Kenny Wooton

Editor-in-Chief Kenny Wooton on what a true seagoing vacation should be.

Moving fast through the water is always a gas, but great rewards can be found in the sounds of silence.

There are as many ways around the world as there are boats and wills to do it.

MJM's 35z puts the power outside to maximum effect.

Hinckley's new electric dayboat could redefine the yachting experience.

The new captain in the Bravo series ‘Below Deck Mediterranean’ speaks out on her yachting career and her new gig as small-screen skipper.

The first Amels Limited Editions 272, HERE COMES THE SUN, is a family getaway machine tailored for two owners’ luxury lifestyles afloat.

Picking up a spec project midbuild allows you to indulge your tastes and desires in a fraction of the time.

Sailing—a competitive thing or a romantic thing?

I’d never given much serious thought to the under­lying questions of what would attract a guy from Kentucky to the sea.

I’m sure the actors are nice people in real life, but in the interest of entertainment, it’s often more like crude yacht charter than crewed yacht charter.

While we love the images they gather, when in the wrong hands, drones and their harvest can be a nuisance—or worse. Time to regulate?

Builders around the globe have rediscovered the western market, and are going to unprecedented lengths to attract our dollars.

Composing a shot, digging deep for Fibonacci balance, and pulling the trigger when it all feels perfect is, frankly, a thrill.

Brand-centric gatherings typically offer owners the chance to interact with their peers in social settings, on cruises or on the racecourse. The subtext usually involves builders exposing owners to their latest models to set the stage for future upgrades. If that were the case at the fifth Perini Navi Cup, held in Porto Cervo on the Italian island of Sardinia in late August, no one was saying—or they could not have cared less.

I’m happy to announce an exciting upgrade to our digital magazine experience. In a new partnership with the highly respected digital entity Superyachts.com, Yachts International magazine will now be presented on a brand new tablet app that plays well on all smartphones and tablets.

Yacht brokerage and management firm Ocean Independence hosted a glittering event April 25 at the Mall Galleries in London to celebrate the America’s Cup and the Louis Vuitton Cup. The event, dubbed “Legends in London,” brought the two most coveted trophies in sailing together.

A committee established by the organizers of the America’s Cup to review the recent death of a sailor during a training accident took the unusual step last week of recommending teams suspend sailing their catamarans.

Underwater photographic equipment maker SeaLife has created a premier package for divers who want to record their time exploring the world beneath the seas. Called the DC1400 Pro Duo, the unit blends a feature-packed, easy-to-use, 14-megapixel underwater camera with a powerful 500-lumen, three-in-one LED photo/video light and a Digital Pro Flash.

Dockwise Yacht Transport has announced a partnership with the New Zealand Millennium Cup to offer a discount on southbound shipping for the 2013, 2014 and 2015 editions of the popular superyacht event.

According to newspaper reports, Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen was hoping to score a medal of his own after the Games by loaning his superyacht, Octopus, to the British Royal Navy to help retrieve the bell of HMS Hood, a battlecruiser sunk by the German battleship Bismarck in the early days of World War II.

Measuring less than 24 meters (79 feet) in length, the Merlin 80 is the first composite yacht designed by the Turkish shipyard of the same name specifically intended to not require a professional crew.

The Amels 212 Sea Rhapsody, delivered by the shipyard in and managed by Ocean Management, has become the first superyacht in the world to be awarded a “Green Passport” by Lloyds Register.

British solo sailor Alex Thomson smashed the single-handed monohull trans-Atlantic record by more than 24 hours crossing the finish line July 26 at Lizard Point, off Falmouth in Cornwall, England, reports Soundings Trade Only. The 38-year-old crossed the line at 18:17 British Standard Time, setting the new time at 8 days, 22 hours, 8 minutes.

On the heels of the full-displacement 47-meter (154-foot) Tango 2, Australia’s Imaginocean Yacht Design (IYD) has released details of two new designs: the 40-meter (131-foot) GT-40 H and the 55-meter (180-foot) GT-55 H. As with T2, IYD has pursued their “longer, lower, lighter” ethos with these two projects, but has taken it to a new level. They’ve added “green” into the mix as well.

Viareggio Superyachts this summer launched the 72-meter (236-foot) Stella Maris. The yacht’s design is by Espen Øino and the naval architecture by Laurent Giles Naval Architects. The yacht blends traditional elements of design and layout with new variations such as, staggered internal decks, substantial headroom in the salons and an innovative bow shape.

The Italian Design and Engineering Company, Axis Group Yacht Design has announced the completion of the steel hull and aluminum superstructure of the 44-meter (144-foot) motoryacht Green Voyager.

New-build and refit consultant, educator, marine journalist and former CEO of Palmer Johnson Yachts, Phil Friedman, has published an e-book titled “10 Golden Rules for Successful New Build Projects.” In it Friedman addresses what he sees as key steps an owner can take in the beginning of a new-build project to smooth the process throughout and achieve the best final result.

In a surprisingly frank acknowledgement of the impact on yachting of the ongoing worldwide economic troubles, Fraser Yachts CEO Hein Velema wrote in his company’s July/August newsletter: “2012 is turning into a turbulent year with a dramatic decrease in the number of yachts sold in recent months.

Several leading security experts have questioned whether superyacht shipyards are taking maritime security seriously enough when recommending the specification of new build projects. Furthermore, they state that little is being done to ensure the appropriate systems are in place to help guarantee safety on board in the future, following recent reports that the global piracy situation remains highly problematic.

In the air and on the water, we're featuring some must-haves this month. Lisa Airplanes is ready for takeoff in their Akoya amphibious plane. We also take a look at the latest tenders from Rupert Marine, Windy and Eyos, Marlow Yachts, and Novurania.

From upcoming events to the new online forum for industry pros, this issue we help you keep up with what's happening in the global yachting industry.

Check out some news and new additions from some cutting edge companies. Lantic Entertainment now offers a way to streamline your HD onboard entertainment system, Raymarine shows off their gyro-stabilized thermal night vision camera, and Kannad Marine announces the FCC approval on a device that might save your life.

The Cayman Islands Shipping Registry has released a report on the investigation into the accidental death of a crewman in the Gulf of St. Tropez in July of 2010. The crewman was killed during the launching of a personal watercraft.

Playing a new course during a yacht holiday is always a special pleasure. For golfers afloat, keeping a spare set of clubs on board is a given. But what if you had a private coach on board, who brought along a swing machine and worked with you on your short game on the aft deck and performed video analysis in the screening room at the end of the day?

Want to add a submarine or jet pack for your cruise this year, but wonder whether you’ll use it again? Want something on board your charter boat doesn’t already have? The U.K.-based company Superyacht Tenders & Toys is offering for rent, a range of top-end water toys including the JetLev-Flyer jet pack, the Seabob personal tow vehicle and recreational submarines.

The breathtaking 42-meter (138-foot) schooner Mariette of 1915 seized the top prize at the 2012 Pendennis Cup regatta, sailed July 2-7 in Falmouth Bay on England’s extreme southwest coast. Mariette bested the fleet of 13 yachts that competed in the third biennial edition of the event. The regatta is organized by Pendennis Shipyard.

See what's on the way from Amels, Moonen, Sunreef, Hunt, and Nauta Yacht Design

Lurssen's largest-ever build is shrouded in secrecy, but details are beginning to circulate. In Taiwan, Horizon Yachts recently hosted an open house to celebrate their 25th anniversary. Cannes saw a new luxury event this June with the inaugural Cannes Croisette Show.

The Coast Guard is offering a reward for information about a false Mayday. Also, former FYBA director Rae Whitt and broker Kevin Ralph have developed online broker training and the ISS have announced their events schedule for FLIBS 2012.

This issue take a look at three tenders and toys ranging from Art of Kinetik's wood-built beauty to Gliss Speed's quiet, battery-powered "water karts".

If you're looking for the next advancement, from Raymarine, wait no longer. Also, in this issue see FLIR's new high-res thermal night vision unit with color camera, an affordable weather monitoring system, and how Perini Navi is reaching out to captains and crew.

A new company in the yachting equipment marketplace, Bristol Yacht Components, has introduced its premier product line: Bristol Boarding Stairs. Bristol Boarding Stairs are made of carbon fiber to provide a durable, lightweight, easy-to-deploy access system with an aesthetic design to enhance the look of any motoryacht or sailing vessel.

Applied oceanography specialist Tidetech presented the results of a recent route optimization trial with a major cruise line at the Green Ship Technology (GST) conference in Copenhagen in March. Company managing director Penny Haire said the trial had been successful and significant fuel savings had been demonstrated through the use of ocean current data.

News, contracts and launches from Yachting Developments, Logos Marine, Vicem Yachts, Rossi Navi, Feadship, and Perini Navi.

Aviation company ConnectJets now offers clients a frequent flyer program in Europe that comes with a whole collection of perks and Maine shipyards and marine groups invite yachtsmen to a series of events showcasing the Maine coastline.

Lürssen has floated what is believed will be the largest yacht in the world. The German builder in May slid the partially completed hull of what is being called Project Azzam from its build shed and towed it to a drydock for completion.

Sarasota Yacht Club, which serves both yachting and social members, has undertaken several initiatives to remain viable into the future. Those initiatives include a recent refinancing, new programming and efforts to appeal to Sarasota’s changing demographics.