Tilse yacht glazing manufacturer

TILSE Yacht Glazing headquarters

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TILSE Yacht Glazing

TILSE Yacht Glazing facility 

Tilse in Germany, a pioneer of glazing solutions on superyachts, has influenced the rules and standards to keep pace with developments in design. 

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Clear as crystal: defining yacht glass standards with Tilse

<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> is an innovative company that seeks to disrupt the traditional yacht ownership model. Founded in 2020 by brothers Matthew and Thomas Locastro, their owners will enjoy the superyacht lifestyle and its perks without the financial burden and logistical challenges associated with full ownership.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> envisions a transformative shift in the luxury ownership experience. Their first of its kind shared usage ownership program will be launching with the 85.01-metre 2021 new build <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4644" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="AKYACHT (Company)">AKYACHT</a>, superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a>. The brothers say that <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a> will have a total of 60 ownership units available for purchase, with ten units already sold and a growing list of interested buyers being developed.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295084/image/large-6029af0be29c56caa83f7e8b7010cb8c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295084">Each ownership unit, priced at three million Euros, grants its owner an equity interest in <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a> and an average of thirty-five nights of shared usage per year. Owners will be able to book one or multiple staterooms on any available date throughout the year along the preset Mediterranean summer and Caribbean winter itinerary. The experience can be compared to staying at a luxury boutique hotel at sea that is exclusively for a private co-ownership group. With over 1,947 square-metres of guest spaces, owners will have the opportunity to interact as much or as little as they desire with other guests onboard. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295083/image/large-9788492187c09a23ba291afddc810893.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295083">Matthew says that, “One of the hardest things to convey is what it is like staying aboard a superyacht of this magnitude. You and your guests are far outnumbered by the crew. Your every want is catered to with an attention to detail that can’t be fully described - only experienced. Meals are set against the gorgeous vistas of ever-changing landscapes. The chef delights you with daily tasting menus based on fresh caught fish and local ingredients. The service feels effortless. There is an almost infectious relaxation that starts to set in. To spend time onboard a superyacht is to experience the absolute pinnacle of luxury.” The brothers say that the itinerary will leverage opportunities that are uniquely available to superyachts - like stopping in the Aeolian Islands or having dinner at night near Stromboli, Italy while watching the lava flow from an active volcano. There will be a leisurely yachting pace from one destination to the next, all timed to coincide with major hotspots along the “UHNW circuit” such as the Cannes Film Festival, Monaco Grand Prix and St Barth’s New Year’s Eve.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295079/image/large-c5595aff2a7350a7829b39a90d309d34.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295079">Delving into the operational aspects of the program, the brothers explained that owners will utilise the company’s straightforward points-based system to make bookings, with adjustments made for stateroom size and peak dates. For example, an owner could use their points to book three weeks in <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a>' master suite, five weeks in a Double Plus stateroom with an Olympic Queen and sofa, seven weeks in a Twin Stateroom or any combination thereof. The annual operating expense dues of 300,000 Euros per unit covers everything: all yacht operations and maintenance, crew, gratuities, amenities, premium food and beverage and a reserve fund to cover the lumpy cash flows of yacht ownership.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295082/image/large-99c0023eff5cb01d3bacfa0dd0538a29.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295082">Vincenzo Poerio, CEO of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1661" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Tankoa Yachts S.p.A. (Company)">Tankoa</a> and former CEO of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/212" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Benetti SpA (Company)">Benetti</a>, commented that “<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> is offering a truly unique product that will welcome a new type of customer into the industry.” <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> distinguishes itself from the traditional charter experience by emphasising flexibility. Matthew explained, "This is a new kind of yachting experience. Owners can join for as few or as many nights as they'd like throughout an expansive 280-day annual itinerary. This concept diverges from the conventional one-week charter in the summer. An owner might spend a weekend onboard in Sardinia, attend business meetings in Europe, and then return to join the yacht again in Capri. It epitomises the ultimate in flexibility and luxury for a fast-paced modern lifestyle." Furthermore, owners also have the option to exchange points among themselves through a Points Clearing House. Thomas expanded on Matthew's point, highlighting that “Owners have the freedom to utilise the yacht for an afternoon outing, or an extended stay of up to seven weeks in a twin stateroom onboard, offering unparalleled flexibility that doesn’t exist outside of 100 percent ownership.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/244474/image/large-dc3aec346d310069d07953420b1f5878.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/244474">The brothers have a background in finance, co-founding TXN Advisors, a Washington, DC based investment banking firm, dealing with transaction advisory and outsourced c-suite services. They gained extensive experience in the maritime sector, facilitating the negotiations and transactions for the sale of a shipyard, several yachts and an investment for the completion of a 50-metre yacht. The brothers also served as co-Chief Operating Officers for a luxury holding company that owned and operated five vessels as part of a yacht charter fleet.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295080/image/large-d81f8908015f02909eb5b0b27ce67063.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295080">The idea to establish <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> emerged from two sources of inspiration. The first is from the brothers having lived the superyacht lifestyle first-hand, spending more than 100 nights as guests onboard yachts ranging from 70-85 plus metres in length. Their experiences included everything from cruising the Red Sea, Mediterranean, Caribbean and Bahamas by themselves and in small groups, to large parties onboard in St Barths, Nassau, Monaco and Cannes.The second and most pivotal source of inspiration was The Locastro brothers' astute observations about The World Residences at Sea, a co-owned shared-usage cruise ship. At times, 25 percent of The World’s owners have been billionaires with a third of the customers owning yachts of their own. Buy-ins ranged up to 25 million dollars with operating expense dues of up to a million and a half dollars per year. The World clientele’s willingness to make such substantial financial commitments for a cruise ship proved to the brothers that there is distinct demand for co-owned shared-usage vessels.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/244428/image/large-c494dfa9a5b4faa90ffec74faf5af513.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/244428">Thomas explained that “Encountering individuals with units on The World prompted us to question why such a concept couldn't be translated to the superyacht sector.” The brothers then went to work on building a product that would be more affordable than The World and that would deliver an even higher level of personalised luxury on an actual superyacht.Matthew notes that, “We recruited the team that built The World. This included appointing The World’s first successful President &amp; CEO, James St. John, as <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a>' President.” St John brings massive operational experience to the team and is recognised for rescuing The World from bankruptcy by selling out the residences and maintaining stable operations for six years. He spent an impressive 600 days living onboard The World and has travelled to all seven continents visiting more than 100 countries. St John says that “After being approached by and working with some of the most notable maritime projects in this space, this is the first company I have decided to put my name on since leaving The World. It is the only company of its kind that makes both financial and operational sense.”Matthew says that, “Since the founding of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a>, we have developed and refined our product, leveraging our team’s insights from having visited well over 300 ports, our extensive time on superyachts and a combined 17 years of senior executive experience running The World.” Given the numerous false starts of residential cruise ship projects that have been selling off of renderings, Superyacht Holdings made the decision to wait until they had a fully operational superyacht for the program before announcing publicly at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/182" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Yacht Show - 2023">Monaco Yacht Show</a> this year.When asked how the deal occurred with the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4644" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="AKYACHT (Company)">AKYACHT</a> shipyard, Thomas shared, “<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a> emerged as the tenth yacht we extensively considered and engaged in substantive discussions with the owners. During our first visit, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a>’ general arrangement and features immediately resonated with us as an ideal platform for our unique shared usage program. The yacht is a masterpiece of interior design by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/161" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="H2 Yacht Design (Company)">H2</a> that our owners will proudly get to call their own. One of the most impressive parts of the yacht is its beach club, which is consistently ranked as being one of the top 10 of any yacht in the world. It is 199.742 square-metres and features a large swim platform, indoor heated pool and two mid-ship foldout balconies in addition to its numerous amenities.” <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a> won Robb Report’s “Best of the Best” in 2022 and features 12 staterooms, four stabilisers, two Jacuzzis, seven informal dining areas, five formal dining areas, six bars, a movie theatre, piano lounge, fireplace lounge and helipad. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/244433/image/large-d496c975435787f9c5bfe768e32307c9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/244433">For <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4644" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="AKYACHT (Company)">AKYACHT</a>, Superyacht Holdings offers a compelling proposition for their long-term cooperation. Matthew explains that “Large yacht construction, particularly on speculation, entails heightened risk due to elevated costs narrowing the potential customer demographic. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> presents a paradigm shift by inverting this dynamic so that larger superyachts actually become more affordable.” Vural Ak, who owns <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4644" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="AKYACHT (Company)">AKYACHT</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a>, says “<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> will disrupt the industry by selling the world’s largest superyachts to a much wider segment of the market."Bob Denison, CEO of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/833" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Denison Yachting (Company)">Denison Yachting</a> which sold more Superyachts globally than any other brokerage house in 2022, affirmed that "in the very large yacht segment, yachts upwards of 280ft in length, the market typically will see two or three brokerage transactions per year, less than one percent of global superyacht sales. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> is creating increased demand and much needed liquidity for the largest superyachts in the world.” Moreover, the pricing structure of utilising <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a> through the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> program significantly reduces costs compared to the current charter rates. Presently, chartering Victorious would incur expenses of approximately 1.2 million Euros or more after tax, tip and APA. Thomas affirmed that “In our program, by purchasing a three million Euro equity stake, an owner’s effective cost comes down to just 60,000 Euros per week, representing a staggering reduction at nearly 1/20th of the cost for shared usage.” &nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295081/image/large-55e694177683769b1d1d04a3b5315334.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295081">Thomas explains, “Each owner has an equity interest in <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a> and may sell their unit of ownership at any time.” With multiple owners already buying more than one unit, the program anticipates around 40 unique owners for the 60 ownership units forming what <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> calls the most exclusive private club in the world. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/244441/image/large-d14618dcdf5085005cb0f5f71258e45f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/244441"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> plans to launch with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a>. All existing and future charter bookings will be honoured when the yacht transitions from charter to program launch after the yacht is acquired by the co-ownership group. A waitlist of buyers will be developed for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Victorious85.01m (278'11&quot;)AKYACHT2021">Victorious</a> until <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> offers a second yacht for sale through the program. Thomas remarking on the vision for the company says, “As <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7445" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Holdings (Company)">Superyacht Holdings</a> expands, owners will be able to use their points to book time onboard an entire fleet of the world’s largest superyachts. Considering our ownership model is the same cost as buying and maintaining an 18-metre yacht, we are going to completely disrupt the industry.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295085/image/large-a68da4accf9a43db45c13e587ca3bad4.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295085">

Superyacht Holdings: Revolutionising yacht ownership with their innovative shared-usage program

Superyacht Holdings is an innovative company that seeks to disrupt the traditional yacht ownership model.

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When new owners acquired <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> early in 2022, they channelled their vision into a technical refit at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/895" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lusben Shipyard (Company)">Lusben</a> in Livorno. The best way to bring the iconic yacht up to date and protect her legacy well into the future was to assemble as many of the contractors involved in the original project as possible.When <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/51" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Perini Navi (Company)">Perini Navi</a> launched the mighty <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> in 2006, she represented not only the culmination of extraordinary ingenuity and vision on the part of her pioneering owner, the late Tom Perkins, but also a long list of subcontractors and suppliers. Her ground-breaking Dynarig had been pulled from design theory and engineered into existence on what would quickly become one of the most-photographed yachts in the world. But the development of her rig and sail plan introduced other technical challenges, from the unstayed rotating masts to the unique furlers and associated monitoring systems. Her place in the limelight is well deserved, but with that comes a certain pressure to maintain her iconic status.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/272536/image/large-ae1f5fd33237b177737c568c13aa0ad2.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/272536">Fast forward to 7th April 2022, when new owners took possession of the 88-metre yacht in the eastern Mediterranean. Neither they nor their captain, Pierfrancesco Cafaro, were strangers to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/51" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Perini Navi (Company)">Perini Navi</a>, having owned and sailed the 52-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/51" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Perini Navi (Company)">Perini</a> <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/543" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="La Luna52.0m (170'7&quot;)Perini Navi1997">La Luna</a> around the world. But <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> is a very different animal. It took 12 years for someone to build a second Dynarig yacht, and by the time <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4795" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Black Pearl106.7m (350'1&quot;)Oceanco2018">Black Pearl</a> was taking shape many of the technologies had evolved. This presented <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a>’s new owners with a dilemma.“The previous owner had essentially left much of the yacht as she was in 2006,” says Captain Cafaro. “In September 2022 we decided to come to the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/895" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lusben Shipyard (Company)">Lusben</a> yard in Livorno, which had a suitable dry dock available, and we set out a huge plan to refit her – although we reduced that a little in order to save the summer 2023 season. Why <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/895" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lusben Shipyard (Company)">Lusben</a>? Because it looks easy but it’s very specialist work and a mistake can stop the boat. I wanted it done by a big shipyard like <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6046" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Azimut-Benetti Group (Company)">Azimut-Benetti</a> who can give us a warranty.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/272540/image/large-f50ae6bd879c381d01b3db2bff696427.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/272540">Remade in ItalyThe nature of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> means that most of her core equipment and control systems are completely custom, and refitting her in Italy rather than in her homeports of Malta or Palma meant that all the expertise that went into the original build was on the doorstep. Most of the contractors had heavy work schedules, but by staying local the team maximised the chances for the works to be completed in time for the 2023 Med season. The process started with the decision to strip the hull back to bare metal.&nbsp;“It wasn’t anything that the previous owners had done wrong, it’s just that the paint was 15 years old and the yacht has done a lot of sailing,” says Cafaro. “Also at close to 90 metres, there is some movement in the hull and that had clearly taken its toll on the filler.” It was also a chance to change the colour of the hull; gone is the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Falcon</a>’s original black paint scheme and in its place is <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/51" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Perini Navi (Company)">Perini</a> blue.On deck, there have been alterations and additions to the guest areas. The addition of a fixed bimini, for example, now offers weather protection and shade for the aft deck dining table. Made by Massimo Forti of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4308" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="FM Architettura (Company)">F.M.</a> Srl and stretching from the superstructure to the mizzen mast, it creates an area that when the saloon doors are fully open offers 50 metres of protected indoor/outdoor living (<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4308" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="FM Architettura (Company)">F.M.</a> was also responsible for the class-certified welding and hotworks for the new exhaust system where it meets the hull).There have been some changes inside too, with much of the dark gloss and stainless steel décor replaced with warmer hues and softer touches, all under the watchful eye of Roman studio Emanuela Esposito. The artwork has been changed to reflect a Japanese influence, and the guest areas, cabins, VIP and master have all been overhauled. The guest bathrooms have been gutted and refitted with pale marble and less masculine palettes, and the deckheads have been replaced with new leather.&nbsp;The crew quarters have also received a makeover with a new wooden floor, new Miele appliances for the laundry, and new lower crew and upper guest pantries, as well as a completely new main galley installed by commercial specialists CS Refrigeration. All the tanks have been de-rusted and painted, the bilges painted and the sensors replaced.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/294408/image/large-47a6848dcc558e357a84ce2b72205db9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/294408">Technical treatmentThe real focus and biggest challenge of the refit, however, has been a multi-million-euro technical overhaul. Due to the extent of the works and the complexities of the systems needed to control, drive and monitor the Dynarig which presented the biggest challenges for the team, the choice of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/895" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lusben Shipyard (Company)">Lusben</a> and the decision to use the contractors involved in the original build proved a wise decision.Ascheo was brought back in to service all the motors and hydraulics that control the rotation of the masts (see sidebar). The owner’s team considered switching to electric drives as on <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4795" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Black Pearl106.7m (350'1&quot;)Oceanco2018">Black Pearl</a>, but electric motors were too big for the existing space so they had no choice but to work with the original system. Fabbri Fiore was also brought back to overhaul and update the unique Dynarig furlers, winches and deck hardware, while Cacini &amp; C – another of the original build contractors – returned to update the sail control system and the yacht’s monitoring system (see sidebar).“Since the very beginning, the Maltese Falcon project has been an amazing challenge for all suppliers that has exerted a magic charm on all the companies participating in her construction,” says Angelo Cacini. “The opportunity to work again on this vessel rekindled these feelings, and the captain – working side by side, day by day with the workers onboard – transferred the new owners’ intention to make the Maltese Falcon greater than ever.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/272549/image/large-04b8f076cb63199cc0d053576f952c95.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/272549">Tiers before bedtimeFor the mechanical upgrades the team turned to 2gtech, yet another of the original build team, to replace the three generators with modern, more efficient and more appropriately sized Lindenberg-Anlagen 270kW gensets based on <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1441" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="MAN (Company)">MAN</a> engines, and to overhaul the original <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1448" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Deutz AG (Company)">Deutz</a>-MWM main engines. A urea tank and SCR exhaust treatment system has been added alongside a new exhaust system and silencers. Meanwhile Manrico Francesconi Srl in Viareggio , who was also involved in the original project, replaced all the fan coils in the air-con system and made some improvements to the compressors.&nbsp;Similarly, all the bridge PLCs and navigation electronics have been updated or replaced by Caim and the entire yacht rewired to replace the old halogen lights with warm-Kelvin LEDs – a huge upgrade that will have a positive impact on power draw and heat generation.&nbsp;After flirting with Kymeta flat panels for satcomms a few years ago, these have been removed and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> has gone full Starlink, even removing the traditional TV antennas. The yacht also has a new fire-suppression system.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/272554/image/large-757c00f1d4ff1d027fc06b35f28d2feb.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/272554">Digging deepAs with most refits, the team frequently came across more than they bargained for when digging deep into systems: “Sometimes we decided to do some works and we opened things up and found the situation was critical because it hadn’t been looked at for many years,” Cafaro says. “For example, when we were overhauling the mechanical and shaft elements, we realised the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2207" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rolls-Royce Marine (Company)">Rolls-Royce</a> systems that usually have to be serviced every five years hadn’t been done for 10 years. It not only added to the budget, but facing these kinds of problems – which we found in more than one department – has taken up a lot of time and energy.”The result is a refreshed <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> that will stay relevant into the future as environmental responsibility takes centre stage. “We could have spent half of what we did, but sustainability was a very important consideration for the owners – the boat had to be updated for the next 10 years,” says Cafaro. “Can you imagine using the gensets from the original build in 2032? You would be arrested as soon as you turned them on! And even if you weren’t, you would be out of the charter market because people are increasingly mindful of what’s going on. That goes for the crew too. So the focus was on safe sailing first, then doing it without damaging the environment.”What is clear from the love and attention (and money) that has been invested in the refit of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a>, is that the sailing yacht is still able to capture the imagination and stir the emotions 15 years after her launch. Just as important, the experience and expertise that went into building her is as valuable today as it was then.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/294421/image/large-1af108451a4fcbb2af83c14452f96cf8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/294421">Automation &amp; monitoringCacini &amp; C was involved in the original <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> project for implementing the sailing control and monitoring system. The company was responsible for designing the software, building the hardware, installed and commissioning it on-site in Tuzla, Turkey. Cacini’s main task was to design, build and install a new ship automation and monitoring system. The project comprises eight new automation panels, the integration of three new diesel generators, and the replacement of all sensors throughout the yacht.“One of the hardest challenges was to install the new wiring,” says Angelo Cacini, the company’s chairman.“This required laying more than 15 kilometres of cables, basically across the whole boat.” &nbsp;A second team worked to refit and, on occasion, to redesign some of the yacht’s core services ranging from the compressed air system to 24-volt distribution, the urea system and the rebuilding of lighting in several technical zones including the engine room. &nbsp;“This refit is a big upgrade for the whole boat,” says Cacini. “A lot of the elements have been replaced with up-to-date systems in an overall modernisation of the yacht with significant improvements in terms of increased features and reliability.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/272550/image/large-4ea24c385d484d1a69789c4b1f4d07e9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/272550">Pool cool Part of the original plan for the winter 2022-23 refit was the addition of a swimming pool on the bridge deck aft in the area that serves as a terrace for the VIP cabin. The 10-square-metre pool with a capacity of 10,000 litres, presented a challenge for the design and engineering teams, as well as for the schedule of the refit works as in order to be signed off, it would have to to be emptied within three minutes. This would normally mean installing a large pump in the engine room, which is fine on a new-build, but problematic for a refit. The solution that was agreed upon was that the pool could drain to the main deck below.“Procedure means all the documents and designs have to be approved by ABS, but they were taking too much time and without that authorisation you can’t start building,” says Cafaro. “They told us they should be able to give authorisation by January 2023, but we didn’t trust that timeline so we decided to postpone those works.”The paperwork has now been completed, and the plan is for Lusben to begin construction of the pool module ready for installation in a brief follow-up refit period between the end of September and early November 2023.&nbsp;&nbsp;“They are all contractors that I know well, but they are all so full of work that it can be hard for them to give a firm completion date,” says Cafaro. “If they tell us the pool needs more time, we won’t do it this Autumn because we have to be in the Caribbean at the end of the year. But if they can do it, then we can start the Caribbean season with another big new feature.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/272544/image/large-132ad960e42b9a75d0ba30f4d2c2f72e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/272544">Keeping the rig runningThe overhauling of the Dynarig was left to Ascheo, who developed and installed the original system. The team was tasked with servicing the rescue crane and helm wing stations, and the hydraulic mast rotation units (indeed, Ascheo’s team now includes the original designer of the MRU system). Aside from replacing worn-out components, the team was also able to update the MRU hydraulic supply system, leading to a 50 per cent reduction in noise.It wasn’t all plain sailing, however: “We faced the challenge of insufficient information about previous troubles and maintenance coupled with limited time and space on board, also due to other refit work that was happening on the yacht,” says Ascheo president Guglielmo Lorenzoni. “All three systems had never been built before, and coming back on board meant we could observe and evaluate their condition after 18 years of operation. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)Perini Navi2006">Maltese Falcon</a> is certainly one of the most prestigious constructions in yachting and the refit keeps her abreast of the times, as well as improving the liveability on board with the noise reduction.”Lorenzoni’s advice for such a complex technical refit is simple: “Proactively coordinate so all agencies are informed and ready to service the boat before it docks,” he asserts. “Remember that new technologies could offer opportunities for energy saving. Using the original suppliers could bring some advantages, and keep in mind the availability of spare parts, obsolescence, and long delivery times.”This article was originally published in Issue 3 of How To Build It, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-3" target="_blank">download the magazine for free here</a>.

Exploring the refit of the 88m superyacht Maltese Falcon

Charlotte Thomas takes a look at the refit of the iconic sailing yacht Maltese Falcon. 

Flight of the Falcon: exploring the refit of the 88m superyacht Maltese Falcon

For Thanksgiving, discover a coveted selection of the world’s most expensive American-built superyachts currently on the market as of Mid-November.&nbsp;73-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/34" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Laurel73.2m (240'2&quot;)Delta Marine2006">Laurel</a> is currently on the market with an asking price of $69,500,000The 73-metre superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/34" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Laurel73.2m (240'2&quot;)Delta Marine2006">Laurel</a> was launched in 2006 by US shipyard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/47" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Delta Marine (Company)">Delta Marine</a>. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/34" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Laurel73.2m (240'2&quot;)Delta Marine2006">Laurel</a> is one of the largest yachts ever to be built in North America. She features both exterior and interior design by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/41" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Donald Starkey Designs (Company)">Donald Starkey</a>. The 1,595 GT superyacht can accommodate up to 12 guests taken care of by a crew of 24. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/269338/image/large-29f4ff7b6a86e8071080057bbc5cc495.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/269338">Onboard, the superyacht exhibits a timeless interior design with highlights including the expansive saloon featuring a game table and unique oval reading nook overlooking the oceanic landscape. A classical study and massage room are just a few of the many amenities on offer. &nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/269355/image/large-ffe71c672427f8f8daf65550c312f2eb.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/269355"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/269352/image/large-6198314ae438fc062ea03b131d5fd830.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/269352">Performance-wise she is powered by twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1408" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Caterpillar Inc (Company)">Caterpillar</a> engines of 2,500 horsepower each, allowing her to reach a top speed of 18.2 knots and cruise comfortably at 14.5 knots.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/34" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Laurel73.2m (240'2&quot;)Delta Marine2006">Laurel</a> is currently on the market with a last known asking price of $69,500,000 with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/244" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="IYC (Company)">IYC</a>.50-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2033" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Jackpot50.0m (164'1&quot;)Christensen Shipyards, LLC.2020">Jackpot</a> is on the market for $39,500,000<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/42791/image/large-ed84b636f4c095c9eb013acfde6da852.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/42791"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2033" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Jackpot50.0m (164'1&quot;)Christensen Shipyards, LLC.2020">Jackpot</a> is a 50-metre superyacht built by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/149" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Christensen Shipyards, LLC. (Company)">Christensen Shipyard</a>. Delivered in 2020, the luxury yacht sleeps up to 16 guests across six staterooms and has accommodations for 11 crew. Her interior and exterior design were also crafted by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/149" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Christensen Shipyards, LLC. (Company)">Christensen Shipyard</a>.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/83892/image/large-0a264681f72a10211b3567971187b9b8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/83892">The American-built yacht can reach top speeds of 15.5 knots with a cruising speed is 12.5 knots powered by twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1409" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="MTU (Company)">MTU</a> engines.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2033" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Jackpot50.0m (164'1&quot;)Christensen Shipyards, LLC.2020">Jackpot</a> is currently on the market with a last known asking price of $39,500,000 with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/322" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Merle Wood & Associates, Inc. (Company)">Merle Wood &amp; Associates</a>.&nbsp;60-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/360" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mia Elise II60.15m (197'4&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2012">Mia Elise II</a> is on the market with an asking price of $34,900,000<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/216384/image/large-c931a219d3e84f6ef60437ee95773938.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/216384">The <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/106" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Trinity Yachts, LLC (Company)">Trinity</a>-built superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/360" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mia Elise II60.15m (197'4&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2012">Mia Elise II</a>&nbsp; was launched in 2012 and has been meticulously maintained. She’s offered in turnkey condition, thanks to a substantial 2022 refit.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/360" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mia Elise II60.15m (197'4&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2012">Mia Elise II</a> features exterior design and naval architecture by her builder, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/106" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Trinity Yachts, LLC (Company)">Trinity Yachts</a>, with interior design penned by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/110" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Patrick Knowles Designs (Company)">Patrick Knowles Designs</a>. She can comfortably accommodate up to 12 guests across a six-stateroom configuration, as well as 10 cabins for a crew of 19.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/207602/image/large-11ab3e8e209a7bfbe745d16138324d8c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/207602"> <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/207604/image/large-8a038a69ef1a2bcfa4b18eaba8390cc6.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/207604">Highlights onboard include an oval wine cellar cast in mahogany and Pacific Northwest madrone panelling with cherry burl inlays, a design accent exemplified throughout. Other amenities include a spa and gym, a cinema, a beach club, a private owner’s deck, and an arsenal of water toys. The Trinity Yacht also has an elevator that serves all three of her decks.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/279022/image/large-95c9bc57c0a53e1614cffad351953070.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/279022"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/360" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mia Elise II60.15m (197'4&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2012">Mia Elise II</a> is equipped with twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1408" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Caterpillar Inc (Company)">Caterpillar</a> engines, providing her with a top speed of 18 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/360" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mia Elise II60.15m (197'4&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2012">Mia Elise II</a> is currently on the market with a last known asking price of &nbsp;34,900,000 with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/158" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fraser (Company)">Fraser</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/322" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Merle Wood & Associates, Inc. (Company)">Merle Wood &amp; Associates</a>. .50-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4818" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Chasseur48.8m (160'1&quot;)Christensen Shipyards, LLC.2016">Chasseur</a> is on the market with an asking price of $32,750,000<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/288502/image/large-67963e4ddfe17d225ebd2c591502390e.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/288502">The 48.8-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/149" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Christensen Shipyards, LLC. (Company)">Christensen</a>-built superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4818" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Chasseur48.8m (160'1&quot;)Christensen Shipyards, LLC.2016">Chasseur</a> showcases exterior design and naval architecture crafted by her builder. VARO crafted her original interior design, but in 2022, she underwent an extensive refit, with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/110" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Patrick Knowles Designs (Company)">Patrick Knowles</a> penning the designs. The superyacht can accommodate up to 13 guests across six staterooms, with space for a crew of up to 10 members.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/288486/image/large-3026ebaf327e396af750c2a0035b8146.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/288486"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/288499/image/large-e0692dec7d219b257d6959ed4578d18e.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/288499">Highlights onboard include a lift reaching each guest suite, an expansive gym, a touch-and-go helipad, and a full-service aft deck bar. Regarding performance, the superyacht can reach top speeds of up to 15 knots, while her cruising speed is 12 knots.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4818" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Chasseur48.8m (160'1&quot;)Christensen Shipyards, LLC.2016">Chasseur</a> is on the market with an asking price of $32,750,000 with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/526" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Northrop and Johnson (Company)">Northrop and Johnson</a>.52-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5607" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sanam52.4m (171'11&quot;)Palmer Johnson Yachts2016">Sanam</a> is currently on the market with an asking price of €29,900,000<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/179388/image/large-62d4ad5829e4c963bacee3da2bab1deb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/179388"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5607" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sanam52.4m (171'11&quot;)Palmer Johnson Yachts2016">Sanam</a>&nbsp; was built by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/121" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Palmer Johnson Yachts (Company)">Palmer Johnson</a> in 2016. She features an exterior design by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/65" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nuvolari Lenard (Company)">Nuvolari Lenard</a>, while her interior was penned by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/936" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Todhunter Earle (Company)">Todhunter Earle</a>, with naval architecture by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/121" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Palmer Johnson Yachts (Company)">Palmer Johnson Yachts</a>. Up to 14 guests are accommodated onboard, with accommodation for 10 crew members. Impeccably maintained, one owner has used the superyacht privately as a single-season yacht.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/241664/image/large-11041d5af3f1c3a032ff91dfe082dde8.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/241664"> <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/275756/image/large-9b882d4cd488ababd9d3fc5f1eda4945.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/275756">Highlights include a large saltwater swimming pool on the foredeck and a sun deck Jacuzzi. Bright, contemporary, and minimalist interior styling throughout the yacht, with fold-out balconies on the port and starboard sides of the main deck for open-air living<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/275758/image/large-7f59b9fed65ccd60512f766fa4563a4e.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/275758">She is powered by twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1409" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="MTU (Company)">MTU</a> engines, which give her a cruising speed of 17 knots and a top speed of 30 knots.&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5607" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sanam52.4m (171'11&quot;)Palmer Johnson Yachts2016">Sanam</a> is currently for sale at an asking price of €29,900,000 with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/159" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Burgess (Company)">Burgess</a>.

Most expensive American superyachts on the market

For Thanksgiving, discover a coveted selection of the most expensive American superyachts.

This October, the 82-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10533" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cali82.0m (269'0&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2024">Cali</a> was launched, unveiling the new superyacht to the industry for the very first time. A highly secretive project, the superyacht, Hull 13775 is the first superyacht designed by the yard’s Lead Exterior Designer Jim Robert Sluijter. British studio <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/61" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="RWD (Company)">RWD</a> has designed <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10533" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cali82.0m (269'0&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2024">Cali</a>’s interiors, and in another milestone, she is the first collaboration between <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> and the studio since the launch of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/9" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Al Said155.0m (508'6&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2008">Al Said</a> in 2008.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292976/image/large-c300998f43ab6d20e25045b0653b12a0.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292976">Despite <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10533" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cali82.0m (269'0&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2024">Cali</a> being his first design project to hit the water since joining <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>, Jim was attending the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/183" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show - 2023">Fort Lauderdale Boat Show</a> during her splash. Fortunately, that gave SuperYacht Times the opportunity to sit down with him to find out more about the project, as well as talk about his own path, from working alongside of the industry's top studios, to becoming <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>’s Lead Designer. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/291965/image/large-a594dabd47cba9af9a44df3b54d7e71f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/291965">How did your career at&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>&nbsp;begin – what were you doing beforehand?Well, let's start at the beginning. As a young boy I’d had the amazing opportunity to tour the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> shipyard with Jan Van Lent and having never seen a superyacht before, I was absolutely amazed by the visit. When it came to deciding on my first internship during my Industrial Design course at TU Delft, it felt natural for me to reach back out to the yard that so inspired me as a child and thankfully they took me on.My responsibilities during that time were fairly basic, but it gave me an incredible insight into the superyacht construction industry and showed me how superyacht builders operated from the inside. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/30" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="De Voogt Naval Architects (Company)">De Voogt</a> had a wall in one of the buildings with all of the in-build projects so when it came to choosing a company to guide my final year project, I stood back, reviewed all of the projects and decided that the Andrew Winch design yacht was the most exciting for me. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/7330/image/large-34cf424c69fef88fba28c515709a84a3.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/7330">I reached out to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/69" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Winch Design (Company)">Winch</a> and asked if I could do my final year project with them, an offer to which they said no. However, they did offer me a six month internship. So I moved to London and joined the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/69" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Winch Design (Company)">Winch</a> team, and following my internship they assisted me with the finalisation of my degree before I joined the studio’s exterior design team. I was at Winch for six years, during which time we signed three contracts with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>; <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5624" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Aurora74.0m (242'9&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2017">Aurora</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Gigia85.0m (278'10&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2017">Areti</a> (now <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Gigia85.0m (278'10&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2017">Gigia</a>) and Tis&nbsp;(now <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5661" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alaiya111.5m (365'10&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2019">Alaiya</a>), so I became familiar with the Rendsburg facility and many of the team. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/45215/image/large-51b9018786f8673d3c7d489cee428dc1.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/45215">When <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5661" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alaiya111.5m (365'10&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2019">Tis</a> was delivered, I decided it was time to do something different, so came back to the Netherlands and joined the team at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/37" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture (Company)">Azure Yacht Design &amp; Naval Architecture</a> inHaarlem. During that time, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/37" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture (Company)">Azure</a> was working on the naval architecture of Moon Sand, the 55-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>, and the studio was closely aligned with the yard for any 50-60-metre proposals. Because I had worked with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/69" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Winch Design (Company)">Winch</a>, many of these proposals fell to me and so my relationship with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> and particularly Michael Breman, became very strong.&nbsp;After I left <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/37" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture (Company)">Azure</a>, I received a call from Michael asking me to meet him and Peter Lürssen at Schiphol for a meeting, and that turned out to be the job interview for the role I have today.&nbsp;That must have felt like the golden ticket! What was the proposed role?The yard had been looking for an in-house designer to focus on the smaller yacht sector (50-70-metre), to quickly create proposals that could assist the sales team and build on the existing <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> portfolio. While the yard is committed to its relationship with external studios, an in-house designer could create a variety of potential designs, to be shown during client meetings at very short notice. Having worked with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> in both my previous roles, I had come to know the yard and its processes very well and Peter and Michael thought I would make a great fit for the role.&nbsp;I joined 4.5 years ago, initially in Rendsburg and then later from home in Amsterdam. During my first year I was creating proposals in that 50-70-metre range, but as the role progressed, it became clear that there was more interest from clients in the slightly larger range of 70-90-metres. The yard has an extraordinary level of expertise and the team is accustomed to working on very large projects. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292972/image/large-4d0445e96017bc8decc73609440e5db2.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292972">Tell us about&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10533" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cali82.0m (269'0&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2024">Cali</a>, how did the project begin and is it not unusual for an owner to go with a relatively unknown designer?Absolutely and I think that is part of the reason that it is only now that she is launched that we have announced her as an in-house design. In the case of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10533" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cali82.0m (269'0&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2024">Cali</a>, she actually began as a 73-metre proposal sketch and it so happened that the owner in question loved the original exterior design and style, with the only major change being the length. I think for this owner, the fact that I was an in-house designer was less important than the fact that he loved her lines and that Lürssen’s reputation for excellence guaranteed a wonderful end result.&nbsp;The client had a very clear vision of what he wanted. He wanted his next yacht to feature some of the elements he felt his current yacht was missing, namely a beach club and an even larger sundeck with wind protection. He wanted four staterooms on the lower deck, as well as two VIPs on the main deck alongside the owner's stateroom. Unlike many yachts of her size today, the owner opted not to have an owner’s deck, instead having an enlarged sundeck and a sleeker exterior design. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292977/image/large-87daf37dbe9b3a11abeefcdaf5a977a4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292977">When it comes to your proposals, are you given creative licence, or do you draw inspiration from the&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>&nbsp;fleet?One of the best things about working as a designer at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> is the unequalled access to the yards portfolio of yachts, which enables me to draw inspiration from what has come before and also to match my designs to the capabilities of the yard. For example, when it comes to design intricacies, such as the pool on <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10533" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cali82.0m (269'0&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2024">Cali</a>, I was able to call the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> specialist and have a discussion there and then about potential design features or limitations. I am however given freedom to interpret the owner's wishes and I think that is something really unique to both the role and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/291962/image/large-1a60c0a4f219b247435b74a38e4d234f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/291962">How has the process been for you, launching your first own-design&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>?It has been a fantastic experience. Working alongside the brilliant team at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/61" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="RWD (Company)">RWD</a> on the interiors and Kees de Keizer who has represented the owner throughout the process, has been great. In my experience, it has been one of the most seamless build projects, despite the interruption of Covid in the middle. &nbsp;We had a very tight schedule for the build, and often when it comes to the big decision phases, projects sometimes become delayed because owners change their focus during the project and change priorities. This was not the case for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10533" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cali82.0m (269'0&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2024">Cali</a>, her owner was so clear on his ambition with the boat, he was incredibly responsive and we had a fantastic collaboration between <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>, RWD and the owner’s team.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/291963/image/large-2070c3703f5c4d0047a6af6e4c2219da.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/291963">Can you share a few of your favourite features of&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10533" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cali82.0m (269'0&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2024">Cali</a>?There are many things that I love about this project, but in particular the shapes of the exterior. Not having an owner’s deck allowed us to play with the lines and create a very sleek exterior and then that massive sundeck that could only have happened without an upper deck, is really special. The sundeck has 2.5 metres ceiling height and it is completely open aside from windbreak panels.&nbsp;She has a huge swim platform to accommodate the tenders, a floating dock for the Jet Skis and all other water sports activities. In combination with the pool on the main deck aft this will be the main area for day time &nbsp;activities onboard. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292975/image/large-9c05ff8d14ed240e801a4dec0c627d68.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292975">Finally, your first yacht is out there now, can we expect to see more&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a>-designed yachts hitting the water?<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> is famed for its incredible collaborations with the best designers in the superyacht industry, and this will never change. The work we have done over the past 4.5 years, I believe, has been very successful, but it will only be one string in the shipyard’s bow, though we currently have a few irons in the fire for a next project. I think it is a great addition to the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> offering to have an in-house designer that can work alongside the sales team and show owners what is possible on the smaller scale of things.&nbsp;Peter and Michael have been extraordinary mentors, I truly see them as the most respected professionals in the industry and it is amazing to work alongside them. I look forward to whatever it is we do next! &nbsp;

Interview with yacht designer Jim Sluijter

Last month Lürssen launched its first yacht from a smaller superyacht segment, the 82m Cali. We interviewed her designer.

In conversation: Lürssen's in-house designer Jim Sluijter on 82m superyacht Cali

Loran Stavrou, Yacht Sales Executive at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6334" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="OneWater Yacht Group (Company)">OneWater Yacht Group</a>, has had an extensive maritime career encompassing dynamic roles. From his beginnings as a private yacht captain to a navigational officer for commercial ships and a &nbsp;project manager, ultimately culminating his role as a seasoned yacht broker with expertise in <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> yacht sales.<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">SuperYacht Times</a> had the opportunity to meet Loran at our new office in Amsterdam. After a brief introductory conversation and a tour of the new office, we proceeded to the conference room for the interview, where Loran expressed his admiration for the yachting photography dotted around the office.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292885/image/large-f07023e307f4543ebce6fcf759282e14.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292885">Seated across from each other at the long wooden table, we resumed our conversation, with Loran recounting his entry into the yachting sector. At the age of 20, he was asked to join a sailing delivery from Greece to the Caribbean. “After returning from the sailing delivery I started working as a captain on sailing charters between the Greek islands, including deliveries of new sailing yachts from France to Greece. This eventually led to my first role as a private yacht captain on a 64-foot Grand Soleil Maxi One”. &nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/256188/image/large-4920d6ce027e0eefe163a22ca84f57ab.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/256188">After accumulating eight years of navigational experience, Loran returned to the Netherlands, where he completed Nautical College and achieved the status of a Commercial Unlimited Licensed Captain. Following his experience working on commercial ships, he eventually assumed the role of captain on the 49.3-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/516" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Anastassiades & Tsortanides (Company)">Anastassiades &amp; Tsortanides</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1498" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Asteria49.38m (162'0&quot;)Anastassiades & Tsortanides1970">Asteria</a>. Loran further elaborated how he transitioned into a more project management-oriented captain role, overseeing the construction of new-build yachts. His final assignment involved overseeing the construction of the 31.01-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2591" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Delfino31.01m (101'9&quot;)Sunseeker2006">Delfino</a>, which had previously been named&nbsp;Lady Christina.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/223537/image/large-570665fbb486aa2de8cdc82db33d061c.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/223537">As the interview progressed, it became evident that Loran holds a profound passion for the yachting industry. He revealed his enthusiasm, affirming that he could spend the entire day discussing the intricacies of the industry. When reflecting on the conventional 9-5 Monday-Friday work schedule, Loran articulated his aversion, particularly toward Mondays. He explained, "In this industry, I don't encounter the typical Monday grind. If I show a yacht on a Saturday or Sunday, and the prospective buyer expresses genuine interest, by Monday, I'm flying out to finalise the contract. The conventional Monday routine does not exist for me, it's an integral part of my identity and what fuels me to succeed”. He acknowledged that it also means foregoing a traditional Christmas break, but finds the continuous pace enjoyable.Loran then decided to transition to a shoreside role within the yachting sector, focusing on the sale of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> yachts in Miami. He commented: “After receiving a warm invitation from the sales director of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a>, I began my career selling <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> yachts in Miami 2009”. Loran further revealed the amusing coincidence that “before this, I worked in large ships delivering new <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> yachts to the US. I was responsible for the loading and discharge of yachts onto commercial vessels”.Despite his diverse maritime background, Loran intriguingly shared his challenges in transitioning from a captain and project manager to a broker. “As a captain and, notably, as a project manager, my role involved identifying and addressing all yacht-related issues. However, in sales, one's primary duty is to listen attentively to the client's requirements and preferences. Initially, I found myself inadvertently pointing out yacht issues to clients, which runs counter to the role of a broker”.When explaining his decision to primarily focus on selling <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> yachts, Loran cited two main factors. First, his extensive experiences with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> particularly on new-build projects; and secondly, their meticulous attention to detail in client service, specifically customising interior layouts as part of their bespoke programme for larger models. “For instance, as part of a <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> 95 Yacht new-build, we installed a music studio into the layout. Similarly, in a recent 90 Ocean project, we installed custom modifications to the main deck saloon sofa to both enlarge it whilst curving the end module in order to ease access to the sliding side patio door whilst adding deeper, softer bases for client comfort. We then made a raft of changes to the open galley arrangement with an extended bar to allow for three bar stools and a shutter blind recessed into the ceiling to ensure the aesthetic was not affected but allows for a multi-use galley offering an open social space but also a closed off private area if the chef is onboard. These seemingly straightforward changes highlight <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a>’s adaptability in meeting client demands, setting them apart from other yards.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/250523/image/large-4cf316434019e9b89e2d1de6afee9f43.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/250523">When discussing his success in selling <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> yachts, Loran emphasised his specialisation in catering to yacht enthusiasts. While various <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> models, such as the 88 and 95 Yacht, have been popular, he particularly excelled with the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> 76 Yacht. His achievement in this field is rooted in a shared passion with his customers: a profound appreciation for navigating the open ocean. This shared enthusiasm aligns with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a>'s hull designs and navigation capabilities.&nbsp;Loran further pointed out that certain yacht hull designs restrict their capacity to navigate across the deep seas. Owners of such yachts often choose to ship their vessels to then fly to the location and stay onboard, essentially utilising their yacht as a live-aboard setting. As for the typical <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> owner Loran explained that “they tend to have a deep passion for navigating and piloting their yachts. For instance, the owner of Lady Christina simply enjoyed sitting on the flybridge and taking control of his yacht.“Loran further noted that,"many yacht owners just love being at anchor, partying, or simply enjoying the view. Here's the thing: I've had the pleasure of working with numerous customers, who not only appreciate the yachts for their hull designs and operational capabilities, but also enjoy sharing their experiences with me. They often send me family photos as they enjoy their time on the yacht. Sometimes, I even receive videos showcasing the yacht's performance, even in rough seas. I remember once sitting down and receiving pictures of a client enjoying cocktails onboard. And a week later, the owner would send a video of him cruising the yacht at 20 knots and 30 knots, you could feel the thrill as the yacht powered through the waves."When asked about noteworthy trends in the market, Loran highlighted a recent intriguing development towards downsizing. "While it's a common practice for yacht owners to upgrade their vessels," he noted, “there's a noticeable surge in owners embracing the idea of downsizing and significantly reducing their crews. Some have gone from ten or twelve crew members to as few as five or even none at all.”&nbsp;He illustrated this shift with an example of a former client who once owned a <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> 95 Yacht but now owns a <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> 76 Yacht. “Notably, this client now navigates the vessel himself and enjoys the newfound autonomy. In the context of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> yachts within the 30-metre range, it is typical to maintain a crew of at least two members. However, when transitioning to a 21.3-metre yacht any owner can captain the yacht and the need for these two crew (permanent) vanishes. This enables owners with increased autonomy and privacy as they can not only conveniently moor their yachts in front of their residences but also enjoy time with their families onboard without anyone else”.&nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292829/image/large-6d085777487cebc5a69400d0e17447a1.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292829">As for his advice for individuals aspiring to become yacht brokers, Loran commented that:” I would emphasise the importance of thorough product knowledge. Knowledge is critical in this field. My advice would be to step onboard every yacht, open every hatch, and familiarise yourself with every system. Understanding the history of the specific yacht builder and their previous models is crucial. Whenever possible, try to visit the shipyard where they are crafted. In the yachting industry, in-depth product knowledge is a key to success”.As the interview was drawing to a close, Loran was asked if he could invest in any yacht, what type he would choose and why. He replied, “apart from a wonderful <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sunseeker (Company)">Sunseeker</a> sitting at the bottom of my garden to jump onboard at a moment’s notice, I would also choose a sailing yacht, based between the Greek islands, allowing the wind to guide me. It would be a journey back to where it all began.”

"The conventional routine does not exist for me": Meet Loran Stavrou of OneWater Yacht Group

SuperYacht Times had the opportunity to meet Loran at our new office in Amsterdam.

The <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">Maritime Research Institute Netherlands</a>, better known by the acronym <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a>, is globally recognised for its tank testing facilities. But a visit to its headquarters in Wageningen revealed a much wider scope of research and investment aimed at ensuring a smarter, safer and more sustainable maritime sector.&nbsp;We’ve all seen photos and videos of bright yellow hull models bobbing about in <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a>’s water basins. Despite the rise of Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD), tank testing remains a demonstrably objective way to quantify the behaviour and performance of vessels in realistic conditions. But the institute’s track record in maritime research and concept development would not be possible without other tools and facilities.&nbsp;“We don’t just play around with scale models in big swimming pools all day,” says Enrico Della Valentina, team leader of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a>’s yacht division. “We want to bridge the gap between design and operation. So we have the software tools, simulators and measurement techniques to reliably predict not only performance in the design phases, but also to optimise the subsequent operation of the ship or structure, including the human factor.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292664/image/large-81da5ba436cef8bda1c544cb67815d34.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292664">He shows me an example of this mission as he guides me through the sprawling <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a> complex. Nestled in a space between two existing buildings and viewable from the company canteen are the foundations and curved steel ribs of what will be the Seven Oceans Simulator Centre (SOSC).&nbsp;Due for completion in 2024 at a cost of around €17 million, the SOSC will contain moving simulators, a VR/AR experience room and human-factor monitoring equipment that simulate complex maritime operations. The spherical simulators will be unique because advanced visualisation environments can be projected 360 degrees around the users, but also upwards and downwards for a full-immersion experience. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292651/image/large-b4a2959b2624235c69f47077d3b79086.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292651">Test, simulate, experienceAlthough the SOSC will be housed in a new structure, much of the hardware is already in use at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a>’s existing simulators that include Full Mission Bridge facilities, Compact Manoeuvring Simulators and a Fast Small Ship Simulator (FSSS). I was invited to try out the FSSS, which was originally set up to resolve a specific problem faced by Dutch Special Forces using high-speed craft (HSC).“These boats need to reach their target as quickly as possible in all sea conditions and the onboard teams have to arrive in one piece,” says Marta Ibarrondo, Project Manager Maritime Operations at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a>. “The problem was that they were getting thrown around and injured because of the very high accelerations and G forces. Our job was to reduce the likelihood of injury by simulating the kind of conditions they might come across.”The FSSS was designed to train military personnel in high-speed boat handling and navigation by providing dynamic feedback from imposed forces that simulate slamming, broaching and surfing. It comprises a control console that is an exact replica of those used by the Royal Netherlands Navy and spring-loaded seats mounted on top of a hexapod, a kinematic motion device typically used for racing car simulations. The hexapod motions can be precisely programmed to simulate degrees of pitch, roll and yaw (a tugboat set-up can also be lowered into place through a soft patch in the roof) while specific locations or environments are projected onto a 200-degree screen in front of the console.&nbsp;My scenario required steering a RIB through a moderate but increasing sea into the open transom of a waiting mothership and accelerate up a docking ramp. I failed repeatedly, feeling the impact each time the boat hit the sides of the ship (Special Forces are trained to carry out the manoeuvre at night in heavy seas when the mothership is underway). Fortunately, the FSSS is also used to simulate less extreme situations. &nbsp;&nbsp;“Take stabilisers, for example,” says Della Valentina. “Various factors come into play when deciding which system to install on a yacht, but comfort is high on the list. The concept of comfort is notoriously subjective, however, and quantitative methods for motion criteria give no insight into how we experience those motions, or how they might affect the operation of the vessel. By taking the data from CFD, model tests and sea trials and feeding it into the FSSS, we can simulate what different systems actually feel like in various sea conditions.”&nbsp;The software can also simulate different Dynamic Positioning systems, hull shapes and metacentric heights (GM). A higher GM provides better stability and seakeeping, but a lower GM generally means more onboard comfort. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a> has identified an ideal GM of between 1.2 and 1.5-metres when the motions are still soft but the yacht is safe and stable. Clients can experience what that feels like in the simulator before a yacht is built. What’s more, the system can be programmed so they experience it from the beach club, main saloon or owner’s stateroom.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292654/image/large-80e8ad3f10e401752d6cb8d2f06e38b4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292654">Whatever the scenario, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a> is careful to validate the numerical models not only through model tests but also via feedback from experienced operators and instructors, so that every aspect of the simulation – from throttle response and turning circle to roll angle and motion behaviour in waves from different directions – is true to life.&nbsp;Another important element that is still being researched is the notion of cybersickness, the feeling of dizziness or nausea that Virtual Reality can induce. It is different from motion sickness insofar as VR can produce a sense of disorientation, whereas simulations may result in oculomotor disturbances or mismatches between what we see and how we move – factors that have to be understood and accounted for when fine-tuning the numerical models.&nbsp;Crisis control&nbsp;These simulators will be gathered under one roof in the SOSC and by linking them together they can be used to recreate complex or critical multi-vessel operations. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a> is routinely consulted during investigations into maritime accidents. Much of this work is covered by NDAs, but <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a> itself uses the example of an incident in January 2022 when a bulk carrier called the Jiulietta D broke anchor and ran adrift in a part of the North Sea where a wind farm was under construction. The ship collided with a chemical tanker, hit a transformer platform and wind turbine foundation, and narrowly missed a gas production platform.&nbsp;During a complex rescue operation, the crew were airlifted to safety and tugs managed to tow the ship away before it ran aground, but the outcome could have been much worse. To learn how things might have been done differently, the SOSC will be able to simulate the Force 9 winds and six-metre high waves, as well as the relative positions of the wind turbines, from the different perspectives of the Jiulietta D and the smaller rescue vessels, as well as relative to each other.The crews on the simulators receive feedback from instructors who are following the entire operation and the simulation can be stopped or reversed to explore alternative responses to the emergency. In the simulated coordination centre the captain is able to call the Coast Guard to request evacuation and search and rescue helicopters can be dispatched. &nbsp;&nbsp;“Meanwhile we have specialists and psychologists to analyse the stress factor and participants are wired up to measure brain activity, eye tracking, blood oxygenation, and so on,” says Della Valentina. “The human factor is usually decisive in high-risk situations and is an important research area for us.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292656/image/large-983f5fbdc95c3d3b4c1359445bb1d070.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292656">The airlift procedure can also be simulated. Winching operations at sea are always risky, but especially during a storm. In the SOSC’s Maritime Experience Lab, a crew member standing on a hexapod can experience the motion of the vessel and what it’s like trying to grab hold of a helicopter lifeline from a stricken ship (<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a> is also researching haptic technologies to recreate the sensation of touch and make the experience even more realistic).&nbsp;What do superyachts have to do with bulk carriers in the North Sea? Well, yachts also break anchor, run aground and collide with other vessels (when 63-metre Utopia IV collided with the tanker Tropic Breeze in 2021 in the Bahamas, ‘catastrophic force’ pierced the tanker’s stern causing the ship to sink). Crowded marinas and busy cruising grounds offer plenty of potentially hazardous situations. By analysing the interaction between the sea, people and vessels regardless of type, the SOSC aims to make all maritime operations safer and more efficient.The engine room of the futureThe energy transition and decarbonisation of the maritime sector is well underway. Initially prompted by IMO regulations and other legislation, shipyards are now acting on their own initiative to develop carbon neutral – and ultimately zero emission – power and propulsion systems. This creates opportunities, but also uncertainties: what will be the fuels of the next decade; which power system will prove the most reliable; how will energy be stored, distributed and managed? To investigate these questions and more, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a> is completing a prototype engine room of the future as part of its Zero Emission Lab (ZEL) with the aim of finding the ideal balance between zero emission and efficiency.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292655/image/large-e331ab89546a7f88643cdd2a0eaeb89f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292655">The ZEL is basically an extension of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a>’s old cavitation tunnel used to study the interaction between propeller hydrodynamics and power systems. Once completed, it will be possible to test various propulsion set-ups: an electric motor powered by batteries, a supercapacitor, a hydrogen fuel cell, or a methanol (dual-fuel) generator set, or combinations of these systems. The cavitation tunnel means solutions can be tested in real-life manoeuvring or crash stop conditions, for example, and the modular architecture allows for emerging solutions to be integrated in the future.&nbsp;As a Joint Industry Project comprising stakeholders in different maritime sectors from tugboats and transport vessels to cruise ships and superyachts, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1463" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bureau Veritas (Company)">Bureau Veritas</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6617" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Damen Shipyards (Company)">Damen</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1409" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="MTU (Company)">MTU</a> <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2207" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rolls-Royce Marine (Company)">Rolls-Royce</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1438" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Wärtsilä (Company)">Wärtsilä</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/374" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sanlorenzo (Company)">Sanlorenzo</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/64" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oceanco (Company)">Oceanco</a> are just some of the partners that have signed up to the project. Using simulation, monitoring and Big Data technology, a ‘digital twin’ of the ZEL has also been developed to allow vessels to be built and operated in virtual reality.&nbsp;“Each ZEL partner is looking into the best options available for a specific operational profile, which creates an environment for accelerating the learning curve through combined research,” says Della Valentina. “The beauty is that it also removes the risk factor of going at it alone, because if you invest in the wrong technology you can still profit from the findings of the other partners.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292657/image/large-3de680ddba775492b86db3ab346f8b70.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292657">Initial evaluations were made using a special tool to investigate and compare different energy carriers and power conversion systems. The tool basically lists the main characteristics of the selected solutions to derive required volume and weight, typical investment price, efficiency (power output) and emission levels. Combining this data with the expected range and required power provides a quick scan of viable solutions that can be evaluated according to user-defined criteria.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a> published a Specification and Exploration report outlining new propulsion, power and energy (PPE) systems for eight different vessel types (Use Cases), the first in a 5-stage process that will end with the testing and validation of the lab models.“We realised that the challenges faced by the yachting industry in developing more efficient and sustainable powertrains are just too many to be managed by individual shipyards or research teams,” says Paolo Bertetti, vice-president of product design and innovation at Sanlorenzo, which in 2024 expects to launch a prototype 50-metre yacht equipped with fuel cells that generate electricity from reformed methanol. “By joining forces with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7076" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maritime Research Institute Netherlands (Company)">MARIN</a>, industry suppliers and other shipyards, we can be faster in defining the most promising propulsion solutions and then compare the pros and cons with state-of-the-art simulation tools. For <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/374" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sanlorenzo (Company)">Sanlorenzo</a>, and the yachting industry at large, it means we can shorten the time to market of more sustainable propulsion solutions.”This article was originally published in Issue 2 of How To Build It, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-2" target="_blank">download the magazine for free here</a>.

Case Study: MARIN

MARIN is globally recognised for its tank testing facilities. But a visit to its headquarters revealed a much wider scope of research.

How MARIN's human-centric approach is revolutionising yachting safety and sustainability

You’d expect an automotive designer to design cars – not superyachts. But one young Citroën designer in the late 1980s had his mind out at sea, far from the asphalt, sketching yacht designs in his free time, and with more than 50 yachts, 24-metres and larger to his name, we’re all grateful for it.&nbsp;“My entry into yachting was actually a coincidence,” <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/234" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Guido de Groot Design (Company)">Guido de Groot</a> reflected. “I was on vacation and happened to befriend Bieb de Vries of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a>, I must have only been 20 years old at the time. I didn’t know anything about superyachts but we got talking and he invited me to visit his shipyard. I was blown away when I saw what he was building.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/291738/image/large-a75f55c2429d340627fe134ce04dcef8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/291738">That fateful visit was in the mid-80s and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/234" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Guido de Groot Design (Company)">Guido de Groot</a> was one of the first to chance a look at the 49.47-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2094" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Highlander49.47m (162'4&quot;)Feadship1986">Highlander</a> (at the time she was 45.8-metres), designed by Jon Banenberg and commissioned for the media mogul Malcolm Stevenson Forbes. “She was the first superyacht I had ever seen and I remember thinking just how cool she was,” de Groot said. Citroën was about to lose one of its budding designers.&nbsp;“I was still following my career as a designer but each time I sketched a good yacht design after hours, I would share them with Bieb. He started giving me small assignments, illustration works for some of his boats. I had been at Citroën for around six years by that time.”&nbsp;But the real challenge was in the mid-90s when de Groot received a call from Bieb asking for ‘fresh ideas’ and a full yacht design. The result was the 48.2-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/252" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Tasia48.2m (158'2&quot;)Feadship1997">Tasia</a> (originally called Katrion), built on speculation and delivered in 1996. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/252" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Tasia48.2m (158'2&quot;)Feadship1997">Tasia</a> was pivotal. “Soon after her launch, I formally resigned from Citroën and started travelling to shipyards and boat shows looking for clients as a yacht designer.”&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/293" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mulder Shipyard (Company)">Mulder Shipyard</a> was to be de Groot’s first official client, soon followed by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6209" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere Navali Leopard (Company)">Cantiere Navale Arno Shipyard</a>, a member of the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1486" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Rodriguez Group (Company)">Rodriguez Group</a> which produces <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/362" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Leopard Yachts (Company)">Leopard Yachts</a>. After curating the interior of the 24-metre motor yacht Crazy, de Groot left such an impression that led to a further five custom interior projects. It also left his hallmark in Italy, which soon garnered the attention of brands such as <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/473" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Overmarine Group SPA (Company)">Overmarine</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1205" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="AB Yachts (Company)">AB Yachts</a>.Even from those very early days <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/234" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Guido de Groot Design (Company)">Guido de Groot</a> was proving himself as diverse and unorthodox; he was designing everything from large displacement yachts in the Netherlands to fast motor yachts in Italy and nearly every design in between. “I love variation and have as much fun designing a very classical sailing yacht as I do a <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5752" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vanquish Yachts (Company)">Vanquish</a>; I would find it terribly boring if I was doing the same type of design over and over again.”&nbsp;The process remains the same though and every yacht starts life as a simple line drawing sketched in graphite from a HB pencil. “It’s from that first sketch that the idea is born – it’s as true for the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10251" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vanquish VQ80 SportFish24.4m (80'1&quot;)Vanquish Yachts2023">Vanquish Sportfish</a> as it is for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2948" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van der Valk Shipyard (Company)">Van der Valk</a>’s <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10811" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Blue Jeans33.74m (110'8&quot;)Van der Valk Shipyard2022">Blue Jeans</a>. Once that first sketch has been drawn out, I start adding details and growing the design.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/254053/image/large-99b69c5688fa683870b8faac4ed9e332.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/254053">A perfect example of Guido’s design style is the 112.3-metre concept Project One 123, based on an <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/64" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Oceanco (Company)">Oceanco</a> platform. Aimed to create the maximum interior and exterior, without losing a lightness to her exterior lines, the yacht is an elegant example of Guido’s design capabilities, with flowing, integrated lines and a timeless aesthetic.The 24.4-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10251" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vanquish VQ80 SportFish24.4m (80'1&quot;)Vanquish Yachts2023">Vanquish VQ80 SportFish</a>, the support vessel for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>’s 60-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/8982" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ultra G60.0m (196'10&quot;)Heesen Yachts2023">Ultra G</a>, was originally designed with outboard engines and intended as a stand-alone vessel. “We changed her a lot as the original design didn’t allow for the power that her owner needed. But that initial sketch remained the same.“She was the first sportfisher yacht that we designed and the challenge was thrilling; we had to learn everything about this style of yacht, yet we still had to deliver a Vanquish. She has a totally different base to typical sportfish yachts as a result. We’re really proud of her.”&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5752" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vanquish Yachts (Company)">Vanquish Yachts</a> is as disruptive as de Groot – and together, they’re making waves. The shipyard has seen great success with its lightning fast and aggressive VQ series, and the 35-metre flagship VQ115 has had three orders before the first unit even hit the water (happening later this year).&nbsp;Less than 200 kilometres south of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/5752" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vanquish Yachts (Company)">Vanquish Yachts</a> is one of the few remaining custom builders in the 20 - 40-metre segment: <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2948" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van der Valk Shipyard (Company)">Van der Valk Shipyard</a>. “It’s a great client for us as we have so much freedom and need to design such a variety of yachts. They also build quickly. “It’s such a good team and the speed that we can move is quite amazing,” de Groot smiled. “The 34-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10158" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="LL34.0m (111'7&quot;)Van der Valk Shipyard2021">LL</a> was delivered within 22 months from my initial sketch.” And speed in no way impares quality or innovation. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/219769/image/large-5d793e67fbd8dbfd44b10a90ab24fcef.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/219769">Working regularly at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2948" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van der Valk Shipyard (Company)">Van der Valk Shipyard</a> with Guido de Groot are world-renowned architects and engineers <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/7" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Diana Yacht Design B.V. (Company)">Diana Yacht Design</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/285" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ginton Naval Architects (Company)">Ginton Naval Architects</a> – both were involved in <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10158" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="LL34.0m (111'7&quot;)Van der Valk Shipyard2021">LL</a> and the former also engineered <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10811" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Blue Jeans33.74m (110'8&quot;)Van der Valk Shipyard2022">Blue Jeans</a>. At 33.74-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10811" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Blue Jeans33.74m (110'8&quot;)Van der Valk Shipyard2022">Blue Jeans</a> is the third largest and has innovation at every turn. “The client wanted a sleek design that disguises the high ceilings, natural materials throughout and for the yacht to remain unpainted. We opted for an Asian-European fusion design language and a general arrangement that is suited to a family of all ages,” de Groot explained.&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10811" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Blue Jeans33.74m (110'8&quot;)Van der Valk Shipyard2022">Blue Jeans</a> is incredibly versatile and adaptable to needs. But what she isn’t is raw, unpainted. “It wasn’t a practical request, so we left the tender unpainted instead to still respect their wishes. We also had a lot of fun with the lighting and presented a large element hidden underneath a white panel that spans the entire ceiling of the main saloon. It was a challenging design that needed a lot of research and we’re really pleased with how well it turned out.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/254027/image/large-08b73415ea756804f7e2c93ba8ea2f8a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/254027">Guido and his team are continuing to produce world-class projects, with two new orders announced in June, also alongside Dutch yard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2948" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van der Valk Shipyard (Company)">Van der Valk</a>. The 34-metre Project 111.11 and the 35-metre Project Samba both feature platforms based on the multi-award winning <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10158" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="LL34.0m (111'7&quot;)Van der Valk Shipyard2021">Lady Lene</a>, but will be highly customised for their owners. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/291993/image/large-2a20e213ff56811ea044c06e96374bcb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/291993">Project 111.11 showcases expansive windows and an arch rising diagonally from the main deck to the hard top, in a single straight line. The explorer yacht features an asymmetrical semi-full-beam skylounge and a sidewalk from the bridge to aft deck to avoid crew going through the lounge. While Project Samba is characterised by her large aft deck, which includes a relaxation area with a large aft-facing sofa and a formal alfresco dining table. Her central staircase with a single large column from the lower to bridge deck also serves as a piece of art and optimises freedom of movement.In addition to the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2948" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Van der Valk Shipyard (Company)">Van der Valk</a> projects, Guido is working on a yacht featuring innovative hydrogen propulsion systems. “Designing a yacht for the future is interesting because it's complicated, we thrive on the challenge. We’re also seeing a lot more clients who are willing to think outside of the box. Shaping what’s possible is the role of the designer; it’s our job to drive change with our conceptual designs and challenge conservatism.”&nbsp;This article is featured in the SuperYacht Times 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.

At the studio with Guido de Groot

From automobiles to superyachts, SYT sits down with Dutch designer Guido de Groot.

Francesca Webster sat down with Jim Glidewell, serial yacht owner and lover of Alaska, to find out more about his life with yachts.I joined Jim Glidewell aboard his 58-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/106" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Trinity Yachts, LLC (Company)">Trinity</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/118" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Unbridled58.22m (191'0&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2009">Unbridled</a> at Rybovich Marina during the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/164" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Palm Beach International Boat Show - 2023">Palm Beach International Boat Show</a> this March. It was the second time I had the pleasure of meeting Jim, having first interviewed him under the same circumstances a year before, at that time to discuss his experience of yacht brokerage firm <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/526" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Northrop and Johnson (Company)">Northrop &amp; Johnson</a>, with whom he’d recently acquired the yacht. During this meeting however, it was Jim himself that was the topic of discussion.&nbsp;A highly successful businessman with a Dentistry empire and over 5,000 employees, Jim is a force to reckon with. Over the decades his love of yachting has led to the acquisition of more than 12 yachts, and he currently owns two other superyachts in addition to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/106" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Trinity Yachts, LLC (Company)">Trinity</a>, the 39.62-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/217" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Westport Yachts (Company)">Westport</a> <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3322" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Serengeti39.62m (129'12&quot;)Westport Yachts2002">Serengeti</a> and the 39-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/610" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Northcoast Yachts (Company)">NorthCoast</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shogun39.0m (127'11&quot;)Northcoast Yachts2002">Shogun</a>, both of which he retains between the USA’s West Coast and in the Bahamas. The larger yachts are then accompanied by a smattering of smaller boats, including a 63 foot superfast Baia Azzura called Parvina&nbsp;after his wife, and a number of fishing boats.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/283465/image/large-51c52abfc6c51babecd058aa24be7dbc.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/283465">&nbsp;Jim’s love of being onboard began during the Vietnam War when, at the age of 18, ran a 40-footer delivering marines from warships to shore. “That’s where the passion for it really started. It was great fun, yes we got shot at a few times but only because I hadn’t paid my bar bill! I was born in Las Vegas – you can't get much more landlocked than that – so Vietnam was a real experience and working a boat really ignited my passion.” Returning from Vietnam to school in California, Jim moved to a house on the water with a boat dock and gradually his boats grew in size. From a 30 to a 40 foot, he in 1995 eventually graduated to the 28.6-metre Voyager from <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>, a contemporary of &nbsp;John Staluppi’s famous high speed <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2547" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Octopussy 43.58m (142'12&quot;)Heesen Yachts1988">Octopussy</a>.&nbsp;After Voyager, Jim unscaled to the 36.57-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/488" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Broward Marine (Company)">Broward Marine</a> motor yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1219" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sovereign Lady36.57m (119'12&quot;)Broward Marine1991">Sovereign</a> (now <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1219" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sovereign Lady36.57m (119'12&quot;)Broward Marine1991">Sovereign Lady</a>). He then bought the 37.19-metre custom <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1093" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Flagship (Company)">Flagship</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1793" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Serenity37.19m (122'0&quot;)Flagship1993">Bon Bon</a> (now <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1793" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Serenity37.19m (122'0&quot;)Flagship1993">Serenity</a>) at auction. He kept <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1793" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Serenity37.19m (122'0&quot;)Flagship1993">Bon Bon</a> up until a few years ago, only replacing her with his current <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/217" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Westport Yachts (Company)">Westport</a> <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1793" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Serenity37.19m (122'0&quot;)Flagship1993">Serengeti</a> in 2013. Serengeti was built for the entertainer, Johnny Carson. Since then, Jim has owned the 49-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/106" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Trinity Yachts, LLC (Company)">Trinity</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/358" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Zoom Zoom Zoom49.07m (160'12&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2005">Zoom Zoom Zoom</a>, which he sold in 2021, and the 47-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/570" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Admiral (Company)">Admiral</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/490" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Star Diamond46.93m (153'12&quot;)Admiral Marine Works1998">Star Diamond</a>, previously named <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/490" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Star Diamond46.93m (153'12&quot;)Admiral Marine Works1998">Ohana</a>, then <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/490" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Star Diamond46.93m (153'12&quot;)Admiral Marine Works1998">Rhino</a> and also sold in 2021.&nbsp;One thing that is conspicuous among the extraordinary list of yachts that Jim has owned over the years is that, bar the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/54" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Heesen Yachts (Company)">Heesen</a>, they are American built, essentially representing a who's-who of American yacht builders. “That is an intentional decision because if you cruise in Alaska with a foreign flag they require that you take a pilot onboard for $3,000 per day, even if the yacht is American flagged now and used to fly a different flag.”For Jim, cruising in Alaska is the pinnacle of his time spent aboard and it’s one of the main places he charters <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3322" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Serengeti39.62m (129'12&quot;)Westport Yachts2002">Serengeti</a>. “Straight from the airport in Juneau there's the glacier, salmon, bears, and that’s before I’ve even put people on the boat!” Members of the crew use drones to capture the charter weeks and Jim is clearly an enthusiast, also fitting <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/118" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Unbridled58.22m (191'0&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2009">Unbridled</a> with drones that take off from the water. “The thing about having a drone onboard is that you’re creating immediate memories that my family or charter guests can take home with them. All of the charter guests are given a video at the end of the week and they love that, it's a nice touch, especially because we really want people to remember the time onboard and come back the next year.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/31931/image/large-27280f6c6c1dfe5d20bdf032a3756327.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/31931">When in Alaska himself, Jim and his family like to explore the islands and climb icebergs. “The kids take the pickaxes and climb the bergs with ice buckets and fill them up for our evening cocktails. My perfect week onboard with the family would be up there, hiking among the creeks, setting traps for Dungeness crabs and fishing for salmon, halibut and shrimp. We have a barbecue and fish smoker onboard and I've recently bought an enclosed ACI 32’ tender that is better for that region because you keep warm and dry.”Not only are Jim’s yachts American, they also tend to sit around the 40 metre mark, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/118" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Unbridled58.22m (191'0&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2009">Unbridled</a> being the outlier at nearly 60-metres. “<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/118" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Unbridled58.22m (191'0&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2009">Unbridled</a> is a brilliant boat, not only is she super spacious on the inside, but she also has this massive 36-foot beam and big decks so I can have big parties out here with all of our team. Actually before we found this boat I went to my broker Kevin Merrigan and said ‘look I want a 36 foot beam and I don't care how long the boat is’.”While <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/118" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Unbridled58.22m (191'0&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2009">Unbridled</a> spends most of her time down in Florida and the Bahamas, she is also chartered up the East Coast to Nantucket and Newport, Rhode Island. Fitted with the full suite of diving gear, the yacht was originally built as a dive vessel and you can see that clearly from her deck configuration. The main deck aft is a tender deck, with a large open plan layout that lends itself to diving preparation, while the upper decks are used for entertainment with dining and lounge arrangements. Having injured his ears piloting his twin engine Aerostar plane a few years ago, Jim is no longer a diver himself, but the yacht is still fitted with oxygen and nitrox makers for family and charter guests to use.&nbsp;While Jim buys the yachts partially for charter, he also uses all them extensively himself with his family, as well as to share them with the many senior managers at his company Glidewell Dental.&nbsp;“In January 2021 we took <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/358" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Zoom Zoom Zoom49.07m (160'12&quot;)Trinity Yachts, LLC2005">Zoom Zoom Zoom</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shogun39.0m (127'11&quot;)Northcoast Yachts2002">Shogun</a> down to the Bahamas and chartered the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/47" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Delta Marine (Company)">Delta Marine</a> superyacht Continental Drifter III (now <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/441" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fore Aces37.8m (124'0&quot;)Delta Marine2003">Four Aces</a>) for a week with our managers. It is a great thing to be able to offer the team and they really love being onboard the boat. Having 30 management people at one exotic location was something they will not forget. We actually keep <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shogun39.0m (127'11&quot;)Northcoast Yachts2002">Shogun</a> in California and every other Friday we invite 120 Dentists onboard for a harbor cruise as part of the educational seminars that the team runs at the company’s headquarters in Newport Beach.” &nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/193873/image/large-1c3bbae10efdfa1b7ee8f2ad600aa471.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/193873">As well as hosting dentists onboard every month, Jim uses <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shogun39.0m (127'11&quot;)Northcoast Yachts2002">Shogun</a> weekly to enjoy drinks or dinner onboard with friends and family. Since buying <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shogun39.0m (127'11&quot;)Northcoast Yachts2002">Shogun</a>, then <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shogun39.0m (127'11&quot;)Northcoast Yachts2002">Lady Kath</a>, in 2019, the yacht has undergone a major interior overhaul and is now decked out like an Imperial Japanese palace.&nbsp;Partly for fun and partly to make her a more interesting offering on the charter market, Jim’s reimagining of the yacht came in tandem with her name change. Like <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shogun39.0m (127'11&quot;)Northcoast Yachts2002">Shogun</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3322" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Serengeti39.62m (129'12&quot;)Westport Yachts2002">Serengeti</a>’s interiors are themed inline with her name and her saloon and staterooms are decked out in animal print with dark wooden furnishings.&nbsp;Jim has a big family, with three young sons and two daughters and when it comes to the yachts, the children all enjoy being on the water and spending time with friends onboard, whether it is fishing in Alaska or diving in the Bahamas. During the show Jim visited a number of boats with Kevin, looking for a larger replacement for <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3322" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Serengeti39.62m (129'12&quot;)Westport Yachts2002">Serengeti</a> to charter on the West Coast, which he will no doubt find in the coming months. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/283464/image/large-06c4b4d1848b68c78e7781912f2f49bb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/283464">“One thing that amazed me walking through the show is the size of boats we are seeing nowadays. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/7335" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ahpo115.1m (377'7&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2021">Ahpo</a> is sitting behind us at Rybovich, At 377’, &nbsp;it shocks me that people build yachts that size because where do they berth them? I tend to buy used boats that have lost about 60 percent of their value and at this point I &nbsp;wouldn’t look into building one because at the age of 77, I don’t have the patience to wait for four years, &nbsp;I like to perform refits, and customize them to my Wife’s desires!.”While Jim may never build a superyacht, there is no doubt that he’ll take over the ownership of many others, and I look forward to joining him again next year to find out more about his yachting adventures.&nbsp;This article is featured in the 45th edition of the SuperYacht Times newspaper.&nbsp;<a href="https://shop.superyachttimes.com/report/the-superyacht-times-subscription" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Subscribe now</a>&nbsp;to receive your copy straight to your door and never miss another issue.

yacht life with Jim Glidewell

Francesca Webster sat down with Jim Glidewell, serial yacht owner and lover of Alaska, to find out more about his life with yachts.

Life onboard the 58m Trinity superyacht Unbridled with owner Jim Glidewell

A spate of yacht fires last year prompted the industry to reassess its fire prevention regulations, particularly with regard to the smaller vessels in the fleet. SuperYacht Times takes a look back at these regulations and questions whether lithium-ion batteries are really to blame for the flames?In a year of dramatic headlines, the word ‘fire’ seemed to crop up a lot in 2022, although the incidents of fire aboard yachts over 24 metres has been fairly constant in recent years. The proliferation of lithium-ion batteries is often blamed, but in many cases the jury is still out. While classification societies handle structure, machinery, electrical and control engineering, regulations covering fire suppression and prevention lie in the hands of Flag States, and therefore are dictated by the various yacht codes. It is here that an interesting fact emerges:“An initial look at the list of accidents makes it clear that most of the fires last year were on smaller yachts,” says Lorenzo Pollicardo, Technical and Environmental Director at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2589" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss) (Company)">Superyacht Builders Association</a> (SYBAss). “This means they fall outside compliance with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4531" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="International Maritime Organization (Company)">International Maritime Organisation</a> [IMO] requirements in terms of safety, and some of those yachts are built to comply with the Recreational Craft Directive rather than yacht codes.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/235163/image/large-0f3c37fccbd31d7b2227e0d748b5ab1c.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/235163">This has led to industry discussions on how to adapt existing regulations, or implement new ones, that will cover more of the fleet, and where to draw the boundary for regulatory compliance.“We have drafted the REG Yacht Code as an equivalence to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1455" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="SOLAS (Company)">SOLAS</a>, the Load Line Convention and the Maritime Labour Convention, and we have notified <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4531" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="International Maritime Organization (Company)">IMO</a> accordingly,” says Julian Smith, Principal Surveyor, Global Safety and Compliance at Cayman Island Registry. “So effectively we have used the underlying conventions that are published by the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4531" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="International Maritime Organization (Company)">IMO</a>, mindful also of the fact that yachts have their own unique sets of challenges in design and operation that makes them markedly different to merchant shipping.”One of the challenges, Smith points out, is the rate of technological change: “We’ve got a great deal coming through both in terms of electro-mechanical systems on the one hand, and alternative fuels on the other, and then there are electrically driven tenders and toys. And traditionally, maritime regulation hasn’t been known for its agility.”E-toys and tendersFrom Seabobs to electric tenders with power outputs ranging from 1kWh units to 60kWh liquid-cooled battery banks, the proliferation of e-toys and tenders poses a challenge in terms of garage design and fire safety.“We get a lot of enquiries from crew now about advice for battery toys and about fireproof covers,” says Roxane Ducruet, managing director of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2854" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Superyacht Tenders and Toys (Company)">Superyacht Tenders &amp; Toys MC</a>. “Our advice is not always to fully charge products on a fast charger, and to consider fireproof battery cases. We work with companies supplying fireproof cases that match the shape of their batteries, and some Flag States are now requesting these. We are also starting to see big superyachts in build that have dedicated battery rooms.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/268569/image/large-5f3f712a39140a4f20331d76360e4a90.avif" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/268569">It is advisable not to be on the bleeding edge with new toys that may not been tested extensively, and to be careful of where you source them. “There are a lot of cheap products coming from China or other markets that may not have as stringent safety requirements as we do in Europe,” says Rory Boyle, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/159" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Burgess (Company)">Burgess</a> project manager. “Things like the CE mark are useful to gauge safety – and that applies not only to toys, but also to other equipment such as interior gadgets and even torches.”Another issue is that toys are often designed to be as light as possible, and that may mean critical structure has been removed to keep a battery safe from damage or water ingress. Seabobs have been around for years, and their heavy battery banks are well-proven. “But when you look at foil-boards or anything designed to go above the water, maybe alarm bells should start ringing if they don’t come from a known brand or source,” warns Boyle.Size mattersFor yachts above 500 gross tons there is a significant difference in regulatory requirements compared to those below 500 gross tons. Above 500GT there are A-class boundaries for the tender garage, mandatory requirements for a fixed extinguishing system and a fully addressable fire detection system.&nbsp;This goes some way to explaining why there is an apparent weighting of fires and smoke-related damage at the smaller end of the fleet (notwithstanding the greater statistical likelihood of fire aboard the much higher number of smaller yachts). The question then becomes, what do shipyards, designers and project managers need to be aware of with regard to new potential regulations, and what else can be done to mitigate risk on smaller yachts? “I think the sub-500GT market is one area we need to look at improving on and we are currently consulting with the industry on how best to do that,” confirms Smith. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/283077/image/large-8f74986f15f370b4140c1fc68defecdc.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/283077">Discussions include introducing new regulations for yachts between 300GT and 500GT, while the Maritime &amp; Coastguard Agency (MCA) currently has a marine guidance note in draft form that specifically addresses recent fires and the storage of small electrically powered craft on yachts. It cites an estimation of 16 total losses due to fire between August 2021 and August 2022, and proposes guidance for lithium-ion batteries on board.Blame the batteries?While the cause of many fires last year has not been conclusively established, it seems likely some were started by lithium-ion batteries. Malta’s Marine Safety Investigation Unit’s (MSIU) report into the 2021 fire aboard motor yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3411" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Siempre35.2m (115'6&quot;)Tansu Yachts2010">Siempre</a> while it was moored in Olbia, Italy, could not exclude that lithium-ion batteries were either the cause of the fire, or a contributing factor in its intensity and spread. The yacht had numerous battery-powered toys on board and the fire broke out on the open aft deck where the majority of them were stored.Battery fires are almost impossible to put out. Li-ion battery chemistry means they produce their own flammable off-gases and the fire becomes self-sustaining in a process known as ‘thermal runaway’. At that point gaseous fire agents and water-based suppression systems are simply ineffective. The advice – and current proposed regulation – is to include fire-retardant boxes that can at least contain a fire, plus ventilation systems that extract off-gases from the top and the bottom of a compartment or battery store. There is also a growing number of commercially available detection systems that monitor battery storage compartments for the off-gases or temperature changes that show early signs of cell failure.Ed Beckett, a naval architect in <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/159" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Burgess (Company)">Burgess</a>’s New Construction team, suggests that as electric tenders grow in popularity the onus is not just on the shipyard, Flag or Class. “It’s important to engage with the tender builder in the design of their battery system and how it will interact with the yacht, not only to ensure it’s safe when out on the water but also equally about how it is stored and charged,” he says. “It is more involved than for a diesel tender, where an owner might just pick the one he wants that fits in the garage space.”&nbsp;Size comes into play here too. Rory Boyle, naval architect and project manager on the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/159" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Burgess (Company)">Burgess</a> Technical Services team, says that typically with clients for yachts over 500GT, and for custom projects with custom tenders, it is very easy to have the conversation about safety and suitability. Problems arise at the smaller end of the market where production superyachts are built to tight volumetric tolerances with garages that are designed for specific production tenders, with little room to spare for additional systems or insulation.“There’s a lot of talk about fire safety, and rightly so, but what we’re trying to ensure is we don’t have the fire in the first place,” says Smith. ”That comes down to battery design and construction, battery storage, charging and battery monitoring. Thermal runaway can be initiated by a number of different failure modes including an internal or external short circuit, excessive storage temperature, or poor battery management practices. It is also interesting to note that we’ve had two cases in the last 18 months of thermal runaway with batteries that were neither on charge nor under load. One was for an e-Foil and the other an e-scooter.”Even in cases where such toys are stowed in the open, a yacht still presents a combustible environment. Teak decks contain teak oil, fairing compounds are flammable, composite boats burn quickly, while aluminium will melt if not insulated properly and starts to lose its mechanical properties at just 200 degrees Celsius. Investigators into the case of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3411" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Siempre35.2m (115'6&quot;)Tansu Yachts2010">Siempre</a> reported that once the fire had taken hold on the open aft deck “it did not take long for the various flammable fittings, fabrics, wood panels, etc, to contribute to the fire spread through most of the yacht and before the fire could be brought under control.”It is important also to recognise that not all fires are caused by batteries, and not all battery fires are caused by defective equipment, but the human factor and crew training play a significant role in both. A fire that broke out aboard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6036" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Kanga40.8m (133'10&quot;)Cerri Cantieri Navali (CCN)2018">Kanga</a> when anchored off Croatia in 2018 was caused “in all probability” by the lithium batteries of an electric surfboard. It took less than 25 minutes for the fire to spread from the lower deck to the sun deck, accompanied by explosions. However, crew members were not aware of how dangerous lithium batteries can be, even after some batteries were found to be leaking.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/39769/image/large-01a4ca2611c198cca468327d4e2d0abb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/39769">Early DetectionThe fire risk associated with Li-ion battery-powered tenders and toys on superyachts has raised awareness of how best to monitor their storage on board. The AX8 Thermal Monitoring Camera from Teledyne FLIR, for example, combines thermal imaging with a camera that can alert the crew to the early warning signs of battery failure. Compact and easy to install with a temperature range of -10 to 150 degrees Celsius and a thermal sensitivity of 100mK, temperature variations of as little as 0.1 degrees Celsius can be flagged up on screen. A change in temperature will sound the alarm long before any smoke appears, which means valuable extra minutes to ensure the safety of those on board and possibly extinguish or at least isolate the problem.&nbsp;“We know that thermal imaging cannot solve the issue, but it goes a long way to mitigate the risk,” says Hans Groenenboom, Sales Director at FLIR Systems in the Netherlands. “The technology and risks are unlikely to be improved in the very near future, so it’s important for yacht owners to consider as many preventative measures as possible if the opportunity is there.”Not all yachts are built equal&nbsp;The fact remains, however, that not all yachts are built to a commercial code particularly if their intended use is purely private. It can be costly and technically onerous to meet all the requirements of code, particularly for elements that are surplus to the intended operational profile. Furthermore, the smaller the yacht, the more difficult it is to include fire systems and fire-damping materials in the structure of the vessel. In this regard, the advice is four-fold.&nbsp;First, consider building to code equivalence where possible when it comes to fire systems and monitoring, even if the yacht is going to be used privately.&nbsp;“It is not uncommon for commercial compliance to be on the options list for smaller yachts,” says Beckett. “Much of that compliance relates to safety and security, and when you put it to owners I think a lot of them will say that, actually, they want to protect their asset and their family.”Second, establish in advance what sorts of tenders and toys the client might want aboard, and to design with those in mind.&nbsp;“All too often you get to the end of a build and somebody turns up with all sorts of toys that they want to store between the jet skis which are full of petrol,” warns Beckett. “The earlier we have those conversations, the more we can look at dedicated battery charging boxes, or the provision of fire extinguishing equipment.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/283076/image/large-48eeb0a371c89af785144b8a0effea70.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/283076">Third, ensure good technical oversight during the build by a knowledgeable team who will be questioning the cabling, chafe points, electrical anomalies and other factors that can play a critical part in preventing the causes of fire throughout the vessel, not just in the garage area.“Part of that oversight role is ensuring the boat being built matches the way it is going to be operated,” says Beckett. “There’s nothing worse than designing for storing things in one area, then the owner turning up with a bunch of bikes and things that have to be stored somewhere less suitable.”And fourth, liaise with the insurance underwriters in order to understand what they require, and what they will or will not cover. This has become more pertinent over recent months as many of the biggest yacht insurers start to rethink their cover of certain types of toys, or at least impose battery handling and storage requirements. Some, especially those insuring vessels over 300GT, insist on vessels being built and maintained to IACS class, pointing out that classification societies are updating their requirements for charging, storage and emergency response regarding potential incidents with Li-ion batteries.Future regulationsSmith emphasises the importance of taking a measured view of any regulatory changes, which in turn take into account the findings of ongoing investigations into incidents of fire without responding in a knee-jerk fashion.&nbsp;“There’s a lot to think about when we’re introducing new regulations, and that’s where we are at the moment,” he says. “We are getting a great deal of feedback from the industry and it will be interesting to see the final draft – I am confident it will be measured, technically and commercially feasible, and it will set the appropriate level of additional fire safety measures based on what we understand to be the increased risk.” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/52653/image/large-1d111037962ebf7a7a0f7fd0278989e8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/52653">While the details are still being worked on and have yet to be finalised, consultations with the industry on elements such as the installation of fixed extinguishing systems suggest that 300GT would be the lower limit for such requirements in terms of what is technically feasible. Smith further points out that Cayman already has experience of fitting fixed extinguisher systems on yachts between 300GT and 500GT and strongly encourages designers, engineering teams and project managers to factor these systems into designs that fall into that bracket. Furthermore, he emphasises that guidance notes will remain as such rather than becoming a shipping notice, at least for now.“Once it has been published and people have used that guidance for a while, we will be able to establish whether or not it is wholly or partially suitable, at which point we will be able to finalise the technical content and incorporate it within the REG Yacht Code,” he says.&nbsp;This article was originally published in Issue 2 of How To Build It, you can&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/magazine/how-to-build-it-issue-2" target="_blank">download the magazine for free here</a>.

yacht fire prevention regulations

A spate of yacht fires last year prompted the industry to reassess its fire prevention regulations, particularly regarding smaller vessels.

No Smoke Without Fire: Reassessing fire prevention regulations

The <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/185" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Gulf Superyacht Summit - 2023">Gulf Superyacht Summit</a> commenced on Wednesday 22 November at the Hilton Abu Dhabi, Yas Island. Held under the patronage of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6707" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="P & O Marinas (Company)">P&amp;O Marinas</a>, the two-day event seeks to inform, assist and advise yachting clients and related interested stakeholders, with the goal of developing the Gulf as a leading winter superyacht destination.You can <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Article/59163" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="A complete summary of the Gulf Superyacht Summit 2023 (2023-11-27 18:00:00 +0100)">catch up on the full summary here</a>.&nbsp; <iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bsBGajdz36g?&amp;feature=youtu.be&amp;wmode=opaque" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe> The programme focused on individual talks from key players in the superyacht industry, alongside panels moderated by the SuperYacht Times team.<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/197014663@N05/albums/72177720312964466" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">View all the photos from the event here</a>.

Video: Everything you might have missed from the Gulf Superyacht Summit 2023

Catch up on everything you might have missed from this year's Gulf Superyacht Summit 2023.

The 34.1-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1318" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Logos Marine Ltd (Company)">Logos</a> motor yacht Quaranta sold and was renamed <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4303" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shu U Rite34.1m (111'11&quot;)Logos Marine Ltd2013">Shu U Rite</a>. The yacht was sold in an in-house deal represented by Emma Karanova and Cornelius Kistler of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4901" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="breezeYachting.Swiss (Company)">breezeYachting.swiss</a>.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/17678/image/large-84d3aa7a8dcb80c141294fb423f78fc4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/17678">Delivered in 2013, the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1318" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Logos Marine Ltd (Company)">Logos</a> yacht was last refitted in 2021, leaving her in excellent condition. Previously named Quaranta, the motor yacht features both exterior and interior design crafted by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1196" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lila-Lou London (Company)">Lila-Lou London</a>, while her naval architecture stemmed from the drawing boards of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1377" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Incat Crowther (Company)">Incat Crowther</a>. Up to 12 guests can be accommodated across her five sumptuous staterooms, with space for a crew of six, including the yacht’s captain.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/17697/image/large-78c38d1e9a2a23539eab2619b3a91c22.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/17697"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/107642/image/large-83907f8219823f2a412b522459cdd19a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/107642"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4303" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shu U Rite34.1m (111'11&quot;)Logos Marine Ltd2013">Shu U Rite</a> displays a large main saloon, complete with an extensive cream L-shaped sofa and adjacent armchairs. Lined with expansive windows, plenty of natural light can flood the saloon throughout the day. A neutral colour palette extends across the yacht’s staterooms, complete with opulent ensuites, enhancing the inviting ambiance onboard.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/17695/image/large-64da2f1eb37abce3e85b72a803b421ed.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/17695">Showcasing both a grp hull and superstructure, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4303" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shu U Rite34.1m (111'11&quot;)Logos Marine Ltd2013">Shu U Rite</a> is currently the third largest yacht built by the Turkey-based shipyard. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/17650/image/large-f7f438e1eac3e26b42e09801b55eadbb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/17650"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/17651/image/large-4a1b3b6955a93daff43b98b3661c566c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/17651">Regarding performance, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4303" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shu U Rite34.1m (111'11&quot;)Logos Marine Ltd2013">Shu U Rite</a> is powered by twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1408" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Caterpillar Inc (Company)">Caterpillar</a> engines, providing her with a top speed of 20 knots and a cruising speed of 16 knots. At the time of her sale <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4303" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shu U Rite34.1m (111'11&quot;)Logos Marine Ltd2013">Shu U Rite</a> had a last known asking price of €6,950,000.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/107662/image/large-2461540a22927d56a963114fff2cb6f9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/107662"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/107655/image/large-582a7c80b8be9a85d1dace13f0fd446a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/107655">

Logos motor yacht Shu U Rite sold 

The 34m Logos motor yacht Shu U Rite sold in an in-house deal, at the time of her sale she had a last known asking price of €6,950,000.

34m Logos motor yacht Quaranta sold and renamed Shu U Rite 

The 40.92-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/612" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Envy40.92m (134'3&quot;)Lürssen Yachts1995">Envy</a> was spotted travelling from Ijmuiden to Amsterdam past the SuperYacht Times office this afternoon.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295339/image/large-a37f4bb4bd256e97de77ee4155c9408f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295339">Delivered in 1995 from Germany, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/612" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Envy40.92m (134'3&quot;)Lürssen Yachts1995">Envy</a> features exterior design by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/164" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Beiderbeck Designs (Company)">Beiderbeck Designs</a>, with naval architecture from her builder <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen Yachts</a>. She has received numerous refits over the years, and showcases a classical and timeless interior by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/110" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Patrick Knowles Designs (Company)">Patrick Knowles Designs</a>.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295343/image/large-00c29408fa599e3f48576fb4bc3cb4a5.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295343">The 361 GT yacht can accommodate up to 10 guests across a five stateroom configuration, comprising a master suite, a VIP stateroom, and a further two twin staterooms. She can also sleep a crew of seven.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295338/image/large-d24586f4e0f5f8ad7b752a681d89adb8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295338"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/612" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Envy40.92m (134'3&quot;)Lürssen Yachts1995">Envy</a> boasts expansive outdoor spaces, including an outdoor bar area, sun lounging zones, and alfresco dining opportunities. In terms of performance, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/612" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Envy40.92m (134'3&quot;)Lürssen Yachts1995">Envy</a> is powered by twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1409" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="MTU (Company)">MTU</a> engines providing her with a cruising speed of 16 knots and a top speed of 22 knots.

41m Lürssen yacht Envy passes through Amsterdam 

The 40.92-metre Lürssen superyacht Envy was spotted passing the SuperYacht Times Office this afternoon.

41m Lürssen superyacht Envy passes through Amsterdam 

<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Performance Tenders (Company)">Williams Jet Tenders</a> has announced the approval of HVO100 fuel (hydrotreated vegetable oil) for use on all its <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1741" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yanmar Co., Ltd. (Company)">Yanmar</a> 4JH engine-powered tenders, including the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Tender/10598" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Dieseljet 4154.12m (13'6&quot;)Williams Performance Tenders2021 Tender">DieselJet 415</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Tender/9404" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Dieseljet 4454.45m (14'7&quot;)Williams Performance Tenders Tender">445</a>, and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Tender/9405" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Dieseljet 5055.03m (16'6&quot;)Williams Performance Tenders Tender">505</a>, and SOLAS 505. The announcement follows the successful first stage testing on selected DieselJet engines.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295335/image/large-4f50e309262999e57cf068471cffdd89.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295335">In this strategic move towards eco-responsibility, the UK-based company shared that all new product developments powered by these diesel engines will utilise HVO100. Looking to the future, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Performance Tenders (Company)">Williams</a>’ vehicles, such as delivery vans in addition to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1741" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yanmar Co., Ltd. (Company)">Yanmar</a> 4LV powered models are considering a shift to HVO100 once more testing has been completed.Sarah Moore, Sustainability Specialist at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Performance Tenders (Company)">Williams Jet Tenders</a>, reflected on the news: “We are committed to finding innovative sustainable solutions that reduce the direct emissions impact from our factory and our vehicles. By using UCO HVO, a renewable fuel made from waste cooking oil, we will accelerate our efforts to decarbonise. We hope that by using HVO in our fleet and in our approved test boats, we will raise awareness of the benefits of switching to alternative fuels. As we carry out exploratory testing on our products, it will allow us to confirm HVO use in more of our tenders, enabling us to achieve a greater reduction in our carbon footprint as more <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Performance Tenders (Company)">Williams Jet Tender</a> engines are approved for use.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295336/image/large-a6cf245ac1ac99d6e9cbde3232faa97e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295336">UCO HVO fuels have a range of sustainability benefits including reducing greenhouse gas emissions. These fuels are made from waste cooking oil, thus decreasing reliance on fossil fuels. In comparison to conventional diesel, UCO HVO also produces fewer particulates, sulphur and nitrogen oxides, in turn reducing pollution.Floris Lettinga, Director of Sales and Marketing at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1741" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yanmar Co., Ltd. (Company)">Yanmar</a> Marine International commented, “<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1741" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yanmar Co., Ltd. (Company)">Yanmar</a> Marine International is proud to partner with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Performance Tenders (Company)">Williams Tenders</a>, a collaboration perfectly aligned to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1741" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yanmar Co., Ltd. (Company)">Yanmar</a>’s commitment to sustainability. At <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1741" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yanmar Co., Ltd. (Company)">Yanmar</a> Marine International, we prioritise environmental responsibility, and this partnership highlights our ongoing dedication to our wider Green Challenge 2050. By integrating <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1741" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yanmar Co., Ltd. (Company)">Yanmar</a>’s HVO approved engines across the Williams Tenders' range of boats and vehicles, we are not just propelling innovation; we are supporting our customers in propelling a sustainable journey towards a cleaner future. Together, we help our customers navigate the steps towards optimising cutting-edge technology with environmental consciousness.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295337/image/large-92e3053169a10061684f2e51a6b62819.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295337">This announcement is part of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4203" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Williams Performance Tenders (Company)">Williams Jet Tenders</a>’ broader commitment to sustainability which has included several initiatives so far, with more set to be revealed in 2024.

Williams Jet Tenders approval of HVO100 fuel 

In a step towards environmental sustainability, Williams Jet Tenders has shared the  approval of HVO100 fuel for use on selected tenders.

Williams Jet Tenders announces the approval of HVO100 fuel 

The 27.31-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) (Company)">Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)</a> motor yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5978" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yes27.31m (89'7&quot;)Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)2014">Yes</a> sold in a deal with Nick Hatfield of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6397" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sanlorenzo United Kingdom (Company)">Sanlorenzo Yachts UK</a> introducing the buyer and Mark Seaton from <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4236" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yacht & Villa (Company)">Yacht &amp; Villa</a> and Carlo Aquilanti at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) (Company)">Cantiere Delle Marche</a> representing the seller. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/204880/image/large-75395a07cf9968621e89ca40b550055b.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/204880">Delivered in 2014 as part of the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2354" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Cantiere delle Marche (CdM) (Company)">CdM</a> Nauta Air 90 series, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5978" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yes27.31m (89'7&quot;)Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)2014">Yes</a> features exterior design and naval architecture by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/153" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nauta Yachts S.r.l. (Company)">Nauta Yachts</a> and interior design penned by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2090" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Luxury Projects (Company)">Luxury Projects.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/205539/image/large-9f9fc16f2fb5f24e874516142c087d85.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/205539"></a> <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/205538/image/large-d63ef6e63ea518dbee806339cb701d3d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/205538"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5978" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yes27.31m (89'7&quot;)Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)2014"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/204878/image/large-c205dc41782fc29d55f3282052dc4b83.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/204878">Yes</a> can accommodate as many as eight guests between four staterooms, including a full beam master suite. Her interior has been finished in light woods with cream and grey furnishings throughout. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/205533/image/large-70cd8459c633028b6cb11b327b509825.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/205533"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/205530/image/large-6d04d7b9550566e57263eb1c23125918.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/205530"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/205524/image/large-c91fa373653e8e1396f165f5fa9d4ec4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/205524">Constructed entirely from aluminium, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5978" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yes27.31m (89'7&quot;)Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)2014">Yes</a> has a cruising speed of 13.5 knots and a top speed of 16 knots, thanks to twin Caterpillar engines. At the time of her sale, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5978" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yes27.31m (89'7&quot;)Cantiere delle Marche (CdM)2014">Yes</a> had a last known asking price of €3,299,000.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/111740/image/large-3695d236171983dfab3064bd804ae01c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/111740">

27m CdM yacht Yes sold

The 27m Cantiere delle Marche motor yacht Yes sold, with a last known asking price of €3,299,000.

27m CdM motor yacht Yes sold

2023 has been a truly exciting year for Turkish shipyard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin Yachts</a>. Alongside the hotly-anticipated double debut of its two latest superyacht projects at this year’s <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/182" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Yacht Show - 2023">Monaco Yacht Show</a> – the striking red-hulled 80-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a> 263 <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6653" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Leona80.0m (262'6&quot;)Bilgin Yachts2023">Leona</a> and the 42-metre explorer yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/7877" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Kasif41.95m (137'8&quot;)Bilgin Yachts2023">Kaşif</a> – <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a> also boasts a grand total of eleven new-build projects underway which are slated for completion by 2026, ranging from 49.95 metres up to 86 metres.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295316/image/large-34a3f7ec857c6e5f067f6655e4bd71f2.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295316">Here, we catch up with <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin Yachts</a>’ commercial director, Berkay Yılmaz, to discover more about the shipyard’s latest milestones, the benefits of semi-custom superyachts and details of its latest in-build projects.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295314/image/large-2edacae143a0aabad53f83b4349bd9e2.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295314">What have been your major milestones in 2023?A standout moment in 2023 was the unveiling of Leona, the second hull of our prestigious 80-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a> 263 series. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6653" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Leona80.0m (262'6&quot;)Bilgin Yachts2023">Leona</a>, with its dynamic design, eco-friendly features, and meticulous attention to detail, has garnered acclaim within the industry and among yacht enthusiasts.Another milestone that stands out prominently is the launch of our explorer yacht, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/7877" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Kasif41.95m (137'8&quot;)Bilgin Yachts2023">Kaşif</a>. This vessel not only symbolizes the epitome of exploration but also marks a significant achievement for our shipyard, particularly in the context of our newest Antalya facility. Throughout 2023, our shipyard has maintained an unwavering commitment to craftsmanship. Every yacht leaving our facilities is a testament to the precision, dedication, and passion of our skilled team.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295322/image/large-1fbc2293788b908bc6dc4487d8a9e0db.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295322">You offer semi custom platforms which build confidence for end users and which also offer flexibility on design. Tell me more.We can describe the concept of ‘semi-custom’ in our yachts as follows: Our vessels are crafted with precision, considering specific design parameters that have been optimised by design and engineering offices. &nbsp;The layout offers a plethora of features catering to various lifestyles, providing a truly customisable experience for owners.&nbsp;The technical compartments have been optimised for efficiency, making operation and maintenance a seamless experience. Additionally, our commitment to sustainability is reflected in the incorporation of eco-friendly technologies into our builds, minimising their environmental impact.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295317/image/large-8257933e0c38e08140f742d04295251b.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295317">What are the advantages of choosing semi-custom yachts?There are four main advantages: proven engineering and design, quick delivery, minimal operational risks, and tailored layouts. End users, including captains, engineering teams, and owners, benefit from the assurance of proven engineering and design, instilling confidence in the vessel's performance. Semi-custom yachts also offer a shorter timeline for delivery, providing a swift and efficient process for owners eager to set sail.&nbsp;Both shipyards and owners experience fewer operational risks, ensuring a smoother and more predictable yacht-building process. Last but not least, despite the standardised approach, owners still enjoy customisation options for layout, interior design, and deck layouts, allowing for a personalised touchYou have in-build projects up until 2026. What are the distinctive features of each of the following yachts that you’d like to draw our attention to? <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/218042/image/large-26e303488855afa7f8644bef92fd7252.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/218042"> Bilgin 263 III&nbsp;Al Reem (80-metre, 2024)As the third hull of 263 series, this yacht boasts distinctive features designed for enhanced comfort and autonomy at sea. With a 20% increase in volume compared to its predecessors, notable highlights include an owner's deck on the glass elevator connecting all decks for convenience.Project Silence stands out with its 'light and modern' interior, utilising textured and warm materials to create a welcoming and sophisticated atmosphere.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295323/image/large-853c31b7c23d0710689adb2ce30a673e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295323">Eternal Spark&nbsp;(49.95-metre, 2024)Crafted from insights gathered in continuous dialogue with industry leaders, professionals, and travel enthusiasts, Eternal Spark is designed as a 'guidebook of onboard memorable experiences.' With six cabins for twelve guests, the yacht offers ample space for relaxation.Noteworthy are the four decks, five separate bars, and seven distinct socialising areas, providing abundant entertainment options. Eternal Spark promises endless possibilities for enjoyment, making it a standout choice for those seeking a truly immersive and entertaining yachting experience. This yacht, as a great example of 499 GT models, has become one of the best options in the charter industry.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/185324/image/large-4c56121ca42fa6ba657177f69a3687b9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/185324"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a>&nbsp;243 (73.6-metre, 2026) With a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, this yacht stands out for its exterior lines and naval architecture crafted by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4305" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Unique Yacht Design (Company)">Unique Yacht Design</a>. Described as 'aerodynamic,' the design showcases clean shapes and large, vertical windows.The thoughtful design of the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a> 243 harmonizes elegant aesthetics with functional living spaces, ensuring a sophisticated and comfortable yachting experience. This is an investment project for the shipyard, as Bilgin is building this model on spec.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/282993/image/large-f9374ffa2cacf43993df54a62fc8340b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/282993"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a>&nbsp;163 II Ame (49.95m, 2024)This showcases a six-cabin layout, achieving a remarkable harmony in living areas with its natural colours, expansive windows, and high-gloss materials. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/282999/image/large-70ce823d350c02ab102e586f008eb5ee.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/282999">Setting itself apart, it boasts the largest exterior spaces among contemporaries, featuring a 21-metre long sundeck and a 12-metre long bridge-deck aft. This yacht is a testament to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a>'s commitment to luxurious design, providing a perfect blend of comfort, aesthetics and spacious outdoor areas for an unparalleled yachting experience.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a>&nbsp;282 (86-metre, 2026)As an upgraded version of the Bilgin 263 series, this is an 86-metre marvel. Bearing a resemblance to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6220" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Tatiana80.0m (262'6&quot;)Bilgin Yachts2020">Tatiana</a>, it boasts sophisticated exterior details, including additional glass on forward bulwarks. Notable enhancements include larger windows on each deck, flooding the interior living spaces with abundant natural light. It is 40% larger than the 80 metre series and the 2,200 GT vessel.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295329/image/large-5deffdaeb4af090f7ccbd005f178b472.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295329"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin</a>&nbsp;170s (3 in build, 52-metre, 2025) These represent a showcase of elegance and functionality. Their spacious open decks, coupled with expansive storage, and a sleek traditional bow shape, define a vessel designed for both style and practicality. The elongated bridge deck aft enhances the overall living space, while the beach club serves as a haven for relaxation and various sporting activities.53M Project (2026)<a href="#managed-by-system" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)" data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer"></a><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)"></a><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1414" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Bilgin Yachts (Company)">Bilgin Yachts</a> is thrilled to announce an upcoming project: three 53-metre units scheduled for completion in 2026 which will be an enhanced version of our existing 499 GT model.&nbsp;

Bilgin Yachts’ latest in-build projects

We catch up with Bilgin Yachts’ commercial director, Berkay Yılmaz, to discover more about the shipyard’s latest milestones, and in-build yachts.

Behind shed doors: Exploring Bilgin Yachts’ latest in-build projects

The 102.6-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10678" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ulysses102.6m (336'7&quot;)Feadship2024">Ulysses</a> has been spotted on her sea trials following her recent launch.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295309/image/large-d12805d44a0c29c3c5eb38b9776afa32.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295309">Also known as Project 1011, the superyacht features both exterior and interior design crafted by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/926" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sinot Yacht Architecture & Design (Company)">Sinot Yacht Architecture &amp; Design</a>, while her naval architecture derived from the drawing boards of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/37" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Azure Yacht Design & Naval Architecture (Company)">Azure Yacht Design &amp; Naval Architecture</a>. Up to 20 guests can be accommodated across the superyacht’s 10 sumptuous staterooms, with space for a crew of up to 30 onboard.Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/feadship-superyacht-project-1011" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Build Report: The story behind Feadship's superyacht Project 1011</a><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295308/image/large-2d82e12d8d33eb329e6212441099e847.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295308">Beginning construction in 2020 at the Zwijnenburg Shipyard, the yacht was then transported to the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> Makkum facility for outfitting and completion. Showcasing a generous volume of 2,999 GT, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10678" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ulysses102.6m (336'7&quot;)Feadship2024">Ulysses</a> displays an abundance of space across her extensive decks.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295311/image/large-acbd5ee1e6adfdcf53932bf60c8eb0de.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295311">The <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> superyacht features large wrap-around windows, ensuring the yacht’s interior remains bathed in sunlight throughout the day. Featuring 1,100 square-metres of exterior glass, consisting of 20 sliding doors and 12 glass windbreaks, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10678" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ulysses102.6m (336'7&quot;)Feadship2024">Ulysses</a> has been designed with luxury in mind.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295312/image/large-d7669bd2607e8be59a3c3823938d7597.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295312">The superyacht houses a variety of notable features onboard, including a winter garden situated on her main deck aft. In addition to this, the superyacht features four opulent Jacuzzis, a large swimming pool and an extensive touch-and-go helipad, providing seamless access to and from the superyacht. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10678" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ulysses102.6m (336'7&quot;)Feadship2024">Ulysses</a> is also equipped with eight hull doors, including the largest tender garage door ever installed on a <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a>.Read:&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/feadship-project-1011-in-amsterdam" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">In pictures: 103m Feadship superyacht Project 1011 moves from Makkum to Amsterdam</a><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295310/image/large-f0c7740f01b74971529f62f05a646f5d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295310">Displaying a sleek exterior profile and vertical bow, the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> superyacht showcases a distinctive silhouette. Regarding performance, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10678" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ulysses102.6m (336'7&quot;)Feadship2024">Ulysses</a> is powered by twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1409" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="MTU (Company)">MTU</a> engines, providing her with a top speed of 17.5 knots and a cruising speed of 12 knots.

Feadship superyacht Ulysses on sea trials 

 The 103m Feadship superyacht Ulysses has been spotted on her sea trials following her recent launch.

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103m Feadship superyacht Ulysses on sea trials 

The 53.4-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/57" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mariotti Yachts (Company)">Mariotti</a> superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/62" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nonni II53.4m (175'2&quot;)Mariotti Yachts2008">Nonni II</a> has entered the market. The <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/motor/for-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">motor yacht for sale</a> is represented by Bart Kimman of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/158" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fraser (Company)">Fraser</a>. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295265/image/large-7dabfd1242adf6d26e4fa66df1c75507.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295265">Delivered in 2008, the <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/for-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">yacht for sale</a> was recently refitted, leaving her in excellent condition. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/62" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nonni II53.4m (175'2&quot;)Mariotti Yachts2008">Nonni II</a> showcases exterior and interior design imagined by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/58" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Luca Dini Design & Architecture (Company)">Luca Dini Design &amp; Architecture</a>, while her naval architecture stemmed from the drawing boards of her Italy-based builder, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/57" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mariotti Yachts (Company)">Mariotti Yachts</a>. Featuring a configuration of five sumptuous staterooms, up to 10 guests can be accommodated onboard, in addition to a crew of 12.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295298/image/large-5fa7db05dc128f2ccda21678f6e45cf9.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295298"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295301/image/large-70ef4cc37336be53d0da57325c3569f8.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295301"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295300/image/large-6e18876ea70d89bb1f0a2e59b89fdda7.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295300"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295299/image/large-d2d4375d719eead689de25a158739c1d.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295299"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295272/image/large-340aeefcab77397146f893c2c33eb7c8.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295272">The <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/nonni-ii/for-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">yacht Nonni II for sale</a> displays a uniquely designed and vibrant interior aesthetic, characterised by bright LED lighting and high quality audiovisual systems. Displaying a futuristic design across her interiors, the main saloon is no exception. Modern art wall hangings, dazzling overhead lighting fixtures and bold purple and blue tones define the space. A large formal dining area, complete with an abundance of seating and white furnishings, provides guests with the ideal spot to host dinner parties onboard. A bright white sofa surrounds three vibrant and reflective coffee tables, while an adjacent lounge area is characterised by muted tones.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295273/image/large-97f84557c03b42d0c37ae78011d75ea6.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295273"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295293/image/large-f3b1aa82c472e5bc80fcb2aa26d3a86a.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295293"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295267/image/large-f5617502e42fae8de96fbabdfeb0d65c.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295267"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295281/image/large-66351db4e283dd58eb8a0c90e8ccac31.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295281"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295280/image/large-23f77258954ed77a31e6c3047aebae07.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295280">Entertainment is at the core of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/62" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nonni II53.4m (175'2&quot;)Mariotti Yachts2008">Nonni II</a>’s interior design. The superyacht boasts a large gym, extensive cinema room and a vivid nightclub, complete with a DJ booth, bar and iridescent lights. For guests seeking relaxation, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/62" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nonni II53.4m (175'2&quot;)Mariotti Yachts2008">Nonni II</a> also houses an opulent Jacuzzi, oversized sunpads and a night-lit bar on her exterior decks.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295268/image/large-528932823862d6d00ce4c5e9cfca11c8.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295268"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295296/image/large-1f5804684f777ac1ebf60d6307b3010d.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295296"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295271/image/large-7d0ef7a0b61af5032a02ce482107205d.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295271"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295302/image/large-1b16576231bd8a72fd0d08f02f8f18e6.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295302">Wrapped in floor-to-ceiling windows, a plethora of light can flood the already brightly illuminated yacht throughout the day. The master suite showcases a surreal interior design, displaying a textured, aquatic wall, showcasing marine-inspired structures, while a deep blue, brightly lit wall is situated opposite. Red neon lights frame the base of the king-sized bed, while the opulent reflective ceiling and cloud-like rug enhance the fantastical design.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295285/image/large-3e034bb4659edec006201f80b93e4529.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295285"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295284/image/large-e9d4ba64fe7b4e1c7e9726f353afb2ea.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295284"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295270/image/large-22535e89254361c8a592c9e5132abeb2.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295270"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295269/image/large-bca7b9ccb6c344ae0f084140c31cb354.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295269">The remaining staterooms each showcase an individual colour scheme, while still maintaining vibrant LED lighting and unique design elements. The staterooms are equipped with an ensuite and situated on the lower deck. The <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/mariotti/for-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Mariotti yacht for sale</a> is also characterised by luxurious skylights and exclusive balconies.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295276/image/large-ca9c5ecc163a1a0f78d7d1f40c85e910.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295276"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295278/image/large-22a6c624880d21caeec0d079d076e2e0.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295278"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295291/image/large-347c1630eb4020be75930f987ce26caf.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295291"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295274/image/large-746ad30c76f0cda898a8a52403e4119a.png" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295274">In addition to her imaginative interior design, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/62" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Nonni II53.4m (175'2&quot;)Mariotti Yachts2008">Nonni II</a> displays a striking profile. Strong, bold lines stretch across her exterior. Regarding performance, the motor yacht is powered by twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1408" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Caterpillar Inc (Company)">Caterpillar</a> engines, providing her with a top speed of 17 knots and a cruising speed of 13 knots.

Mariotti superyacht Nonni II for sale 

New to market: The 53m Mariotti superyacht Nonni II is for sale, she is characterised by her vibrant interior aesthetic.

53m Mariotti superyacht Nonni II enters the market

The 28.96-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/119" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Horizon Yachts (Company)">Horizon</a> motor yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fantasea28.96m (95'0&quot;)Horizon Yachts2007">Fantasea</a> is for sale with David Johnson of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/833" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Denison Yachting (Company)">Denison Yachting</a>. Delivered in 2007, the <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/for-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">yacht for sale</a> features exterior, interior design and naval architecture by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/119" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Horizon Yachts (Company)">Horizon Yachts</a>.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295231/image/large-bd08aa54a3c0b566ed73e5e1320da024.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295231"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fantasea28.96m (95'0&quot;)Horizon Yachts2007">Fantasea</a> can accommodate up to six guests onboard across three staterooms, as well as four crew members, including the captain.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295227/image/large-2bcd3aa24ae7bd29e3b348a49a2136f7.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295227">The <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/motor/for-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">motor yacht for sale</a> features a contemporary saloon design with a large sofa and a substantial rectangular leather-covered coffee table. The interplay of light-toned furnishings, neutrally toned flooring, and ceiling collectively enhance the sophisticated atmosphere of the room.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295226/image/large-332723c54118771a34109d033f5533bc.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295226">The dining area, situated adjacent to the seating area, features a large oval-shaped wooden table comfortably seating eight guests. The close proximity of the dining and seating areas adds versatility to the saloon, allowing guests to seamlessly transition from dining to the seating area for a digestif.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295224/image/large-6e7b9e0c39aa9e79d3398d38b7daecc7.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295224"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295223/image/large-a00893f7477d60c447fd27517b3dc899.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295223"><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fantasea28.96m (95'0&quot;)Horizon Yachts2007">Fantasea</a>'s master suite is designed with a refined aesthetic, mirroring the saloon's use of wooden furnishings, neutrally toned ceiling, and flooring. The inclusion of a reading nook provides any potential owner with a private space to relax in privacy.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295220/image/large-e518ed254dcbce0711e7f8cdf7f129e7.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295220"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295218/image/large-e0341cab538e4e624e2165c875afc5b0.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295218">The <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/fantasea-29m/for-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">yacht Fantasea for sale</a> presents unique features, particularly on the sundeck where ample lounging space invites guests to bask in the sun. The thoughtful addition of an outdoor grill allows guests to enjoy a delightful barbecue together. Completing the scene, a Jacuzzi makes the sundeck an ideal spot for guests to unwind, soaking in the views with comfort. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295217/image/large-9d67136961b90f680532547b46ebf52e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295217">The <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yachts/horizon-yachts/motor/for-sale" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Horizon yacht for sale</a> has a GRP hull and superstructure. Performance-wise, she is powered by twin <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1408" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Caterpillar Inc (Company)">Caterpillar</a> engines, which give her a cruising speed of 19 knots and a top speed of 21 knots.

29m Horizon motor yacht Fantasea for sale

The 28.96-metre Horizon motor yacht Fantasea is for sale with David Johnson of Denison Yachting.

The 65-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> 711 superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10650" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Capri65.0m (213'3&quot;)Feadship2024">Capri</a> has been transported to Rotterdam in preparation for her sea trials. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10650" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Capri65.0m (213'3&quot;)Feadship2024">Capri</a> was seen travelling from Aalsmeer, the Netherlands following her launch in November from the Koninklijke De Vries facility.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295237/image/large-047441380a601d62d42589b141fbac63.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295237">Featuring a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> 711 yacht was first seen in 2022. Many details surrounding <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10650" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Capri65.0m (213'3&quot;)Feadship2024">Capri</a> have still been kept tightly under wraps, but new images show a high, slightly flared bow and her main deck and wheelhouse positioned at the same height.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295246/image/large-3a74aed148eb543a53e800d445d1ff93.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295246"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295243/image/large-24f6ce9b6e3be3116cdc5504a761d209.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295243">The hull of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> 711 was launched in August 2022 from the SLOB Shipyard in Papendrecht, Rotterdam before being transported to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> shipyard in Aalsmeer for outfitting.Read:&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Article/58840" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="65m Feadship 711 superyacht launched in Aalsmeer (2023-10-16 17:30:00 +0200)">65m Feadship 711 superyacht launched in Aalsmeer</a><a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10650" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Capri65.0m (213'3&quot;)Feadship2024"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295245/image/large-f0c5068251eda32b4902293e84d97b02.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295245"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295241/image/large-96069cd9760b2e7f92fb56625bd3932b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295241">Capri</a> boasts a large helipad on her upper deck, and a fold-down beach club balcony and spacious deck space for guests to enjoy.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295233/image/large-71c8ebeb1f041db50cdeb61f25d118dd.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295233"> <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295239/image/large-e61bad922d0e4d19738656267c307f5f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295239">According to SYT iQ, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> currently has several yachts in-build including, the 102.6-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> 1011 <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/10678" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ulysses102.6m (336'7&quot;)Feadship2024">Ulysses</a>, which was launched in November, the 100-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/29" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Feadship (Company)">Feadship</a> 824, which prepared for outfitting in September and the 75.7-metre superyacht Alvia. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/295235/image/large-1134abc8d8fd6ad8f8c89654368590c0.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/295235">

65m Feadship 711 yacht Capri transported to Rotterdam 

The 65-metre Feadship 711 superyacht Capri has been transported to Rotterdam in preparation for her sea trials.

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