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Creole yacht laid up in Palma de Mallorca

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Creole

Sophie Spicknell dives into the vast history of world’s most iconic wooden schooner.Some yachts are admired, some are remembered, but few like <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>, become living legends. Delivered in 1927 by the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Camper & Nicholsons International (Company)">Camper &amp; Nicholsons</a> Shipyard, she is widely regarded as the largest wooden sailing yacht afloat. The 65.3-metre three-masted schooner has been a racing yacht, a naval vessel and a floating palace, providing a rich history and heritage.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/379802/image/large-c98ed0d20c554597a90f2bdfe130dac8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/379802">Her origins lie with Alexander Smith Cochran, an American industrialist and keen yachtsman who commissioned her as Vira in 1926. Cochran wanted a schooner of grace and simplicity, one that could be handled with minimal crew. Designer <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Camper & Nicholsons International (Company)">Charles E. Nicholson</a> rose to the challenge, giving her a staysail schooner rig designed to be sailed with a relatively small crew. All but her jib were self-tacking, and no heavy spars were needed to be hoisted aloft.Yet Cochran was not satisfied. After delivery, he ordered her masts to be shortened and additional ballast added; adjustments that compromised her sailing balance. Disappointed, he sold her only a year later to Major Maurice Pope, a member of the Royal Yacht Squadron, who renamed her <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>. Pope began the first of many efforts to return the yacht to her intended form.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/379803/image/large-52336a29fd744f6a96a705abbb212a18.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/379803">In 1937, she was acquired by Sir Connop Guthrie, who restored her rig and keel, sending her into the regattas where her lines and speed finally matched Nicholson’s vision. It seemed as though <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> had found her stride. But her racing career was abruptly halted in 1939 when war broke out.The Royal Navy requisitioned the yacht, renaming her Magic Circle and converting her into a minehunter. Her elegant interiors were ripped out, her decks stripped bare and her masts eventually lost. For the duration of the war she patrolled the waters off Scotland, a far cry from the glamorous races of the Solent. When she was returned at the war’s end, she was neglected and worn, a shadow of her former self.Salvation came in 1947, when Greek shipping magnate Stavros Niarchos purchased her and sent her to Germany for a comprehensive re-build. Niarchos extended her living spaces, filled her with art and even commissioned murals by Salvador Dalí for her main saloon. She became a floating palace, adorned with masterpieces by Cézanne, Renoir and Van Gogh and was maintained in immaculate condition.Royalty stepped aboard too, with King Juan Carlos and Queen Sofía of Spain spending part of their honeymoon on her decks. Niarchos also entered her in the very first Tall Ships’ Race in 1956, ensuring she remained active under sail. But following the tragic death of his wife in 1970, Niarchos rarely used <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> again.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/379801/image/large-d15ca2f3ccc192a69017362395c0e299.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/379801">In 1977, the Danish government acquired her, intending to use the schooner as a sail-training vessel. In practice, she was used mainly for official functions and by the early 1980s she was in serious decline once more.The next turning point came in 1983, when Maurizio Gucci, heir to the fashion dynasty, purchased <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>. Captivated by her beauty, Gucci committed to a painstaking restoration. Her hull was replanked, her systems modernised with sensitivity to her heritage, and her rig was renewed by Spencer of Cowes with sails by Ratsey &amp; Lapthorn.&nbsp;Her interiors were refurbished in the style set during the 1980s re-build, which has endured remarkably well over time. For Gucci and his family, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> became both a family yacht and a cultural statement, proof that even the most complex classics could be restored to active sailing life.Over the past four decades, Gucci’s heirs have continued that philosophy, ensuring that every element of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> has been maintained or renewed with utmost respect for her original spirit. While her engines, electrical systems and safety equipment have been discreetly modernised to meet today’s standards, much of her remains unchanged. The original deckhouses are still in place and even beneath her newer deck planking, the yacht’s original deck survives.Her interiors, largely designed under Maurizio Gucci in the 1980s, have remained intact too. The yacht offers five guest staterooms aft, a grand dining saloon and owner’s suite amidships, with crew quarters forward to ensure she remains as practical as she is beautiful.Every winter, she undergoes routine but essential maintenance at shipyards such as Palma, where her black hull is carefully painted and varnished, her rig inspected, engines serviced and interiors polished.&nbsp;Over her long career, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> has sailed extensively in the Mediterranean and further afield, visiting some of the world’s most beautiful ports. She has also returned to the regatta circuit on occasion.&nbsp;In 2013, under the helm of Allegra Gucci, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> took part in Monaco Classic Week, winning the Monaco Classic Week Trophy. More often, though, she appears as a spectator yacht. But what makes <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> truly special is the harmony she represents between grandeur and spirit.&nbsp;At nearly a century old, she remains the world’s largest wooden sailing yacht, yet her lines are as graceful as on the day she was launched. Her custodianship by generations of owners has also allowed her to survive war, neglect and changing fashions over the years.For those fortunate enough to sail aboard her, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> offers more than luxury; she offers authenticity. Her presence connects past and present and when under full sail, spectators are able to witness history alive on the water. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> is and always will be a living legend, with her legacy and story still unfolding.This article was first published in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/newspaper/newspaper-issue-55" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Issue 55 of the SuperYacht Times newspaper</a>, available for download&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/newspaper/newspaper-issue-55" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">here</a>. &nbsp;

Century-old sailing legend Creole

Sophie Spicknell dives into the vast history of world’s most iconic wooden schooner, Creole. 

Creole: A century of sailing history and the Gucci legacy

<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/292046/image/large-e9de73b7d0d218ce179e777554b352c9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/292046">Last month, the 65.3-metre sailing yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> was spotted anchored off Monaco during <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/182" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Yacht Show - 2023">Monaco Yacht Show 2023</a>. Originally built by the British shipyard <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/192" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard (Company)">Camper &amp; Nicholsons</a> in 1927, this elegant vessel was designed by naval architect <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/229" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Charles E. Nicholson (Company)">Charles E. Nicholson</a>, with her interior crafted by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/666" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ing. Russo (Company)">Russo</a>. The main saloon, a tastefully updated space for the 21st century, showcases classic design with a contemporary touch. Previously named Vira, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> seamlessly combines timeless elegance with modern amenities, offering ample sunbathing areas, outdoor dining spaces and air conditioning. The yacht can comfortably accommodate 12 guests in six luxurious staterooms, attended to by a dedicated crew of 15 members.

65m sailing yacht Creole in Monaco

The 65.3-metre sailing yacht Creole, built by Camper & Nicholsons shipyard in 1927, is seen anchored off Monaco. 

The 1912 sailing yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1109" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="William Fife & Sons (Company)">William Fife &amp; Sons</a> sailing yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/13053" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lady Anne29.87m (97'12&quot;)William Fife & Sons1912">The Lady Anne</a> was announced as the overall winner at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/211" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Classic Week - 2023">16th Monaco Classic Week-La Belle Classe</a> this weekend.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/286672/image/large-a52826ebbb4028e7856b8b1b94cd3392.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/286672">This biennial event, established in 1994, showcased an impressive array of maritime marvels, including approximately 40 classic sailing yachts, a dozen motor yachts, over 60 vintage motorboats, and a fleet of 20 12’ Dinghy class vessels.All participants made concerted efforts to captivate the Jury, led by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, President of the Jury and the first man to sail non-stop solo round the world. Bernard d’Alessandri, General Secretary of the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yacht Club de Monaco (Company)">Yacht Club de Monaco</a>, remarked, “This event is an integral part of our traditions and values. The invited boats possess a unique charm, already embedded with a certain level of technology from the era they were constructed. Therefore, it is our duty to ensure their enduring legacy, in harmony with their original design.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/286670/image/large-2c07d50b4c6b10dd5a7bae1387d68581.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/286670">Tradition took centre stage during the four-day affair, aptly showcasing the Art de Vivre la Mer. The schedule featured a delightful blend of nautical challenges, rigorous technical inspections emphasising restoration quality, and competitions highlighting culinary, artistic, and maritime elegance.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/286668/image/large-e3ec38a4c2133efd6836659530368eb8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/286668">Some of the standout yachts at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/211" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Classic Week - 2023">16th Monaco Classic Week</a> included the 41.6-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3188" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Elena of London55.0m (180'5&quot;)Factoria Naval Marin2009">Elena of London</a>, the iconic 1927 three-mast schooner <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>, considered a masterpiece of Charles Nicholson, and the 33.41-metre gaff rigged ketch <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3755" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Black Swan of 189940.5m (132'10&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1899">Black Swan</a>, originally launched in 1899, and meticulously refitted in 2019. The 56.43-metre schooner <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/150" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Atlantic64.5m (211'7&quot;)Van der Graaf B.V.2010">Atlantic</a> also graced the event, commemorating its 120th anniversary as a replica of the famous three-mast schooner.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/286673/image/large-c6d34291dc787e9466c1ed103baba23e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/286673">The 29.87-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1109" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="William Fife & Sons (Company)">William Fife &amp; Sons</a> 1912 sailing yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/13053" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lady Anne29.87m (97'12&quot;)William Fife & Sons1912">The Lady Anne</a> emerged as the grand victor after taking line honours. She is one of the last three 15M IR boats still sailing and sailed alongside YCM's flagship <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/8620" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Tuiga 28.01m (91'11&quot;)William Fife1909">Tuiga</a> (1909) and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6317" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Mariska27.6m (90'7&quot;)William Fife & Sons1908">Mariska</a> (1908).&nbsp;Constructed in the renowned yard of the Fife family in Fairlie, Scotland, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/13053" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lady Anne29.87m (97'12&quot;)William Fife & Sons1912">The Lady Anne</a> underwent a remarkable refit journey. Initially equipped with a Bermudan rig, she was transitioned into a ketch and served a vital role during World War II in transporting ammunition. After spending several years in Spain, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/13053" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lady Anne29.87m (97'12&quot;)William Fife & Sons1912">The Lady Anne</a> was rediscovered in England's Hamble River and received a meticulous restoration by Fairlie Restoration, near Southampton.<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/211" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Classic Week - 2023">The Monaco Classic Week Trophy</a>, an embodiment of excellence, not only takes race results into account but scrutinises the restoration's quality. An expert Jury evaluated how faithful each restoration was to the original plans, the materials used during the restoration process, and the expertise of those responsible for the restoration.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/286674/image/large-ccc78510f4947b49dcd28e12983ce97c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/286674">Sir Robin Knox-Johnston expressed, “This event is unique of its genre as it brings the most beautiful yachts together in Monaco so the public can see what yachting was like a hundred years ago. If we don’t preserve our history, what do we have left? History can tell us what the future will be like.”In celebration of the 100th anniversary of Prince Rainier III birth, the founder of &nbsp;the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/4337" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yacht Club de Monaco (Company)">Yacht Club de Monaco</a> in 1953, an exclusive exhibition titled 'The Prince and the Sea' was unveiled during <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Event/211" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Classic Week - 2023">Monaco Classic Week</a>. This retrospective display, accessible to the public, shone a spotlight on 15 boats that comprised Prince Rainier's collection. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/286671/image/large-ed6d3ed9315567a4ca81b08a358d158e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/286671">Elegance reigned supreme during the Elegance Contest on the event's final day. The jury, led by Allegra Gucci, meticulously assessed classic sailing yachts, and motor yachts. Allegra Gucci, owner of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>, reflected on the occasion, stating, "These magnificent boats are a testament to their owners' passion, and it feels as though we are carrying forward a cherished heritage." In partnership with BMW, the elegance awards were bestowed upon: Sailing yachts - Oriole (1905); Motor-yachts - Italica (1964); Motorboats:&nbsp;Albatross (1955).

The Lady Anne announced the winner of Monaco Classic Week

The 1912 sailing yacht Lady Anne was announced as the overall winner at the 16th Monaco Classic Week-La Belle Classe.

1912 sailing yacht The Lady Anne overall winner of Monaco Classic Week 2023

With a longtime enthusiasm for and technical background in yachting, it's safe to say that Niall Robinson is a veteran to the yachting industry. After co-founding <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2220" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Hill Robinson (Company)">Hill Robinson</a> in 2000, a prominent yacht management company, Robinson has grown the company substantially, including a recent acquisition of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/808" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Moravia Yachting (Company)">Moravia Yachting</a>. Superyacht Times sat down with Niall Robinson to learn more about one of the men behind <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2220" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Hill Robinson (Company)">Hill Robinson</a>. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/196690/image/large-8402d68e601aa7a32432149ebb3149fe.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/196690">How did you get into yachting as a career?After coming down from Brasenose College at Oxford University where I read Physics, I began working in IT, but I hadn’t taken a year out and just felt I hadn’t had my adventure yet! One way to get that out of my system was to build on my love of sailing, which began on our family yacht Brynhilde. So, with my fresh new Yachtmaster Certificate in my hands and with wild optimism in my heart, I set off on a yacht delivery bound for Antigua. Once there, I went to the most beautiful yacht in the harbour, the schooner <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2101" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Aschanti IV of Vegesack34.8m (114'2&quot;)Burmester1954">Aschanti IV of Vegesack</a>, formerly Ashanti of Saba, offered to work the season for free and just kept going from there. In the career at sea that followed, my adventures led me to race on maxis, sail on some magnificent motor and sailing yachts and to cruise many of the more popular seas and oceans of the world, working my way up to captain over the years. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/196689/image/large-dc2874c5f8c98a21f3280f9627be4c2f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/196689">How did you meet your business partner, Nick Hill?When the beautiful and exciting schooner Jessica arrived in Newport, Rhode Island, they had to let a deckhand go and Nick, as First Officer, had to find an immediate replacement and the only candidate was me! Jessica’s master was the legendary John Bardon, under whom I went on to serve aboard the equally impressive schooner <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>. John’s example of trust in his team combined with calm leadership and ready guidance has remained one of the most significant influences on me ever since, as it has for Nick too. Many years later, Nick and I were very proud when John agreed to join us as Director of our Palma de Mallorca office.&nbsp;What brought you to shore?After bringing the schooner <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1151" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Invader49.9m (163'9&quot;)Codecasa S.p.A.1999">Invader</a> over from Curacao to Palma Mallorca – an adventure in itself, and after marrying Sue, now my wife of 27 years, it was time to begin my next adventure – family life and a ‘real’ job ashore. I’d been speaking to Peter Insull for several years by then, and he kindly took me on to strengthen his dedicated yacht management division. In my more than four years with Peter, I learned so much and I’m proud to say that we remain friends to this day.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/196691/image/large-7a063939aec51a01513b9647430f6711.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/196691">What prompted you to found Hill Robinson?By the year 2000, yacht management was getting more complicated, more resource-hungry, and at the same time more professional, interesting and respected. We could see that things were only going to continue that way and that the time was right for a dedicated management company. By then, Nick was working ashore armed with an MBA from Imperial College in addition to his MA in Geography from Girton College, Cambridge. He’d just left <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/192" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard (Company)">Camper &amp; Nicholson’s</a>, where he’d founded and run the new charter marketing division. Nick and I had been talking for years about doing something together and decided that the time was right to launch <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2220" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Hill Robinson (Company)">Hill Robinson</a>. The first company was formed 20 years ago in London on 8th December 2000, and Karl Hartmann joined us as partner and shareholder in 2015. &nbsp;We never dreamed that it could grow to be so successful.What achievement are you most proud of?<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2220" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Hill Robinson (Company)">Hill Robinson</a> is all about teamwork, and I’d say that my part in creating this amazing team is what makes me proudest. From our very first staff member, Trina Davies, who is still with us today, to Karl who has brought so much to the partnership, to the colleagues who have been with us for more than 10 years, to the newest joiner, it’s an amazing team that achieves the extraordinary every day. Who could fail to be proud of that – and of them all?This article was originally published in the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Article/52428" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="First 2021 edition of The SuperYacht Times newspaper out now (2021-02-23 09:30:00 +0100)">Spring 2021 issue of the SuperYacht Times newspaper</a>. <a href="https://shop.superyachttimes.com/report/the-superyacht-times-subscription" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Subscribe here</a> to make sure you never miss a future issue.

Niall Robinson of Hill Robinson

SYT chats with Niall Robinson, longtime yacht veteran and founder of Hill Robinson.

Five questions with Niall Robinson of Hill Robinson

How common is it to meet a namesake? There are no statistics as such, but I like to think that everyone reacts similarly when they come across someone with the same name. It’s an amusing discovery which immediately makes you feel that what you have in common won’t end there. At least that's what happened when I met <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/88" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Studio Laura Sessa (Company)">Laura Sessa</a>: despite her name being pronounced in a much more beguiling Italian tone compared to my own thick south London accent, I felt that our appreciation for all things good and practical in the world were somewhat on par. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/183669/image/large-2e0988f191fe30b975fada0f4ff3097a.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/183669" style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; position: relative; max-width: 100%; margin: 1rem 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">I met Sessa on board the 95-metre superyacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6423" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Madsummer95.0m (311'8&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2019">Madsummer</a>. As she moved through the yacht explaining her life’s work in the captivating way Italians do, she kept things brief – perhaps to let her designs do the talking. In the conversation that followed she revealed exactly what went into designing some of the world's top yacht interior projects.Having caught her break after the late interior designer <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/19" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Alberto Pinto (Company)">Alberto Pinto</a> met her on board the 1927 classic sailing yacht <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>, Sessa has since maintained her style throughout a string of well-known superyachts and in turn, has made her impeccably sophisticated mark on the industry.&nbsp;This mark comes with a flair for practicality and is a fair reflection of the way Sessa goes about business. Her pragmatic approach means that she doesn’t “like to use money without sense” and everything is a certain way for a reason.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/181031/image/large-be6346c70990345edc52cb637b22c8a3.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/181031" style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; position: relative; max-width: 100%; margin: 1rem 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255);">“Working on sailing boats at the beginning of my career made me learn how to save space and look into storage options both for the crew and the owner – a happy crew means a happy owner!” As she explains, I am pointed towards the hidden storage spaces in the hallway wall on board <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6423" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Madsummer95.0m (311'8&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2019">Madsummer</a>. “In my designs I always like to incorporate special custom details in the mechanisms, knobs and handles… I keep some things secret.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/183670/image/large-eb4f8acb5e47c57fb2c3f6d78ae771e9.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/183670" style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; position: relative; max-width: 100%; margin: 1rem 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">Inclined to uncover more of these secrets, I ask what it is that Sessa finds truly influential. “I know I am often identified for my love of colours, but it’s also true that on some occasions I have been obliged not to consider colours, but just black and white, which is also fun! I can take inspiration from everything… from a visit to a museum to reading a magazine. Or just day-to-day things like shopping or watching a movie. There are no limitations to the imagination and its fantasies.”Something 'us Lauras' agree on is that being a creative is often a self-driven process. However, Sessa’s work (as is the case with many superyacht designers) is very reflective of the client themselves, their demands and their vision. “I don’t follow fashion trends except if it’s a request. The evolution of creative design depends on many fields in the industry to which it belongs. It also depends on the owner’s dedication and brief which can open up the possibility for new research to happen.”<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/104119/image/large-62b36b3f44a64ba95f5b13a1c6fc10be.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/104119">This part of the process doesn’t hold Sessa back: if anything, it propels her forward to gain more insight into her clients, who soon appear to become her friends. “I always look forward to a good relationship. For me, working is a pleasure – even when I have strange requests – I cannot live without my work! I try to make my clients happy and fulfil their design desires. This way, I know that every project is unique and represents the client’s personality.”Such friends are the team at <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/18" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Amels (Company)">Amels</a>, who have worked with Sessa since 2004 on around 20 projects and so should know all too well what the Sessa speciality is. “There are so many projects, it’s difficult to choose my favourite, but I think the 62.4-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4985" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Madame Kate62.4m (204'9&quot;)Amels2015">Madame Kate</a> is really fun,” says Rose Damen, Managing Director of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/1821" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Damen Yachting (Company)">Damen Yachting</a>. “The HSH Prince Albert came on board to award her with the ‘Best Interior Award’ at the <a href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Yacht Show - 2021">Monaco Yacht Show</a>, which I think is a great compliment.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/89306/image/large-b60ef8195958eb83cd7ceb70a9eb99bd.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/89306" style="box-sizing: inherit; border: 0px; font-family: &quot;Open Sans&quot;, sans-serif; position: relative; max-width: 100%; margin: 1rem 0px; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); font-size: 17px; font-style: normal; font-variant-ligatures: normal; font-variant-caps: normal; font-weight: 400; letter-spacing: normal; orphans: 2; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: 2; word-spacing: 0px; -webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-decoration-thickness: initial; text-decoration-style: initial; text-decoration-color: initial;">“Laura embraced our Limited Editions concept when we began the series in 2007, and I believe her appeal is that she designs for a wide variety of cultures, generations and backgrounds,” Damen adds.Echoing this sentiment is the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2208" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Imperial Yachts (Company)">Imperial</a> team, who certainly aren’t shy to compliment Sessa on her work, especially on board superyachts <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3670" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Event60.0m (196'10&quot;)Amels2013">Event</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6145" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lili55.0m (180'5&quot;)Amels2017">Lili.</a> “Her detailed vision of interior design and layouts makes a major difference when it comes to the outfitting stage,” says <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/2208" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Imperial Yachts (Company)">Imperial</a> director Julia Stewart. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/178053/image/large-84ccfbfaedf0e3633bf076b1c36f52bf.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/178053">“The first ever Amels 199, part of the Limited Edition series, was the remarkable 62.4-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3670" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Event60.0m (196'10&quot;)Amels2013">Event</a>. When she was unveiled to the world for the first time at the <a href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Monaco Yacht Show - 2013">Monaco Yacht Show 2013</a>, people were talking. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/3670" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Event60.0m (196'10&quot;)Amels2013">Event</a> brought a new vision to superyacht interiors – a more ‘architectural’ idea. <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6145" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lili55.0m (180'5&quot;)Amels2017">Lili</a> is also an incredible design, delivered in a record time, timeless and appealing with a plethora of details on each deck.”. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/178052/image/large-f6c003b498b74a9b623be3b6b2cffd86.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/178052">Visibly humbled to have her work be so admired, Sessa’s response is charming: “I say that ‘the best project is yet to come’ as I am always looking forward to creating new ideas. I love all of my projects – there is always a reason why they are designed a certain way, and they are all timeless, as good design is when it can stand the test of time.”It’s as if her work is a treasure she is happy to have been found, and Sessa gives those who succeed in finding her designs a lasting thought: “I always say that we have one life and if we have the possibility to realise what we love, it is better to do it now because nobody has an unlimited contract with life!” <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/104115/image/large-b9e97884b8e9ea4595ae4d91f5b28eb4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/104115">This article was first featured in The SuperYacht Times newspaper. <a href="http://www.superyachtcompany.com/newspaper/the-superyacht-times-subscription" target="_blank">Subscribe</a> now to receive your copy straight to your door and never miss another issue.&nbsp;

Insight: A conversation with yacht interior designer Laura Sessa

SYT editor Laura Nicholls sits down with designer Laura Sessa to discuss what it takes to develop a world class yacht interior.

Think you've got what it takes to identify our Mystery Yacht? This year, SYT's revered in-house yacht historian and archivist, Malcolm Wood will be testing your yacht-spotting knowledge to the limit in a series featuring historic yachts selected from his archives that were rarely mentioned or photographed in their day. Here, we give you the solution for the April <a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/mystery-yacht-april" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="">Mystery Yacht.</a><img src="/uploads/store/photo/71202/image/large-bf6a458ef694c6dc65e8abbebf6b4584.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/71202">The correct answer is <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>.&nbsp;This magnificent three-masted schooner was designed by the legendary Charles E. Nicholson and was launched as Vira by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Camper & Nicholsons International (Company)">Camper &amp; Nicholsons</a> in 1927 at their Gosport yard. &nbsp;Her brief specification: &nbsp;Type: 3-masted Staysail Schooner &nbsp;Construction: Composite - teak/steel frames &nbsp;Length OA - 65,3m; Length OD - 58,22m; Length WL - 42,67m; Beam - 9,44m; Draught - 5,35m &nbsp;Engines: Twin 890hp MTU &nbsp;Guests: 10 &nbsp;Crew: 16 &nbsp;Tonnage: 434 GRT; 272 NRT; 699 Displacement.&nbsp;Her original owner was Alexander Smith Cochran the American carpet magnate, sportsman and philanthropist. Cochran was already in failing health at this time and would die a couple of years later from tuberculosis. <img src="/uploads/store/photo/74999/image/large-c03f6a6c9c792581d40423ba93c27250.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/74999">Even before the yacht was launched, Cochran deemed the topmasts too tall and requested that they be shortened by cutting off 10 feet. He then asked for a further 10-foot reduction as the masts were being stepped thus ruining Nicholson’s original design. Cochran also refused to reduce the proportion of the lead keel on Nicholson’s advice thereby upsetting the balance of the yacht. Not a good start for<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Camper & Nicholsons International (Company)">&nbsp;Camper &amp; Nicholson</a>’s largest sailing yacht. &nbsp;Cochran had previously owned several large yachts including the sailing yachts Westward&nbsp;of 1909 and the Vanitie of 1914, and the steam yachts Mohican of 1890, Alvina&nbsp;of 1901, Warrior of 1904 and Restless&nbsp;of 1923. &nbsp;Owing to the owner’s rapidly deteriorating health, Vira was sold to Major Maurice Pope of the UK in 1928 and renamed <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>&nbsp;(apparently after a favourite dish prepared by his chef). &nbsp;He re-extended the masts and used the yacht mainly in the Solent for day sailing. &nbsp;Her next owner, Sir Connop Guthrie acquired <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> in 1937. He set about reinstating <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> to Charles Nicholson’s original design by increasing the mast lengths and replacing the lead keel resulting in an increased draught for improved stability. &nbsp;The intervention of the Second World War saw the yacht requisitioned by the British Admiralty with the vessel being converted for degaussing duties in Scotland and renamed Magic Circle. The masts were removed and the interior stripped out. &nbsp;<img src="/uploads/store/photo/50915/image/large-6c03f89bdda77122a8ccc9357323a236.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/50915">Following the cessation of hostilities, the yacht was acquired by the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Camper & Nicholsons International (Company)">Camper &amp; Nicholsons</a> yard as Sir Connop Guthrie had died by that time. &nbsp;Renamed <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> again, the yacht attracted the attention of Stavros Niarchos, the wealthy Greek shipowner who acquired her and took her to Germany for refitting. By 1951 the yacht had received a lavish new interior and had her masts re-installed as well as other updates. Following the unfortunate loss of his wife in 1970, Niarchos lost interest in<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">&nbsp;Creole</a> and the yacht languished in Piraeus until 1978 when she changed hands again. &nbsp;The new purchaser was a Danish syndicate headed by Thomas Brockelbank of the Nyborg Sjofartskole (Nyborg Seamanship School). The yacht was used for sail training purposes by the syndicate and briefly renamed Mistral&nbsp;prior to reverting to <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> at Nyborg for a refit in 1979 that included her luxurious accommodation being reduced to schoolship dormitories. The vessel undertook several training voyages with 38 trainees and 12 crew including two teachers. &nbsp;Partly owing to the costly upkeep of the vessel, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole&nbsp;</a>was sold in 1983 to Maurizio Gucci of the Gucci fashion house who set about restoring her to a luxury sailing yacht. Several shipyards in Italy, Germany and Spain were involved in the major and extensive rebuild/refit. This included stripping the hull, replacing planking, rigging, etc. and fitting two new MTU diesels replacing the old Gardners. What started as a two-year job turned out to be six years to bring <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> back to her former glory. &nbsp;<img src="/uploads/store/photo/2080/image/large-37e7a2cbce9d44d37dfb536a1bac66eb.JPG" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/2080">Yet again, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a> would be in the headlines when Maurizio Gucci was assassinated in 1995 at the entrance to his office in Milan. Investigations concluded that his former wife, Patrizia Reggiani had organised his assassination and was duly sentenced to 26 years in jail. &nbsp;Today, Maurizio Gucci's daughters Alessandra and Allegra own <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)Camper & Nicholsons Shipyard1927">Creole</a>. Let’s now hope that all the previous shenanigans are in the past and that the yacht will now enjoy a more stable future existence. &nbsp;Congratulations to those who found the correct answer and commiserations to the others. All your answers are much appreciated.

Mystery Yacht April solution 

Did you guess the answer to our latest Mystery Yacht? Find out on SYT. 

Mystery Yacht - April 2019: Solution 

As part of our history series from revered in-house yacht historian, Malcolm Wood, we take a closer look at yacht builders that are, for one reason or another, no longer in existence. Across the next two issues, we explore the Camper &amp; Nicholsons shipyard of Gosport and Southampton in the UK. In this first instalment, we delve into the sailing yachts of the yard. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/45788/image/large-95e8c10229d15656bf62337401da4805.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/45788">Camper &amp; Nicholsons were one of the earliest builders of yachts greater than 30-metres in length. The company also developed into one of the world’s most prominent yacht builders over the years, completing well over 2,000 vessels of all sizes. Owing to the large numbers of yachts involved, it is for this reason that we’ve decided to cover this prolific builder in two parts.The origins of the yard lie in one Francis C. Amos, a London born shipyard apprentice who in 1782 signed an agreement to lease the disused Charles Fort at Gosport, the site at which most of the company’s yachts would be built in future years. In 1809, William Camper, a great nephew of Amos, was apprenticed to his great uncle and following the death of Francis Amos in 1824, the control of the yard passed to William Camper.The first large yacht built by Campers was a 327-ton brigantine named Anonyma, launched in 1839 for the Royal Yacht Squadron member Colonel Greville. A succession of sailing yachts over 100-tons for both cruising and racing were built in the following two decades.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/45789/image/large-ec4c5eb1372fc46fcaf3f1e344031da5.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/45789">The Nicholson name first made an appearance in 1842 when Ben Nicholson was indentured as an apprentice shipwright to the Camper yard. Prior to William Camper’s death in 1863 he had written in his will that he wanted Ben Nicholson to take control of the yard together with one of his grandsons as a partner when he reached a mature age. The company would now be known as Camper &amp; Nicholson.One of the most famous racing yachts of this era was the 206-ton schooner Aline, built in 1860 for Charles S. Thellusson, one of the company’s most important clients. No less than 72 sailing yachts over 30-metres LOA were delivered from 1839 to 1914. Shamrock IV 1914 was Sir Thomas Lipton’s America’s Cup challenger in 1920 but lost to Resolute and was later broken up in 1932. Five of the 72 are still in service: Amphitrite of 1887, Black Swan (ex: Brynhild) of 1899, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5041" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Merrymaid34.75m (114'0&quot;)">Merrymaid</a> of 1904, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5039" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Joyette32.3m (105'12&quot;)">Joyette</a> (ex: Almara) of 1907 and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4394" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Orion of the Seas49.29m (161'9&quot;)">Orion</a> (ex: Sylvana) of 1910. Of these, Amphitrite is now a German registered sail training vessel whilst the other four are still private yachts.Following WWI, steam and motor yachts became the priority for the yard although several large sailing yachts were still being constructed. These were <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4892" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sylvia43.6m (143'1&quot;)">Sylvia</a> in 1925, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)">Vira</a> in 1927, Panope in 1928, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5042" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Astra35.0m (114'10&quot;)">Astra</a> in 1928, Ailée II in 1928, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4885" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Candida39.65m (130'1&quot;)">Candida</a> in 1929, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1276" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shamrock V36.58m (120'0&quot;)">Shamrock V</a> in 1930, Sonia II in 1931, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5040" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Saharet of Tyre32.43m (106'5&quot;)">Saharet</a> in 1933, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/251" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Velsheda39.4m (129'3&quot;)">Velsheda</a> in 1933,&nbsp;Endeavour I in 1934, Endeavour II in 1936, Panda in 1938 and Blanche-Neige in 1939.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/45790/image/large-7e2737a3a194fd03f59622194ca20b8a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/45790">Of these, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)">Vira</a> - better known as <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)">Creole</a> today - was the largest with a length overall of 63.03-metres and a TM tonnage of 697. T.O.M. Sopwith’s Endeavour I is well known today, whilst Endeavour II&nbsp;was converted to a yawl and was eventually dismantled in 1963.Sonia II, owned by UK powerboat racer Betty Carstairs, was converted to a banana carrier in 1944 whilst Ailée II owned by French yachtswoman Virginie Heriot ended up in the French Navy’s Ecole Naval de Brest as a training vessel. Panda was seriously damaged by fire at St. Martin in 1984 and was later towed to Florida and scuttled in 1988.Let’s now look at C&amp;N’s post-WWII large sailing yacht construction.The first large sailing yacht constructed post-WWII was a 35-metre ketch named <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2222" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Aries35.0m (114'10&quot;)">Aries</a> for W.J. Reynolds of the USA, delivered in 1953. This was followed by another ketch of 30.2-metres, Miguy III, and delivered to Comte Guy du Boisrouvray in 1960. This yacht was originally ordered for King Faisal II of Iraq who was assassinated in a coup d’etat before she was completed.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/45787/image/large-db70b8e1ec66083603d788b639ea1874.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/45787">The yard was very busy with small production-line sailing yachts and it wasn’t until 1979 that another large sailing yacht of 30.54-metres was completed. This sloop-rigged motorsailer named <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5037" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Calabuig30.54m (100'2&quot;)">Calabuig</a> was of alloy construction and was built for an Italian owner.Another decade was to pass before the Ron Holland designed sloop Royal Eagle II of 30.5-metres was delivered to her American owner in 1989. Just three more large sailing yachts would emerge from the yard in the 1990s, namely the Rob Humphreys/John Munford designed ketch Cyrano de Bergerac of 39-metres in 1993 for a repeat Italian owner, followed by the Bill Dixon/Terence Disdale designed schooner Yanneke Too of 35.9-metres for a US-based Swiss banker in 1995, and finally the 37-metre Ed Dubois designed sloop&nbsp;Our Blue Dream for a Russian owner in 1999.In our next issue, we’ll look at the steam and motor yachts built by Camper &amp; Nicholsons and add some more facts about this leading yacht builder. This article is featured in the latest edition of the SuperYacht Times newspaper. <a href="http://www.superyachtcompany.com/newspaper/the-superyacht-times-subscription">Subscribe now</a> to receive your copy straight to your door and never miss another issue.

The ghost of yards past: Camper & Nicholsons - Part I

Jonathan Beckett is the man at the helm of one of the most trusted superyacht brokerage firms in the world: Burgess. Joining the late company founder, Nigel Burgess, in the early 80s, it was not the desire to sell big boats that drew Beckett to the world of selling superyachts, but rather a love for sailing. Indulging in this passion fresh out of high school sailing on 55’ Sparkman &amp; Stephens ketch in the Caribbean, when Jonathan returned to Europe, he quickly realised that the yacht life was the only life for him and the brokerage world beckoned.&nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/32225/image/large-f3c4249ec1816ea586b1340d7ee9e98c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/32225">Regardless of a deep-seated passion for sailing from the CEO - a passion which was very much shared with the founder of the company - unsurprisingly, sailing yachts are in the vast minority of Burgess’ sales and charter deals. This, however, does not concern Beckett. In fact, contrary to the widespread belief that the sailing yacht market is in dire straits, Beckett notes that interest in this specialised sector is growing. In fact, he notes, it is the sailing yachts rather than the motor yachts that are really shaking things up in the industry: “Perhaps more so than motor yachts, a number of sailing yachts will also go down in the history books of yachting for being game changers,” he says. “Whether it’s the 88-metre&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)">Maltese Falcon</a>, the 106-metre&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4795" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Black Pearl106.0m (347'9&quot;)">Black Pearl&nbsp;</a>or the 142.8-metre&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4450" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Sailing Yacht A142.81m (468'6&quot;)">Sailing Yacht A</a>, these yachts are visionary design statements which have stopped the superyacht industry in its tracks – and that doesn’t happen very easily!”Here we hear more about Beckett’s insight into the sailing yacht market, and the future of the Burgess brand.&nbsp;You are CEO at Burgess and very much a client facing broker, spending the majority of your time actually selling yachts. Is there such a thing as a typical deal?&nbsp;I am very much a travelling salesman - selling yachts and selling the Burgess brand. On average, I travel twice a week. Just this week, for example, I was in Monaco last weekend, London on Monday and Tuesday, Amsterdam on Wednesday, London again on Thursday and then Singapore Friday. And now I will travel on to Australia on Sunday! But that is what I do.&nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/34966/image/large-445c229206a36a6bbdb7acd9f2a6e76e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/34966">I believe I learned the trade from the best: Nigel Burgess. We worked together for 11 years before ‎he died. He quickly taught me that the most important thing with any client is face time. You have to have face time to build a relationship - and this is a business that is all about relationships. A typical deal is like combining a marathon run with an obstacle course - all conducted on paper-thin ice! Joking aside, a typical deal will be one where the seller feels he isn't getting enough, the buyer feels he is paying a bit too much and the broker is very carefully trying to pull both sides together‎.After almost four decades working in the industry, what are your thoughts on the sailing yacht market and how it has changed over time?The sailing yacht market - meaning new construction, sales and charter - has always been a much smaller but much more specialised market than the motor yacht market. There are more than 10 large motor yachts to every large sailing yacht‎. It would be rare for a large motor yacht client (purchase or charter) to ‘switch’ to a sailing yacht, although it has been known to happen! Sailing yacht owners, buyers and charterers tend to be quite experienced sailing people who have a keen interest and knowledge of sailing yachts and the sea - and are passionate about sailing.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/7884/image/large-3ff44ce0b580955bb7b80b9160947086.JPG" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/7884">If anything, I think that there is more interest in sailing yachts now than there was back in my early days in 1980/1. There was a revolution of new modern designs, easy to handle sailing systems and much more modern accommodation in the 80s and 90s through to the present day. And, with this, came the opening of quite a number of new specialised sailing yacht shipyards taking centre stage, such as Perini Navi, Vitters, Alloy Yachts, Fitzroy – and, of course, the modernisation of such iconic shipyards as Royal Huisman and Jongert. Regrettably, Alloy and Fitzroy are no longer with us but they were incredibly prolific in the early years and were very much responsible for whetting the appetites of clients to build modern, aesthetically pleasing, high-performance sailing yachts with a level of luxury that hadn’t been seen on sailing yachts before.Having been part of Burgess since its early days, tell us about one of the most memorable deals you’ve closed?&nbsp;I am in my 38th year here at Burgess. In that time you might think that I've seen it all - but I am certain that I haven't. Not at all! My most memorable deals are not really our largest sales - but these ones were special for me: the 71.1-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/290" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Haida 192971.1m (233'3&quot;)">Sarina</a> (now Haida 1929), sold in 1981; the 57-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/236" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Fleurtje57.0m (187'0&quot;)">Argonaftis</a> (now Fleurtje), sold in 1984; the 86-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/297" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Kingdom 5KR86.0m (282'2&quot;)">Nabila</a> (now Kingdom 5KR), sold in 1987, and the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/385" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Maltese Falcon88.0m (288'9&quot;)">Maltese Falcon</a>, sold in 2009.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/19605/image/large-b8d86c2ff7d9819162f88a83347a836e.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/19605">The story of the 1987 sale of Nabila to Donald Trump is very well known, coming in at $14 million more than the previous largest sale of Burgess. How did this deal solidify Burgess’ position as a leader in the sale of large yachts?&nbsp;This was an exciting deal - and a very exciting time for this company and for the industry at ‎large. But actually, she was not only the largest sale by Burgess at the time, but she was $14 million more than any previous brokerage transaction ever. This really was the advent of superyachts as we know them today.&nbsp;It was particularly pleasing because I remember cutting Donald Trump's name out of a newspaper here in London‎ and adding him to our client list (which probably only numbered 300 people in those days!). A year later we closed the largest yacht sale ever with him! Nabila was an iconic and very famous yacht back in those days and Donald was a ‘self-promoter’ - so the publicity surrounding this sale and ongoing ownership was something else! We retained the management of the yacht - renamed Trump Princess&nbsp;- and had monthly meetings with him in New York. We sold the yacht on four years later to HRH Prince Alwaleed bin Talal bin Abdulaziz-Al-Saud from Saudi Arabia, who still owns the yacht today.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/18015/image/large-48ee854a91ce677af97627e2dbd7c7d9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/18015">There have, of course, been other significant milestones, which all solidify our leading position. One could never have predicted 30 years ago that the industry would evolve in quite the way it has and we have been involved with a number of ground-breaking new builds as owners’ project managers over the last few years: the world’s largest yacht, the 180-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4638" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Azzam180.61m (592'7&quot;)">Azzam</a>; the world’s largest yacht by gross tonnage, the 156-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5967" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Dilbar156.0m (511'10&quot;)">Dilbar</a>; and the largest yacht built to date in the Netherlands, the 110-metre Jubilee. These are very technically complex projects and I am immensely proud of our in-house team of naval architects and specialised marine/electrical engineers who carry these challenging builds from clean sheet of paper to delivery. &nbsp; <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/28769/image/large-dc8a0d4c8acedaa088c81180fefae172.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/28769">$30 million in the 80s was an almost unprecedented price for a yacht, though we have since seen prices in yachting rise almost exponentially. Some think the industry is effectively pricing ourselves out of business. Do you see this as an issue?&nbsp;$30 million in 1987 was a record-breaking price - almost double the value of any previous brokerage deal. So it was a big deal. Today $30 million will still buy you a nice yacht - but not a ‘top of the market’ yacht. Prices have risen enormously - but then so has the size and complexity of yachts. The top yachts today are truly floating palaces on the water with extraordinary features and very complex systems. To break it down, in 1987, $30 million bought you the biggest and best yacht in the world. In 2018, you would need to pay in the region of $600 - 700 million to buy the biggest and best yacht in the world… I’m not sure the pricing is an ‘issue’ rather than an organic progression as the vessels themselves have gotten more complex with extremely high standards.&nbsp;You are President and founding member of the Large Yacht Brokers Association, as well former President and board member of MYBA. What is the importance of such organisations?&nbsp;What we have learned from trade associations - be it MYBA or LYBRA - is that they bring industry players together to produce industry standards - such as the standard MYBA Charter Agreement and the standard MYBA Sale &amp; Purchase Agreement. We also discuss common issues, and they create a forum for grievances to be aired. LYBRA is an association of the larger yacht brokerage companies - and the demonstrable benefit here is having company owners and/or CEOs all sitting around the table together - getting to know each other well - and having the confidence to discuss ‘big picture’ industry issues that affect all of us.You’ve talked previously about families with young children being the key demographic that yachting should market to, though this is a decidedly long-term plan for longevity. What can we do in the short term?&nbsp;This is a very good question and no one has the definitive answer. Charter is most definitely a great entry gateway into yachting, and the number of people who can afford to charter but have no clue it even exists as a vacation must be encouraged to try it! We are members of the Superyacht Life Foundation, which is all about promoting the lifestyle of yachting rather than promoting‎ yacht purchase or yacht charter specifically.&nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/8710/image/large-36a1d64cfe4989718de55a8c0818f001.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/8710">It would be nice if we could extend the cruising seasons… but I don't see this happening anytime soon. The opening up of new destinations for chartering is something many of us are working on and is a very interesting challenge. It’s also a daunting one as market forces are quite entrenched. With environmental issues likely to be at the forefront for some years to come, we could well also see a resurgence of heightened interest in sailing yachts from charterers and there are also some exceptional purchase opportunities currently on the market at very interesting price levels. At the moment, for example, we are listing the stunning 90-metre three-masted schooner <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/288" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Athena90.0m (295'3&quot;)">Athena</a> and the 54.6-metre modern classic <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/2411" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Marie54.64m (179'3&quot;)">Marie</a> for sale and charter, as well as the 65.3-metre vintage schooner <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Creole65.3m (214'3&quot;)">Creole</a> for charter. &nbsp;&nbsp;Do you think consolidation is the answer to progressing the superyacht industry?&nbsp;There is room for everyone in this industry - but the way we do business will change. When change starts to kick in, it will happen quickly - and we are right on the cusp of that now. I am certain that we will see a lot of consolidation as we move ahead… it just makes sense. In 7 years time when we look back to today, the players will be different and the landscape will be different. This is an exciting time for Burgess and for the industry - and I am really looking forward to the challenges ahead.What do the next 10 years look like for Burgess?The next 10 years at Burgess are looking good! ‎Will I still be here? Definitely! But I will be in a different role - which I see as more of a guidance and mentoring role. The future of Burgess belongs to the next generation and it is our job to ensure a careful handing down of roles and responsibilities. At Burgess, we have a lot of young people - many of whom have already been with us for quite a long time (for example 35-year-olds who have been with us for 10+ years and 45-year-olds who have been with us for between 15-22 years). These young people are well trained, experienced and fiercely loyal, and it is going to be a pleasure to watch them take over the reigns of the company in the years to come. Exciting times ahead!This article is featured in the latest edition of the SuperYacht Times: the Sailing Issue.&nbsp;<a href="http://www.superyachtcompany.com/newspaper/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.&nbsp;

10 Questions with... Jonathan Beckett

Held from 13th to 17th September, the 13th edition of the Monaco Classic Week drew to a close recently, attracting a total of 150 vessels to the waters of the Principality varying from classic yachts to period motor yachts to vintage motorboats.

<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/166969/image/large-83ff99558130f4f30ebee68c09b86248.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/166969">

Considered by many to be Charles Nicholson’s masterpiece, the 58-metre Creole was the main attraction of the week. Celebrating 90 years since her completion, she was escorted by the 50-metre Trinakria and the ketch Xarifa, both also launched in 1927, to make a grand entrance into Port Hercule to a greeting of horns and cannon fire, trailing a string of Rivas, Chris Crafts and Hacker Crafts in her wake. “This entrance into the harbour with all the owners and their crew saluting Creole was a fantastic moment for us – thank you so much everyone,” said her owner Allegra Gucci.

<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/166970/image/large-cbb9ec8504ac964fdb44b15f5786c111.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/166970">

The big winner of this edition was the gaff cutter Viola, the 1908-built sailing yacht. Accepting the Monaco Classic Week Trophy, YCM member Kostia Belkin summed up the history of his boat in two words - love and expertise: “As skippers, we know that boats which are loved, remain beautiful forever. I also think expertise is vital to conserving our maritime heritage. Without the teams of marine carpenters, Viola would not be so beautiful.”

<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/166971/image/large-67031fdedd9c6d82008a02edb81bba04.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/166971">

Obtaining the best marks in the La Belle Classe Restoration prize was The Blue Peter, with the Elegance prize won by Elena of London, the replica of the 1911 Nat Herreshoff schooner, Elena.

The jury, presided by Sir Robin Knox-Johnston - the first man to sail non-stop around the world solo - had a difficult task choosing a winner from such a quality field of participants. “It was not at all easy to choose as the standard is so high. And we admire and are grateful to all the owners for their commitment in keeping the boats they love so much still sailing. It is important to pay tribute to them and encourage them. That is why this event is truly unique.”

<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/166972/image/large-34cfe1f9213bf630dc57998533c6fb04.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/166972">

The whole Riva family also came together on the water at this year’s event in the YCM Marina to pay tribute to the late, great Carlo Riva, who passed away earlier this year aged 95. Turquoise blue balloons, a colour forever associated with the famous brand and “made in Italy” design, were released, concluding the ceremony which Lia Riva, the engineer’s daughter, attended on the legendary Lipikar. “I was deeply touched by this homage to my father and thank all those who took part.”

<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/166973/image/large-93638c816003fa08f448785d3a277052.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/166973">

Rendezvous for the 14th Monaco Classic Week – La Belle Classe, will be held from 11th to 15th September 2019.

Photos by Carlo Borlenghi

Classic superyacht Creole victorious at Monaco Classic Week

An exceptional turn-out beneath blue skies ensured the 11th edition of Monaco Classic Week, organised in collaboration with Credit Suisse and Paul and Shark, will long be remembered as a total success. Creole, helmed by Allegra Gucci, received the Monaco Classic Week Trophy for her return to racing in the Principality after a 20-year absence.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145740/image/large-bf296eabb25f05e1da2cb702e8ffefaf.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145740">Numerous well-known sailors enjoyed the lifestyle and sea themed festivities. They included Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, voted Personnalité de la Mer 2013, Philippe Poupon, Titouan Lamazou, Philippe Monnet and Harold Cudmore.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145741/image/large-18110b5a04042a8860846c1bc535dcfc.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145741">The organisers were also delighted to welcome Guo Chuan, the Chinese sailor who recently set a solo round the world record of 137 days on a 12-metre boat. He had the privilege of discovering the art of classic sailing aboard the Yacht Club de Monaco’s flagship Tuiga.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145742/image/large-4803dd25d65f7caaa5d1310a5217d4ff.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145742">The harbour has never looked more beautiful as nearly 60 sailing yachts filled the port, spilling out onto the sea to race each day during a truly classic Monaco Classic Week. While the four 15M IRs always pull in the crowds, this year the star of the regatta was without a doubt the ‘Big Boats’, as the 30-metre-plus class was called in England in the early 20th century. On the starting line, these graceful giants produced a rare combative spectacle, neck and neck without incident thanks to the skill of their helmsmen. Creole, launched in 1927 and who historians consider to be Charles Nicholson’s masterpiece, was restored to her former glory some years ago thanks to Maurizio Gucci. One can just imagine the emotions felt by his daughter Allegra on receiving the Monaco Classic Week Trophy, and that of the crew on Palynodie II, the Stephens design built for Gaston Deferre in 1962, an impeccable second in the Marconi Classic category.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145743/image/large-297ced439161d53e399e7d78ad9730fa.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145743">Around the solid values of boats like Nan of Fife, on the podium in her class and also winner of the Best Restoration Prize, newcomers with an impressive pedigree emerged, such as the Fife Caron II the Herreshoff Chinook, the Sangermani Bufeo Bianco and Stephens’ Skylark, launched in 1937 and beautifully restored. If there were a sympathy prize it would go to the Monegasque team on Apache and the all-female crew on Artemis, victim of a very odd right of way refusal. And then it was love at first sight for the Marseille houari Alcyon, racing in Monaco for the first time, as her ancestor did in the 1880s.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145744/image/large-84d71c422b7b5fbaab1ffe9aedbf31c4.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145744">The four 15M IRs in their third battle of the season saw victory go to The Lady Anne. The crew, skippered by Paul Goss also won the Elegance Parade, having put on a superb show by firing an old canon as she past the jury and its president Princess Beatriz de Orleans-Borbon. A little miracle occurred on Friday evening: Hispania had snapped her top mast going round the mark. Tuiga made available what she had in reserve, and the carpenter who looks after her rigging, Gilbert Pasqui, hot-footed it over from Villefranche and worked most of the night on it, with the result that Hispania was ready to take the start on the Saturday morning. Note that the last stage of the `15 Meter Class Association Annual Trophy` will take place on 19 to 21 September during the Portofino Rolex Trophy.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145745/image/large-48f8cc7209bed821cb4f81e304ea956a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145745">In total there were 29 of these little gems, ‘classic’ wooden ones and the ‘moderns’ racing here for the first time in Monaco. Sometimes rather distracted by the beautiful 15M IRs so close by, the helmsmen needed all their skills to extricate themselves from everything going on around them in the light wind and swell. Once in the water, these 3.6m sea dragonflies appeared to lift their noses, impressed by the towering urban landscape. The classics more than lived up to their reputation, clinching 2nd, 3rd and 4th places.Guo Chuan left Qingdao port, returning 137 days and 20 hours later a hero, welcomed by thousands of people - yes, Guo Chuan is the first Chinese sailor to pursue and succeed in setting a solo round the world record. Invited to Monaco Classic Week, he discovered the joys of traditional yachting first on Alcyon and then Tuiga: "I didn’t know anything about classic boats. I have been amazed by these two yachts and the skills required by the crew to manoeuvre them, and seeing 60 of these beauties on the water. It was an unforgettable experience!"<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145746/image/large-10231af31a9bafba27f28a7d1ff7a27c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145746">This year there were no less than 37 motorboats, including at least 20 Rivas, Chris-Crafts, two Albatros and single or twin engine boats, all competing in the manoeuvrability competition, won by last year’s winner, the Riva Super Florida Susanna. The traditional and always picturesque whistle competition was won by the steam-yacht Lagavullin. Chefs’ Competition with Alain Ducasse as jury presidentChefs from ten boats pulled out all their inventive flavours and presentation stops to produce a tartare de poisson to go with champagne and seduce a prestigious jury that included chefs Christian Garcia (Palais Princier), Sébastien Ossetti (Yacht Club de Monaco), Pascal Tingaud (Maison Moët &amp; Chandon) and Filippo-Maria Perini, communications and marketing manager at Paul &amp; Shark, Monaco Classic Week 2013 partner alongside Credit Suisse.<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145747/image/large-9927668f48063e18d30418d2609bdd36.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145747">Chef Juan Munoz from Creole was the winner and received an invitation for two to dine at Alain Ducasse’s Louis XV restaurant in the Hôtel de Paris. Christian Garcia, Head Chef at the Prince’s Palace was full of admiration for the quality of the presentation and skills on show: "It was a very difficult decision to make, in view of the different sizes of boats and their galleys but that’s what makes this competition interesting. It’s good the theme of the dish was one that all are able to produce, so they have an equal chance of winning".<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/145748/image/large-6c3f993da326e0285739eef030f93d43.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/145748">New for this edition was the cocktail competition, judged by the same jury, which attracted nine entrants and was won by Pacha III. Important to note that Alain Ducasse offers a specific course in culinary arts for chefs on yachts at his training centre. Courses include themed cuisine and pâtisserie, based on quality produce, innovation and technique. There is a limited intake for each course.More photos on our <a href="https://www.facebook.com/SuperYachtTimes?hc_location=stream" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>!Yacht Club Monaco <a href="http://www.ycm.org" target="_blank">www.ycm.org</a>

Creole triumphs at Monaco Classic Week 2013

<img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/140163/image/large-f1934605c6490fc8e3c4bf5e8aef2909.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/140163">Superyacht CreoleThe 65 metre <a href="#managed-by-application" data-legacy="true" data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/921">Creole</a> is the 10th world's largest sailing yacht, and was built in 1927. She is designed by Charles E. Nicholson, and built at the Camper &amp; Nicholsons Shipyard in Gosport in the United Kingdom. Launched as Vira, she was the largest yacht the shipyard had ever constructed. The yacht is being kept in pristine condition.By Maarten Janssen, photo by Merijn de Waard

The 10th largest sailing yacht in the world, Creole

The grande finale of the yachting season – certainly for the classic yachts that all summer-long prowl the Mediterranean in search of competition and camaraderie – began today. Close to 300 yachts filled the Vieux Port and nearby marinas for the weeklong Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez, a ‘don’t miss’ stop on the yachting circuit. Spectacular fall weather conditions, a brisk mistral from the north with clear blue skies, prevailed on the first day to please competitors and photographers alike. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132471/image/large-ec23d70af3081dd247cb1c3969e101d6.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132471">The Tradition class boats, which start racing tomorrow, don’t have the stage to themselves however; there is a impressive grand-prix fleet of “moderns” from maxi yachts such as the Judel Vrolik 72-footer Rán, straight from a win at the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup in Porto Cervo, the Wally class’ towering 44 metre Tripp-designed <a href="#managed-by-application" data-legacy="true" data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/202">Esense</a>, to the Tofinu class, most of which at 9.5metres are just below the official minimum length, but this local fleet have been grandfathered in and seemingly up to the challenge of sailing on the same body of water as these comparative behemoths. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132472/image/large-30a25f332f26ab5755db78df809726af.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132472">But it is the solely the Traditional class and, within this grouping, only boats 16 meters and over, that can compete for the Rolex Trophy – this year there are 50 entries eligible. The winner will be the boat with the overall low point score after the week of racing. The winning boat and skipper will be awarded the Trophy and a Rolex Submariner timepiece. Racing for the Rolex Trophy is the 25-meter cutter-rigged, Halloween, created by the renowned Scottish yacht designer, William Fife III, from whose drafting table many famous, head-turning, and seakindly lines came, from the turn of the 19th century through the early 1900s. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132473/image/large-5ea200a0991b16ed13f8d68d9c22f774.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132473">Halloween was launched in 1926 and was a new type of design for Fife, sort of a cruising version of the successful 15-Metre class, which included Tuiga and Lady Ann. With her original rig, Halloween was – and in fact still is – a powerful boat: shortly after her launch, she won the Fastnet Race and set a course record of 93 hrs, 13 mins (with the start/finish off Cowes). <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132474/image/large-c4f3ec277ac97ea7b051ec0662a5f972.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132474">The boat changed hands and names several times over the years; as the yawl-rigged Cotton Blossom IV she was a force to be reckoned with, winning many races in the 1950s and ‘60s. She spent a decade in the Caribbean as a charter yacht, and was refitted in the late 1980s in Newport, RI. Then, sold again and taken to the Med, Halloween was returned to her original name and cutter rig, as per Fife’s original design. In a subsequent refit her mast was lengthened and boom shortened to allow for a more easier to manage permanent backstay. Halloween newest owners bought her in 2006. Two of them, Michael Cotter and Dan O’Connor, were racing Dragons in the Med where they were told the 83-foot classic was for sale, and what started as an innocent inquiry ended up as an addition to the fleet. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132475/image/large-27d3703d89bf634e5df5b89876f3ed9d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132475">The owners, in fact, include five keen Irish sailors, from around Dublin, who have known one another for over 20 years, many of them active in the Dragon fleet and other classes as well. One of them, Michael Cotter, also owns a similar sized Reichel/Pugh-designed modern maxi yacht that he’s actively campaigned at the Rolex Fastnet Race, Rolex Middle Sea Race, and Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, where he won class in 2009. But that carbon fibre and Kevlar-built boat is light years from the likes of Halloween’s teak planking on oak frames, yet Cotter and his happy-go-lucky band of friends seem to enjoy the best of both modern and classic sailing worlds. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132476/image/large-7f46c7256d8a1e81e0ba2d64c3f633fd.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132476">While the boat is regularly used, and shared, by all owners in a seemingly easy-going arrangement, it is also chartered for cruising and racing. Only a few classics with such a rich history as Halloween offer an opportunity to compete in an event such as Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. The Rolex Trophy The Rolex Trophy will be awarded during Sunday's prize giving ceremony at the Citadelle.The very first winner of the Rolex Trophy in 2006 was the 25 metre Marconi-rigged schooner, So Fong. Designed by the renowned naval architecture firm, Sparkman &amp; Stephens, So Fong was built in Hong Kong in 1937. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132477/image/large-01476357089c1b6f97d57f6e2a48283b.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132477">The 25 metre yawl, Agneta, built in 1951, won the Rolex Trophy in 2007. Agneta’s beautiful varnished mahogany hull and tanbark sails are unmistakable on the water. But it is the Herreshoff-designed NY 40 class Rowdy, that all eyes are on this year. Rowdy won the Rolex Trophy two years in a row – 2008 and 2009 – and is back to defend her title for a 3rdtime! <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132478/image/large-684bccd8b9a2d4a58a52e90dc027986a.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132478">Rowdy is one of the New York Yacht Club 40 class, so named because the design was commissioned by the New York Yacht Club and is 40 feet on the waterline. Of the approximately 14 boats constructed, Rowdy is one of the few left. In addition to having a major refit, the boat has been optimized more recently, under owner Graham Walker’s care. Walker’s crew, including boat captain Jonathan Greenwood, have left nothing to chance, carefully tweaking and improving both the boat and how they sail her. Rowdy has enjoyed an impressive record on the classic circuit and she’ll be a formidable boat to beat. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/132479/image/large-fd30fcf13b9502f9e8f291c135557f05.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/132479">Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez 2010 Event Programme Sunday, 26 September: Welcome for yachts Monday, 27 September: Welcome for yachts; Racing in Modern division Tuesday, 28 September: Coastal race for all Wednesday, 29 September: Coastal race for all Thursday, 30 September: Challenge Day (match racing) Friday, 1 October: Coastal race for all Saturday, 2 October, Coastal race for all Sunday, 3 October: 11am, Prizegiving Ceremony at La Citadelle Photos by Rolex / Carlo Borlenghi

Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez 2010 kicks off

This morning near summer conditions returned once again to Saint-Tropez and participants gathered in La Citadelle for the prize giving ceremony that marks the closing of this year's edition of Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. It is with a note of nostalgia that teams will leave this famous fishing village to return home until the 2009 edition of this spectacular event. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125664/image/large-a2eafd24dffc18702ebe2ad5b67dcc77.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125664">For the past three years there has been a special trophy given to the 16-metre Classic Yacht who accumulated the fewest points over the week of races. This year the winner was Graham Walter and his Marconi Rowdy, who finished the week at the top of her class. Philippe Schaeffer, Rolex France, presented Mr. Walter with the Rolex Trophy and a Rolex Submariner, close companion to all nautical achievements. Rowdy comes after previous winners So Fong (2006) and Agneta (2007) had inscribed their names on the Rolex Trophy. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125665/image/large-5296ba3f2c52dd2391a0812b91d2feef.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125665">Rowdy was designed by legend Nathanial Herreshoff and built by the Herreshoff Manufacturing Company in 1916 in Bristol, Rhode Island. She is part of the New York 40 Class, named so because the design is 40 feet off the waterline, and is one of the 14 or so boats in the class that was constructed between 1916 and 1917. Also known as the "Fighting Forties," these sailing yachts were built for members of the New York Yacht Club and Rowdy raced for many years with great success. World War I put a halt to further construction of the class and most of these great vessels have ceased to exist today. Rowdy is one of the few. She has recently undergone a major rebuild and won the yacht Club de France's Autumn Cup (Marconi Division) in Cannes just before her arrival in Saint-Tropez for the 2008 edition of Les Voiles. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125666/image/large-b39aa325d3bcbc27f3ff2ae74b345850.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125666">This year the racing was grand in spite of the Mistral crashing the party with violent winds that prohibited most racing on Thursday and all racing Friday. The final results are in and the winners in each category follow. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125667/image/large-32e0f2f85da7f194fde5659d6a70a616.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125667">CLASSIC YACHT RESULTS, following three races "Epoque" Sailboats (before 1950) AURIQUE A 1. Moonbeam III, Erwan Noblet 2. Mariquita, Jim Thom 3. Altair, Stephan Benfield AURIQUE B 1. Bona Fide, Guissepe Girdano 2. Oriole, Francis Van De Velde 3. Pesa, Jean Yves Roubinet MARCONI A 1. Rowdy, Graham Walter 2. The Blue Peter, Mike Aalders 3. Cholita, Dany Degraci MARCONI B 1. Anne Sopie, Hanns Klein 2. Classic Addy, Henk Bouma 3. Aile VI, Alain Ferri MARCONI C 1. Mercury, Jordi Cabau 2. Stormy Weather, Christopher Spray 3. Tomahawk, Richard Bond MARCONI D 1. Windhover, Marc Poullain 2. Lak, Guy Laforest 3. Arrow, Phil Plumtree <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125668/image/large-e9ff7d864c013e8fd8e7ad8fa25258b1.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125668">"Classic" Sailboats (1950-1975) MARCONI A 1. Galvana, Freres Pella 2. Sagittarius, Frederic Laffite 3. Fantasque, Jacques Daligaux-Bordat MARCONI B 1. Crazy Life, Bernard Olivieri 2. Pelikan, Peter Koerfer 3. Undina, Griff Rhys Jones Spirit of Tradition Sailboats 1. Shamrock V, Nick Ryan 2. Finsco, Willi Balz 3. Savannah, Hugh Morrisson Tofinou Sailboats 1. Bellerophon, Nicolas Edmiston 2. Grey One, Hervé Margolis 3. Cambronne, Bernard Vilarem <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125669/image/large-78e94148a351faccd822e89409907108.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125669">For the third consecutive year Rolex is in the "Partner Club" for Les Voiles de Saint-Tropez. This regatta, organized by the Société Nautique de Saint-Tropez (SNST), is part of the Rolex Yachting Portfolio that includes over twenty world-class sailing events that take place around the world. Rolex is also the title sponsor of mythic races such as the Rolex Sydney Hobart, the Rolex Middle Sea Race and the legendary Rolex Fastnet Race. Photos by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi

Les Voiles de Saint Tropez 2008 comes to a close

Bright sun and fresh gusts welcomed the crews this morning in the bay of Saint-Tropez. Today the 300 participating yachts in this year's Voiles de Saint-Tropez were given the chance to truly test themselves for the first time this week. No more twiddling thumbs while waiting for the wind; with the Mistral in full effect since sunrise, the crews of the Classic Yachts had to put real muscle into their work in order to keep control of their vessels' massive sails, which can often exceed 200 m2. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125612/image/large-d26413824ec596c5248238abcfd23106.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125612">Today was a welcome change from yesterday, when the race committee was forced to shorten the racecourse due to capricious winds. In yesterday's conditions Agneta, winner of the Rolex Trophy in 2007, finished second in the Marconi division just behind Rowdy but in front of Oiseau de Feu who finished third. In the Schooner category Mariquita finished ahead of Lulworth, Moonbeam III, Moonbeam IV and Thendara. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125613/image/large-3969d011546dae30e0a0877c55345301.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125613">A piece of the Camper &amp; Nicholsons sailing story For more than 100 years the products of the celebrated Camper &amp; Nicholsons design house and shipyard have continued to shine in Mediterranean and European regattas. With Avel, Creole, Oiseau de Feu, Partridge and Sylvia, the Camper &amp; Nicholsons fleet here in Saint-Tropez represents a beautiful collection of classic yachts. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125614/image/large-a9996f4cd349ddb8ba45964a9e99b4ab.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125614">The story behind the Camper &amp; Nicholsons that we know today dates back to 1782 with a man named Frances Amos. Amos came from London to Gosport where he leased a plot of land as a boat builder. His business building small trading ships was fairly successful, and with no heir of his own, Amos passed the lease to his great nephew William Camper in 1824. Working in close collaboration with Gosport sail maker James Lapthorn, Camper began to produce sailboats at the shipyard while continuing the production of trade ships. In 1836 Camper launched the cutter Breeze for James Lyon, and its success that same year at the King's Cup boosted the reputation and demand for Camper's sailing vessels. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125615/image/large-ecfec967de0621d4ebd64727f05e0ad8.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125615">In 1842 there was a new addition to the Camper shipyard: 14-year old Ben Nicholson who joined as an apprentice, but who quickly began to move up the ranks. It was in 1860 that Nicholson, who had become the chief designer at the yard, designed the successful and beautiful schooner Aline. When it came time for Camper to retire, Nicholson was the logical choice for his replacement. In 1863 Ben Nicholson took over the business, with continued support from the Camper and Lapthorn families, and changed the name of the shipyard to Camper &amp; Nicholson. The shipyard grew to almost double its previous size, bolstered by the success and durability of its schooners, and when Nicholson's three sons later joined the company the name was officially changed to its current Camper &amp; Nicholsons. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125616/image/large-c184f7768a28714fcf974ec447cf812c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125616">Nicholson's eldest son, also named Ben, focused his talents on recruiting crews, a service the shipyard provided until 1939. The youngest of the three brothers, Arthur, was specialized in managing the yard's construction and maintenance facilities. It was the middle brother, Charles E. Nicholson, who took to design. When Charles' Dacia won fourteen races in 1892 the demand for Camper &amp; Nicholsons sailing designs skyrocketed. Interestingly, the shipyard has always produced more motorboats than sailing yachts, but this has not prevented a number of sailing innovations and great designs emanating from Camper &amp; Nicholsons. In 1912 Istra was built with an incredibly lightweight, laminated wood construction, leading to the 1927 commission of Vira (later renamed Creole), a sailboat that some would say is one of Charles Nicholson's most beautiful creations. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125617/image/large-e992ef68b5ecb3c1f27d4d3fc0c39a3f.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125617"> <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125618/image/large-f810339e3ba0791f611d878e4432995d.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125618">Nicholson became known for his elegant, fast and reliable designs and when he was commissioned to build a yacht for Sir Thomas Lipton, the 1930 America's Cup Challenger Shamrock V was born. The designer produced three other J Class boats that raced in the America's Cup including the 1932 Challenger Velsheda, 1934 Challenger Endeavour I and 1936 Challenger Endeavour II. It is for these designs that Charles E. Nicholson is most often remembered in the sailing world. Two of his earlier designs, Astra and Candida, were later altered to conform as closely as possible to the J Class rule. It is a true tribute to the quality of Camper &amp; Nicholsons construction to say that all of these, with the exception of Endeavour II, are still sailing today. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125619/image/large-37c5f065c6210d21987b0637cfabf7da.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125619">Charles E. Nicholson continued to play an active role in the company until his death in 1954 at age 86. Although many of his designs are still held in highest regard in the sailing community, racing yacht production was astonishingly less than ten percent of the company's output during Charles E. Nicholson's time in charge. Nicholson was inducted into the America's Cup Hall of Fame in 1997. <img alt="" src="https://syt-store-production.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/photo/125620/image/large-6e17bb41aeb626a971cedf14c5792537.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/125620">Here in Saint-Tropez some of Charles E. Nicholson's designs can be seen in action: Avel, Creole, Oiseau de Feu, Partridge and Sylvia, all of which are competing for the 2008 Rolex Trophy with the exception of Partridge. Seeing these great classics go up against one another is like a trip back in time. One could almost, and willingly, get lost amongst the sails as they fill the horizon; a strong reminder of sailing's glorious past. Photos by Rolex/Carlo Borlenghi