France

Dufour/Locwind 

<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7047" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Beneteau (Company)">Groupe Beneteau</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7778" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fountaine Pajot (Company)">Fountaine Pajot Group</a> have announced the launch of E-Lektra Marine, a joint venture dedicated to electric propulsion and intelligent onboard energy management.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/391727/image/large-ee5cfd9d29046e8c401e59fb5c813a91.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/391727">The 50/50 venture brings together the seven sailing brands; <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7047" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Beneteau (Company)">Beneteau</a>, Jenneau, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6072" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lagoon Yachts (Company)">Lagoon</a>, Excess, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7778" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fountaine Pajot (Company)">Fountaine Pajot</a> Sailing Catamarans, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7778" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fountaine Pajot (Company)">Fountaine Pajot</a> Yachts and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5255" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Dufour/Locwind (Company)">Dufour</a>, which operate under the two brands, allowing them to combine their capabilities in the electrification and energy management of sailboats.&nbsp;“With E-Lektra Marine, two major players in the sailing industry are joining forces in an unprecedented alliance to accelerate the electrification of sailing,” explained Bruno Thivoyon, Chief Executive Officer of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7047" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Beneteau (Company)">Groupe Beneteau</a>. By combining our industrial expertise, we aim to establish open standards and make low-emission solutions simpler, more accessible and scalable.”By pooling the volumes of seven brands, representing 60 percent of the global market, E-Lektra Marine aims to structure an open global standard at the scale of the sailing market, with a shared objective to electrify 10 to 15 percent of the global sailing market by 2030.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/336108/image/large-030539c248d560fb467ce7d5ce4321c0.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/336108">To do this, their mission is to design and deploy an onboard system that is competitive with internal combustion solutions and capable of orchestrating all onboard energy flows in real time.E-Lektra Marine will rely on a group of strategic partners including Alternatives Energies which specialises in electric systems integration, Cirtem who are an expert in energy conversion and management, and EVE System which are specialists in battery pack design, as well as on the expertise of both groups.&nbsp;E-Lektra Marine aims to provide electrification solutions adapted to all sailboat sizes from nine to 24 metres, as well as optimised onboard energy management between solar, engine, generator, comfort equipment and power connection. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/336107/image/large-f02462c05e0db41df859de5fb3ad6312.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/336107">They also hope to offer real-time monitoring of consumption through a display, alongside continuous improvements to the solutions offered to boaters and a refit option that enables current owners to switch to electric. “After several years of deployment, Alternatives Energies has demonstrated that scalable solutions do exist,” concluded Mathieu Fountaine, Deputy Chief Executive Officer of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7778" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fountaine Pajot (Company)">Fountaine Pajot</a>.“The E-Lektra Marine joint venture with Groupe Beneteau shows that our industry can mobilise around shared environmental objectives. Today, electrification is becoming essential; it must now be made accessible across the entire sailing market.”

E-Lektra Marine: Groupe Beneteau and Fountaine Pajot Group

Groupe Beneteau and Fountaine Pajot Group have announced the launch of E-Lektra Marine.

E-Lektra Marine: Seven sailing brands unite to accelerate electric propulsion solutions

The organisers of the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/244" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Thailand International Boat Show 2025">Thailand International Boat Show</a> have announced that the 2025 edition will be held at Phuket Yacht Haven from 9 to 12 January 2025.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/311926/image/large-b8bfd4d7773186612f32c57037ebc0df.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/311926">Located in the north of Phuket Island, Phuket Yacht Haven is the island’s largest marina, with 332 berths accommodating yachts up to +100-metres. The decision to move aligns with the organisers’ plans to expand the show and welcome more boats, as well as larger superyachts.“As we look to expand the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/244" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Thailand International Boat Show 2025">Thailand International Boat Show</a> in 2025 and beyond, the move to Phuket Yacht Haven is a strategic one - it gives us more space and the capacity to grow in the water and onshore,” explained David Hayes, CEO of JAND Events which organises the show.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/311930/image/large-0e3a42425279a0749761c965d50a04df.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/311930">Close to Phuket International Airport, the Phuket Yacht Haven is easily accessible for travellers from across the region and around the world. The Mai Khao area, where Phuket Yacht Haven is located, will see the biggest growth area of affluent living in Phuket over the next few years, including the building of a new Bumrungrad Hospital, and a new international airport nearby on the mainland.An independent survey by the Thailand Convention and Exhibition Bureau found that the total number of visitors to the 2024 show increased 62 percent from 2023, while international visitors increased 74 percent. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/311929/image/large-7b00f2f2ff001372533d49c41f043274.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/311929">“Feedback from many global brands is that they see the show as one of the most important boat shows in this part of the world and the new venue will allow us to grow in stature regionally and internationally,” added David Hayes.Following the success of the 2024 event, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1011" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Simpson Marine (Company)">Simpson Marine</a> has already confirmed their participation for 2025 and will be showcasing yachts from <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/374" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sanlorenzo (Company)">Sanlorenzo</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2793" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fairline Yachts (Company)">Fairline</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5648" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bluegame (Company)">Bluegame</a>, whilst <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7153" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="The Yacht Sales Co. (Company)">The Yacht Sales Co.</a> (Thailand) will be showcasing models from Fountaine Pajot, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4387" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monte Carlo Yachts (Company)">Monte Carlo Yachts</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5255" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Dufour/Locwind (Company)">Dufour</a>. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/311931/image/large-7026f090bd93258a1db41f9a47b4e7bb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/311931">Sunseeker</a> will also be returning after a few years hiatus, showcasing a number of yachts in the water. Other companies already confirmed include <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2262" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lee Marine International Brokerage (Company)">Lee Marine</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/526" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Northrop & Johnson (Company)">Northrop &amp; Johnson</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5293" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Derani Yachts (Company)">Derani Yachts</a>, Asia Marine, Go Boating, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4735" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Asia Yachting Limited (Company)">Asia Yachting</a>, Extreme Marine, Sea Yacht Sales and Motor Field (Thailand).“With an option for a long-term agreement with the venue, we aim to future-proof the show and provide certainty for the yachting industry,” added David Hayes. “We are working closely with the team at Phuket Yacht Haven to build on this year’s success and put on an even bigger and better show in 2025, while attracting more quality visitors and spotlighting Phuket as a tour de-force in the yachting industry.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/311925/image/large-4a957e94a9665ebc073e23ff7db9ea3b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/311925">The <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/244" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Thailand International Boat Show 2025">Thailand International Boat Show</a> will be held from 9 to 12 January 2025 at Phuket Yacht Haven, with the second annual Thailand Yachting Conference taking place on 8 January followed by the yachting awards and gala dinner that evening.

Thailand International Boat Show 2025 moves to Phuket Yacht Haven

Thailand International Boat Show 2025 will move to Phuket Yacht Haven, with 332 berths accommodating yachts up to +100-metres.

Thailand International Boat Show 2025 expands to +100m berth marina

Mariacristina Rapisardi and her&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/122" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Royal Huisman (Company)">Royal Huisman</a>&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2261" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Billy Budd II34.25m (112'4&quot;)Royal Huisman1994">Billy Budd</a>&nbsp;have braved the most testing waters in the world, Francesca Webster found out more.It is rare to find a sailing yacht owner that bucks the trend and chases the frigid adventures of the furthest poles. It is even rarer to see the elegant lines of a <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/122" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Royal Huisman (Company)">Royal Huisman</a> braving the ice and cruising amongst killer whales and polar bears, that is, however, par for the course for the owner of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2261" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Billy Budd II34.25m (112'4&quot;)Royal Huisman1994">Billy Budd</a>, the 34.25-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/122" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Royal Huisman (Company)">Huisman</a> yacht built in 1994. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/297585/image/large-e4a00ff58cc9ad421505a5a664e038ca.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/297585">Mariacristina Rapisardi is far from your ‘normal’ superyacht owner. Descended from a long line of mariners, the Italian lawyer has been a sailor from childhood, racing across Lake Como as a girl and owning a nine-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5255" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Dufour/Locwind (Company)">Dufour</a> by the age of 10. By her late teens, Mariacristina had upscaled, owning two Sweden Yachts’ before her mid-twenties. Even from those earliest days, she was christening her sailing yachts Billy Budd.Named after a character from the eponymous Herman Melville book who was sentenced to hang from the mast for accidentally causing the death of a fellow crewman, Mariacristina was deeply inspired by the story as a teenager. “It symbolises the deep contradiction between law and justice,” she explains, “I first read the book when I was 18 and I think by then I already knew I was destined to be a lawyer. All of my yachts have been named Billy Budd, the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/122" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Royal Huisman (Company)">Huisman</a> is the fourth.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/297584/image/large-ec43f6a2a2498c2feab75c8cc345c134.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/297584">With a great passion for the water, years were spent sailing yachts across the Mediterranean with her husband, children and often a dog by her side. A chance encounter with the infamous yacht owner, adventurer and author Skip Novak at a ski lodge in Courmayeur, however, sparked a hidden interest in the polar regions. The two sailors shared an immediate connection and it wasn’t long before they’d planned a joint charter to the Arctic onboard Novak’s Ice Class sailing yacht Pelagic. Then in 2003 they attempted the Northwest Passage, but failed due to the packed ice. By then, however, a passion for the region and the determination to sail the Passage had firmly taken root.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/278498/image/large-7b3dd43ae385e875cde8683d329dc23f.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/278498">In 2004 it was time to upgrade her yacht once again and she set about the search for a vessel that could take on more intense conditions, specifically to cruise outside of the Mediterranean. The first yacht she built was the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1097" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oyster Yachts (Company)">Oyster</a> 72 Billy Budd, an ideal family yacht with a credible lineage and a solid construction that could take on more adventurous journeys. She ruffled feathers at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1097" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oyster Yachts (Company)">Oyster</a> shipyard in Ipswich by requesting a wood burner in the main saloon, putting her foot down when the team suggested it was impossible; the yacht remains the only <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1097" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oyster Yachts (Company)">Oyster</a> to feature a burner onboard.&nbsp;Aboard the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1097" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oyster Yachts (Company)">Oyster</a> Mariacristina and her family travelled both north and south, circumnavigating the world with friends and relatives. But by 2009 she had reached the comfort limit for the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1097" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oyster Yachts (Company)">Oyster</a> and the Northwest Passage was once again knocking at her door, it was time to upgrade. In order to take on the Passage and cruise polar waters where the risk of being stuck in ice was a reality, she knew she needed an aluminium hull, and when she saw the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/122" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Royal Huisman (Company)">Royal Huisman</a> yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2261" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Billy Budd II34.25m (112'4&quot;)Royal Huisman1994">Saudade</a> it all fell into place.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/278497/image/large-90dd9d93858a29cff2c3ee9a27545bfb.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/278497">“She is a magnificent yacht, a true luxury superyacht first and foremost and an ideal boat for cruising with family and friends. Before we bought her, she’d enjoyed circumnavigations and years in the Mediterranean. She has a huge interior, is comfortable and most importantly, is technically very solid. Big bonuses for me are her dorades which, while aesthetically traditional, mean there is a lovely flow of air down below, she also had a good engine and generator and had been well maintained.”After buying the yacht, and customarily rechristening her <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2261" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Billy Budd II34.25m (112'4&quot;)Royal Huisman1994">Billy Budd</a>, Mariacristina set about a number of minor alterations to prepare the vessel for the Arctic and Antarctic. The second water tank was replaced with a fuel tank, the instruments were upgraded and vitally, all were built into individual circuits. She explains, “I had experienced a situation in Norway where one of the instruments froze up in the cold and because the entire system was interconnected, everything stopped working. We simultaneously lost our satellite, electronic charts and navigational equipment – that was a lesson you don't forget! Since then I ensure that all the electronics run independently and Skip Novak does the same with his yachts today.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/297580/image/large-c656e6034c7ee26ae9d5dc470f7491ec.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/297580">Aside from the installation of heaters, a heavyweight anchor and the construction of a viewing platform on the main mast to keep an eye on the ice, very little else needed to be done to the yacht. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/122" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Royal Huisman (Company)">Huisman</a>’s vessels are renowned for their excellence of construction, and the boat itself was sound. “The <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/122" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Royal Huisman (Company)">Huisman</a> has a classic long bow and she cuts through the water beautifully, which is important in the polar regions where the ocean can get incredibly rough. One of the most attractive things about the yacht has always been her seaworthiness, first and foremost she is an excellent sailing yacht and while we’ve spent much time in the north, she is a wonderful world cruiser.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/297581/image/large-3ce15960b8d0d5d3d3c06dd9b499adf9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/297581">Mariacristina has built a reputation internationally for her love of the Arctic (an Italian journalist coining her ‘La Signora del Ghiaccio’), and her favourite place in the world is the desolate and icebound Devon Island in Northern Canada. Her family, however, are more excited about the warmer climes of the Mediterranean and so <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2261" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Billy Budd II34.25m (112'4&quot;)Royal Huisman1994">Billy Budd</a> will spend the summer months cruising the coasts of Italy and Greece.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/297578/image/large-b62b2ee2bee1700bb4966e9bf9222018.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/297578">&nbsp;“I have 10 grandchildren and we manage to host them all aboard the yacht in the summer, it is a wonderful experience. We put four children in each of the guest staterooms and my husband and I are in the master suite to the stern. We have had so many wonderful times cruising together, exploring the Greek islands and having convivial evenings together onboard. All of the children have been organising the holidays for the upcoming summer and love to be onboard with their families.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/297577/image/large-d7986079f4ccda235b672d3cf3003d54.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/297577">Despite the evident love for the yacht, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2261" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Billy Budd II34.25m (112'4&quot;)Royal Huisman1994">Billy Budd</a> is now on the market, and Mariacristina and her husband are looking to find something smaller and more manageable to sail together alone. “<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2261" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Billy Budd II34.25m (112'4&quot;)Royal Huisman1994">Billy Budd</a> is a great family boat and has been a perfect yacht to take on all of our adventures, but it is time for us to downsize to something that we can cruise without crew,” she explains. “I want to take the helm and set off at will, and of course, I want to spend more time exploring the Arctic, for me it is the best place in the world!”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/297582/image/large-7ef66704b140b844f0cf731782790fb5.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/297582">When it comes to what's next, she explains, “I never go without a boat, so when <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2261" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Billy Budd II34.25m (112'4&quot;)Royal Huisman1994">Billy Budd</a> looks to be selling, we will find the next one,” and from my brief conversation with her it was clear that Mariacristina without a boat would be like a fish without water! The new <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1097" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oyster Yachts (Company)">Oyster</a> 745 looks like a hot contender, so if you are cruising in the coming years and see an <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1097" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oyster Yachts (Company)">Oyster</a> named Billy Budd passing by, you’ll know you have just passed the famous Lady of the Ice!This article is featured in the&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/" target="_blank">SuperYacht Times</a>&nbsp;newspaper. <a href="https://shop.superyachttimes.com/report/the-superyacht-times-subscription" target="_blank">Subscribe now</a> to receive your copy straight to your door and never miss another issue.

The Lady of the Ice: Mariacristina Rapisardi on her sailing yacht Billy Budd II

Mariacristina Rapisardi and her Royal Huisman Billy Budd have braved the most testing waters in the world, Francesca Webster found out more.