Yachting March 2019

Our team had a wicked-slow start to the 2018 White Marlin Open. We didn’t see a fish during prefishing or on day one of the tourney. But we had two fishing days left. ¶ Our crew called in a lay day on the second day so we could get new intel, take another look at the charts and make a Plan B. An updated satellite sea-surface-temperature shot showed some warmer water and a subtle temperature break occurring right around the tournament boundary line, but the water was headed inshore. Our boat’s owner, Tom, said, “We’re going here,” and pointed to a spot on the chart where we expected the water to be by the time we went fishing. ¶ Our team headed out at 4:30 the next morning. As we…

THE BEST BOAT REDUX Reading your [January] Editor’s Letter (“The Best Boat”) the other day, it struck a chord with me. I am a yacht broker and often asked very similar questions or a version of: What boat should I get? I answer them just like you do, because everything depends on what gets them, not me, excited to be out on the water. My boating desires are very different than some of my clients. I was lucky enough to learn long ago, it is not about me. It was a good read and so true; there are many options out there, and what may work for one may not work for another. BOBBY BILBO, VIA EMAIL YACHTING BY THE NUMBERS Published monthly since 1907 • produced 729 editorial pages…

SUPERYACHTS, BY DEFINITION, are stunning, but lately, some of Europe’s renowned shipyards have been producing hulls that leave even the most seasoned yacht-spotters speechless. ¶ In Italy, B enetti Yachts launched a 3,300-ton 351-footer that is believed to be the largest yacht a private shipyard has built in the country. To achieve this build, Benetti had to invest more than $17 million in shipyard infrastructure, security and other areas. ¶ The Benetti is on track for delivery this summer, when she will join the world’s waters alongside additionally impressive new launches, including Oceanco’s Bravo Eugenia (shown below) from the Netherlands. That 357-footer, reportedly built for Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, is the first in a new series that Oceanco is calling LIFE — lengthened, innovative, fuel-efficient and eco-friendly. She has…

01. INTENTIONAL INSTABILITY MB&F says the fact that purple looks blue or green under different light is why the color was selected for this edition of the Legacy Machine No. 2. 02. AVAILABLE EDITIONS This design premiered in 2013 in red gold. Versions have been offered in white gold, platinum, titanium and now, white gold purple ($159,000). 03. THE MOVEMENT Known as an LM2 movement, the watch has two independent flying wheels and escapements, inspired by watchmaking’s dual regulator.…

70' LENGTH OVERALL 18'3" MAXIMUM BEAM JOHNSON 70 Hull No. 1 of this model — the smallest from Johnson Yachts — is now in build. Owner s can choose three or four staterooms, with an enclosed skylounge or a flybridge and fishing-ready cockpit. Bill Dixon at Dixon Yacht Design drew the exterior that’s shown in the rendering below, with a goal of providing “much of the superyacht experience in a manageable LOA.” Interiors are by Design Unlimited, with a focus on medium-tone woodwork and contrasting light fabrics. Options are available inside the yacht too, with a goal of tailoring each vessel to the owners’ cruising plans. In the galley, for instance, Johnson is offering extra wine chillers and refrigerators for entertaining, or additional pantry space for long-range cruising. Take the…

42'7" LENGTH OVERALL 12'5" MAXIMUM BEAM CONFIDENCE. It was the word that came to mind as I slid the Hinckley Sport Boat 40C’s single-lever throttles forward. The Ray Hunt-designed, deep-V hull form, with 23-degree transom deadrise, diced the tempest-fueled chop off Portsmouth, Rhode Island. Whitewater was mashed to mush as my ride sped across the salt. ¶ Her standard triple 400 hp Mercury Verado 400R outboards (twin 627 hp Seven Marine outboards are optional) hummed along as my test 40C hit stride around 25 knots. The increasing wind and gray skies didn’t diminish the wheel-time experience. The boat responded instantly to input as I pushed the wheel hard over and slalomed the 40C around the bay. Her inboard heel was moderate, with minimal bleed-off in engine rpm on turns. She…