From carbon racer to floating villa...

WHY Wally-Hermès Yachts - all images courtesy Hermès

If you thought that the design of superyacht A was bad, you might not want to read this...

WHY is the first yacht project unveiled by the joint venture announced last year between the famous Paris fashion house Hermès and the Monaco yacht builder Wally.



According to Luca Bassani Antivari, president and chief executive of Wally “ WHY is designed to be a luxury floating villa safer and more stable than a typical yacht...”.

According to Hermès source, the future yacht also features solar panels that will help save at least 200 tons of diesel fuel a year. There is a 25-meter interior swimming pool plus a 38m beach...



Length: 58m
Beam: 38m

"Everybody’s dream is to live on an island, in complete freedom, without constraint,
with the independence that only self-sufficiency can provide. A piece of land with
a beautiful villa partly fulfils this aspiration because it is static.
A yacht offers the freedom to move, but does not have the space of a property.
WHY has it all: space, stability, movement, independence, peace. WHY goes even further.



This revolutionary concept of the moving island is developed with the latest and most advanced sustainable technologies, recycling thermal energy, as well as any organic and inorganic waste.
The architecture of the whole project fits perfectly in the environment – there are no excesses, nothing is superfluous, the impact on the sea is minimum.



A new and unique way to live on the sea while caring about it, protecting it, and loving it. All this has always been my dream too, and when I met Pierre-Alexis Dumas I realised that this dream could come true thanks to the common values and ethical principles we share.'
Luca Bassani Antivari, President and CEO of Wally

Picture of the day: SY Penelope

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The 38m-127ft sailing yacht Penelope (ex: Talofa IV, ex Sayonara) was at anchor during the Cannes Boat Show.

Built in 1968 by Chantier de la Perrière in France, she was designed by the French architect Cornu.
When she was launched, this 38m schooner was the largest private sailing yacht in the world to be built in aluminium.

A windy day for SY Gliss...

Monday afternoon was a windy day in the Antibes area and the 32m Philippe Briand designed sloop "Gliss " had to face a strong East wind.



First, the crew decided to drop their anchor...in the middle of Port Vauban (photo 1)



Following a first attempt and despite the thruster, the superyacht missed berth.

Two crews from another sailing yacht decided to help the Swiss yacht that has a lot of windage.
(picture 2 and 3)



Well done Boys !!!

2009 Cannes Boat Show II

Click to enlarge - Heesen Necklace II, Feadship Paraiso and CRN Pestifer

First impression & Trends

1. Less big toys except Camper & Nicholson fleet (first picture)
2. Less yachts: there is still room for big yachts in Port Canto
   
3. Save money: most brokerage companies have no stand
4. The yachts on display are slightly smaller than last year (Monaco Yacht Show?)
   
5. There is a lovely red carpet...but where are the clients ?
   
   

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2009 Cannes Boat Show

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The big yachts are already on display at the 2009 Cannes Boat Show which takes place 9-14 September in the quays of le Vieux Port and Port Canto.

Here is a picture that shows the Port Canto pier with a selection of second-hand superyachts (click on the picture to read the names) that are for sale with international brokerage companies like Camper & Nicholson, Oceanstyle...

It seems that there is also a new player: Ancasta Yacht Dpt. with the Mangusta 108 "Four Friends" !

However, unofficial but well-informed sources confirmed that 10% of the exhibitors (mostly superyacht brokers) have cancelled this year...

New boat show trend: put the yacht for sale...at anchor near the boat show (Cannes & Monaco Boat Show).

Picture of the day: Lürssen Saint Nicolas

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The 70m Lurssen Saint Nicolas was spotted near the Lerins island in the Baie de Cannes yesterday.
This massive superyacht was designed by famous architect Espen Oeino (interior by François Zuretti) and delivered in 2007.

Saint Nicolas is the second of three more or less identical yachts (MY Apoise and MY Martha Ann) which were ordered by the same american investor: the idea was that the first two would be sold to finance the third...

Click on the picture to discover how big this superyacht is: there is a crew member standing on the swim platform ...

Superyacht Market Gossip...

According to an unoffical source, Rodriguez Group would have sold several brand new superyachts to a Middle East client.
The mysterious client would have bought several Leopard yachts...only time will tell.

Madoff's $7M yacht for sale

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MY "Bull", the famous Leopard 27m of Mr Madoff (who is dying of cancer in prison), has been put up for sale by Auctioneer Wyles Hardy & Co on behalf of liquidators.

The yacht was lying in Port Gallice, near Antibes, south of France.
On their website, Auctioneer Wyles Hardy & Co explained that a local sales tax would become applicable after March 2010 (15% VAT rate) : guess where the yacht is currently lying ?
UK or Chyprus both have a 15% VAT rate...Nop, she is still lying in Port Gallice!

VAT status information provided by Auctioneer Wyles Hardy & Co: "All Lots or items are sold exclusive of V.A.T. which will be added to the Buyer's sale accounts at the rate of 15% except those lots which are zero rated for VAT purposes as indicated.

We are informed that when originally purchased the vessel was registered in George Town, Barbados in order to maximise the tax advantage of such a status. We believe that the vessel is therefore held on a temporary importation basis within the European Union.

We understand that this is allowed for a period of 18 months before local sales tax would become applicable. We are informed that the vessel left EU waters on the 28th September 2008 not returning until 6th October that year.

As a consequence we understand that local sales tax or a further visit outside EU waters will not be necessary until March 2010. Prospective purchasers are strongly advised to obtain such information as necessary to satisfy themselves as to the tax basis of this vessel."

Stars and Superyacht

Va Bene - click to enlarge

So you want to know which yacht Naomi Campbell chartered this summer?

Did you know that Jenson Button and girlfriend Jessica Michibata were in the lap of luxury on the ISA Firouzeh, in St Tropez ?

"Why the superyacht is floating the boats of the rich and famous who want a summer holiday with style" published on the Daily Mail website

>> Read more

Yacht accident discussion by Dockwalk

It seems that the recent yacht accidents that we reported on this blog have found some echo in the press.

An interesting article has just been released by Dockwalk (login required) : "Accident reports almost always pinpoint lack of seamanship as the culprit. Mike French goes a step further and looks at why fundamentals are being ignored."

The good thing with Dockwalk is that it is not only a marketing website that only promotes the press release of the shipyards...