Yacht
Power and sail: Wally's latest offerings hit the water
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Regular Gizmag readers may already be familiar with some of the elegant and ambitious yacht concepts to have emerged from the Wally design house. Both having made their debut at this year's Monaco Yacht Show, the two latest offerings do nothing to suggest that the standard is dropping. The 19 meter, 64' wallypower is the first unit of a new line which sits between the WallyTender and the larger WallyPower yachts while the magnificent Wally 148 Saudade sloop is, at 148-foot (45-meter), the largest Wally built so far. Read More
Hybrid yacht combines diesel, solar and wind power
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Island Pilot has used this year’s Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show to debut its new hybrid motoryacht - the DSe Hybrid12m. Combining diesel, solar and electric power (hence "DSe") and with wind-power to be added to the production model, the 40ft vessel can take advantage of a sunny day by cruising at speeds of up to six knots indefinitely using only solar power. Not only does this save fuel, it eliminates the rumble of diesel engines to bring one of pure-sailing's greatest attractions to the motoryacht format - silence. Read More
40 Signature Series: stunning Lord Norman Foster designed super-yacht
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One of the most elegant water-going creations to cross our desk in recent times is the Foster and Partners designed YachtPlus 40 ‘Signature Series'. Designed by a 7-strong architectural team led by Lord Foster himself and being built at the Rodriquez Cantieri Navali shipyard in northern Italy, the ultra-contemporary 135 foot (41m) luxury superyacht offers 5737 square feet of useable living space with extensive outer deck area including a submergible beach deck, a grand staircase at transom and seperate jet ski storage space. The innovative interior layout has four decks accommodating up to 12 guests and 7 crew while the full beam owner’s cabin on the main deck includes forward-facing windows that lead to private balconies and the glass walled main saloon features 180 degree views. Read More
Pangaea - the world's largest, cleanest expeditionary sailing ship
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The 35-meter two master PANGAEA is the largest and most flexible polar expedition sailboat ever built. It can navigate through tropics and rivers as easily as it can through polar regions, and will travel to five continents, including the North and South Pole. Read More
The Monster: Puma names Volvo Ocean Race entry
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PUMA Ocean Racing has christened its stunning new boat "il mostro" (Italian for "The Monster") before heading out to sea to complete its 2000-mile qualifier for the race which gets underway later in October.
PUMA Volvo Ocean Race entry makes final preparations
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April 24, 2008 These images provide a tantalizing preview of the as yet unnamed PUMA entry for the Volvo Ocean Race 2008-2009 before it hits the waters of Boston Harbor for its official christening on May 12th. Read More
Hemisphere: the world's largest sailing catamaran
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April 9, 2008 The giant 44.2m (145ft), 500 ton Hemisphere will claim the title of the world's largest sailing catamaran when it begins charter operations in the Caribbean in the winter of 2008/2009. Packed with luxurious features including a spacious flybridge with jacuzzi, a shaded dining, an expansive indoor/outdoor living area and full watersports amenities including a dive locker served by a large hydraulic swim platform, the Hemisphere can accommodate twelve guests in its five comfortable ensuite cabins. And the price tag for a sample of this palatial floating escape: charter rates start at US$150,000 per week excluding operating expenses. Read More
Wally announces new 'floating island' gigayacht: the WallyIsland
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EXTENSIVELY UPDATED March 20, 2008 Little more than a decade after beginning in business, Monaco-based Wally Yachts continues to develop innovative concepts and minimalist luxury at a rate exceeding any other marine design house on the planet. The company's latest is the WallyIsland – a 99 meter (325 feet) "gigayacht" that dwarfs the vast majority of luxury megayachts and reconceives the yacht as a floating personal island, a mobile address that can be used as a home, an entertaining space or even a moving exhibition or show space. Read More
MarySlim: Multimarine Composites' wave cleaving Very Slender Vessel
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Until recently limited to military craft, the wave-piercing attributes of the Very Slender Vessel (VSV) design has now made its way into the civilian boat world in the form of the MarySlim, a stunning 72-foot, £1.5 million, long-range cruiser built by Cornwall based Multimarine Composites that debuted last year at the Royal William Yard in England. The unique shape of the 1650 hp, V12 powered yacht allows it to cleave through waves, eliminating the power-consuming, bruising bounce of other crafts and allowing users to explore greater areas through harsher weather conditions. Read More
Hand-held lightning detector and storm warning device
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January 7, 2007 Looking more like a garage door remote control than any sort of scientific device, this lightning detector from SkyScan has the ability to detect the characteristic electromagnetic emissions from individual lightning strikes actual and determine how far away it is and whether it is moving towards you or away from you. With a 40 mile range of detection, the device gives the user ample time to seek shelter in the event of a lightning storm. Read More
Nahema to commence construction of H2X’s luxury 120 and 150-foot catamaran range
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November 1, 2007 “Luxury means space,” says Franck Darnet, the interior designer behind the Nahema series of catamarans – and if you agree with him, one of these well-appointed customs might be right up your alley. Using a catamaran design lets you more than triple the interior and deck space of the vessel compared to the same length monohull yacht – making this new series from H2X an ideal party boat for entertaining while also making for a fast and stable craft on the water. Read More
Hawley F140 “supercar of yachts” seeks investors
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October 23, 2007 If you liked the sleek speedster looks of the Hawley F140 concept yacht we wrote about in September – and it seems a lot of people did – you’ll be interested to know that our feature on the stylish yacht design helped put Hawley in touch with a top-rate marine construction crew, and the rights to build the stunning boat are currently up for auction. Read More
Cayago Magnum: turning Navy Seals into dolphins?
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October 10, 2007 The Seabob electric underwater propulsion device captured our imagination earlier in the year, acting like a 20kmh powered bodyboard and allowing users to dart along coral reefs and the ocean floor like they were born with fins. We’ve since discovered that the company has now produced a souped up version called the Cayago Magnum with 2½ times the available power or endurance. With the existing Seabob models already setting a pretty thrilling pace for leisure use, the high performance Magnum will be pitched as a military and special forces tool that will enable operatives to move exceptionally quickly from point to point, underwater and in total silence. Read More
Headland’s innovative retractable helipads for yachts
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Increasingly, yacht buyers are demanding the ability to land a helicopter on deck – but not all yachts have sufficient clear deck space free for a designated helipad. France’s Headland Consulting are solving this issue Transformers-style with a range of very clever retractable landing pads that deploy mechanically to suit a wide range of different yacht and helicopter sizes. Read More
The Mangusta 165 - World's largest Open yacht
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September 19, 2007 One of the many first views at the first boat show of the European season, the Salon Nautique in Cannes, was the Mangusta 165’ (50 meters), the largest Open yacht in the world. Towering over just about everything in the resplendent harbour, and with invites aboard restricted to Greek Shipping magnates and the like, the EUR 20 million yacht is the new record holder for size in the open class. Besting the existing record held by with its Mangusta 130, the largest open super yacht is destined to remain in the near vicinity as the European home of Australian entrepreneur Jamie Packer, son of the Late Kerry and Grandson of Sir Frank, who has moved the family business out of publishing and into casinos and hence has a lot of business to do in Europe. Combining the recurrence and cost-effectiveness of a Semi-Custom, the Rodriguez Group hopes to deliver two Mangusta 165s a year from 2009. Read More
Hydraulically tilting keel the focus of new race yacht concept
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September 11, 2007 High speed and sleek style are the two main goals of this concept yacht from designer
Andrew Hawley. The Hawley F140 looks like a stingray with sails, its downward-sloping bow a clear sign this yacht’s for flat-water speed not wave-punching – but the key innovation is its 30-degree canting keel with a gimbaled bulb, providing turning stability at high lean angles. Read More
Alinghi wins Race Four to tie the America's Cup Match 2-2
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June 27, 2007 America's Cup defender Alinghi beat Emirates Team New Zealand to square the match at two wins apiece here today in Valencia. The Swiss team led the entire race, on another day of tricky, shifty conditions, with the light 8 to 10 knot wind blowing out of the East. SUI 100 helmsman Ed Baird won the right hand side of the starting line and Alinghi was in a powerful position for the rest of the race. The scoreline reads 2-2 with Thursday a scheduled 'off' day, and racing set to resume on Friday. Read More
America's Cup Race 3 – another Emirates Team NZ victory
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June 26, 2007 Emirates Team New Zealand won its second consecutive race in the 32nd America's Cup Match here today, beating Alinghi by 25 seconds in a thrilling race that will go down in the books as one of the most exciting matches in Cup history. With difficult weather conditions which saw massive windshifts over much of the race course area, the Team NZ built a massive lead early, only to see it disappear during the middle portion of the race. The final run to the finish in a dying breeze gave them a second chance, and this time skipper Dean Barker and his afterguard were up to the task, finding more wind on the right side of the race course and streaking past Alinghi for the win just metres from the finishing line.
Collapsible catamaran fits in a sports bag
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May 23, 2007 Part of sailing's exclusive reputation is due to the considerable cost and inconvenience of owning, transporting and storing watercraft. A UK company has just made the sport far more accessible, with a range of small, sporty 2-person catamarans that fold up and fit into a convenient carry bag - so it's now possible to take your own boat on holiday with you, or become a weekend racer with your boat stored in a cupboard through the week. Read More
Bullimore off to a difficult start on round-the-world record attempt
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May 9, 2007 Fortune has not been smiling on solo yachtsman Tony Bullimore in his latest attempt to break the solo round-the-world sailing record of 71 days, 14 hours, 18 minutes 33 seconds set by Dame Ellen MacArthur in 2005. Battered by strong winds and suffering the loss of his heavy-weather staysail, Bullimore has been forced off course to preserve his boat. Only on day six of his journey, he's already behind the record pace - but the 69 year old Brit is confident that once he's past Cape Horn his boat will have the speed to make up lost time under the light winds of the Atlantic ocean. Read More
The 32 knot eXplorius HydroFoil Sailing Yacht
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February 22, 2007 Innovation is abounding in the marine area at present with some enthralling concepts hitting the internet of recent times, with Industrial Designer Arnold Freidling’s Hydro-Foil sailing yacht “eXplorius” being the latest. With wind speeds exceeding 10 knots, the underwater wings lift the hull of eXplorius out of water, reducing friction and displacement to a minimum. Gliding over the waves at sailing speeds of up to 32 knots, this yacht makes transatlantic trips for two to six ‘maritime jetsetters’ possible. So far the eXplorius is a design project, but during the development of the project, Freidling consulted with a marine engineer, so his yacht concept is very realistic. He is currently seeking investors who are interested in taking this design concept to market. Read More
ABN AMRO ONE retires from round-the-world racing and sets itself for Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
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October 19, 2006 ABN AMRO ONE, the winner of the 2005-6 Volvo Round-the-world Ocean Race will sail in the 2006 Rolex Sydney–Hobart Yacht Race. The world-class race begins its 62nd running on December26 and takes the fleet out of spectacular Sydney Harbour then down the East Coast of Australia, across treacherous Bass Strait finishing in Hobart, Tasmania. The crew has its sights firmly on line honours and a race record if the conditions suit the wide-transom boat. The current race record of 42 hours, 14 minutes and 10 seconds is held by Wild Oats. Read More
Proibito (Forbidden) Yacht Concept
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At just 33 years of age, Christian Grande is very young for a yacht designer with a long professional career and some serious international achievements behind him. In 2005. Grande won the prestigious “Yacht 2005 European Trophy 50/60’Open” design award during the Cannes Boat Show with a nomination for the European Ship of the Year award for his Yacht C52 project for the Sessa Marine shipyard. Now Grande is pushing the edge of the envelope in nautical design again with his Proibito (Italian for “forbidden”) concept. The Proibito is designed to “disappear all the mechanical components of steering and navigation through the utilization of distinctive kinematic systems”, permiting a complete levelling of the deck and the consequent transformation into a completely open yacht. A word of warning – it may look innocent and relaxed and dinghy-like, but with 950 horsepower and a top speed of 60 knots, the Proibito is deceptive in its appearance. Read More
The innovative new 70 WallyPower Motor Yacht
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April 3, 2006 The new 70 WallyPower carries the same distinctive stealth-like exterior as the US$25 million WallyPower 118 that won the Millenium Yacht Design Award, an award dedicated to the “Layout of the Third Millennium, a design that remarkably contributed to the development of the concept of the yacht layout”. The 70 WallyPower’s credentials as a floating pointer to the future remain equally as distinctive, with a glass composite hull, carbon fiber superstructure and KaMeWa water-jet propulsion system though with a far more modest price tag than its 118 big sister in the vicinity of US$3.5 million. The 21-meter WallyPower 70 comes in two basic models, both with that same distinctive dark glass exterior though one has a fully enclosed glass cabin area and the other is open to the aft transom, with the air conditioning acting as a barrier between the outside and the inside. Both can seat 20 or more for meals, though if it’s party space you’re after, the open version with the “lunch boat” layout is the one to go for, as its deck plan flows seamlessly between three social areas. And if you fancy speed, both boats are powered by two MTU diesel engines generating 3,000 horsepower, pushing the 70 WallyPower’s top speed 47.5 knots half load, and 45 knots full load at continuous duty with a consumption of only 250 litres – 66 US gallons per hour! Extensive photo library of these exquisite motor yachts. Read More
Winner takes all in Rolex Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
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January 1, 2006 When Wild Oats XI crossed the finish line on December 27, it became just the sixth boat in the 61 year history of the Sydney to Hobart yacht race to take the line honours and handicap double. It also became only the second boat in history to win the magical treble (the first boat to do it was Rani under Captain John Illingworth in the inaugural race) by setting a new race record too, eclipsing Nokia's 1999 race record by more than an hour for the 628 nautical mile race. It is an enormous irony though, that the boat which was the last in contention to beat the US$10 million super maxi was the oldest boat in the race. The 41-footer Ray White Koomooloo won the race on IRC in 1968 with an elapsed time 4 days, 10 hours, 26 min and 52sec – in her time she was at the very forefront of boating technology with her lightweight four-skin, cold moulded wooden construction. This year she bettered that time by more than eleven hours to finish in 3 days, 22hours, 51min and 39sec but light winds in the final stages cost her any chance of repeating her IRC victory of 37 years ago. The mahogany-constructed Sparkman-Stephens-designed Koomooloo was lovingly restored over seven years and for the last twelve months has been heavily and successfully campaigned by Queenslander Don Freebairn. That's Wild Oats XI on the left and Koomooloo on the right. Read More
Rolex Sydney to Hobart: super maxi yacht showdown
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December 26, 2005 Ocean racing is one of the most exciting and dangerous sports yet conceived by man, and with one of the sport’s flagship events now 21 hours old, we are witnessing one of the most public yacht races ever staged. Normally, ocean racing is not a spectator event, but thanks to an array of technologies, the entire world can watch the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race via the Internet. In addition to the official race web site’s yacht tracker functionality, this year it is possible to watch via Google’s new 3D interface to the planet, Google Earth (Google Earth combines satellite imagery with a model that can be zoomed, spun and tilted - instructions here), with yacht positions and standings updated every ten minutes. Though weather forecasts suggested perfect weather for the 90-plus-foot maxis, the race record of 1 day, 19 hours and 48 minutes now appears safe as light overnight winds have seen the leading supermaxis fall more than 50 km behind schedule to take the record. As expected, the two new Reichel/Pugh 98-footers, Alfa Romeo and Wild Oats XI are leading the race with Wild Oats now 12 nautical miles clear of Alfa Romeo after 21 hours of sailing. Live odds for the race can be found here. Read More
New breed of super maxis to tackle Rolex Sydney To Hobart Yacht Race
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December 19, 2005 When Sydney businessman Neville Crichton built Alfa Romeo I a few years ago, the advanced design made the world take notice – the remarkable yacht dominated international ocean racing for 18 months and won an incredible 74 consecutive races, including every major ocean event – a yachting grand slam the likes of which has never been seen before and which is unlikely to be repeated. Wealthy yachtsmen the world recognised the advantages of running with the very latest technology and the “arms race” has resulted in a flotilla of new advanced super maxis currently preparing for the Rolex Sydney to Hobart yacht race. When they set off on Boxing Day, the world will be treated to a spectacle of technological wonder but skipper Neville Crichton believes that the deciding factor in which boat takes line honours will not be technology, but traditional sailing skills.
NYYC set to create new yachting class with Swan 42
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December 5, 2005 In July, two of the most famous names in yacht racing formed a partnership to create a new international one-design racing class –the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) and world renowned yacht manufacturer Nautor's Swan announced a new 42 foot racing yacht specifically formulated to create a worldwide one-design racing class founded around a light and extremely fast yacht. The yacht will be competitive at international sailing regattas within open divisions including IRC, and will also provide owners with a comfortable cruising experience. The yacht was born from a strong desire by a group of experienced sailors to create a truly Corinthian class that promotes high level/high performance competition within an owner-driver and amateur-sailing framework and is also focused on containing costs. With strict limitations on equipment and sail inventory, the Swan 42 is designed to prevent the “arms race” of owners trying to out-do each other. The immediate success of the idea has been spectacular - since its announcement just four months ago, 32 of the NYYC Swan 42 boats have been sold and many other international yacht clubs are committed to the project. This coming Saturday (December 10), the New York Yacht Club (NYYC) will be making a presentation at American Yacht Club in Rye, NY, on the new NYYC Swan 42. The event is open to anyone interested in the Swan 42. Read More
The technology behind the new superyachts
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August 15, 2005 New Zealand super maxi 'Alfa Romeo' has the potential to shatter race records around the world, predicts owner and skipper, Neville Crichton, having spent two weeks testing the new super maxi prior to the Hahn Premium Race Week at Hamilton Island (20-27 August 2005). After the Whitsundays regatta, the first major record in the sights of Neville Crichton is the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race mark of 1 day 19 hours 48 minutes 02 seconds for the 628 nautical mile race in the Tasman Sea. "Given a relatively constant breeze of 15 knots with slightly sprung sheets the new boat will average 22 knots and we can sail the course in 1 day and 5 hours," he says with confidence. Read More
UKP14,000 yacht takes handicap win in Rolex Fastnet Race
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August 13, 2005 One of the smallest yachts in the fleet, a Nicholson 33, has won the Rolex Fastnet Race on handicap. Jean-Yves Chateau and his six crew sailed Iromiguy across the line at 1224BST yesterday afternoon after more than five days at sea. While there are other yachts still bowling in moderate westerly breezes towards Plymouth, none can better Iromiguy's time. For a race traditionally dominated by big boats, Iromiguy's victory is a dream come true, proof that just occasionally the Corinthian weekend enthusiast can prevail in an unremarkable boat. What is remarkable is that you have to go back 30 years, to 1975, for the last time that a yacht less than 40 feet long won this offshore classic. And the boat that won it then was Golden Delicious, a Nicholson 33, the very same design as Iromiguy. Read More
Dutch superyacht from Bloemsma & van Breemen
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June 21, 2005 Dutch yacht builder Bloemsma & van Breemen has announced the launch of the Flying Eagle superyacht, at over 48 metres the largest project thus far completed by this up-and-coming Dutch yard. The first superyacht to be completed in the yard’s state-of-the-art new production facilities, Flying Eagle combines scintillating looks with a wealth of unique technological applications. Flying Eagle carries the signature of some of the leading lights of the international yachting industry. Her sleek exterior is from the drawing boards of Reymond Langton Design, with Pascal Reymond taking personal charge of the graceful interior. Struik & Hamerslag took care of all the interior woodwork, and Vripack Naval Architects was responsible for the naval architecture. Read More
Hammer Super Yacht - floating beach party
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It's the ultimate party machine. Designed as a floating beach party, the Hammer is a 90 metre superyacht designed to hold stylish social events for several thousand people. It also has large reconfigurable decks, creating oodles of party space with lots of terraces over the sea, and an underwater salon with windows that start above the waterline and extend way beneath it. There are also underwater cameras that can broadcast to the many large LCD monitors throughout the vessel. A floating beach party also has lots of toys for people to play with - like the multiple submarines that dock inside the vessel from underneath, and the helicopter can also be lowered into its garage for more party space on the landing pad. And the the swimming pools can be decked to increase the floor space too. The price? .... Read More
The World's biggest megayacht still on the drawing boards - for now
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February 7, 2005 In recent weeks we've written about several of the world's largest megayachts: the 118 metre Phillipe Starck-designed Sigma, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen's Octopus and the 138 metre Rising Sun owned by Oracle Software founder Larry Ellison. Now there's a new megayacht on the drawing boards that will be bigger than all of them if it gets built - a 147 metre palace on water which sets new standards for design and functionality including its own cinema, disco, swimming pool, helicopter, integrated tender vessel and, would you believe, an integrated submarine. Read More
The 118 metre SIGMA Megayacht - by Phillipe Starck
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January 29, 2005 It's an immense frustration that some of the most significant and advanced engineering feats on the planet are shrouded in secrecy and we can't all wonder at the design solutions employed. Such is the case with many mega-yachts - the US$200+ million toys of the mega-rich - and the spectacular Sigma mega-yacht designed by Phillipe Starck is a case in point. To be constructed by the elite Blohm + Voss ship-building facilities, the only details of the yacht available are the 118 metre length and the accompanying computer-generated illustration. Read More
Wallypower SuperYacht wins Millennium Design Award
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December 3, 2004 The118 WallyPower is an incongruous name for a high performance superyacht that integrates technology with aesthetics for a sleek and startling result. The deck superstructure has an aero-dynamic, stealth-bomber design with a vertical bow and air inlets encasing an innovative interior layout based on zen-like simplicity to mask a surprising amount of comfort. Three gas turbines generate 16,800 HP power that allow the 118 WallyPower to cruise a leisurely 60 knots in flat seas and tackle rough waters with ease in this ultimate luxury vehicle. Read More
