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thebest of
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If you’re like us, you’ve noticed the years just seem to keep whizzing by. Before you know it, another is slipping by in the wake as a new one grows on the horizon. While 2011 wasn’t the best year the world — or boating — has ever seen, taken as a whole, there was still a lot to celebrate. Here are, in no particular order, our picks for some of the best boats, noteworthy events, interesting people and great nautical reads, and some other yachting flotsam and jetsam we’ve thrown in just because we can, damn it.
BY THE EDITORS 1
NISI 2400 Motoryacht
Concept by NISI Yachts, design by Setzer Design Group and launched this past spring. NISI gave the design team a big problem to solve when the company commissioned this new motoryacht. She had to be fast, stingy with fuel, spacious, comfortable and wrapped in an unusually stylish package. (Visit www.yachtingmagazine.com/ nisi2400 to read our design review.) If you buy a NISI, give up the notion of traveling under the radar. Who could not pay attention to this yacht? www.nisiyachts.com
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Riva Iseo
There’s a certain topic of argument that we hear a lot and have grown a little tired of: What defines a yacht? Our response is that generally you know it when you see it. Take the 27-foot Riva Iseo. This classic craft is a runabout, a tender and, yes, without a doubt, a yacht. www.riva-yacht.com
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Eagles Nest, New Zealand
Eagles Nest is a little slice of heaven that features five custom villas that are so tastefully executed they would stimulate
the dead. Each one has stunning views across the Bay of Islands, nestled outside of the ridiculously charming town of Russell. The environment will captivate you, and the over-the-top service will keep you coming back. www .eaglesnest.co.nz
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Wider 42
The unique Wider 42 is stirring the pot from the Monaco Grand Prix spectator fleet to the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Critics may ask why. Wider’s developer, Tilli Antonelli, will
YOU WEIGH IN
YACHTING Facebook fans join in. We asked, “What was your favorite yachting event of 2011?” Though Robert Lugo seemed to think we were fishing for answers, here are your unedited responses. (Hey, Robert — why so suspicious?) Derek Stow: “2011 Heavy Weather Laser Slalom” Joe Vitu: “This one’s easy: Anhinga for sale????” Les Lerner: “The Newport Boat Show. My first time there!!” Thanks, gentlemen. Your hats are in the mail. (And Robert, we’re sending you one too.)
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be quick to respond “why not?” The most unique feature is the 42’s ability to grow — you guessed it — wider. With a few quick releases and a push of a button the deck area expands to nearly 194 square feet, creating a suitable platform for lounging, entertaining and water sports. Expanding waistline aside, it’s the numerous details in this new build that really make the 42 stand out. They’re remarkable in their simplicity and flawless execution. Take the featherweight carbon-fiber bench that pulls out from under the fixed bench to form a dinette. Where’s the table? It’s actually part of the deck that rises up. If additional seating is required, take the 12-volt pump and inflate one of the two sofas that can also morph into chairs. Do you want to take a nap after a large bowl of pasta? The inflatable sofas unfold to form a floating mattress. The helm of the 45knot, surface drive-propelled boat reflects Antonelli’s experience with high-speed craft. The multifunction steering wheel is similar to those used in Formula 1 cars, placing a
Holy War: How Vasco da Gama’s Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizations by Nigel Cliff; 560 pages, Harper; www .harpercollins .com
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definition charts and easy-touse navigational features make this as compelling as a fancy chart plotter at a fraction of the cost. Easy to carry from home to boat, it’s a perfect planning tool. And — full disclosure — you can download relevant features from YACHTING and other marine titles with a tap on the glass as you and your crew approach the next harbor.
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Cycladies, Greece
If you still haven’t been, run, don’t walk, to these 220 charming islands, each with a distinctive character, line of sight navigation, the gorgeous blue Aegean, whitewashed buildings with bright splashes of color from window boxes, warm sunshine and cold uzo. Some of our favorites: Paros, Mykonos, Syros. Need we say more?
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Hemisphere
Designed by VPLP (Van Peteghem Lauriot Prevost), interior by Michael Leach and built by Pendennis, Hemisphere was launched this summer. At 145 feet long by 54 feet 6 inches across the beam, she holds the distinction of being the largest privately owned sloop-rigged sailing catamaran in the world — planet Earth, that is. She’ll be available for charter through Burgess Yachts (www.burgess yachts.com) in tropical locations throughout the world, and she carries enough toys to keep a village entertained for weeks. www.pendennis.com
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Shipyard (on the right in photo 23). During the boom times, this prophetic message was silenced by the shouting and static from investment bankers and financial institutions getting in on the fun and buying boatbuilders for ridiculously large sums. Then the good times came to a screeching halt. From the wreckage emerged independent, passionate boatbuilders, ready to build boats for like-minded yachtsmen. This
LADY TRUDY Every now and then a new build comes along that sends a wake-up shot across our bow, leaving us speechless. Enter Lady Trudy, the 43-meter Navetta from Italian shipyard CRN. The white bulkheads with raised panels and traditional furnishings exude a nautical chic, without descending to the cliché of shell lamps and driftwood sculptures. While some large yachts seem more like a New Orleans funeral parlor, Lady Trudy is all about soothing the soul. She is the seventh hull produced in the Navetta 43 range and, in our opinion, the best. www.crn-yacht.com
The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterranean by David Abulafia; 860 pages, Oxford University Press; www .oup.com/us/
colorful cast of characters is more concerned with building a quality boat while trying like hell to keep folks employed than with securing the next round of mezzanine financing or phantom stock. Well, we salute you for keeping this industry humming along and interesting.
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Angra Dos Reis, Brazil
This town on the Costa Verde, south of Rio de Janeiro, is considered Brazil’s nautical epicenter. Its location between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paolo makes it attractive
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Istanbul, Turkey
Istanbul is the geographical meeting point of Europe and Asia, and that’s exactly what gives this city such a magical feeling. Watching boats ply the Bosphorous as seagulls screech and reel, with the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Palace and Hagia Sophia on one side of the river and a thriving, modern metropolis on the other, is an experience not to be missed. And we love that Turkish boatbuilding skills, which have thrived here since ancient times, now strut their stuff on yachts that are famous around the world. ❑
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Best Development of the New Economy
“If people think that boatbuilding is a sound financial enterprise, they’re nuts,” said a successful boatbuilder. “You do it because you love it,” as does JB Turner, managing partner of Front Street
CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THE BEST OF 2011?
Head to www.yachtingmagazine.com/BestOf2011 to see more than a dozen photo galleries. www. yac h tingm agazi ne.c om
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