multihulls with a beam of up to 10 metres.

A chandlery is set to open in the next few weeks alongside brokerage and other services.

Harbour Master Deniz Akaltan commented: “We would like to extend our winter berthing package to all those owners who feel the Italian marinas are no longer a viable proposition. Northern Cyprus has long been known to have the best winter weather in the Mediterranean”

With direct flights to Cyprus from airports throughout Italy, access is easy and on arrival, visitors will receive a warm welcome from fellow Italian Cristiana Santoiemma the marina office manager.

10 Superyachts Have Entered the River Thames for London 2012

More like Monaco than London! Ten top superyachts have now arrived in London for the start of the 2012 Olympics.  They are:

• Bystander 
• Favorita 
• Harle 
• Ilona 
• Mary Jean 
• Octopus
• Ospray 
• Sea Bluez 
• Seanna
• Toto 

Dwarfing the usual array of maritime craft normally seen on the River Thames, some of the world’s biggest and most expensive superyachts never before seen in London have dropped anchor in the Capital’s prime Olympic locations. London’s Canary Wharf has been transformed into a playground for the superyachts’ glamorous owners. VIPs and celebrities will be stepping onboard next week to enjoy the ultimate Olympic experience.

The Australian co-founder of the Westfield Group, Frank Lowy, owns the 74-metre superyacht, Ilona, which arrived at Canary Wharf today. Ilona can accommodate up to 16 guests and has a crew of 28. She also boasts a cinema, a massage room, gymnasium and even a helipad.

Octopus – currently the world’s eighth largest superyacht and owned by Paul Allen, the co-founder of Microsoft – also arrived this weekend. Octopus has a pool on board and two submarines including one operated by remote control for studying the ocean floor. She also has side hatches at the water line open to form a dock for jet skis.

Superyacht advisory company MGMT has been preparing for the arrival of the vessels in London for over a year and will be offering the best positioned berths in London, a 24 hour concierge service and access to the all the major Olympic events.

Benjamin Sutton, Director of Communications of London-based MGMT, said:

“It’s absolutely fantastic to see so many of the world’s most glamorous superyachts dropping anchor in the heart of London.

“With the Olympics starting this week, these magnificent yachts will be another visual spectacular for Londoners this summer.”

Fincantieri Celebrates Twenty Years of Destriero

In Muggiano (La Spezia) shipyard this week they have been celebrating the twentieth anniversary of Destriero, the fastest superyacht in the world.

She set a record for crossing the Atlantic in 1992 which still stands and the yacht heralded a revolution in the shipbuilding industry by bringing in today’s fast hulls

The high speed water jet driven monohull, built in 1991 in less than a year by Fincantieri, sailed 3,106 nautical miles without refueling, from Ambrose Light, New York to Bishop Rock lightship on the Scilly Isles, England, in 2 days, 10 hours and 34 minutes (58) hours at an average speed of 53 knots (reaching speeds of 70), to claim the Blue Riband.

Present at the celebrations were Corrado Antonini, Chairman of Fincantieri, Cesare Fiorio, head of the Destriero Challenge program and Aldo Benedetti, second-in-command of Destriero.

Built at the shipyards of Muggiano and Riva Trigoso, Destriero was the largest ship in light alloy ever to be constructed and one of the vessels with the highest  concentration of efficiency, power and technology.

At 67 metres long with a beam of 13 metres and 60,000 HP, the yacht could reach average speeds of over 60 knots Destriero marked the beginning of the production of a new generation of high speed vessels with consequent benefits for commercial development.

The challenge started with the aim to break the record for crossing the Atlantic, for which the Blue Riband has been awarded since 1838. Later, in 1935 winners of the Blue Riband were also awarded the Hales Trophy, following a proposal from a British MP, Harold Hales.

Competition regulations allow merchant vessels to participate provided that, during an in Atlantic crossing, from East to West, they meet certain requirements having mail on board, paying passengers and a professional crew.

Destriero and her challenge for the Atlantic record started from the passion for naval technology, of Ismaili Prince Karim the Aga Khan, who sponsored the initiative.  He was supported by leading figures of Italian industry and culture of the time, from the Fiat of Gianni Agnelli, to the IRI of Franco Nobili and other sponsors.

To mark the occasion a photographic exhibition has been arranged by Fincantieri Foundation, celebrating the enterprise of the shipyard, the ship and her crew.

Destriero is currently in Germany await refit after years of apparent neglect in a British dockyard