Mercedes-Benz Style signs-off for first Granturismo of the seas

 The Silver Arrows Marine Granturismo Concept – a unique luxury motor yacht – has cruised past a significant new milestone in its development with the signing-off of the final design.

The design encapsulates all the radical new thinking behind the project in a yacht of exceptional looks with an innovative layout and never-seen-before features. The debut Silver Arrow brings a new elegance and dynamism to motor yachts in the 14m class thanks to Silver Arrows Marine’s design partner, Mercedes-Benz Style.

“With Mercedes-Benz Style we really have made the first Granturismo of the seas, as one look at the finished design will confirm,” said Silver Arrows Marine Chairman Ron Gibbs.

“There will be nothing else like it on the water with such beauty and so many innovations. It will have everything that people expect of a luxury yacht bearing the Mercedes-Benz Style name.” The design freeze comes after 12 months of intensive work to test and validate every aspect of the yacht’s functionality and performance. From the start of the project, development has followed the same methodology used in the automotive industry, with clay models and rigorous testing of prototypes.

Ron Gibbs added: “This process has taken time but by following automotive prototyping practices we can be sure all crucial development has taken place before production begins, not after, as is often the case with motor yachts. We go into the next phase leading up to production confident of achieving our aims.”

The Silver Arrows Marine motor yacht realizes the dream of a team of marine industry specialists with backgrounds from superyachts to Formula One motor racing. All share a passion to build a “clean sheet” 14m motor yacht that relies on blending marine and automotive technologies to make “a small motor yacht built like a superyacht”.

The Silver Arrows Granturismo Concept has an open-plan cabin offering unprecedented space, light and flexibility for the boat’s size. Unique features include unhindered access to the water from a “terrace by the pool” and a unique rear seating arrangement, maximizing relaxing space. Inside and out, the design, detailing, materials and colourways are more familiar from a luxury car than a yacht.

“Our motor yacht is about comfort and functionality in every detail,” added Ron Gibbs. “In this we follow the lead of the most recent range of Mercedes-Benz models – some of the people who worked on these cars are also working with us on the new yacht, including Gorden Wagener, Head of Mercedes-Benz Design.”

Further details of the finalized design and the next update on the Granturismo Concept’s journey from dream to reality will be presented at the Monaco Yacht Show (25-28 September).

RMK MARINE announces the delivery of MY Keyla – NEW refit 2013

RMK Marine – part of the Koç Group Companies – is pleased to announce the delivery of MY Keyla (formerly: Chevy Toy; Stanley Z) after a major refit that lasted more than a year and a half.

Keyla is a 45.3 metres motor yacht built by Trinity Yachts, with an aluminium semidisplacement hull and superstructure, and two MTU/DDC 16V2000 engines, 3,600HP (2,685 kW). RMK Marine (Superyacht builder based in Turkey) and the Hot Lab – Yacht&Design studio in Milan (Italy) worked together to refit the yacht after a series of inputs from the Owner and his family, who are enthusiasts of photography, art and fossil collecting.

After devising various solutions, the Owner decided on a major refit. Revamping the interior for the new Owner’s lifestyle and needs meant that substantial stylistic changes has been introduced as well as several technical updates involving equipments.

A 6.5-foot hull extension (2 metres) added space to create larger swimming platform , without adversely affecting Keyla’s original lines. The electrical systems were comprehensively updated with the installation of new generators compatible with both the standard European 220 V and the American 110 V. Other systems like the hydraulics were completely replaced. The complete system upgrade has left the yacht more akin to a newly built vessel. The only untouched system after the refit was the air conditioning.

The Owner’s first request was to improve the crew and service area. Laundry area has been resized to fit additional cabins in the crew quarters. This enables MY Keyla to count on additional number of crew members. The Captain’s cabin – close to the bridge, brings the total number of berths for the crew to 8+1.

Hot Lab and RMK Marine re-designed the galley, main saloon, upper lounge, sundeck and the bridge. The galley was not altered in terms of layout, but important upgradings were made to equipment. The helm station was deeply modified, but no changes were made to the original systems or electronics.

The main deck – although unmodified in the general plans – has undergone “minor changes” in its layout: the dining area has been moved to the stern to combine the effects of “al-fresco” dining experience while the lounge area has been carried towards the bow, closer to the 60” TV screen.

The lower deck is the guest deck, with a total of 8 berths in four cabins, including two VIP cabins and two twin cabins with two further Pullman beds, all with en suite bathrooms and large walk-in wardrobes as requested by the Owner.

The upper deck has a new design as requested by the Owner’s family. It has been made into a secluded inside area, especially for children. An example of this new use should be the “toy box” area on the starboard side which has been extended, making it one of the most distinctive design features. There are also two large L- shaped sofas placed to the aft port and starboard corner and in front of a “served” open bar and 65” TV screen.

Outside a new outstanding dining area has been created with a huge round 14-person table, plus two coffee tables that can be ingeniously transformed into dining tables for 4 people each. This means that 20 people or more can be seated for sociable dinners. To provide guests with full entertainment, a 50” TV screen was added to this social area. The boat has been designed with the well-being of the owner and his guests in mind.

RMK Marine and Hot Lab modified the layout of the Sun deck, creating new areas and offering a visually exciting journey on this deck. A day toilet and a small technical area have been added by using previously unused facilities. The bar faces the bow, while the stern area can be enjoyed in different ways: as a lounging and sunbathing area during the day and as a comfortable dining at night. The area is equipped with a table for eight people for informal lunches, with a bimini-top cover over the whole area from the lounge bar to the jacuzzi in the forward. This deck has also been modernised with all-teak flooring. The sunbathing area has been enlarged so that after the refit has a total area of 18 m2.

All the exteriors on all the decks have been refitted with contemporary furniture with rounded corners and varnished in ice white, with inserts in unfinished “open pore” teak that has been specially treated to make it highly resistant to liquids. Custom built tables have been added on all decks.

Special attention was paid to the lighting system, which now features indirect LED lights throughout the yacht. Having new LED technology was one of the Owner’s specific requests, even before any other material and surface elements were decided on. Blue rosewood with gold veins was chosen for the Owner’s cabin, while SilverWave was used to embellish the main deck, lobby area and upper deck – due its characteristic “fossil tree trunk” veins, choing one of the passions of the Owner’s family.

The new interior decoration features a refined “underwater” theme developed thanks to the collaboration with the leading company Foglizzo. Laser designed jellyfishes gently decorate nabuck leather surfaces on the main and upper deck. The owner, who was very pro-active in developing the interior design, expressly asked for simple shapes that would be safe for children – “minimal” (but not minimalist!) – with rounded corners and a contemporary twist.

The materials and colours of the interiors reflect the style of the exteriors with the extensive use of various shades of white and different types of wood: white-treated Tanganyika frisé and natural mirror-varnished Makassar (open pore only for the ceilings). The owner asked for six different kinds of white for the marbles, white smooth natural leather, kinds of mother-of-pearl for the bathroom decor and “natural silver leaf”.

Hot Lab and RMK Marine – as for audio/video system – worked completely to modernise the domotic controls, in each cabin. Keyla features state of the art Crestron Systems with remote Ipads control, throughout the boat. Ipads enables to control- in addition to the entertainment – also curtains, window blinds and lights.

 

Keyla’s hull color has been changed, and now she boasts an elegant Awlgrip Kingston Grey colour, which help recognize her at first glance.

 

 

Discover the new Vicem Vulcan 46 mt in the magazine Império Villas&Golfe Europe Edition#69

Benetti celebrating 140 years of Italian excellence

Benetti is one of the oldest builders of luxury motor yachts in the world.

Established by Lorenzo Benetti in 1873, the company began life building wooden boats used for local and international trade. After the death of Lorenzo, his two sons Gino and Emilio took over the management of the boatyard. They changed its name to Fratelli Benetti and quickly built up a reputation that extended far beyond the Mediterranean.

After the second world war, with the disappearance of commercial sailing vessels built from wood, Benetti changed direction and began producing pleasure craft made from steel. Then in the early 1960s the boatyard produced its first luxury mega yachts.

Since 1980 the fleet has included big motor yachts in the 30 to 60 meter range and beyond, not least the famous 86-meter ‘Nabila’. In 1985 the Boatyard was acquired by the celebrated Turin-based boat builder Azimut Yacht, which brought in new management and transformed Benetti into the modern, technologically advanced reality we know today: a forward-looking and innovative boatyard, but also one that proudly retains its traditional values of experience, skill and a passion for fine craftsmanship.

In fact, for Benetti, building yachts means carrying on the tradition of innovation, style and quality that has shaped the company’s approach and culture. It means continuing to diversify production in order to satisfy the increasingly complex needs expressed by Owners throughout the world.

Benetti has a time-honoured tradition in yacht building. After abandoning wood and being the first to realise the potential of composite materials for the production of megayachts, as early as the 1960s it made the transition from metal boats to the steel and aluminium.

Today Benetti utilizes these materials, alone or combined, to design and build full-custom displacement and semi-displacement motor yachts in a broad variety of lengths from 93 feet to 90+ meters. These truly tailor made vessels embody the Owner’s idea of what a yacht should be, while retaining the Benetti family-feeling that is a natural expression of the finest Italian style and timeless elegance. This production capacity, united with world class quality, fanatical attention to detail and a perfect end result, have made Benetti a world leader and an Italian luxury yacht icon.

Over the years the shipyard has grown and changed, not following but anticipating the times. Once the Fratelli Benetti boatyard was famous for building three-masted wooden schooners for commercial use. Today Benetti motor yachts turn heads at the world’s most famous and exclusive ports of call. Stylish, exclusive and extremely well-crafted, Benetti yachts are well established at the height of Italian Excellence.

“This year will not only be the 140th anniversary of Benetti, it will be also the 10th anniversary of the acquisition of the Livorno Shipyard bought from the Orlando family. We plan a dense calendar of events culminating next June in Portofino with a very exclusive week-end together with our clients from all over the world. Owners that does not come to us to buy a ready made yacht, but to construct one together with us in order to fully express their personality and live a genuine rapport with the sea. Clients who approach us with ideas and expectations that are a challenge and a continuous stimulus and when we meet their brief and make every detail perfect with no concessions to compromise, their success becomes ours. This level of quality and passion are the only route to our next 140 years of success”. – commented Ing Vincenzo Poerio – Benetti’s Ceo.

140 years of history, close to 300 boats built, over 300,000 sq mt of production facilities at six shipyards in Italy (Viareggio, Livorno and Fano), 34 yachts under construction at present time including a 90-meter mega yacht. These facts and figures unambiguously demonstrate the momentum of Benetti’s growth and Clients’ unrestrained confidence in the brand.

It is a success story confirmed by the last “Global Order Book” that awarded Azimut|Benetti Group as the “largest builder in the world for custom yachts over 24 meters” for the thirteenth year in a row.

PORTO MONTENEGRO Regent Hotel in Porto Montenegro NEW opening

Porto Montenegro, the Mediterranean’s leading luxury yacht homeport and marina village, announces the development of a luxury hotel and residences in partnership with Regent Hotels and Resorts‚ one of the world’s most prestigious global luxury hospitality brands.

This spectacular waterfront property will be the first Regent in the region and will employ over 150 people; it will also be the first five star hotel in the Boka Bay, the natural harbour in which Porto Montenegro is located.

Inspired by Venetian aesthetics, the five-floor building was designed by ReardonSmith Architects with interiors by Tino Zervudachi of MHZ in Paris. A central, double-height atrium on the ground floor will have expansive views of the sea and surrounding mountains, leading out onto a tranquil water garden with a submerged stone catwalk connected to a ‘private island’ for exclusive events and dining. A ground-floor café, fine dining restaurant, cigar lounge and library bar will also provide a range of dining and entertaining options.

On the upper levels, the 80 hotel rooms, suites and multi-room residences will offer sophisticated, contemporary living spaces notable for their multifunctional design. Residences range from studios to two-floor duplexes and penthouses, the latter with private plunge pools and rooftop terraces. All residences benefit from the hotel’s range of services and can be included in the rental pool, either in their entirety or in parts by closing off self-contained living areas, giving the owner maximum flexibility. A mock-up room has already been created at Porto Montenegro to illustrate what the nautical chic Tino Zervudachi room interiors will look like upon completion.

Facilities will include two swimming pools, a restaurant, café, library bar, cigar lounge, various event function rooms and a full service conference center; as well as a signature Regent Spa & Fitness center.

The Regent brand is recognised worldwide as being synonymous with glamour, sophistication and impeccable service. Combining the operational excellence and hospitality expertise of Regent Hotels with the spectacular setting of Porto Montenegro will further reinforce the country’s position as an emerging high-end tourism destination and encourage international luxury travellers to visit throughout the year.

Porto Montenegro doubles marina berths

Porto Montenegro is the visionary marina and homeport that integrates full yacht and superyacht services with a vibrant waterfront village, in the heart of one of the Mediterranean’s most picturesque nautical regions. Porto Montenegro is undertaking an important expansion plan, doubling the marina’s available berths from 245 to 490. The expansion is planned to be completed by the spring-summer of 2014.

Over the next two years Porto Montenegro will complete phase two of its development, with fifty percent of the new berths for yachts up to 20 meters long, and 145 berths will be for yachts over 25 metres in length. Upon completion, Porto Montenegro will not only be one of the largest yacht havens in the Mediterranean, but with more than 50 of the new berths destined for yachts over 45 metres in length, it will also have one of the biggest superyacht capacities in the world.

The Montenegrin company “Yu Briv” has been awarded the tender for the second phase of construction in Porto Montenegro Marina. This includes both the expansion of existing jetties and the construction of additional wharves, with design by UK based Marina Projects, leading experts in the field of superyacht marina design.

“We are very pleased to award our marina expansion contract to one of the leading Montenegrin construction companies. We have had excellent cooperation with the leading Montenegrin construction company “Yu Briv” in the past, and know they will deliver a world class quality marina, reinforcing Porto Montenegro as one the leading marinas in the Mediterranean”, said Porto Montenegro’s Managing Director Oliver Corlette.

Tony Browne, Marina Director refers: “The expansion of the marina is not only a testament of success for Porto Montenegro, it also confirms that the Adriatic has cemented itself as an exciting destination for yachts of all sizes and classes. The new berth mix will appeal to both ends of the yachting market, especially for the super and mega-yachts that will soon be supported by the new state-of-the-art maintenance & refitting facility”.

Porto Montenegro – a surprising value for money location
Modern Montenegro is a stable democracy with an investor-friendly economy, Euro currency and maximum of 9% tax on income, company and capital gains. Porto Montenegro offers surprising value for money, both in terms of pricing and tax benefits. The Montenegrin tax strategy is geared towards a national, uniform system that treats everyone equally. Yacht-friendly laws have been implemented, illustrative of the government’s desire to promote the growth of nautical tourism in the country. With the rate of tax applied to basic goods and marina services already capped at just 7%, the plan for the future is to create an incentivised flat tax regime across all taxable areas.

Key tax rates:
– Tax applied to basic goods and marina and tourist services capped at 7%
– VAT currently stands at 17%
– Legal and Administration Fees are between 500-1000 €
– Income Tax is 9%
– Corporate Income Tax is 9%
– Rental Income Tax is 9%, subject to automatic deduction of 30% based on costs
– Property transfer tax is 3%
– No capital gains tax on resale or transfer of property
– Competitive customs duty

The new Benetti Classic Supreme 132′ is born

Petrus II, Benetti’s new jewel, is the first hull built in the new Classic range – debut in US at the next Miami Boat Show 2013. Petrus II represents a further evolution of the Benetti look, magnificently interpreted by the architect Righini, in complete harmony with the rest of the Benetti Class range, presently from 93 to 145 feet.

The new Benetti Classic Supreme 132 measures 40.24 meters overall, with a maximum beam of 8.28 meters. The project brief was guided by the necessity to present an ever more competitive vessel to the market, maintaining Benetti’s attention towards innovation intact.

The owner’s cabin with a terrace, a double Jacuzzi (both on the forward upper deck and on the sun deck) and the open-air exterior stairways are just a few examples of this new model’s innovations.

The new Benetti Classic Supreme 132’ was designed to exalt the characteristics of a displacement yacht, with ample interior and exterior volumes, combined with a high level of on board comfort. Full hight windows on both the main and upper deck give greater light to the interior decks and a more racy look to the yacht’s profile. The attention to design is also visible by several new details: the external rotating pilot wings are retractable and disappear in the shearline; the navigation lights’ new design that increases their integration with the yacht’s exterior lines and make it appear more modern and captivating.

The interior design is autographed by Francios Zuretti, in collaboration with the yard’s internal design team. The interior furnishings of Petrus II are of natural oak and wengè, enriched with handmade leather inserts. Other special materials are also used: structural wengè to give a three dimensional effect, diamond shaped panels in ivory colored natural leather in the owner’s and the VIP cabins rise from behind the head of the berths and continue up to the ceiling, while in other spaces, like the main salon, there are recessed ceiling lights. A mix of marble, leather finish and mosiacs are used in the heads. As always, Benetti interiors are completely customizable.

In coherence with the other models in the Class range of Benetti yachts, the Classic Supreme 32′ is equipped with innovative technological systems. The BEST platform (Benetti’s exclusive Sea Technology) integrates all onboard electronic systems (entertainment, home automation, communications and security) with a single user friendly interface. The integrated navigation system allows all the yacht’s navigation and communication’s systems to interact, giving a more secure and dependable management of the yacht. The design of the dashboard allows a more modern and efficient use of space with three monitors, three touch panels and three joysticks, which give control over the whole yacht with just a few instruments and lots of technology.

Main features
Sun-deck
One hundred square meters of sun deck give all guests comfort and privacy even above deck.
Divided into four zones, the area is also equipped with a day-head, giving complete independence from the interior areas.
Highly refined loose furniture has been chosen directly by the owner. The sofa’s and poofs are from Dedon, the lunch chairs in Burma teak by Royal Botania, while the anchored coffee and lunch tables are designed by the Benetti style office, which as always has satisfied the owner’s most special desires.
The sun and all the other exterior decks, along with the rest of the wood used on board, use FSC certified teak, harvested from responsibly managed forests following rigorous environmental, social and economic standards.
An umbrella is situtated over the Jacuzzi. All external furniture in fiberglass has been designed by the Benetti style office.
In the bow zone a fiberglass hardtop with integrated lighting and a centered electrically commanded curtain has been installed.

Upper-Deck
The exclusive layout of the exterior upper deck, with use here too of loose furniture, allows considerable flexibility. The on deck lunch table has twelve places and is designed by the Benetti design team.
The primary innovation on the upper deck is the open-air stairway, with a steel structure and teak steps. This gives us a spacious and sunny deck.
The sky lounge has two full height windows for exceptional panoramas, and to illuminate the card table and bar on one side, and the long couch on the other. In front of the long couch there is a low table with TV to enjoy in any case the view of the deck.
The ergonomic pilot wings are part of the sheer and placed to permit maximum visibility during manouvering.

Main-Deck
The main salon is filled by natural light thanks to ample windows on both sides; the windows beside the lunch table are full height. The lunch table has the top in wengè and the base in wood with inlays in satin finished steel.
In the owner’s suite the walk-in closet is behind the bed and has a to entrances – one from the corridor/office and the other from beside the bed. The other feature is an extendible terrace that allows the owner to have a private veranda with a sliding floor and covering in his cabin.
On the opposite wall there is a panoramic window. The TV is on the wall in front of the bed, surrounded by a frame. The head of the bed, as in the guest cabins, has diamond shaped panels finished with ivory leather. The bathroom has both walls and windows in Crème Champagne colored marble and the top of the sink in Bronze Amani.
LED’s have been chosen for decorative lighting fixtures. Strip-LEDS are found in the recesses (above the bedside tables and in the bathrooms), above and below the bath furniture in guest and owner’s bathrooms and in the curtains. Colored glass silver touch switches, lit by LED’s are in all the important areas, with coordinated wall sockets. The galley is white lacquered with a black marble countertop and grey vinal “Silver” flooring.

Lower-Deck
The guest’s four cabins – two VIP and two twin cabins – are above average in size and all have ample windows with a view of the sea. External borders and lowered beds give the sensation of total immersion in the outside world. All guest bathrooms are in Limestone marble.
A crew of seven is foreseen. The Commander’s cabin is located on the upper deck, as tradition demands of long range cruising vessels. The crew area hosts six crew in three cabins and is characterized by an ample open space with an integrated wash room area. Instead of a tender, the garage is replete with two water scooters. There is also a special place to stow the loose furniture when at sea.

Hodgdon Yachts delivers a new custom yacht tender (Hull 413!)

Hodgdon Yachts announces the launch and delivery of Hull 413 (413th Hodgdon hull – which is also the 3rd tender hull) of a custom limo tender for a new Oceanco client.

This week HODGDON launched another of the 10.5m MPYD design Limousine tender and has three more custom tenders under construction including two designed by Andrew Winch Designs.

HODGDON’S entrée into the superyacht tender world came several years ago in a project led by Florida based Wright Maritime Group. HODGDON was commissioned to build a 10.5 limousine tender and slightly smaller matching open tender for then Oceanco Y706 (7 Seas). The success of that Michael Peters Yacht Design (Sarasota, FL) project turned heads in superyacht ports the world over. HOODGDON has developed several tender concepts ranging from 9.6m to 12.5m in the MPYD aesthetic including an aft helm version and is currently in contract negotiation for several other tenders including from other world class designers.

 

Hodgdon presented last 2011 a series of artful tenders designed to please not only the discriminating owner with good taste but the crew with high standards as well. Beautifully designed, artfully styled and expertly built, these tenders are designed to maintain an aesthetic while being optimized for a particular function.

Following on the heels of two 2011 custom tenders for Oceanco Y706, (M/Y Seven Seas – Michael Peters Yacht Design), this new 10.5m custom tender delivery will be joint from a 10.5 m custom open tender for an Oceanco client. The second pair of tenders are custom designs from Andrew Winch Designs (London, UK) / Hodgdon for a project at a Northern European shipyard. At 8.5m this custom limo tender features a retractable full coverage moon roof, guest head and 30 knots cruising speed from the Volvo D-6/400 power. The open tender, features a beachable ramp to facilitate guest and beach toy deployment. Both boats are slated for an early 2013 delivery.

CUSTOM MEANS CUSTOM
There are lots of opportunities to make these designs yours. Hull and Deck colors, wood trim, leather or fabric, deck treatment or a variety of custom features are “yours to choose”. Or, we start over with custom concept and create a unique and personal aesthetic. The direction is up to the clients, the expertise is Hodgdon.

 

 

 

 

Benetti Tradition Supreme 108: the first images in Viareggio!

Questa galleria contiene 2 immagini.