megayachts

Built in Sanlorenzo’s Massa Carrara shipyard, the 151-foot (46-meter) Starling launched this past summer. The fifth hull in the 46 Steel line, Starling is a five-deck steel displacement yacht with an aluminum superstructure and a 3,500-nautical-mile range.

Check in with Icon and their new project by Ivan Erdevicki, visit the ISA yard to see the launch of their 41-meter Aziza, and swing by Sunreef to see their latest power catamaran design.

Okko is one of the latest yachts to launch at Mondo Marine, now with offices in North America. This elegant yacht, with exemplary engineering by Mondo Marine and design by Giorgio Vafiadis, made a notable debut in Monaco.

Available in both a sport (550S) and a flybridge (550) edition, Prestige’s new 550 is a 58-foot yacht that combines power and safety. In both versions, the main living spaces are gathered on the main deck, with the galley positioned aft to easily serve both the cockpit and the interior dining area or, in the 550, the flybridge.

A technically advanced long-range cruising yacht with a detailed, luxurious interior, the new Princess is a production yacht with all the allure and trimmings of a custom build. She was the perfect step forward for a long-time Princess owner.

This year, the builder, represented in the United States by the energetic team at Denison Yachts, is expected to make a big splash. The company plans to present the MCY 76, a new MCY 70 and the MCY 65; all are expected at the Yacht & Brokerage Show.

While the yachting industry may be intrinsically focused on luxury and pleasure, many crews and owners do more than their share to give back to the world. Some of the recent efforts have not gone unnoticed.

Looking for your next megayacht? Check out these two new additions to the current market.

Codecasa’s craftsmen are currently hard at work on three new projects. Under construction in Viareggio is the second hull in Codecasa’s 42 Vintage series. F. 75, a displacement vessel with a steel hull and aluminum superstructure, is due to launch before summer 2013.

On the occasion of the 2012 Yacht Valley Press Tour organized by HISWA, the Dutch yachting industry association, we had the opportunity to visit De Voogt Naval Architects, a firm whose history is closely bound to that of superyacht builder Feadship.

The Reymond Langton–designed Excellence V, from Abeking & Rasmussen, is the latest in a series of yachts Herb Chambers has built. Chambers is all about excellence in life, business and yachting.

Overmarine introduced the Mangusta 165 more than five years ago in Europe, but this popular series yacht only made its US debut at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show in October with Hull No. 7 of the Maxi-Open yacht series.

The Active Noise Canceling (ANC) system installed on the 197-foot (60-meter) CRN Darlings Danama (see Yachts International, September 2012) is part of a wider research project that started in 2008. In partnership with VideoWorks, Team Italia and Isel, and a number of regional research institutions, CRN developed this system to obliterate machinery noises.

The Damen Shipyards Group may not be a household name in yachting circles, but it definitely created a buzz in Monaco when the 220-foot (67.15-meter) Sea Axe Garçon pulled into Port Hercules. Built by Damen and marketed by Amels, this super-cool fast-support vessel combines the best of the commercial and yachting worlds.

Couach’s flagship was five years in the making. During that time the company went through several ownership and leadership changes and the tragic death of its young CEO. New investors Nepteam took over in November 2011. Through it all, Couach continued to work on this impressive and voluminous Kevlar-and-carbon composite yacht, the largest such yacht built in France.

At the Monaco Yacht Show, Palladium introduced its integrated glass bridge system dubbed SiMON GOLD, designed to put the ship’s monitoring at the captain’s fingertips. Extending Palladium’s work with Apple multi-touch devices, the intuitive system allows you to drag items from the menu bars to create personalized “View Ports.”

Wally’s new thing this year is A Better Place. At 166 feet (50.5 meters), this Bugatti-blue yacht is the world’s largest carbon-fiber sloop and the first RINA Green Star sailing yacht. Naval Architect Bill Tripp ensured racer-like handling despite a voluminous interior and deck space.

Introduced in Monaco, the Sanlorenzo 42 EXP is a 138-foot-5-inch steel and aluminum expedition vessel. One has already sold. While designed to reach remote destinations and survive severe weather at all latitudes, its robust nature does not exclude elegance.

Sunreef Yachts celebrated its 10th anniversary in 2012. It has been an eventful decade for the company that Frenchman Francis Lapp established in Poland. Since the 2008 launch of the first 70 Sunreef Power, the company has contributed—perhaps more than any other—to the phenomenal growth of the powercat, particularly on the charter market.

Fort Lauderdale is usually an opportunity for some refit work, and the local marine industries have successfully made the case that improvements to infrastructure and waterway access are a priority. This summer, major work started on both public and private property to offer larger yachts access to local refit facilities.

Looking for a deal on the brokerage market? There will be plenty of attractive superyachts for sale at FLIBS this year, but don’t expect a steal. Contrary to persisting rumors, brokers tell us that, while prices dipped drastically in 2009 (up to 40 percent), they have recovered and have been holding pretty steady ever since.