Another Ponzy scheme...with yachts

It seems that these days american yacht brokers are more creative than ever !

Robert Frank (The Wealth Report) relates the story of a californian yacht broker (a "well-respected businessman ...") who left a message for his employees saying he would return next week.

Investors were told that they were investing in 'boat deals' whereby Mr. Fitzgerald and his partner, David Goodner of Channel Island Yachts were purchasing power and sail boats inexpensively (because of the economy), then selling them to a pre-arranged buyer.

Same old story about yacht broker ?

Click here to read the Wealth Report article

Are you tired of your greedy yacht?

Two expensive yachts for Kim Jong II...

According to a trusted source, the Italian government seized two yacht builts by the Italian shipyard Azimut Benetti.

The yachts were bound for North Korea and were seized because they violated European Union and international rules based on UN resolutions against exporting luxury goods to this country.


The yachts (see the Azimut 105 picture) , worth 13 million euros (18.5 million dollars), were destined for Kim Jong II, the Korean leader. However, Azimut-Benedetti said the Italian authorities had "recently" returned the yachts to the company's possession.

The source reported that the Italian authorities were convinced that the North Korean leader had paid the whole price for the yachts...

2009 trend: James Bond Like Yacht...

CNN (UK) - Wealthy arm their yachts with military-level security
According to a recent article published by CNN UK "The world's richest people are spending millions arming their super-yachts with military-style technology and trained personnel to fight off potential attackers."

The threat of pirates and growing fears that yachts may be their next target have led many owners to equip their vessels with the latest James Bond-like technology.

Hidden chambers, escape pods, tracking devices and ex-marines employed as security guards have all risen in popularity.

"It is only a matter of time before pirates move from cargo ships to attacking super-yachts cruising near Somalia," Michael Howorth, former super-yacht captain and technical editor at SuperYachtWorld magazine, told CNN.

The article also reported that "Fraser Yachts, a Monaco-based yacht-chartering company, has submarines available for clients who charter super-yachts. Fraser Yachts would not confirm whether these submarines double as escape pods for some clients."

>> More info here

Bad news for Rodriguez Group...

Click to enlarge - Leopard 46m Pure One in Antibes

After 33 years of collaboration with the Rodriguez Group, Leopard Yachts (previously Arno shipyard), builder of the Leopard range, have announced their independence from their long marketing partner Rodriguez Group.

In 1986, Gerard Rodriguez, founder of Rodriguez Group, signed an exclusive worldwide agreement to sell the Leoprd range.

According to Synfo.com "Rather than focusing exclusively on production for a sole dealer, Leopard Yachts now intend to handle their own marketing and selling rather than having the Rodriguez Group managing the market for them".

The question is: what will happen with Overmarine, the Italian sipyard that builds the Mangusta range?

>> Italian announcement from the shipyard (PDF)