ARQUITECTURA, Barcos, Barcos, MOTOR, Movilidad, Náutica

1952 Ferrari Arno XI Racing Boat

You may not know it, but Ferrari powered a powerful Hydroplane back in the 1950s. It was built for one thing: breaking the World Speed Record on the water. Achille Castoldi, a racing champion, proposed such a boat to the one and only Enzo Ferrari who agreed to help him in the endeavor.

1952 Ferrari Arno XI Racing Boat

DESIGN

Arno XI was built to shatter the speed record in the 800-kg class. Achille Castoldi had been setting records on the water since 1940. To achieve the speed record, he commissioned Cantieri Timossi to build a 3-point hydroplane from hardwood, covered in a mahogany veneer. When Enzo heard he had painted the upper body in Ferrari Red, the Scuderia F1 team was sent to lend their expertise. This culminated in a world record in the flying kilometer: 150.49 mph, which still stands to this day.

1952 Ferrari Arno XI Racing Boat

POWER

Initially, Castoldi had planned to use a Ferrari engine, so he purchased a 4.5L V12. It was identical to the 385 horsepower “Lampredi” engine used in the Ferrari 375. Once Enzo realized he was going for the record, he sent his Chief Engineer along with a race-prepped Grand Prix engine. Stefano Meazza and a few of the Scuderia team members realized they needed more power. Using lessons learned on the track, they nearly doubled the compression ratio to handle methanol. A hotter spark was needed, so the distributors and coils were replaced by twin magnetos. Each cylinder had twin spark plugs to ensure a clean burn. It wasn’t enough, so two giant superchargers were driven by the crankshaft. Each one had its own Weber 4-Barell modified to dump meth into the engine with an air/fuel ratio of 5:1. What started at 385 horsepower made between 550 and 600 in race tune.

1952 Ferrari Arno XI Racing Boat

HISTORY

Once he broke the record, Castoldi built another boat for a different class. However, the engine exploded and he retired from racing. The Arno XI was sold to Nando dell’Orto, an engineer who revised the aerodynamics for better stability. After adding a few pounds, he came in 2nd place for the 900 kg class in 1965. It has since been seen occasionally at boat shows doing parade laps, and it led a peaceful retirement. But because it is the only boat to ever have been powered by Scuderia Ferrari, it is being completely restored by Ferrari Classiche.

Now, this Ferrari is for sale and looking for a new owner. It comes with a well-documented history file that includes hundreds of period photographs and handwritten notes from Ferrari’s engineers. The boat is currently being certified at Ferrari Classiche, and a copy of the U.I.M. record certification that attests to Achille Castoldi’s 1953 speed record is included as well. It is the ultimate Ferrari for the ultimate Ferrari collector.

• Achille Castoldi’s famed Ferrari V-12 Timossi 800 kg class racing hydroplane • Reset the world speed record in its class on 15 October 1953, at 241.708 km/h • Beautifully and painstakingly restored; engine confirmed original by Ferrari S.p.A. • Accompanied by an extensive historical file, including a copy of the U.I.M. record certificate no. 329 and Nando Dell’Orto’s original racing logbook • Unique, instantly recognisable, achingly beautiful and immensely historic

The ‘three-point’ hydroplane, devised in America during the late 1930s by Adolph and Arno Apel of New Jersey’s Ventnor Boat Works, truly revolutionised speedboat design. Elegantly simple, the Apel design divided the ‘step’ portion of the hull into two pontoon-like surfaces, or sponsons, with each on opposite sides of the boat. The boat’s propeller acted as the ‘third point’ in the equation. The tunnel between the sponsons trapped air to generate aerodynamic lift, with only the sponsons and propeller in direct contact with the water whilst the boat was at speed.

Italy’s premier speedboat racer was Achille Castoldi, a cousin of M.C. 72 designer Mario Castoldi and a highly talented driver and engineer in his own right. Beginning in 1940 with his original ‘Arno’, a 400 kg-class boat with a Picciotti-built hull and Alfa Romeo Type 158 power, Castoldi reset the world speed record at 130.517 km/h (81.10 mph). Subsequent boats in the ‘Arno’ series followed, with most powered by Alfa Romeo and at least one Maserati-powered example, and he primarily competed in circuit-type hydroplane racing. After 1951, Castoldi ended his relationship with Alfa Romeo and changed his focus to world speed-record competition, now seeking a new engine supplier for an attempt on the 800 kg class world speed record.

Castoldi’s record preparations began in 1952, when he travelled to Maranello with his two close friends, famed racing champions Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi, to order a Formula 1 specification V-12 engine from Ferrari. The blessing of Il Commendatore, Enzo Ferrari, was virtually assured since Castoldi had earlier managed to save a number of Alfetta 158 race cars during the war, keeping them hidden from the occupying German forces at his factory in Abbiategrasso, near Milan.

The Aurelio Lampredi-designed Tipo 375 V-12 engine, the same unit that powered Ferrari’s Grand Prix racing cars during 1951 and achieved Ferrari’s first ever World Championship Grand Prix win with Froilan Gonzalez in 1951 and helped Ascari to earn Ferrari the World Championship in 1952, was selected to power Castoldi’s new boat. It developed some 385 bhp with 12:1 compression and a dual-magneto ignition system, driving a twin-blade propeller via a gearbox at up to 10,000 propeller revolutions.

Castoldi’s boat, dubbed ‘Arno XI’, was built to a three-point hydroplane design by Timossi Azzano’s Cantieri Timossi boatyard located on Lake Como. A beautiful example of form and function in equal parts, the hydroplane featured a solid wood-framed structure skinned by marine-grade plywood with a mahogany veneer, a strong separate metal subframe chassis to cope with the enormous power and the engine cover and cockpit exterior appropriately finished in Rosso Corsa.

Once completed, ‘Arno XI’ was shaken down at the Campione d’Italia races in January 1953, with Castoldi reaching an unofficial top speed of 124 mph, prior to attempting an officially sanctioned two-way run. Castoldi’s main competitor, Mario Verga, who received the full factory support of Alfa Romeo, went on to set a new 800 kg class speed record of 202.26 km/h (125.68 mph) with his Alfa Romeo 159-powered boat, ‘Laura’. Adding emphasis, Verga reset the record just two weeks later with a two-way top speed of 226.50 km/h (140.74). Undaunted, Castoldi had the 4.5-litre Tipo 375 F1 V-12 engine rebuilt and highly modified, with official Ferrari support, including Stefano Meazza, Scuderia Ferrari’s chief race engineer who oversaw the engine preparations for Castoldi. This time, the already highly powerful Ferrari V-12 racing engine was tuned to operate on methanol, now allowing much higher engine compression, in conjunction with twin superchargers and twin four-choke carburettors, with power output now exceeding 600 bhp, representing a power increase of some 200 bhp over the original specification!

Once upgraded and readied for competition, Castoldi made his record attempt at Lake Iseo on the morning of 15 October 1953, with Alberto Ascari and Luigi Villoresi in attendance, clearly demonstrating Ferrari’s support of the project. Now, Castoldi finally achieved his objective, with ‘Arno XI’, by breaking the speed record in the 800 kg class with a two-way average speed in the flying kilometre of 241.708 km/h (150.19 mph). Later that day, Castoldi followed up with a new record in the 24 nautical mile event by achieving an average speed of 164.70 km/h (102.34 mph).

The year following these triumphs, Achille Castoldi survived a frightful engine failure in an aircraft engine-powered, 1,700 kg Cantieri Timossi-built hydroplane. The death of his racing nemesis, Mario Verga, soon followed in an unrelated hydroplane accident, and Castoldi retired from competition. His victorious ‘Arno XI’ was placed into storage for a few years prior to acquisition in 1958 by engineer and gentleman-driver Nando Dell’Orto, who ran it in the circuit championships, where it was pitted, amongst others, against the powerful Maserati 450S V-8 driven raceboats.

Under Dell’Orto, the silhouette of ‘Arno XI’ was continually updated by the Milan-based Carrozzeria Boneschi with a very original and more aggressive engine fairing with a “shark nose” intake and a large vertical stabilising fin at the rear. As revised, ‘Arno XI’ achieved several fastest-lap records and three titles, including the European Championship in 1963. Nando Dell’Orto retired from competition in 1968, leaving ‘Arno XI’ in the huge warehouse of his paper-manufacturing plant located in the Milanese suburbs. It is here that this famous racing hydroplane was located and saved from oblivion. A painstaking restoration of this historic, record-setting hydroplane was commissioned by the new owner in the early 1990s. Photos of the boat before and during restoration are available for review in the history file

. The glorious V-12 engine was returned to Maranello, where it revived fond memories for several mechanics who had first worked on it in 1953. Engine work included the rebuilding of the two overhead camshafts and replacement of all the valves, whilst the manufacturer’s workshop reconditioned the dual four-choke carburettors. Not one vital mechanical part escaped scrutiny and appropriate treatment, including the twin superchargers that made this unique Ferrari 375 F1 engine capable of, in fact, producing up to 700 bhp during a bench test after its rebuild. However, it should also be noted that it was converted, at this time, to run on 100 Octane unleaded fuel rather than methanol to improve reliability and usability.

As for the hull, the Bisoli boatyard, located in Sirmione on Lake Garda, checked and restored the entire structure. Laminated panels were specially ordered from Canada for the construction of a new deck, a must for racers that are put under severe strain, as it contributes greatly to the rigidity of the hull. Particular care was taken in the restoration of the steering system, propeller shaft and the razor-sharp twin-blade propeller, whose speed can exceed more than 10,000 rpm. Nando Dell’Orto had exchanged the steering wheel in 1958, but thankfully, he retained the old Bugatti four-spoke steering wheel used by Achille Castoldi during his world-record attempts, and this is the same one that is mounted on the boat today.

Once carefully restored and impressively presented in its period and now in its most highly developed form under the ownership of Nando Dell’Orto, ‘Arno XI’ has returned to the water for spirited runs since 2004, and it has received honours from the Galleria Ferrari, having been welcomed by Piero Ferrari, who warmly congratulated the craft’s present owner for the thoroughness, authenticity and high quality of the restoration of this unique, record-setting Ferrari V-12-powered hydroplane racer, an effort truly commensurate with the stature of this legendary craft. The hard work has included years of extensive historical research to collect a truly rich body of documentation and photographs accompanying the sale of ‘Arno XI’, including technical worksheets from Ferrari’s Maranello engine shop, dated September 1953. Notably, Ferrari Classiche has recently confirmed with RM Auctions that the Tipo 375 F1 V-12 engine, number G.P. 52/1, currently installed in ‘Arno XI’, is indeed original, and a declaration confirming this fact accompanies the sale of this record-setting hydroplane

9 October, 2020/by Carlos

ARQUITECTURA, Barcos, Barcos, ESTILO DE VIDA, EVENTOS, Exposiciones, MOTOR, MyEvents, Relax, Yates

OCEANCO NXT – THE FUTURE IS ZERO. THE FUTURE IS NOW.

Oceanco unveils its vision for future demands by reflecting across industries, with the ultimate goal of zero impact on the environment.

Oceanco NXT brings together a cohort of luminaries in the yachting, technology and design worlds to marry innovation and sustainability in an authentic and meaningful way that will transform how we spend time on superyachts.

At the dawn of a new decade, Oceanco is making a commitment to the future through a pioneering collaborative initiative, Oceanco NXT.

In lieu of the customary concepts that are annually released in the industry to spark interest from potential buyers, Oceanco – which has a reputation for delivering pioneering superyachts – has chosen to address the most pressing and challenging questions that we face in the yachting industry today.

LEADING THE CHANGE BECAUSE THE FUTURE IS NOW

Although the exterior and interior styling of superyachts has progressed significantly over time, we still witness similar technical formats and standards that are deeply rooted in general proportions, form and gross tonnage. These standards have been so far developed and fine-tuned over time that they are hardly being challenged anymore, and the result is a stagnation in innovation. Oceanco NXT delves deeper and broader than simply reducing the burning of fossil fuels to propel and operate the yacht; it considers how yacht Owners can experience life on the water in the future, in the most sustainable, enjoyable and rewarding ways possible.

It takes a visionary yacht builder alongside nonconformist Owners to forge such new pathways in the industry. Oceanco has been challenging the status quo since its inception – setting the benchmark in terms of establishing trends. In 2013 Oceanco completed the world’s first Passenger Yacht Code vessel, Equanimity; and in 2016 it delivered 86m Aquijo, the world’s largest ketch. In 2017, Oceanco delivered 110m Jubilee, the largest yacht built in the Netherlands; and recently it delivered 106.7m Black Pearl, the world’s largest most ecological sailing yacht. Challenges and solutions from these superyachts gave rise to Oceanco’s ground-breaking LIFE design, debuted onboard the 109m Bravo Eugenia, which features extended length while using an optimized hybrid propulsion system to improve fuel efficiency by 30 per cent and minimize space allocated to technical equipment, through a single level engine room.

COLLABORATING TO CO-CREATE THE NEXT GENERATION OF SUPERYACHTS

The physical representation of NXT has been conceived by world-renowned designer Giles Taylor, Global Vice President of Design at FAW Group, whose vision for co-creating the future of yachting has been sculpted in white onyx. This will be complemented by the expertise brought by TANK, an architecture and interior design studio that is celebrated for its contemporary approach to re-creating spaces. Technical Propulsion and Energy Architecture input for the Oceanco NXT ideology is provided by Lateral Naval Architects, a longstanding partner of Oceanco with a respected portfolio of projects to its name. And a broad spectrum of industry expertise is being brought into NXT through Oceanco Co-Maker Unlimited, Oceanco’s collective collaboration strategy to optimize the way yachts are designed and built. Each of these stakeholders has a crucial role to play in upholding the Oceanco NXT promise to strive for meaningful innovation in how we create sustainable yachting that meet the needs of future Owners.

“Oceanco NXT represents our commitment and fundamental believe that the best way to set new benchmarks is to co-create them with experts from a wide array of industries – not just yachting. In creating Oceanco NXT, we seek partners who share a common ambition to innovate and forge a sustainable pathway for tomorrow’s yachts. We are invested in an outcome where the future is zero. From Giles Taylor’s understanding of future Owners’ lifestyle needs and Lateral’s technical innovations towards achieving zero emissions to TANK’s contemporary vision for the use of our living spaces and Oceanco’s collaboration vision with Co-makers, we invite you to our unified goal: to create the most exciting superyachts we can, for future generations.

Through Oceanco NXT, tomorrow can start today,”

comments Marcel Onkenhout, CEO of Oceanco.

*20 October 2020

A round table conversation will take place on 20 October 2020 at 4pm with cross-industry innovation as an approach. Project NXT cannot be defined as a single project, it is a movement. With this initial kick-off we strive to inspire more pioneers. Pioneers with the ambition to create the most exciting superyachts we can for future generations. Pioneers which are determined to achieve zero impact.

7 October, 2020/by Carlos

ARQUITECTURA, Barcos, MOTOR, Yates

Evo Yachts launches the new R6 Open in Cannes

Evo Yachts, the brand owned by the Blu Emme Yachts shipyard, participates in the Cannes Yachting Festival 2020 with a world premiere: Evo R6 Open.

Born from the pen of designer Valerio Rivellini, the new 18-meter is the open version of Evo R6, the successful flagship of the R range, introduced last year also in Cannes, from which it incorporates the elegance of the design and the flexibility of the spaces.

Evo Yachts launches the new R6 Open in Cannes

Compared to the classic version, the new Open is distinguished by a steel Roll-Bar, instead of the T-Top, consisting of a suspended wing that acts as a link between the two uprights. The result is a design with sporty and streamlined lines, which gives an idea of lightness. The search for lightness is evident even in the small details, such as the choice not to place the antennas above the aileron, but to ‘raise them’ so as to make them an integral element in the structure design

A retractable awning guarantees shade both on the driving seat and in the front cockpit, equipped with a large dining area, illuminated at night by the courtesy lights on the Roll-Bar, which create suggestive plays of light. Three more are added to this outdoor area: from the large sundeck at the bow, with a sofa in front of the island sundeck of the beach lounge, to the stern beach where the modular platform ensures a variety of uses.

As with all models in the Evo Yachts range, the beach lounge is the most characteristic area of the boat, thanks to the “XTension” side panels, the shipyard’s trademark, which, opening laterally in a few seconds, increase the space available to the 40 %. The width of the central sundeck is such as to allow a 2.85 meter tender to be housed under it.

The layout of Evo R6 Open is an invitation to conviviality and relaxation in an immersive experience with the surrounding environment. Although it is a pure open, however, all the comforts and the ample heights below deck are guaranteed: in addition to the dinette there is space for the owner’s cabin, the two doubles for guests aft, and 2 bathrooms.

With dual engine options, 2 x Volvo Penta IPS 800 or 950, Evo R6 Open ensures a maximum speed of 35 knots and 280 miles of range.

Evo Yachts sarà al Cannes Yachting Festival (8-13 settembre 2020)

Stand – QSP147

23 August, 2020/by Maria G

ARQUITECTURA, Barcos, Barcos, MOTOR, Yates

Wally Yachts Reveals 43 wally tender

Wally Yachts has revealed a 13 metre new tender model named the 43 wally tender.

Developed by Wally with Ferretti Group’s technical engineering department, the 43 wally tender builds on the group’s successful 48 wally tender model.

The first hull will be unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival

Constructed in advanced composite at Ferretti Group’s Forli-based facility, the 43wallytender will be available in a range of eye-catching colours.

The first unit is currently under production and due for completion in August. Featuring a “striking iridescent green hull” dubbed “gator green” in reference to Wally’s first sailing yacht the Wallygator, the first hull will be unveiled at the Cannes Yachting Festival this September.

Key features of the new model include a new ‘centre cockpit’ design that combines “the protection of the cockpit with the practicality and access of a walkaround”.

Wraparound glass will cocoon those onboard from three sides while the T-Top will shelter from above.

Elsewhere, the 43wallytender, which has been specifically designed for driver experience, easy handling and performance, will feature a flush, open deck space behind the cockpit.

Storage in the aft sunbed will be large enough to swallow Seabobs, wakeboards, scuba diving tanks and other small water toys.

Powered by a pair of Volvo Penta diesel 380hp engines, 43wallytender will have a top speed of 36 knots. Owners also have the option to upgrade to twin 440hp engines for predicted top speeds of more than 40 knots.

Speaking about the new model, chief designer and founder of Wally, Luca Bassani, said: “Our team has worked tirelessly to create a new tender that perfectly meets the multifunctional needs of today’s owners while also staying true to our Wally design philosophy. You will not find a single item onboard that does not serve a purpose in its purest, simplest and most beautiful form.”

Wally managing director Stefano de Vivo added: “Upholding Wally’s customary cool aesthetics and extraordinary performance, this latest addition to the Wally family is sure to be a benchmark of the future.”

13 August, 2020/by Maria G

ARQUITECTURA, Barcos, Barcos, Decoración, INTERIORISMO, MOTOR, Yates

Gresham Yacht Design & Superyacht -THOR EXPLORE

Thor Explore is a 100-metre exploration motoryacht that breaks from the norm by beginning the design process from the interior and working outwards. The internal spaces directly inform the exterior styling, which encompasses large nautilus windows.

Organic shapes feature throughout the vessel and complement the prominent double-height windows in the grand saloon on the main deck. Discover more about this project through our detailed video.

Gresham Yacht Design & Superyacht -THOR EXPLORE

Thor Explore is, first and foremost, an explorer yacht, she should see a 7,000-nautical-mile range. Similarly, she has an ice-classed hull and complies with SOLAS regulations, carrying up to 36 guests. On a related note, Thor Explore draws some inspiration from OceanXplorer, a conversion project featuring styling and interior design by the studio. Whether a client wishes to conduct ocean research the way the owners of OceanXplorer will or pursue purely personal voyages of curiosity, the yacht additionally has a certified helideck and heli hangar.

Making the journey all the more enjoyable, Thor Explore has strikingly large, nautilus-like ports to each side. They’re two decks high, too, bringing Arctic and tropic vistas into better view. Speaking of views, the floor between the two decks is glass, with purposely exposed structural beams for aesthetic effect. This lends an enormous amount of light in and appreciation of the surroundings. Even with the glass capable of turning opaque, it still brightens the ambience of the sunken seating area or “mission control” space, for planning the day’s adventures.

Of course, since Thor Explore is a proper yacht, she can carry a mini armada of watertoys. Possibilities include a 41-foot (21.5-meter) custom tender, a hydrofoiling speedboat, plenty of PWCs, and a personal submarine. Request a dedicated dive boat, too, since the megayacht has space reserved as a dive center. Regardless,

Gresham Yacht Design greshamyachtdesign.com

3 August, 2020/by Nico Nico

ARQUITECTURA, Barcos, MOTOR, Yates

Automobili Lamborghini and The Italian Sea Group unveil the motor yacht ‘Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63’

Sant’Agata Bolognese/Marina di Carrara, 30 June 2020 – Automobili Lamborghini and The Italian Sea Group present the worldwide premiere of ‘Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63’, the Tecnomar fleet’s new motor yacht available in a limited edition in reference to Lamborghini’s 1963 foundation.

Performance, driving pleasure, attention to quality and details, emotion: these are the emotive features combined within the Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63, thanks to innovative engineering solutions and a distinct design unique to shared Italian style and tradition.

This motor yacht project, developed by The Italian Sea Group, started with several collaborative sessions with the contribution of Lamborghini’s Centro Stile and inspiration from the Lamborghini Sián FKP 37: the hybrid super sports car incorporating benchmarking new supercapacitor and materials science technologies, that anticipates the future with an unmistakable design and completely customizable colour and details.

The challenge of re-interpreting the common DNA traits of both brands has inspired all phases of the project, from the design principles to the definition of technical characteristics ensuring incredible performance, without neglecting the quality of materials and careful attention to detail.

Stefano Domenicali, Chairman and CEO of Automobili Lamborghini said: ”This yacht represents the significance of creating a valuable partnership, at its best: our co-operation allows the essence of both organisations’ style and expertise to be transferred to different worlds, sharing in their diversity to interpret and add value to the final product in a new environment. If I had to imagine a Lamborghini on water, this would be my vision. I’m delighted to celebrate this successful collaboration.”

“We announced this partnership in May, and today we present Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63, a motor yacht which will became as futuristic an icon as the car she is inspired by,” said Giovanni Costantino, CEO of The Italian Sea Group. “Selected owners around the world will own not only the fastest Tecnomar motor yacht in the fleet, but a Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 masterpiece. I’m proud that we have chosen to create this innovative and challenging project with Automobili Lamborghini, which links technology, supreme design, quality and performance.”

Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 is not just an exercise in style and design; it represents the vanguard in luxury speed boats. Inspired by Lamborghini super sports cars’ performance, the most significant innovative features at the heart of the concept are speed and the dynamism of lightweight engineering.

With two MAN V12-2000 hp engines, the motor yacht reaches 60 knots and will be the fastest of the Tecnomar fleet, satisfying the demands of the collector as well as those loving life at sea. The carbon fibre material, typical of Lamborghini super sports cars, puts this motor yacht firmly in the ultra-lightweight boat classification, with its 63 feet length weighing in at just 24 tons.

The exterior design is characterized by a super sportive silhouette, with a cutting-edge but thoroughly nautical appearance. The hull and the superstructure are created from a high-performance shell, developed by naval engineers specializing in hydrodynamic sciences. They interpret the design lines, created by Marcello Gandini in the Miura and the Countach of the 60s and 70s, in a contemporary way. The hard top is inspired by Lamborghini roadsters: providing sun and wind protection while guaranteeing an outstanding aerodynamic performance. The bow lights are an homage to the Lamborghini concept car Terzo Millennio and to the Sián FKP 37, both distinctive for their Y-shaped front lights.

The interiors of Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 are the result of high-tech design based on super-performing materials for weight and function, perfectly married with the best Made in Italy heritage. Lamborghini’s iconic clean lines, hexagon shapes, Y-motif and materials are clearly incorporated into the design, together with the fully customizable colours and materials in the manner of Lamborghini’s Ad Personam programme. Clients can choose from extensive exterior colours and livery options, while the interior is offered in two versions choosing from an extensive combination of materials.

The motor yacht’s instrument panel interprets the car cockpit in a nautical style, completely integrating all navigation and control systems. As in Lamborghini super sports cars, details are finished in carbon fibre, with Lamborghini’s Carbon Skin™ used in the sports seats and on the helm, styled as the super sports car’s steering wheel. The unmistakable start/stop button, (two, one for each engine) are exactly the same used to start a Lamborghini engine.

Automobili Lamborghini and The Italian Sea Group unveil the

The first boat will be available at the beginning of 2021.

6 July, 2020/by Carlos

ARQUITECTURA, Barcos, Entrevistas CEO, INTERVIU, MOTOR, Náutica, Yates

Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff on a new generation of yachting excellence

Characterised by beautifully sculpted surfaces and long flowing lines, the X95 defines a striking design language for this new Class. Both her flybridge and main deck cover almost the full length of the yacht, delivering expansive spaces with flexibility that enables you to define each journey around your guests’ preferences. With a fuel capacity of 13,400 litres, the X95 has the range for far-reaching, adventurous voyages.

Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff on a new generation of yachting excellence

Experience space akin to a megayacht as you enter her main deck saloon and witness a line of sight right through to the forward window. Ascend the internal staircase to the upper deck and another unique experience awaits: a fully enclosed and climate controlled Sky Lounge. Taking pride of place on her lower deck is the full beam Master Stateroom with en suite, complemented by her Forward Stateroom with walk-in wardrobe and en suite bathroom. Additional port and starboard guest cabins can each be configured with two single beds or one double bed, whilst generous crew quarters complete her extensive accommodation.

Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff on a new generation of yachting

The Princess Yachts’ X95 flybridge

Antony Sheriff has transformed the fortunes of Bernard Arnault’s yachtmaker Princess, creating boats that are stylish, in demand and environmentally innovative, for a new generation of consumer.

Antony Sheriff

“It’s the sports car of the range. The hull reduces drag by 30 per cent, and it has sports-car-like performance and a Pininfarina design.” Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sheriff is enthusing over a projection of the R35, his company’s cool-looking 35-foot yacht, the latest in a series of innovations he has overseen in what is fast becoming known as the most dynamic yachtmaker in the world.

“Sometimes,” he says, “if you are doing something new and are innovating, customers don’t know what they want until you give it to them.” Sheriff has been responsible for a number of innovations at the company, which is owned by LVMH-owner Bernard Arnault through his private equity company L Catterton, both on the product side and on partnerships.

The stateroom (above) and exterior of X95 yacht

In 2016 he launched a collaboration with the Marine Conservation Society, aimed at helping clean up ocean plastics, conserve coral and aid the conservation of marine creatures such as turtles. The Italian-American, who in his previous job launched McLaren’s hybrid P1 hypercar as CEO of the company’s road-car division, is disarmingly straight talking. “We are an industry which makes beautiful products, but we haven’t always been that mindful of the effects they have. We wanted to do something quietly to reduce the impact of yachts on the sea.”

He says the impetus has not – yet – come from the market, but from his own initiative. “We are trying to do the right thing and would rather be on the front foot than the back foot. People enjoy yachting because of the beautiful environment, and we need to try and maintain the water in the state we found it in.”

Sheriff says that, as with cars, the need to innovate for environmental reasons has actually ended up bringing better products to market. He points to the example of the X95, which has up to 40 per cent more space than its predecessor while using 30 per cent less fuel and matching it in performance; and the Y95, another super-slick collaboration with Italian design house Pininfarina, which seems to have taken up its unparalleled design of luxury modes of transport where it left off with Ferrari after the end of a collaboration there spanning decades.

The R35 performance sports yacht

Sheriff is a little scathing about some of the bloated products on offer from other yachtmakers, and adds: “We are putting the elegance and refinement back in yacht design, creating yachts that look like they belong on the ocean.”

Ultimately, though, he says the biggest change during his tenure since 2016 has been the change in the nature of the consumer. “Increasingly people are buying yachts not as status symbols but as places to spend a wonderful time with family and friends. You go on a family vacation in a yacht and it’s the best vacation possible: the kids stay together with you for fantastic family time, they can’t run away to the nightclub, and you get to spend time with each other in private in a beautiful place.” And, if some of the latest Pininfarina designs continue in the same vein, on a beautiful place, too.

more info: princessyachts.com

14 June, 2020/by Nico Nico

ARQUITECTURA, Barcos, MOTOR, Yates

Aqua, The Magnificent Hydrogen-Powered Superyacht Of The Future

Meet Aqua, the world’s first hydrogen-powered superyacht, that could be surfing the waters very soon! Behind this innovative project is the Dutch yacht-design company, Sinot, that shares the goal of establishing a more eco-friendly yacht design industry. Without further ado, Luxury Yachts is about to present the most recent and innovative creation, that stands as a transformation of the future.

Over the past few days, Bill Gates, the world’s second richest man, was credited with buying a futuristic yacht for $ 645 million. The ship, he claimed, was powered by liquid hydrogen, which means its only emission is water.