Innholdsfortegnelse for December 2023 i Boat International US Edition

There was a palpable tension felt at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival. “Everyone was a bit worried about how the 2023 show would measure up against 2022, which was really something special,” Massimo Perotti, CEO of Sanlorenzo, said during Cannes. “But now that we’re here, I can say that we are all able to breathe a sigh of relief over how well this year has performed so far.” Will Green, Princess Yachts CEO, agrees, saying the slight pessimism he experienced in the lead-up to Cannes was swept away upon arrival, and the industry feels “properly back to normal.” On a per-month basis, BOATPro data shows that the value of yacht sales (above 78ft) is returning to familiar seasonal trends, with a slight dip in activity during the summer months before…

BOAT LIFE Next year marks the 120th anniversary of the creation of the first V12 gas engine. It was an 18.4-liter effort designed for use in racing boats, an application it was perfect for, thanks to its huge torque, prodigious power, and silken smoothness. The 12-cylinder format has been around for almost as long in cars, too - but increasingly tight emissions rules around the world are gradually killing it off. Mercedes-Benz began phasing out V12s in its models in 2018, BMW ditched its version last year, and Bendey will send its W12 down the river in 2024 - although Lamborghini has managed to cling to its signature V12 powerplant in the Revuelto by hybridizing it with electric back-up. So I didn’t need to think too hard when I was…

The Caribbean of late seems to have drawn people all year round, beyond the usual winter months when the region’s warmth and natural beauty have irresistible appeal. There are few places with more escapist allure - white sand, crystal seas and a laidback vibe. Buyers flooded into the region during the pandemic as soon as travel restrictions were lifted, ignoring the very real threat of hurricanes between June and November and sparking a mini property boom. In the Turks and Caicos and Barbados, sale prices grew by at least 10 percent last year, according to Savills. Beyond its glorious climate and natural beauty, there are many reasons to buy a property in the Caribbean. With 28 nations and 7,000-odd islands, the region has plenty of options for buyers at a…

Back in the 1970s, while my father and uncle were on a motorcycle trip up in Seatde, they stumbled i upon this 85ft 1939 De Vries M Lentsch motor yacht then named Lycon. They bought it, did a reasonable mechanical/ structural refit and kept her in Sausalito. I was about seven when I spent my first California summer vacation on board, and through high school, I spent one month each summer traveling along the coast to the Channel Islands, the San Juans and into Vancouver. For a landlocked kid from Oklahoma, it was more than an adventure, it was a life-changing experience. I finally moved out to California full-time when I was 29 to join my uncle in the wine business in Napa Valley. Lycon was renamed Far Niente after…

This might just be the ultimate fisherman’s tale. The story of the one that didn’t get away - one that measures 87ft from head to toe. Of course, we’re not talking fish here and the fisherman in question is a boat that, fresh out of a sensitive refit, is an exceptionally rare beast. Let me explain why. Catch is the new name for Patriot, a sportfisher built by Feadship as Gallant Lady in an innovative mix of aluminum and fiberglass back in 1984. The Dutch yard is not the first name one would associate with this type of boat and would be unlikely to make even the top 20. It built only five of this sub-genre of yacht, all for American clients and all between 1977 and 1988. But Feadship…

Deck the halls The Westport 164 Legacy is now Maison Blanche. Remarkably, she emerged like new after less than three months at Lauderdale Marine Center in Fort Lauderdale. The owner, who purchased the conservatively decorated production yacht in December 2022, wanted a different look and feel. “He wanted comfort; he wanted to feel a bit more enlightened and he wanted to feel refreshed,” designer Patrick Knowles says. Retaining almost all layout features, he brought in a sophisticated yet relaxed aesthetic with new fabrics, carpets and finishes. Knowles also added bars on the sundeck and in the sky lounge and made the main deck aft a focal point, with a bi-level design in backlit blue calcite. On the bridge deck removing railings and sunpads aft created a new lounge with stylish,…

CALEX Stocked with a smorgasbord of toys for the kids to use, the 219ft Benetti Calex pairs banana boats, WaveRunners and paddleboards with a full-service spa for the adults. Its Caribbean itinerary stretches from the Abacos down to the coral reefs of the Lesser Antilles. From $680, 000 per week, northropandjohnson.com MALTESE FALCON The 289ft Maltese Falcon is one of the world’s most innovative sailing yachts. By day guests can catch the gentle trade winds from her base in Antigua, and by night watch a movie projected onto the lower sail. From $490,000 per week, burgessyachts.com KOJU Led by a captain with more than 20 years’ experience cruising the area, 121ft Benetti Koju brings the magic of a white Christmas to the white sands of the Caribbean. The engineer has…

“It was important to maintain Dutch craftsmanship. We’ve not ripped the soul out of it; instead the refit is giving the yacht another 20 years of life” There was no wading in slowly for the owner of the 165ft modern classic Feadship motor yacht Emerald. For his first-ever yacht renovation, he dived right in, embarking on an extensive rebuild that included a stern extension, sundeck and upper deck restructuring, exterior restyling and interior decor overhaul. But the crux of the brief was a new layout that reimagined a vintage Feadship for modem use. “Spending the summer on boats for the past 15 years, a refit was always a dream project and a Feadship was at the top of the wish list,” Emerald’s owner says. As a longtime Feadship admirer, the…

VOYAGE With a surge of power, the helicopter soars up and over jagged peaks and clears the summit of the highest mountain in view, which falls away to reveal the white-cloaked Andes stretching as far as the eye can see. Looking down at the mountains around Palena in the Los Lagos region of Chilean Patagonia, there is no sign of human life at all, just mountains, unblemished blue sky and untouched powder offering a vast expanse of potential skiing. While there are conventional ski resorts here in Chile (including Valle Navado, just east of the capital of Santiago, and Portillo, which lies farther north in Valparaíso), the real draw for adventure seekers is heli-skiing in total seclusion, while benefiting from all the comforts of a superlative chalet or lodge afterwards.…

VOYAGE AMERICAS Amangani, Jackson Hole, Wyoming Nestled in the foothills of the Tetons, 20 minutes from Jackson Hole, Amangani may be slightly out of town, but it does have its own ski lounge in the heart of Teton Village, just steps from the Bridger Gondola and Aerial Tram. Its isolation contributes to its charm. With high ceilings and huge windows, Amangani’s suites are crafted from wood and stone, with very little clutter, woven cowhide chairs and faux-wolf throws elegantly resting over chairs to invite you in. aman.com Location highlight: while a distance from Jackson Hole, it still offers excellent ski access Four Seasons Resort, Vail, Colorado Having recently undergone a hefty renovation, the Four Seasons Vail is blessed with the façade of a textbook alpine property, with its peaked roofs,…

“Unmissable scenery, overwhelming music for a feasting sailor’s world a perfect anniversary!” PAOLA TRIFIRÒ With thanks to Ocean Alexander, Boeing Business Jets, Compass Tenders, HFW, Nobiskrug, Oyster Yachts and Superyacht Partners…

Zaria Forman knows about ice. For more than 15 years the New York-based artist, explorer, and environmentalist has traveled to the world’s most remote and frozen places, taking in frigid bays, calving glaciers, eroding beaches - even flying with NASA to capture ice sheets in retreat over both poles - and rendering them in sublime pastel drawings. “I’ll continue to be inspired and obsessed by ice - it’s so varied,” says Forman, speaking at the debut of her latest exhibition in Reykjavík, Iceland. “I will never fully understand how to draw all different kinds of ice - the surfaces and depths, the cracks and crevices… I’ll never know how to do it completely - it keeps me on my toes.” Forman’s ice is depicted through the lens of climate change,…

UNITED CUP International tennis season kicks off with a bang just before New Year’s Eve with this 18-country teams tournament played at the RAC Arena in Perth, then in Sydney. Players compete for AUS$15 million ($10m) in prize money before they head over to Melbourne later in January for the Australian Open. December 29 to January 7; Ken Rosewall Arena, Sydney Olympic Park; unitedcup.com ONE SYDNEY HARBOUR Made up of three high-rise buildings towering over the harbor, this decadein-the-making development offers a selection of one- to four-bedroom residences accompanied by top-of-therange facilities, including swimming pools, wellness spaces and dining and wine galleries for owners to enjoy. Apartments are on sale now. 88 Barangaroo Ave, Barangaroo; onesydneyharbour.com KANDINSKY; ART GALLERY NSW Curated in collaboration with the Guggenheim in New York, the…

Owner of Artefact Length: 262′ Year: 2020 Location: Bora Bora How’s the Pacific trip going? Fantastic! We have traveled from Papeete to Bora Bora in almost a month. We’ve seen beautiful lush tropical islands, enormous emerald green and blue coral-protected lagoons. We’ve enjoyed delicious tropical fruit and locally cultivated beautiful black pearls What’s the view right now? Stunning colors with canopy trees and giant palms completing the perfect brochure world How has Artefact been running? We’ve had smooth and efficient operation the whole way. The versatility and comfort of dynamic positioning and the panoramic glass walls combine to elevate perception and meditation Have you seen many other yachts? Surprisingly few. Just Andromeda, the 352ft explerer, and Voyager, a huge American yacht conversion. We’ve seen lots of sailing yachts, meanwhile, and…

We’ve known for decades that teak decking, the golden crown of a fine private yacht, has become problematic. Particularly contentious is old-growth Myanmar (Burmese) teak, or Tectona grandis. It may be the highest-quality, most durable teak in the world, known for its superior water resistance, but it is also clouded in environmental and humanitarian controversy. Rumors of mass destruction of forest and exploitation of the Burmese people began filtering west in the 1960s, about the time the country dissolved into a military dictatorship. Then, in 2021, after a brief period of stability, things took a turn for the worse when a regime with a brutal ethnic-cleansing program took control (it still holds a grip over the country today). Bent on financing itself, it instilled a state-controlled timber monopoly, allowing traders…

The idea of a sustainable superyacht might sound like an oxymoron, but if you like the look of the boat pictured here, you might ask yourself, why build new when you can repurpose to perfection? That more or less describes what the owner of Omnia has achieved (with the help of a few highly imaginative marine professionals) in turning a nearly 50-year-old commercial vessel into a luxurious explorer yacht that looks just as at home in a glitzy marina as it does cruising the Arctic Ocean. The former navy vessel, most recently known as the explorer Akula, was reborn yet again as the 200ft Omnia following a 14-month refit. “I liked the hull from the very moment I found it for sale and, although my client wasn’t looking for a…

THE BITTER END Do you have a tale from the high seas? Send your story to thebitterend@baatinternatianal media.com They say never mix business with pleasure, but they should also say never mix friends with boats! While there’s nothing nicer than spending time with loved ones, it can also be exhausting. From making sure we had lovely menus and activities to keeping a calendar of who was coming and going, it often felt like we were running a hotel. While most friends were no trouble at all, there were the bossy ones who tried to take over the itinerary and the needy ones who would expect their annual invite - and when it didn’t arrive, would ring us up and complain, “Have we done something wrong?” And then there were the…