Innholdsfortegnelse for Fall 2020 i Yachts International

Editor-in-Chief kwooton@aimmedia.com In more than three decades as a journalist covering this passion we share, I’ve spent time on boats of all flavors, all over the world. Those experiences comprise a catalog of great memories I tap into in good times or tough. One early trip took me to the leeward islands of Tahiti in French Polynesia for a charter on a 72-foot sloop called Ninon. It was classic boat-Rx and always reminds me of the restorative power of a great week on the water. That adventure began with a typical New York travel story: a stressed-out Friday rush-hour cab ride to the airport, arrival at a mad, chaotic check-in counter, and a vein-busting sprint to the gate. My wife and I flopped into our seats breathless and needing most…

The four-and-a-half-hour flight from Tahiti to the Gambiers traces an arc over the teardrop atolls of the Tuamotus before touchdown on an airstrip only slightly narrower than the island itself, with colorful coral outcroppings and azure water in every direction. It is the picture of paradise: secluded beaches, crystal-clear water, tropical temperatures, breathtaking sunsets and a mountainous backdrop. The Gambier Islands are perhaps the best-kept secret of the Pacific. Tucked away in the southeast corner of the vast island nation of French Polynesia, the Gambier archipelago is a collection of 14 tropical islands that appear to float in a symphony of colors. The lagoon, pulsing with a thousand shades of blue, is protected by a diamond-shaped outer reef. Once known as the “forgotten islands,” the Gambiers seem to breathe relaxation…

Building a yacht is a business proposition, and it’s difficult to make friends in business. So says the Argentinian owner of the 210-foot (64-meter) Attila, the first 64Steel from Sanlorenzo and its executive chairman, Massimo Perotti. “But it’s also a question of trust, and I’ve known Massimo for years, having built my previous boat with him,” Attila’s owner says. “So the trust was already there, and I knew he could build me a beautiful boat.” It wasn’t a foregone conclusion, however, that Sanlorenzo could deliver. The Italian shipyard is a relative newcomer to metal boat-building, having launched its first 40Alloy in 2007. Sanlorenzo has since sold more than three dozen steel- or aluminum-hulled yachts, but Attila is easily its biggest project to date and one of the highest-volume yachts in…

Designers at Neal Feay entwine form, function and technology. The California-based company’s portfolio is a vibrant gallery of artistic creations, architectural surfaces and luxury furnishings, as well as more whimsical items such as a red aluminum spinnaker and a 24-foot-long modular blue wave. Years ago, Steve Jobs, recognizing the beauty and strength of aluminum, melded function and art with Apple’s thin, light product line of laptops, iPads and iPhones. Like Jobs, Alex Rasmussen, president of Neal Feay, is introducing new applications of aluminum to the design and yachting worlds. Designers at Neal Feay entwine form, function and technology. The California-based company’s portfolio is a vibrant gallery of artistic creations, architectural surfaces and luxury furnishings, as well as more whimsical items such as a red aluminum spinnaker and a 24-foot-long modular…

Yachtbuilders usually like to play down the production-line aspect of their activities. Words like bespoke get thrown around, even if the alterations being offered are strictly limited to the color of the cushions. Monte Carlo Yachts is different. It has always promoted how precise and efficient its assembly lines are, with tolerances measured in millimeters, but the builder is also happy to customize. How much is possible? On Hull No. 1 of the newly revamped MCY 76, a full-size Roland digital piano is forward in the salon, inside a specially built cabinet, so the owner’s daughter can keep up with her music lessons during holidays aboard. The MCY 76 is a reinvention of the original model, which was the first model the shipyard ever produced. In an effort to appeal…