Boat International US Edition March 2020

Who doesn’t dream of tiny Pacific atolls, empty, powdery beaches and the bliss of an isolation that comes only with zero cell service? Like Robinson Crusoe, only with VSAT. And a chef. Too often people see the Pacific as a massive blue void, all endless passages and minimal services. There is some truth to that, but the rewards of transiting the Panama Canal and setting off into the wide blue more than make up for any minor inconveniences you might encounter along the way. Plus, how hard can it really be when the wine selection at the Carrefour in Papeete is so good? If you ever needed a reason to tackle the Pacific, there are few better than the America’s Cup, taking place in New Zealand in March 2021. As…

Michael Ashcroft Michael is a former member of the UK House of Lords and a businessman and author. For this issue, he recounts a recent cruise in Russian waters (page 70). What’s been the highlight of all your yachting voyages? My fascinating adventure up the historic White Sea–Baltic Canal in 2017 will always be hard to beat The biggest disaster you’ve experienced on your travels? Many years ago we lost a rudder in uncharted waters in the Pacific If you could sail to any place in history, where would you go? I’d like to have been with Captain James Cook when he first sighted New Zealand in 1769 Who’d be your dream circumnavigation companion? Logan Roy, the fictitious tough media boss from the television series Succession, to learn some of his man-management skills What’s the one thing you’d change about…

Turquoise Yachts transferred a 239ft, 1,558GT superyacht between two of its waterfront facilities in Turkey as the project known as NB66 enters a exciting new phase – from metal work and hull and superstructure assembly to virtually everything else. Turquoise unveiled the yacht’s graceful exterior by A Vallicelli & C Yacht Design in 2017 when the platform was already under construction. Now that the metal work is done, the yacht will be finished in Pendik near Istanbul, where craftspeople will install the interior. A key feature inside is a multi-deck atrium centered on a spiral staircase that emphasizes connection between decks. Innovation and elegance will go hand in hand in the interior created by the Ken Freivokh Design team. Some of the few details known about NB66 include that it…

Global political events have cooled the superyacht brokerage market, causing a drop in sales in 2019. End of year results show that a total of 398 yachts of 24m (78ft) or more were sold in 2019, down from the 437 that changed hands in 2018 and the 433 recorded in 2017. The total asking price also took a hit, falling from 2018’s $5.29 billion to $4.14 billion. Industry figures claim the numbers were no major concern, blaming the lukewarm performance on disruptive political events, including the US and China trade war, Middle East tensions and Brexit. “I think most of this is politically and economically driven,” said Fraser sales broker Maarten Ten Holter at the time of BOAT International going to press. “This is the influence of the US-China trade war…

Photographed in 1934, working deep in the belly of the beast, these craftsmen were creating the most advanced sailing yacht that had ever been built: the 130ft J Class Endeavour. British aviation pioneer Thomas Sopwith ordered the boat for his 1934 America’s Cup challenge and he used his aeronautical know-how to refine her winches and rig. She was the first yacht to use a quadrilateral genoa, offering a huge sail area and power advantage. This input, together with design by legendary naval architect Charles E Nicholson and construction by J Class specialist Camper & Nicholsons in Gosport, helped Endeavour sweep up awards in her debut racing season – an encouraging sign as her raison d’être approached. But just before departure for America and the Cup, Sopwith’s crew went on strike and…

Big on aluminum Royal Huisman kicked off 2020 with two major developments: the on-time launch of the world’s largest aluminum sailing yacht, Sea Eagle II, and the assembly of the hull and superstructure of the all-aluminum 180ft motor yacht known as Project Phi. The contract and design for what was to become 266ft Sea Eagle II were unveiled at the 2016 Monaco Yacht Show and construction began at the Dutch yard nine months later. The schooner’s design, by Dykstra Naval Architects and Mark Whiteley Design, features a plumb bow and sober lines. “It’s a yacht that will never go out of style,” Mark Whiteley says. Another exciting step for Royal Huisman was the joining of the hull and superstructure of the all-aluminum fast displacement motor yacht Phi, a design by Cor D Rover…