Yachting November 2023

A YACHT IS MUCH MORE THAN FUN TRANSPORTATION. It’s a powerful economic engine that drives all kinds of local and global dollars—for years. ¶ It all starts with the owner’s dream. This enthusiast is so driven by a passion to be on the water that he or she puts pen to paper, and contracts with a shipyard to turn the dream into a floating reality. Deposits are made, designers are employed to transform the idea into a sketch, conversations with the owner follow, and the sketch morphs into digital renderings of what the end result will be. Naval architects are paid to do the kind of math that makes me break out into a sweat, as well as to do comprehensive testing to ensure the vessel can withstand the rigors…

NOBODY IS READY TO SAY JUST YET that the universe of brokerage boats has fully shifted from a seller’s market to a buyer’s market. But longtime sales brokers do say the brokerage market is finally leveling out after the craziness that left sellers in control throughout the pandemic. ¶ “There’s more price negotiation than there was,” says sales broker Jeff Stanley at Gilman Yachts in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. “There are more people getting into contracts and having second thoughts. They watch the news, they look at the interest rates, they get the insurance quotes and requirements, and they change their mind.” ¶ Curtis Stokes, president of Curtis Stokes & Associates in Fort Lauderdale, says the market recalibration is the talk of the city. “Other brokers at other firms are now…

A Miami-based yachtsman commissioned the build on this 141-foot yacht from Turkish builder Alia, with a brief that calls for maximizing the open-air lifestyle of Florida and the Bahamas. Omega Architects in the Netherlands handled the yacht’s design, with sunbathing spaces aft, on the foredeck and on the sun deck, which has a hot tub. Inside, there are five guest staterooms, including a main-deck master, along with quarters for seven crew. Sliding-glass doors on either side of the salon help bring the outdoors in. Power will be a pair of MTU 16V 2000 M96L engines, which Alia says will allow for a top speed of 22.5 knots. Range at 12 knots is projected to be 3,200 nautical miles. Delivery is scheduled in summer 2024. 141'1" LENGTH OVERALL 380 GROSS TONNAGE…

This new model from Bluegame, part of the Sanlorenzo Group, is the first in a series—and has an unusual description from the builder. Here’s how designer Philippe Briand explains the way the builder is choosing to define the yacht: “The reason why we named it ‘twin hull’ instead of ‘power catamaran’ is because of the width of the platform, which is not that of a sailing catamaran, or that of a traditional monohull. It is in between,” Briand says. “We chose this solution after experiencing excessive rocky movement on beamier sailing catamarans while cruising. With reduced distance between the two floats, we achieved much smoother rolling, almost like a monohull, while still maintaining higher stability.” 74'4" LENGTH OVERALL 26'7" MAXIMUM BEAM…

Benetti Yachts in Italy has sold Hull No. 1 of the Class 44M, a fiberglass yacht that is the flagship of the builder’s Class line. Exterior styling and interior design are by Giorgio M. Cassetta, with delivery planned in winter 2025. The yacht will have six staterooms for 12 guests, with amenities including a foredeck pool and a flexible-space sun deck. “We were so convinced this was a unique and special design that we managed to spark our future owners’ imagination to such an extent that they bought the yacht even before Giorgio Cassetta had finished designing it,” said Benetti chief commercial officer Sebastiano Fanizza. “Now we’re ready to start production and are enthusiastic at seeing a new masterpiece take to the water.” 144'7" LENGTH OVERALL 30'1" MAXIMUM BEAM…

This bold, blue beauty is Project Thunderball, a custom Vripack design that the Italian shipyard CRN is building with a steel hull and an aluminum superstructure. The Dutch design firm Vripack handled exteriors and naval architecture, with interiors and outdoor furniture by Nauta Design in Italy. Inside, the five-deck yacht will have accommodations for 12 guests and 15 crew. Gross tonnage is 1,100, and a peak-shaving system will reduce fuel burn. According to the shipyard, the owner is a passionate sailor, so a separate, smaller sailboat is also being built to go with the mothership. The plan is for the yacht to spend time in the Mediterranean, as well as in Florida and the Bahamas, with a focus on scuba diving, sailing and fishing. 229'8" LENGTH OVERALL 36'1" MAXIMUM BEAM…