FRANK Magazine Issue 5 | Denison Yachting

Everything but your Engine Room

EDITOR’S NOTE

The Escape Issue

I was 10 years old when I frst learned that boats could provide the ultimate “escape.” It was a crisp, classic Cape Cod beach day in the middle of a sunny summer vacation. My young mom rocked oversized sunglasses. My young dad rocked oversized sideburns. And something deep inside compelled me to jump into our neighbor’s striped-sail Sunfsh and simply sail away.

Sounds magical, right? Well, it was for me not so much for my terrifed parents! And now that I have a 10-year-old of my own, I can’t believe they didn’t call the Coast Guard. But I’m so grateful they didn’t because it turns out that short sail out of sight of my parents may have been one of the most important events of my life because I learned something that has been my North Star ever since.

As a 10-year-old, I realized that life was more exciting, adventurous, and fun when you push away from shore onboard a boat. And when the responsibilities of adulthood set in, I intuitively knew that boats would provide the perfect escape for the stress of modern life, too.

That’s why I’m so excited to share FRNK Issue 5 with you. Not only is it jam-packed with stories that will help you escape the stress of modern life just by reading our glorious print edition at your desk or on your couch. Each story like Witness to History, page 146 that shares deep insights from pioneer underwater explorers, or Superyacht Science, page 96 that explains the positive environmental impact superyacht owners and crews are making by conducting scientifc research in some of the world’s most remote

destinations shows how escaping to the sea can make a positive impact in the world as well.

Meanwhile, stories like Monsters, INC., page 26, a round-up of some the world’s largest, and most over-the-top, outboard-powered, center console yachts, and Chartering into the Wild, page 114, that shares insider info on all diferent types of adventure charters, can help you plan your own escape.

Our stories about the legendary watchmaker Richard Mille and his priceless collection of historic race cars in Holy Horsepower, page 36, or the behind-thevelvet-rope view of some of the world’s most exclusive superyachts you’ll get in Superyacht Scale—Inside and Out, page 66 provides a glorious escape to the world of money-is-no-object wealth.

But when it comes to the ultimate escape, it’s pretty hard to compete with the South Pacifc Scuba School, page 126. Not only did I escape from the cold and snow of winter in New England to the warm, clear blue South Pacifc waters of Fiji. I got PADI certifed to dive so I can escape to the weightless underwater world as ofen as I want. And the best part is, you can, too!

RACHEL Ingram

AMORY Ross contributors

RACHEL has been covering the global luxury industry for over a decade. Based in London, she has held senior editorial positions at publications across the luxury space and enjoys writing about the innovations and personalities driving the yachting industry.

AMORY is a self-taught storyteller whose passion for sharing adventure and grand-prix sailing in particular has motivated him to race around the world as media crewmember in the Volvo Ocean Race four times.

MARILYN Mower

MARILYN is a former editor and editorial director for ShowBoats International, Southern Boating, and Boat International magazines, who is now happily living the life of a vagabond freelance writer, editor, and media consultant. Her favorite topics relate to history, technology, and design, and she is currently cochair of Boat International’s Design and Innovation Awards. She's lived aboard boats for 17 years and has produced or contributed to 15 books.

J. MICHAEL Welton

J. MICHAEL writes about architecture, art, and design for national and international publications. His work has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Dwell, Metropolis, and Architectural Digest . The former architecture critic for the News & Observer in Raleigh, North Carolina, he’s also the author of Drawing from Practice: Architecture and the Meaning of Freehand He also edits and publishes an online design magazine at architectsandartisans.com.

KEVIN is a journalist from Greenwich, Connecticut. He is a 14-year veteran of marine publications, and his work appears regularly in The New York Times and Esquire magazine. He likes to drive fast boats, but when he isn’t behind the wheel he is happy to be found grilling or training Brazilian jiu jitsu.

SARAH is a writer and editor with a specialty in the travel and leisure sectors. Her true passion is content creation; she loves telling a story through her words. A self-proclaimed “bookworm”, her love of the English language and the art of the written word has led to a fulflling career in writing. As the in-house marketing content writer at Denison Yachting, Sarah is responsible for the written content that the company publishes.

KIM Frank

KIM is a writer and editor crafing long-form stories with some of the world’s top photographers highlighting conservation, exploration, and adventure across the globe. Recent publications include co-writing and editing Amaze by SeaLegacy founder, Cristina Mittermeier, and Born to Ice by National Geographic photographer Paul Nicklen, as well as ghostwriting.

SARAH Nadler

KEVIN Koenig

Efciently Enhancing Boat Performance

Humphree

frankly speaking

20 THE ORIGINAL OWNERS RENDEZVOUS

The story (and photos) of early Broward owners’ rendezvous are legendary

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26 MONSTERS, INC.

The market for monster center consoles is booming

36 HOLY HORSEPOWER

Legendary watchmaker Richard Mille's car collection includes over 160 F1 and other race cars from motor racing's golden age

44 DESIGN TIME

There are no rules when you work with an interior designer on your yacht

55 THE SPEED OF ART

The Bugatti Chiron is the most powerful super sports car that Bugatti has ever built

58 HYPERGLIDE

Regent’s Seaglider is an innovative all-electricpowered seaplane

60 ALL THINGS WATERFRONT

Denison partners with Julie Jones and Douglas Elliman Real Estate for a waterfront jazz brunch

features

66 SUPERYACHT SCALE — INSIDE AND OUT

A collection of images from the some of the world’s leading superyacht photographers

78 ULTRA - EXCLUSIVE UNDERWATER ESCAPE PODS

The market for personal submersibles is growing increasingly robust

88 COMING FULL CIRCLE

Captain David Meyer shares the story of his family intertwining with the Denison family and how it all, truly, came full circle

96 SUPERYACHT SCIENCE

A growing group of private yacht owners are doing more than just talking about ocean conservation—they’re directly helping scientists conduct essential research

104 PRIVATE PARADISE

A home on Richardson Bay overlooks Mount Tamalpais, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco skyline

journeys

114 CHARTERING INTO THE WILD

Thanks to a proliferation of immersive onboard entertainment, yacht charters help guests escape from reality in more ways than one

126 SOUTH PACIFIC SCUBA SCHOOL

Getting certi ed to dive at the Kokomo Private Island in Fiji

138 PHOTO ESSAY

Capturing the beauty of racing hightech sailboats around the world for the oceans

146 WITNESS TO HISTORY

There’s nothing like diving more than two miles underwater to witness the Titanic for yourself

PICTURED: Broward Marine Rendezvous.

The Original Owners

RENDEZVOUS

The story (and photos) of the early Broward owners rendezvous are legendary

I’m always awestruck by the “circle” photograph that was shot at one of our early Broward Marine Rendezvous. It was taken by Ken and Donna Chessler, who were hired to be part of our marketing group headed by Mel and Marty Wolfe. They were not experienced yacht photographers and equally uncomfortable about the notion of riding next to the open door of a helicopter hovering over the open ocean just of Key Largo. Equally daunting was the fact that none of the captains, experienced as they were, had ever attempted a perfectly spaced shot like this.

I was in that helicopter and communicated as best I could over my handheld VHF to ask a particular boat to “back up” or “move over”. The oldest boat, Dorisam, which Mom and Dad were on, had no thruster, which made close maneuvering almost impossible. But at some point, I radioed the group and said...“That’s it!”

All 17 boats hit their horns in a triumphal blast that we could hear in the helicopter.

So how did all of this start and why has the concept of yacht Rendezvous become almost a marketing necessity in the eyes of manufacturers

All 17 boats HIT THEIR HORNS IN A TRIUMPHAL BLAST THAT WE C O ULD

HEAR IN THE HELIC O PTER.

frankly speaking

and other marine-related businesses? This was the frst of its kind and brought about by the sheer necessity that came with my joining the company in the Fall of 1983. Charlie Barthold, the editor of Yachting Magazine summed it up pretty well when he wrote:

“The beginning of the modern Broward era can probably be traced to a Labor Day weekend in 1983. It was then that Frank Denison called on his 30-year-old son Ken to move from Michigan and take over the company’s yard in Florida... Ken had to learn a lot. As Kit’s younger brother, Ken had an enormous amount of respect for the man he was replacing. At the same time, he had an enormous opportunity: to take

a moderately successful yacht building company and make it excel. That frst year, Ken had what he calls ‘baptism by fre on a very steep learning curve.’”

My inexperience in all of this led me to work out some new ideas in marketing. Up to this point, yacht sales were driven more by word of mouth than the level of advertising in other companies. With the help of Mel and Marty, we came up with a bold Broward logo and also initiated a campaign that poked fun at the “old guard” with double page ads in the largest marine publications.

The Rendezvous concept however was far more successful in terms of generating sales and so, along with our marketing in print, we continued to push

the envelope and expand our messaging to show how fun yachting can be.

Back in those days, it was customary to christen the yachts upon completion and invite the employees and their families to witness the ceremony. But then I had an idea. Why not invite the owners of these boats to a party down at the Ocean Reef Club and do the christening there?

The inaugural event was put together quickly and featured three boats Parts V, a 90’ motor yacht designed by Jon Bannenberg, Brownies III, a 110’ tri-deck for a repeat Broward owner, and Cherosa, a 90’ tri-deck. We had no idea if folks would even show up. But once the marine yachting press

PICTURED: Broward Marine Rendezvous (right); J-team hands-down volleyball team (far right, top left); "It must be Bob Terrell Miss Broward" (far right, top center); Jerry Morton showing his winning grip (far right, top right); Susan Tomisch, Mrs. D., Bob Tomisch, and Mr. D (far right, bottom).

heard about it, their reports fueled the fre for more parties.

Pretty soon, we were holding themed events. “Fantasy Island” was the theme for 1986. Mardi Gras was the theme for 1988, and we really peaked at the 1950s-themed “Rock Around the Reef” event in 1990. Wolfman Jack was there and the Coasters and Drifers were brought in to play, too.

So, what started out as a simple attempt to keep our customers together and keep them “in the family” turned out to be a major part of our overall marketing strategy. That’s simply because

we found that letting potential customers walk onboard boats at a boat show isn’t the same as being invited onboard our latest Broward by an enthusiastic owner. At one point, one of the owners actually started a Broward Yacht Club! Our frst event in 1984 was not only fun for our owners and successful for Broward Marine, it also ushered in one of the largest charity events in the US that is still one of yachting’s biggest charitable gatherings today. But you’ll have to subscribe to the next issue of FRNK to read about that!

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yachtstyle

MONSTERS, INC.

The market for monster center consoles like the HCB 65 Estrella pictured here is booming

PICTURED: HCB 65 Estrella.

CEN TER CO NSOLES HAVE NOW BECO ME YACHTS in their own right.

For many center console owners in the earlier part of the century, the lay of the land looked much like this: either you had a center console sized from about 25 to 35 feet in length overall as your primary boat, or you had one as a secondary boat, and had either a mega yacht or a large sport sh as your number one. But over the past ten years or so, the traditional paradigm has very much shifted.

Center consoles have now become yachts in their own right. Some would point to the Great Recession as a turning point in the “little boat” market. Changing social mores surrounding ostentatious displays of wealth as well as other

economic factors may have persuaded many owners of larger boats to ditch the yacht and get an unassuming center console on which they could zip over to the Bahamas and spend their nights tucked away in a hotel or home. But as the recession receded, and larger boats became socially acceptable again, many center console owners found they had fallen in love with the no-muss-no-fuss nature of their waterborne SUVs. But they wanted something, you know, just a little bit bigger.

These days, the line between center console and yacht has been blurred to the point that building “monster center consoles” is a cottage industry in its own right, and one in which many of the top center console builders have staked a claim. Fit and fnish onboard all these boats is ofen yacht quality, and a form of convergent evolution between the big center console builders and the outboard-engine companies that power them means these boats can seriously fy.

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HCB 65 ESTRELLA

No list of large center consoles would be complete without the 800-pound gorilla in the room the HCB 65 Estrella. The largest center console in the world measures 65 feet and tips the scales at a whopping 60,000 pounds. This center console comes with a massive cabin that includes a master stateroom and a pullman berth in the salon. She also can be outftted with unlimited horsepower, according to HCB, though practically speaking you may have to settle for six (6!) 600-horsepower Mercurys. Livewells and in-sole fishboxes bolster this model’s fshing credentials while yacht-y touches like a beautifully crafed teak steering wheel keep the luxury commensurate with the $3 million-ish price tag.

VALHALLA V- 55

Viking is nothing if not on trend. It seems as if the Jersey goliath may actually have gotten bored beating the tar out of its competition sales-

wise in the semi-production sportfsh market and needed a new challenge. Enter Valhalla Boatworks. The builder’s center console line spans from a 33 up to this 55-foot, 7-inch beast, which will debut in Miami in February. With a twin-stepped hull designed by Michael Peters, and the ability to handle an obscene quintuple Mercury 600 Verado setup, the 55 will offer thrilling performance packaged with tournamentready fshing features including a massive cockpit, twin 65-gallon livewells, and loads of rocket launchers. A Seakeeper 9 gyrostabilizer ensures this resin-infused beast stays steady when drif fshing as well.

SCOUT 530 LXF

South Carolina’s Scout has always been known for two things: pretty lines and seaworthy hulls. The builder has an enviable contender in the monster center console market with the 530 LXF. The 53-foot, 5-inch vessel has a gently curved shearline that makes it pop in any anchorage. Scout uses cutting-edge carbon epoxy construction to build its boats, which makes this 530 both strong and light–at a 27,980-pound displacement sans engines. You can add another 5,000 pounds if you want the quad 600-horsepower Mercury option, which let’s be honest here you defnitely do.

PICTURED: Valhalla V-55 (right, far right, top); Scout 530 LXF (far right, bottom).

INTREPID 51 PANACEA

Intrepid has always been a major player when it comes to building center console tenders for big boats, thanks to a nearly unparalleled ability to customize its oferings. But this latest 51 Panacea is nearly a yacht in its own right. A highlight aboard this boat is the spacious cabin with a large V-berth, a full head, and a galley to handle cooking duties. The 51 will also come with Intrepid’s signature inward-opening dive door, a feature that helped put Intrepid on the map. Up top, the Intrepid features an array of seating, including two rows of seats beneath the hardtop the best place to sit when the weather gets snotty.

PURSUIT S 428

The smallest entry on this list would have been one of the largest center consoles on the water not so very long ago, and she still has an imposing presence at the dock despite being just a mere 43 feet long. This boat is replete with seating, including a plush forward lounge that is a blast at the boat’s 59-mile-per-hour top-end (when powered by quad Yamaha 425 XTOs). Fold-out terraces in the cockpit mean the S 428 has plenty of room for entertaining but the terraces also ofer easy access to the water, as this boat was

PICTURED : Pursuit S 428 (left); Intrepid 51 Panacea (below).

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PICTURED: SŌLACE 41CS.

designed with in-water sports in mind. A threeseat-wide helm setup with fip-down armrests ensures the captain and his mates are comfortable when at work.

S

Ō LACE 41CS

The SŌLACE 41CS center console was built for performance. With a twin-stepped, carbon fber and epoxy hull with tracking rail chines, and the capacity for up to 1,800 horsepower with a quad Mercury Racing 450r set up, this boat can blaze out to the fshing spot faster than most anything in its class. Plus, there are amenities aplenty. The 41 has a full wet bar with a barbecue and cutting board built into the af end of its console. She also has mezzanine seating for three, three additional seats at the transom, and a bowdeck lounge, which means there are plenty of places to sit and relax and listen to the tunes blasting out of the ampedup JL Audio sound system.

These are vessels that ofer all the fun and adventure of a fast open boat, matched with amenities and a ft and fnish that is beftting of a true yacht. It seems a true monster has been created, indeed.

The boats mentioned here are just a few of the many jawdropping center console options that would have been unthinkable not long ago.

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PICTURED: This rare Lancia-StratosPirelli is only one of the more than 160 priceless race cars in Richard Mille's collection.

HOLY HORSEPOWER

Iconic watchmaker Richard Mille’s extensive race car collection pays homage to motor racing’s “Golden Era”

words BILL SPRINGER photography COURTESY OF RICHARD MILLE

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PICTURED: Richard Mille with a few of his "babies."

After spending some time with renowned watchmaker Richard Mille driving in an ofcial car during a stage of the Tour de France, I learned firsthand that the trim, smiling, bespectacled Frenchman in his sixties doesn’t just make wildly expensive, highly sought-afer watches he’s a star who loves to have fun.

But afer speaking with Mille recently about his passion for collecting Formula One cars from motor racing’s “Golden Era”, I learned what really drives him and how his love of race cars inspired him to create one of the most innovative and exclusive watch brands of all time. In fact, he owns one of the largest classic race car collections in the world.

Mille started collecting F1 cars afer he saw his frst Grand Prix in Monaco in 1967. Since then, his collection has grown to over 160 cars that he proudly points out are “always kept in running condition.” In fact, he still drives cars in his collection today at numerous classic race car events he sponsors.

“My love of race cars might have started even before my birth, if that’s possible,” says the legendary watchmaker. “I’ve always loved everything about race cars. The precision and technique of the engineering as well as the shape of the body. Race cars were my inspiration for the watches because they are very similar. Both are designed by hand for extreme high performance.”

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PICTURED: Ferrari 312 (top); Lotus 78 (second to top); McLaren M2B (second to bottom); Tyrell (bottom).

“

... I REALL Y LOVE THAT MANY OF THE CARS IN MY C O LLECTION WERE DRIVEN BY THE GREATS.” —

Richard Mille

“I have many friends who prefer to collect other types of cars. But I’m dedicated to Formula One. I have a good collection of the Porsches, and I have also a few Ferrari prototypes. I have also a V12 Maserati 250F. Fantastic car, beautiful car. But the biggest part of the collection is the Formula One cars that raced from 1965 to 1980.”

“Why is collecting cars from that era so special?” I ask. “Is it the growl of the engines? Or is it more of a ‘feeling’ you get knowing you own so many historic race cars?”

“Ahh...Bill,” he says with a smile, in his wonderfully accented English. “Race cars from that era were pure. The designers were always taking big risks. They didn't have computers to fnalize the aerodynamic data. So, every new car they designed was risky. And at the same time, they wanted the cars to have the personality of the brand.

“For example, Lotuses really looked like Lotuses. Like the Lotus 72–its shape was totally original. Same with the Ferrari 312T4, for example. That was a World Champion driven by Jody Scheckter. The shape is totally original. I don't

say it is beautiful, but it's totally original. If you take the 1961 Ferrari Sharknose, it was called the Sharknose because it looked like a shark! Every car was one of a kind. Every car was a piece of art.

“And I really love that many of the cars in my collection were driven by the greats. I have cars that were driven by Ayrton Senna, Jim Clark, Jackie Stewart, Bruce McLaren, and others.

“For example, I have Bruce McLaren’s very first car the car he raced in the 1966 Monaco Grand Prix. And I also have his N14. That was the last car he raced at Monaco the week before he was killed in Goodwood.

“This is why I love this legendary era. The divers were incredibly passionate. But they had to be incredibly courageous, too, because it was so dangerous. A driver was killed in a crash roughly every other weekend.

“I have some friends that were journalists back then. They say it was like a family. The drivers were like family because they knew they could die at any race at any time.

“I have some cars that were built in the early 1950s as well. I have the Ferrari 500 chassis

number fve that was driven by Alberto Askari. That might have been the most successful Ferrari chassis ever. Ascari won 16 Grand Prix and was World Champion in 1952 and 1953 with that car.

“But, in the end, Ascari died on the racetrack. So did Jim Clark. Jochen Rindt, Bruce McLaren, Ayrton Senna. They were so courageous. And that’s why I love owning the cars they drove during that era. The cars and their stories move me.

“Jackie Stewart, who was one of the few with Stirling Moss and Fangio that survived, said it best when he famously described racing in the 1970s: ‘It was a time when sex was safe and motor racing was dangerous.’

“But, of course, I love the mechanical details as well. The precision. The engineering. For example, I have a BRM H16 engine. The engine is not very big, but it fts together like a fne watch

“ I LOVE THE MECHANICAL DETAILS AS WEL L . THE PRECISION. THE ENGINEERING. ” — Richard Mille

to produce incredible power. This is why I also love watchmaking. A race car’s engine is like a complex watch. It's beautiful, powerful, precise, and built for ultimate performance.

“I love when I see my cars on the track,” he says. “I can imagine all the work engineers, developers, and mechanics dedicated to creating the ultimate performance car. And every time, they were creating something new. The cars during that era from 1965 to 1980 were revolutionary. It was a fantastic creative period.”

“I also have quite a few trucks from that era, too!” he adds with his intoxicating brand knowledge and enthusiasm that shows just how

meaningful and rewarding collecting something you truly love can be. “I have quite a few of the trucks with the team livery that brought the cars to the races from the 70s. They are beauties, honestly. I don't just say that because they're mine. But the trucks were very demanding in terms of shape. And they represent the era beautifully.”

It’s obvious Mille’s collection is priceless. And he never mentions how much any of the cars cost to buy or maintain. But I had to ask if he had a favorite or one special car that he was especially proud of.

“They are all my babies,” he says. “I love them all.”

Of course he does!

PICTURED: Vanwall VW9.

TIME Design {

There are no rules when you work with an interior designer on your yacht. But the experts know how to ensure the interior design process is fun and fruitful instead of costly and crazy-making

words MARILYN MOWER photography COURTESY OF THE DESIGNERS

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If you have entered into a new build contract, turning your vision into reality will be a very large task and you had best enlist very experienced help, including a designer and a project manager to work with the shipyard creating your masterpiece. A yacht will be among the largest capital commitments you ever make, and, like a home, it is a personal refection of you. How do you choose a designer to articulate your vision? What are your expectations? Will your designer just design, supply color renderings, and shop for your furniture, fxtures and accessories, or do you expect the designer to be hands-on during the construction and assume a supervisory role? On a new build, the shipyard will likely select the interior outftters who may or may not be part of the builder’s company. On a reft, it is more likely that you and your team

will select and manage them, which puts a slightly diferent twist on how you choose and work with an interior designer.

There are no rules. In fact, there are as many approaches as there are yacht owners. Bad decisions, vague contracts, unclear expectations, and poor communication will lead to delays, disappointment, and cost over-runs. It takes careful planning and honest discussions to create a product that is on time, on budget, and looks like what you had imagined. We asked two designers who work both on refts and new builds how they work and for tips on what it takes to produce the intended result. Then, for a diferent perspective, we asked an owner’s design consultant to share the “been there, done that” perspective from the other side of the table.

Where to begin? Destry Pethel of Fort Lauderdale-based Destry

Darr Design says a designer should be brought in at the earliest stages, before the yard contract is even signed. “If we talk to the owners when they are still deciding what kind of yacht experience they want, we can help guide them. They might see a boat on the brokerage market and be impressed by a look or the price, but we might realize it can’t be modifed to ft their lifestyle. Not everyone has an eye for design. We have seen clients completely turned of by an interior fnish or use of space and we have been able to show them it could easily be changed to match their taste and lifestyle.” On new builds, Darr likes to study the GA with the client to see if it matches their cultural requirements and lifestyle. “If they don’t want to see the crew, are there separate entrances and pathways around the boat for owners and crew? Is

You are the happy owner of a new (or new to you) yacht and you want to put your stamp on it, personalizing it to your tastes and lifestyle.

PICTURED: Destry Pethel of Destry Darr Design (right); Bedroom interior by Yacht Interiors by Shelley (far right).

it for charter, and, if so, does it have the storage, crew space, and layout for successful chartering?”

Some builders, particularly those who build on spec as well as to order, will have an inhouse designer for their own builds as well as to assist owners who prefer not to bring in their own designer. Shelley DiCondina of Yacht Interiors by Shelley in Fort Lauderdale has that function for Hargrave Custom Yachts, but also designs reft projects for other clients. “A typical new build

project for us starts afer the builder has developed the general space planning with the clients. Typically, the client has spent a lot of time compiling lists of wants and needs.” DiCondina and her lead designer Rachel Orcutt-Wike refne that, developing all the details.

“The challenge and the fun is to work with their lists and rough foor plans. We tweak the plans for balance, harmony, and appropriate space allocation. Then we start our series of client meetings, usually three 1- to

3-day visits. I recommend clients prepare for the frst design meeting by frmly deciding how they will use the boat. We also ask them to bring photos of something they really like; a table, a color, maybe a wood finish, possibly a favorite stone. We just need a starting place and inspiration.”

Darr says that visiting the clients in their homes helps her get visual clues for their style and, at the same time, she can ask if there are any architectural styles they want repeated or avoided. Magazine photos are another possible aid. “Sometimes they want to come to my showroom for inspiration and to make a selection.”

yachtstyle

Of course, there tends to be no shortage of advice and opinions shared on these projects, whether solicited or not. “When we start the design process with a client, we let them know that we don’t mind their families or signifcant others participating, but they need to commit to being present for ALL meetings. We cannot have a revolving door of opinions during the design process,” said DiCondina. “We actually thought of putting a clause about this in our contract.”

If the walls at reft yards could talk, they would have plenty of stories about projects sunk by confusion over chain of command, who makes decisions about

unforeseen issues, and who hires and fres subcontractors.

“We encourage our clients to let us act as the project manager as well as designer. We have a great team of contractors we have spent years developing and we know their skills. We hire them and run the job. Managing everything about the interior work lets me keep everyone accountable and prevents bottlenecks,” Darr said.

DiCondina adds, “The biggest pitfalls with refts are insufcient time or owners who want to use the boat in the middle of the project. Then there is the yacht manager who decides to haul the boat out of the water in the middle of the project. We are very specifc in the beginning that our timeline does not include yard time on the hard or the time it takes to stop and restart work.”

Darr’s top tip is to be clear about budgets in the beginning. “There are various ways to price a job depending on the scope of the work. Flat fees, cost-plus, hourly rate...transparency is the best way to go. The clients should be prepared to communicate well on budget items and they should always have a contingency because in every case, projects grow.”

PICTURED: Shelley DiCondina of Yacht Interiors by Shelley and her lead designer, Rachel Orcutt-Wike (left); Before Master Stateroom (top far left); After Master Stateroom designed by Yacht Interiors by Shelley (far bottom left).

Darr’s top tip is to be clear about budgets in the beginning.

“We share a basic fee schedule at the frst meeting,” notes DiCondina. “For refts, we show them our previous work, talk about their project scope and see if we are a good ft. Afer that, we require a deposit to get started on their selections, drawings, and, eventually, proposals. All selections [and mark ups] are approved before purchase. We invoice for our time at an hourly rate.”

Dee Robinson is a long-time yacht designer in her own right, however her last four projects two yachts and two private residences have been as the owner’s design consultant, supervising both the design team and the ftting out, for a very busy client who lived far from each project. Here are her tips for owners:

“As you interview designers, you want to be confdent that given complete and correct information, including your cultural requirements, personal preferences, lifestyle, budgetary, and quality

expectations, that the designer has demonstrated their ability to communicate with the builder and their contractors and execute it 100%. One of my clients had three directives that could never be compromised: the view, practicality, and privacy. Establish your own explicit directives at the beginning,” Robinson says. She says owners should request references from other owners and the chosen builder. “Ask the brutal question: Would you retain this designer again?”

“Generally speaking, there are two types of designers. One has a ‘look’. If you like that ‘look’, go for it! The other type of designer has no ‘look’ of their own. All their projects are totally diferent and that’s because they refect the ‘look’ of each owner, not themselves. Choose wisely. One may be able to layout your project in a minimal amount of time in a tasteful and widely accepted manner. The other will ask for much more of

PICTURED: Interior designed by Yacht Interiors by Shelley (left); Yacht interior by Dee Robinson (below).

“ ONE OF MY CLIENTS HAD THREE DIRECTIVES THAT COULD NEVER BE COMPROMISED: THE VIEW, PRACTICALITY, AND PRIVACY.” — Dee Robinson

yachtstyle

your time because they are starting with a blank slate. Going into your project, your designer may have an enthusiastic ‘vision’ of his or her own.

Be sure that it's your vision that is being achieved.

“Don’t be hesitant to request alternative layouts, designs, and/or materials if what is frst presented misses the mark. Explain why and give the designer another opportunity to come closer to your expectations. This is not unusual in the process. If you are requesting a feature that is totally ill-advised by both the designer and the builder, ask why and what alternatives they can ofer that will be satisfactory. If resale is a consideration, ask if and how it would be afected.”

When it comes to budget, she cautions to ask specifcally if approved designs and materials are within your budget, or be willing to adjust it accordingly with approved change orders. For owner-furnished décor items, establish a realistic budget for loose furnishings, art, et cetera, that is agreeable to both of you.

Finally, Robinson says, designers aren’t mind readers. “You expect your selected designer to know yachts, including the designing, building, and engineering process along with the décor applications from years of experience, but you can‘t expect them to know you and your experiences. You have to build that bridge. There is no way to assure a successful project unless both parties meet in a respectful manner with willingness to communicate and to compromise when necessary.”

PICTURED: Dee Robinson.

B R E A D B R E A K S & W I N E F L O W S

When Curated Furnishings of Great Beauty Come Together

Lighting Dinner & Glassware

Fine Custom Furniture

Italian

Mirror When Off & TV When On Hand-Carved, 22k Gold Gilded Framed Mirror Television

Hand Crafted Fabrics for Pillows & Upholstery

Bed Linen Sets & Towels

Keith Fritz "Victory Table"

The Speed

of ART

words BILL SPRINGER photography COURTESY OF BUGATTI

yachtstyle

Any photo of a Bugatti supercar is worth more than a thousand words.

But the Bugatti Chiron is the most powerful super sports car that Bugatti has ever built. Not only is its remarkable 16-cylinder, turbo-charged V8 engine capable of producing 1,500 horsepower, its sophisticated design, innovative technology, and speed-focused form combine to produce purehigh-powered art.

Art that a lucky owner can drive over 200 miles per hour, that is.

PICTURED: Bugatti Chiron.

ART THAT A LUCKY OWNER CAN DRIVE OVER 200 MILES PER HOUR, that is.

HYPERglide

words BILL SPRINGER photography COURTESY OF REGENT

What do you get when a team of MITtrained, ex-Boeing engineers set out to revolutionize zeroemission, high-speed coastal travel? The short answer is Regent’s Seaglider, an all-electricpowered seaplane they have developed.

But it’s not like any seaplane operating today. It’s what they call a “wing-in-ground-effect craft” that “flies” a few feet off the water's surface that couples the high speed of an airplane with the low operating cost of a boat. Built to the same safety standards of all modern aircraf, it can fy up to 180 miles with existing battery technology, and they project up to 500 miles with next-gen batteries.

On top of all that, it uses hydrofoils to take of. Successful prototypes are already flying. Since the plan is for fully approved Seagliders to be fying by 2025, getting from New York City to the Hamptons or any other short coastal fight may never be the same.

ALL THINGS Waterfront

On one Sunday in early February, a group of very important people came together under one roof–and what a roof it was. At the Jazz & Brunch event, a select few were invited to check out several impressive, high-ticket items, including luxury yachts from Denison Yachting, high-end vehicles from Holman Motorcars Fort Lauderdale, and the crème de la crème–the $30+ million estate on Bontona Peninsula represented by Julie Jones and Douglas Elliman Real Estate, where it all took place.

words SARAH NADLER photography DENISON YACHTING

With smooth jazz as the backdrop, played by a talented saxophonist, attendees on an elite guest list were wined and dined with a beautiful brunch spread as they viewed the immense property and its almost 700 feet of waterfront space. With six bedrooms, nine and a half baths, two foors, and 285 square feet of forward space (where two luxurious cars were strategically placed, including a RollsRoyce Ghost and a Bentley Bentayga Hurricane Edition), the home was bound to impress.

The invitation-only event was held in order to highlight the spectacular property and some remarkable yachts: two classic Feadships and an impressive SŌLACE center console tender. The timeless 105-foot Feadship built in 1969, called NEREUS, was a sight to behold docked by the beautiful home. Beside her, IMPETUOUS, an 85-

foot Feadship built in 1977. The event ofered clients an intimate atmosphere to engage with these boats.

Ken Denison shared the benefts of such an event, explaining that classic yachts ofen take more time to sell because these yachts require a sophistication and experience level in buyers who fully appreciate and understand this level of build. It is the same audience that buys the fnest classic cars. “It is a smaller audience that directs a more targeted group of folks to the very best of oferings, be it cars, homes, or yachts.”

Tom and Katia Bates, the owners of the 529 Bontona Avenue property located in Fort Lauderdale, were enthused to have Julie Jones–who represents the home–partner with Denison Yachting to showcase the property as well as the classic yachts. “Actually, it’s literally like a

small marina,” Ken noted, rendering this specifc collaboration a pretty perfect match.

“I think the owners know that Denison will go out of its way to fnd the right market for the boat space. When you put your boat in a boat show to sell it, sometimes that doesn’t happen. You have to be more selective. At this event, this is the target audience.” As opposed to boat shows, which can sometimes be overwhelming, Ken expanded that events such as the one being held at Bontona Peninsula get the right amount of people and, simply, the right people in front of the right products. These hand-selected people can feel

comfortable, away from an intense environment, and alternatively at a luxe and relaxed event with a whole diferent atmosphere.

Julie Jones, Vice President of Ultra Luxury Sales at Douglas Elliman Real Estate, was pleased to have the high-end brands join forces. Working with Denison for about three years, she cited the “energy” and “incredible marketing” as some of the aspects she values most about the brokerage frm.

“I like to advertise in FRNK because it’s very unique and the articles are meaningful,” she shared.

“The content is so original and highly readable. I display the magazine at all my multi-million-dollar

PICTURED: Nothing but good vibes at the Denison Jazz & Brunch event in Fort Lauderdale (far left); Julie Jones (below left); SŌLACE 41CS tender (below right).

yachtstyle

listings. The Denison team is so approachable, the brokers are out in the community, and they are easy to work with. I love working with them.”

“I sell these waterfront homes and I send my customers to Denison because I know that, whether they’re buying a center console or a multi-milliondollar home, they’ll always have the same center of attention,” she continued. “It helps me sell my listings, getting them excited about becoming part of the yachting community.”

“This particular home is one of very few true peninsulas here in Broward County. It has approaching 700 feet of water surrounding it, so it’s perfect for multiple yacht docking. It’s extremely

private, yet close to the shopping and dining on Las Olas and the beach. It is close to the executive and international airports.” It seems to be situated in the ideal location, along the New River, right in the middle of the “Yachting Capital of the World”.

Ken was glad to share his aspirations for the future. “We think more of these events are going to come because it’s about building a relationship. I told Julie that the frst time people come to Florida, they buy a house. Guess what the second thing they buy is? A boat.” Luckily for attendees of the Jazz & Brunch event, both were opportunely on display. Talk about a one-stop shop.

PICTURED: (From left) Ken Denison, Max Murphy, Jennifer Welker Peacock, and Connor Bradley.

The Gran Turismo 41 is the latest model to join BENETEAU’s express cruiser line, and she presents herself as the ultimate powerplay for those looking to dominate the water in style. Adventurous and spacious, she combines sport and relaxation to master a fresh new model where limits simply do not exist. Whether its her boast-worthy speed, racy head-turning lines, or her many inviting social spaces, this feature-rich cruiser o ers endless opportunities for entertainment and enjoyment on the water.

Take the helm with your choice of power: either twin Volvo Penta 300 HP or the special order D6 380 HP Volvo Penta power; both with Joystick docking.

PHOTO: © JULIEN GAZEAU

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SUPERYACHT SCALE–INSIDE AND OUT

Have you ever tried to wrap your mind around the sheer size of the world’s most iconic superyachts? Or, better still, have you ever wondered what they are really like on the inside? Well, thanks to this collection of images from some of the world’s leading superyacht photographers, you’ll see they’re probably bigger and even more opulent than you imagined.

NORD

One of the many things I love about writing about superyachts is my eternal quest to nd the right words to describe just how awesome, excessive, massive, and over-the-top the newest and largest superyachts in the world actually are. But even I can’t top how NORD’s designer Dan Lenard of the Italian design studio Nuvolari-Lenard describes the 464-footlong superyacht that that was built by Lürssen in Germany.

“NORD is a serious ship rst and foremost, but she also transcends the traditional language of yacht design. She is a warship wearing a tuxedo, an explorer with the elegance of a gentleman's yacht.”

photo credit

TOM VAN OOSSANEN

photo essay CURATED BY BILL SPRINGER

Excellence

I was hardly surprised when the 263-footlong Excellence was named winner of the Best Exterior Design and Finest New Superyacht awards at the 2019 Monaco Yacht Show. It’s a revolutionary design from the innovative team at Winch Design, a London-based rm that specializes in designing some of the world’s most iconic superyachts, private planes and palatial residences. And as you can see, the interior is as striking as the exterior.

photo credit

BLUE IPROD (exterior)

WINCH DESIGN (interior)

Cloud 9

The overall design features symmetrical linear patterns, tactile textures, and bleached woodwork that’s carried throughout all the yacht’s interior spaces. In the main saloon, bleached oak cladding is used with the wood’s grain converging precisely in an uninterrupted continuum of lines. And custom-made lintels and columns give an aristocratic appearance to the space.

photo credit

GUILLAUME PLISSON (exterior) WINCH DESIGN (interior)

Phoenix II

Phoenix II was commissioned by an owner who loves Art Deco design. In fact, Phoenix II is the logical progression the owner made from the original Phoenix—measuring under 200-feet and inspired by French Art Deco style—up to a much larger yacht. But unlike her smaller sister, Phoenix II was created to embrace the unique Art Deco Style of New York, as seen in the Chrysler Building, Radio City Music Hall, Broadway, etc. and measures nearly 300 feet long. That, my friends, is pretty much as long as an American football eld!

As you can see, the entire interior celebrates New York Art Deco design, while paying homage to the owner’s passion for art and music as well. There’s a Steinway grand piano in the formal saloon in addition to silk sunray-pattered carpets and a ceiling adorned with hand-gilded phoenix birds. The dining room is brilliantly lit from above like a Broadway stage. The forward bulkhead is emblazoned with a six-paneled relief sculpture of musicians. And, of course, the foyer is inspired by Radio City Music Hall.

photo credit

BREED MEDIA (exterior)

JIM RAYCROFT (interior)

Come Together

Come Together is rst of a new generation of Limited Edition Amels 60 built by Dutch superyacht powerhouse Damen Yachting, which was a massive success almost as soon as the project was announced. And it’s easy to see why. Its modern exterior features distinctive lines and geometric shapes designed by one of the most proli c superyacht designers in the world—Espen Øino. Her unique custom color scheme with a metallic Pebble Grey hull with Matterhorn White and Super Jet Black superstructure is distinctive. And her Winch Design interior is timeless and warm.

photo credit TOM VAN OOSSANEN/ DAMEN YACHTING (exterior) WINCH DESIGN (interior)

Skyscraper scale

People ask me all the time: “What’s the di erence between a yacht and a superyacht?” And this photo pretty much sums it up. A 70-foot yacht could be as big as one building. But, a 300-foot-long superyacht can be longer and taller than a city block!

They look like ants!

The people (all the tiny white dots) on the bottom of this aerial shot of the initial launch of the 236-foot-long SeaXplorer La Datacha may be the best illustration of just how big a superyacht is. They all look like ants compared to the massive hull that was just launched!

photo credit

TOM VAN OOSSANEN

ESCAPE PODS Underwater

The market for personal submersibles is growing increasingly robust thanks to two major manufacturers

words KEVIN KOENIG photography TAJ HOWE, NICK VEROLA

As boaters, all of us intuitively understand just how vast the ocean is. If you’ve ever done any offshore cruising of any type, and lost sight of land completely, you know just how infinitesimally small the sea can make one feel. But now remember this: those endless rolling blue waves are operating on a two-dimensional plane. Below your hull line lies another dimension in every sense of the word.

The world’s oceans hold an estimated 352 quintillion gallons of water (that’s a number with 18 zeros afer it). And nearly all of

them, from the shallow seas from whence the Bahamas glean their name, down to the gulping black of the Mariana Trench, can now be explored, thanks to personal submersible technology.

Personal subs are nothing new. The frst one was invented in 1620 by the Dutchman Cornelius Jacobzoon Drebbel. It was powered by oarsmen and reportedly could travel for three hours at a depth of 15 feet. These days, submersibles can dive just a tad deeper. Famously, in 2019, the adventurer Victor Vescovo took his sub DSV Limiting Factor to the bottom of the Mariana,

which, at 35,853 feet deep, is the very bottom of the ocean it’s deeper than Mt. Everest is tall by almost 7,000 feet.

Vescovo, who owns a 224-foot mega yacht/research vessel that he uses to launch and retrieve his sub, was part of the ultra-wealthy class of boat owners who frst started buying personal subs as toys about ten years ago. What frst started as an outlandish curio soon became de rigueur among a certain brand of yacht owner. Two companies in particular have dominated this newfound market, the Floridabased builder Triton Submarines,

THE WORLD’S OCEANS HOLD AN ESTIMATED 352 QUINTILLION GALLONS OF WATER (that’s a number with 18 zeros after it).

PICTURED: Triton (left); Sub ops onboard OceanXplorer (below).

and Holland’s U-Boat Worx. Each brings a little something diferent to the potential owner.

Triton enjoys a marketing advantage over its competitor thanks in large part to Vescovo and the resultant publicity around his dives.

Vescovo owns a Triton 36,000/2 capable of diving to 36,000 feet with two people aboard. The titanium-hulled vessel Vescovo used looks somewhat like a giant metal pocketbook and is for sale to the general public, but the far more popular models that Triton sells have clear acrylic bulbs that passengers sit inside. The smallest of these is a 660/2, with various other models available.

celebrity advantage over

Triton

competitor. Academy Award-winning lmmaker James Cameron used his Triton to visit the wreck of the Titanic, and recently announced that he, alongside another prominent Triton owner, the billionaire investor Ray Dalio, will be joining the Triton executive team.

Across the pond in the Netherlands, U-Boat Worx takes care to diferentiate itself from Triton. Somewhat ironically, it does this by moving both up and down market. As the Dutch company watched submersibles become more and more popular on mega yachts, it realized that its products would soon become acceptable

slightly down the mountain. Thus, it recently introduced the Nemo model, a 330/2-rated sub that is priced at a far more attainable pricepoint than other subs. Originally planned to be sold at about $1 million even, by the time Nemo made its debut at the 2022 Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, it was closer to half that. Not only was the sub inexpensive in its own right, but in a huge departure for the industry, it no longer requires a mega yacht to launch and retrieve it. U-Boat Worx introduced a $60,000 track vehicle alongside it, that can roll down a beach right to the water’s edge and plop the little sub directly into the water. Suddenly, personal submersibles have gone from being the exclusive domain of the fabulously wealthy, to something that a successful accountant could buy.

Of course, the billionaires will now need a new toy, and U-Boat Worx is all too happy to fll that void as well. At the 2022 Monaco Yacht Show, the builder unveiled designs for something truly fantastical an underwater mega yacht. The 123-foot Nautilus, named afer the submarine in Jules Verne’s 20,000 Leagues Under the Sea, has all the trappings of a superyacht. There’s the luxuriously appointed staterooms, a custom tender, and a topdeck with a pool and wetbar. But if this yacht doesn’t want any ogling dockside eyes, it can simply disappear. The Nautilus can dive to 656 feet deep using hybrid diesel-electric propulsion units. “People that have decided to buy a yacht will now have to consider if their vessel of choice can also dive down to 200 meters,” U-Boat Worx chairman and founder Bert Houtman said in a statement.

also has the

its

PICTURED: Triton (top, bottom); personal submarines are becoming standard options on many of the world's largest yachts.

Regardless of how big or small a sub may be, for novices, the prospect of slipping beneath the surface on one of these vessels can be daunting. One common concern on the smaller subs is claustrophia. The spaces are, in fact, cramped, almost like a fghter jet cockpit. But the builders report a more unexpected afiction to be more common a twisted form of agoraphobia, or fear of open spaces. Because of the way underwater light refracts through the acrylic, the material looks like it has disappeared, and occasionally

passengers feel like they might fall out of the sub. It happens, but it’s rare. Another common fear is that the sub might sink, but that’s nearly impossible, because the subs are positively buoyant. So, in the unlikely event of a major propulsion malfunction, the fully pressurized capsule simply bobs back to the service. Regardless, the subs are replete with redundancies and safety protocols that make them one of the safest forms of travel in the world. So breathe easy, and take a dive down into the deep that requires no breath holding at all.

PICTURED: Front above view of SuperSub (right); SuperSub (far right).

Breathe easy, and take a dive down into the deep that requires no breath holding at all.

FULL CIRCLE Coming

There is something awe-inspiring about coming full circle. Sometimes by coincidence, sometimes fate, sometimes a higher power–regardless of how, the outcome is often miraculous. Captain David Meyer of M/Y Magnum Ride shares the story of his family intertwining with the Denison family and how it all, truly, came full circle.

as told to SARAH NADLER photography BLUECOAST DIGITAL

My Great Uncle

Tom

He was a Lieutenant Jr. Grade. His frst boat was sunk during the war and the replacement for that boat was built by Dooley’s Basin & Dry Dock Company in 1945, where he took command. There were two Sub Chaser hulls built there.

Following the war, Tom stayed on for a time with the Department of the Navy as a consultant in the development

of Submarine Chasers, and it was afer the war that Tom met Frank Denison shortly afer Broward Marine was opened as part of his consultancy.

Tom had always loved the water and yachting prior to the war, and being a Fort Lauderdale guy, Tom was unhappy with the options for insuring yachts, so he started his own insurance company insuring yachts. I do not know the name of the company as it was never told to me, but I do know that before the sale of the business his company insured over 75% of the yachts in Florida. Because

of Tom’s friendship with Frank Denison, he ended up insuring a great number of the boats produced by Broward Marine. Tom was also frequently at the Lauderdale Yacht Club and Lighthouse Point Yacht Club, though I am not sure which he was a member of.

As a kid, I remember going to Big Uncle Tom’s yacht dressed in our Sunday’s best. I run a motor yacht, but I am a sailor at heart, and I used to ask him why he doesn’t sail. He would say, “I’m too damn old to be pulling those lines, but I can still enjoy the water and I can still live the tradition.”

Diak was a Sub Chaser commander during the war.

As

a kid, I REMEMBER GOING TO BIG UNCLE TOM’S YACHT DRESSED IN OUR SUNDAY’S BEST.

PICTURED: Denison Charter M/Y Magnum Ride, 100' Hatteras 2004 (left); Pilothouse (below).

It was later that my grandfather, Charles Paul Meyer, purchased a yacht that was also built by Broward Marine afer Tom introduced him to the folks there, shortly before Tom passed away. CP (as we called him) was very proud of the boat and I still remember my frst trip up the New River to Broward Marine to see where the boat was built.

In 1984, my father, Charles Paul Meyer, Jr. started a series of magazines that would later be sold to Cox Communications and become Trader Publications. One of those magazines was a “Buyers Guide” for power and sailing yachts. He remembered meeting the Denisons on one of his trips, and in the late 1980s, Kit Denison placed the frst full-page ad in the yacht trader. I remember it well because I was there with my dad when the deal was signed. That was a big deal to us, and true to dad’s form, when he cashed the check for the ad, he took the frst dollar and taped it to the cover

of the frst publication. That hung over his desk for many years until they downsized and some things were taken down. He always told me: “Remember those who believe in your vision and your product to support you fnancially,” among other things. Dad always spoke highly of Kit Denison and the history of the Denison relationship, back to Tom Diak and Frank Denison.

So, when Arlene [my wife] and I took over M/Y Magnum Ride and set up a charter program, we had a decision to make: who was going to be our charter manager. I didn’t think we were big enough to be a part of the Denison feet, but afer talking with Jennifer Saia, she made the introductions, and because of the long history with the Denison/ Diak/Meyer families, the choice was easy when it came to which fag we would fy at the charter shows. With a big smile, I proudly hoisted the Denison fag at the 2022 Newport Charter Show.

PICTURED : M/Y Magnum Ride o ers a wide array of water sports (right); Formal dining area (far right).

"The love of the water never left my family" - Captain David Meyer

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Afer 75 years of the two families coming together, the story comes full circle today, as Denison charter yacht Magnum Ride features a full family crew: Captain David Meyer, his wife, Chef Arlene Meyer, and their youngest son, First

Ofcer/Engineer Captain Benjamin Meyer. “The love of the water never lef my family,” Captain Meyer says. The same can be said for the Denisons. It seems that the two families were meant to work together, in harmony, from the start.

PICTURED : Captain David Meyer, Chef Arlene Meyer (his wife), and First O cer/ Engineer (their youngest son) Captain Benjamin Meyer (below center); Chef’s tastings aboard M/Y Magnum Ride (below bottom).

SPORT FISHING CHAMPIONSHIP

THE PASSION IS REEL

We invite you to join the SFC in elevating competitive saltwater sport fshing, honoring the legacy of our prestigious championship venues, and supporting conservation efforts to ensure bountiful marine resources for generations to come. Tune in all summer long on CBS Sports Network and watch the competition unfold!

2023 TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Superyacht

SCIENCE

A growing group of private yacht owners are doing more than just talking about ocean conservation—they’re directly helping scientists conduct essential research

PICTURED: Explorer yacht Legend is one of many yachts that work with Yachts for Science.

PHOTO CREDIT: Justin Hofman/EYOS

PICTURED: Nekton sample processing.

PHOTO CREDIT: Yachts for Science

STATISTICS REVEAL THAT PRIVATE YACHTS HAVE BEEN BEHIND THE DISCOVERY OF 30+ SPECIES OF MARINE WILDLIFE PREVIOUSLY unknown to science.

The yachting industry has been driving ocean conservation eforts long before Greta Thunberg became the face of modern environmentalism. High-profle owners such as the late Microsof founder Paul Allen have ofen lent their yachts to scientists for research, while others have established foundations to protect the world’s oceans. Statistics reveal that private yachts have been behind the discovery of 30+ species of marine wildlife previously unknown to science, and many are currently involved in projects ranging from ocean foor mapping to marine migration charting.

A superyacht, and in particular an explorer yacht, is the ideal platform for high-impact conservation–one reason being its capability to visit remote, hard-toreach destinations which ofen feature marine wildlife and ecosystems that are of scientific interest. Yet despite their potential, most yachts are underutilized. The Water Revolution Foundation revealed that, on average, superyachts only cruise for 10 percent of the time, with the remainder spent at dock or anchor. This is something that Yachts for Science is working to change. Yachts for Science (yachtsforscience.com) is a “matchmaking” platform that aims to utilize the thousands of yachts traveling the globe as platforms for research by pairing owners and crew with marine scientists and researchers.

“The more time people spend at sea and witness its majestic wonder and understand the essential function of the ocean to support life on Earth, the more people are compelled to act to support ocean science and conservation,” says project lead Rosie O’Donnell.

“Bringing a group of scientists on board and guiding yacht owners and guests into discovering remote areas of the globe and seabed is providing experiences beyond traditional yacht ownership.”

The program’s frst match was scientist Erika Gress and businessman Mark Robba, owner of the 51-meter Indonesian phinisi Dunia Baru, who embarked on a research trip to Indonesia. During the expedition, Gress and his team gained valuable insights into the abundance and diversity of black corals and their role as fundamental habitat providers in Raja Ampat’s reefs. They have since built a learning center where marine conservation and sustainability skills are taught to children in West Papua.

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“As a boat owner, I have never felt so fulflled,” says Robba. “I’m always looking for a new challenge, but this was in a diferent league.”

Another successful pairing was Jill Zwaans, founder of yacht charter company Yacht Story, and Simon Hilbourne from the Manta Trust. Together they set about studying manta rays in the Indian Ocean. “I'm studying a population of endangered oceanic mantas which pass through the south of the Maldives every year for a couple of weeks in March or April,” says Hilbourne. “Up to 200 pass through during this fnite window every year and we try to collect as much data as we can and then they are gone for another year. The research is vital to survival of the oceanic manta ray.”

O’Donnell reveals a “large increase” in sign-ups to Yachts for Science in recent years. “More and more yacht owners are seeing the urgent need to support ocean science and conservation and wanting and willing to do their bit to help,” she says. “If you have the passion and want to have a positive impact, then it’s simple.”

Individuals needn’t own a yacht to participate. Irene Reynold Schier and Enrico, for instance, chartered a private vessel to support scientist Franco Ferretti’s Great White Shark Chase a series of expeditions that detect, flm, and tag high-endangered Mediterranean white sharks.

But O’Donnell shares the caveat that not all research trips may not be suitable for all owners or guests. “Not all

PICTURED: Manta rays in the Maldives (right); Superyacht crews can provide key data for scientists (below).

PHOTO CREDIT: Manta Trust

“

... YACHT OWNERS ARE SEEING THE URGENT NEED TO SUPPORT OCEAN SCIENCE AND CONSERVATION AND WANTING AND WILLING TO DO THEIR BIT TO HELP.” — Rosie O'Donnell

science is a spectator sport and can require dedicated vessel time and support from the crew to maximize their productivity and outcomes,” she says. “That said, there are always ways that it can work wonderfully when owners or charterers are aboard and that requires careful planning and managing expectations on both sides.”

Like many charitable initiatives, such work is seldom publicized, but that doesn’t mean it’s anything new. “The superyacht sector has gotten involved in conservation projects for as long as superyachts have been built,” says Charlotte Thomas at the Superyacht Life Foundation. “Yachting is a leisure activity–not a commercial one–and so owners, guests, charterers, and crews all have more of an afnity with the ocean environment, and, of course, also more of a vested interest in preserving it.”

And it seems that a move toward conservation and science is not just a generational thing–it is true of younger and older yacht owners and yachties alike. “There has always been a contingent of owners and yachts who have had a more proactive approach to conservation, but this has really accelerated in the past few years,” Thomas says. “This is being driven by a number of things–the growing awareness of the fragility of our planet, a growing desire to nurture and preserve our oceans as a place to be enjoyed, not destroyed, and the growing number of next-gen owners and crew for whom a focus on conservation and environment is far more inured.”

And there’s an additional beneft of change being pushed from within yachting, an industry made up of some of the wealthiest, most powerful individuals in the world. “This interest raises core

awareness in a group of people who not only have the fnancial means to make a real diference, but who also have a high degree of infuence with those who make policy and with other factions whose opinion or actions can make a signifcant diference in ocean conservation and research,” Thomas says.

Some of these people include the Bertarelli family, experienced superyacht owners who established the Fondation Bertarelli, which has worked with governments, NGOs, and local communities to support the protection of two million square meters of ocean. Ray Dalio, owner of Alucia and Alucia 2, founded the OceanX organization, which combines next-gen technology, science, and storytelling to educate, inspire, and connect the world with the ocean. HRH Prince Khaled bin Sultan, owner of Golden Odyssey, set up the Living Oceans Foundation,

a non-proft research organization established to help preserve, protect, and restore the world's oceans.

Taking another approach, venture capitalist Tom Perkins and American billionaire Ray Dalio are just a couple of individuals on a growing list of owners who have built yachts and submersibles purposefully geared toward ocean exploration. A tally compiled by the Explorer Yacht Forum revealed that entering 2023, there are 88 ongoing explorer yacht projects, while the global explorer yacht feet comprises of 740 vessels, nearly all of which have research capabilities.

Many new boats come with a suite of toys that ofer an opportunity to dive deep into the ocean. And as technology improves, so does a yacht’s capability. “By pushing the boundaries of technology and by installing scientifc and editing suites, owners such as these poured millions of their own money into improving how we can monitor and interact with the ocean environment,” Thomas says. “There are several superyachts that track data points from the ocean and atmospheric conditions 365 days a year from wherever they are, and this data is making a real diference to climate models and to other oceanographic studies, including, increasingly, migratory patterns of ocean mammals and other elements of ocean monitoring.”

Archimedes, a 68-meter Feadship superyacht, for instance, is engaged in ongoing data collection that’s helping to chart the ocean foor and redefne climate models.

Other organizations making an impact on the world’s oceans

BLUE MARINE FOUNDATION

The organization undertakes numerous “citizen science” projects in its 2030 mission to see at least 30 percent of the world’s ocean under efective protection, and the other 70 percect managed in a responsible way.

BLUEMARINEFOUNDATION.COM

WATER REVOLUTION FOUNDATION

The foundation’s IMMA project identifes the areas of the ocean that are important to marine mammals and highlights them for conservation and protection.

WATERREVOLUTIONFOUNDATION.ORG

INTERNATIONAL SEAKEEPERS SOCIETY

The society’s Discover Yacht Program collaborates with numerous organizations, academic institutions, and government agencies to set up and complete scientist-led expeditions. SEAKEEPERS.ORG

YACHTAID GLOBAL

In a time when the world of yachting is being judged on the actions of a few, it’s important to highlight such ambitions and successes, and encourage others with the means to get involved. Afer all, without a healthy ocean, we have no industry.

The organization’s Operation Swimway program invests in equipment for ocean conservation and enables owners to partner with distinguished scientists working in the preservation of critical marine migration corridors.

YACHTAIDGLOBAL.ORG

“As of last year, only a fth of the world’s ocean oor had been mapped–yachts are helping to make that 100 percent by 2030,” Thomas says.

PICTURED: All types of yachts can participate in global science programs such as Yachts for Science and others.

words J. MICHAEL WELTON photography BELVEDERE

PRIVATE PARADISE

A home on Richardson Bay overlooks Mount Tamalpais, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the San Francisco skyline

A steep slope, panoramic views, and a hands-on client drove the design of a 7,200-square-foot home overlooking Richardson Bay, just north of San Francisco.

The project was a collaboration between Aidlin Darling Design and Blasen Landscape Architecture, with furnishings selected by Shelley & Co. Interior Design. Their client, a successful venture capitalist, was involved every step of the way.

The site he purchased features a driveway with a 15-percent grade down to the home’s site, which itself sits on a 20- to 30-percent slope. “We created a journey from the top of the street, obscuring any views of other houses and opening up to the view of the bay,” says Adam Rouse, project architect at Aidlin Darling Design. “You’re experiencing this house from the top level down.” Rouse and Joshua Aidlin, co-founder of the San Francisco-based frm

bearing his name, wanted to integrate outdoor spaces into that steep slope so that their client and his family could spend their time outside.

To do that, the architects frst camped out in a dilapidated 1960s house on site. They studied the microclimate coming of the water, the potential for indoor/ outdoor spaces, and the impact of neighbors on either side. Before they lifed a pencil, they wanted to see how the site could satisfy their client’s desires.

“He wanted a very modern home with an extremely organic palette that contrasted with modern materials,” Aidlin says. “He was very open about how that could be realized–and he was interested in Japanese architecture.” They tore down the

older home, but kept its sweeping outlook. Sausalito is to the west, the Golden Gate Bridge southwest, Mount Tamalpais northwest, and San Francisco is in the distance. “The original house got it right for the foorplan, and we made only a slight variation on the plan, to open up diagonal view corridors,” Rouse says.

Aidlin and Rouse pushed the home down on the site, so only a half-story is visible from the driveway. “There’s a synergy about where the house sits and how it relates to topography and views,” landscape architect Eric Blasen says. The client was interested in the kinds of plants the landscape architects used across the half-acre site. “He was involved a lot in the project,” he says. “Some clients

PICTURED: Stunning views and sophisticated architecture meld together in this Northern California home.

Sausalito is to the west, the Golden Gate Bridge southwest, Mount Tamalpais northwest, and San Francisco is in the distance.

PICTURED: The panorama of the view is balanced by the natural coziness of the patio.

“

THERE’S A SYNERGY ABOUT WHERE THE HOUSE SITS AND HOW IT RELATES TO TOPOGRAPHY AND VIEWS . ”

— Eric Blasen

are, more or less, but he listened and made the best of it.”

The result is a house that focuses on what can be seen from the inside looking out. “That’s our world,” Blasen says. “He was defnitely an advocate of the outside and getting it the way he wanted it, which was good.” The new home rises up out of the ground with warm-tinted, board-formed concrete. Atop that is dry-stacked stone. As it rises to three levels, it gets lighter with a skin of vertical, dark-patinaed copper sheets, plus stained Western Red Cedar. “There’s a

ribbed texture to almost all the materials, whether it’s the trellis, the horizontal board-formed concrete, the standing-seam copper, or the windows trellised for a horizontal or vertical articulation,” Aidlin says.

On the roof, the architects placed stones hand-harvested from the beaches in Baja, for a Zen-like, Japanese-garden look. Out front, they designed an entry courtyard with its own dining area, shielded from the elements. “The courtyard is a composition of forms and layers of plants that has a richness to it,”

Blasen says. “It’s a place to hang out if the weather gets foggy or windy a protected place.”

For a house its size, it’s a hidden gem. “From the water or the street 100 feet below, it looks like just a sliver, and gives a very modest impression,” Aiden says. “And it’s one with the landscape, rather than calling itself out for you to pay attention to it.”

By the time interior designer Shelley Cahan was brought on board, most of the home’s interior fnishes were fairly well buttoned up. So her primary assignment was to make the interior design

— Shelley Cahan

TO ACHIEVE A

an extension of the architecture. “I didn’t want it to feel like it hadn’t been thought about at the time when the architects were working through the fnishes,” she says. “I wanted it to feel curated and fuid, and that it all went beautifully together.”

Her color palette was driven by the earth tones of Richardson Bay and the mountaintops in the distance. “I wanted it to speak to the incredible views,” she says. “I was trying to achieve a luxe feel the fabrics had to be sof, comfortable, and approachable, with nothing shiny or glossy.” She was also responsible for bringing new furnishings into the home nothing was old or reused and working closely with the client on each interior furnishing decision. “He was exacting and involved in every aspect of the design process,” she says.

But he was as generous as he was exacting choosing a number of high-end vendors for fxtures and furnishings, like Holly Hunt, Christian Liaigre, Alison Berger, Caste, and Joseph Jeup. He also trusted his interior designer with a dramatic interior that paid of in spades afer two years’ work. “It will always be one of my most beautiful projects,” she says.

Rouse knows how much his client valued his home. “He was originally thinking of selling this one and keeping one he had on Belvedere Island, but he decided to sell that and keep this,” he says.

That’s because, Cahan says, it was his own private paradise.

“

I WAS TRYING

LUXE FEEL–THE FABRICS HAD TO BE SOFT, COMFORTABLE, AND APPROACHABLE, WITH NOTHING SHINY OR GLOSSY.”

PICTURED : Views across Richardson Bay and the Golden Gate Bridge de ne this Northern California retreat.

Her color palette was driven by the earth tones of Richardson Bay and the mountaintops in the distance.

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CHARTERING INTO THE WILD

Thanks to a proliferation of immersive onboard entertainment, yacht charters help guests escape from reality in more ways than one

Yacht charters are no longer just about lounging in the sun and playing with water toys. According to Denison’s charter team and other experiential travel companies, adventurous guests are looking for increasingly bonkers, interactive forms of entertainment in remote destinations. From pirate-style treasure hunts in the Caribbean to full-scale Viking re-enactments in Norway, boundary-pushing activities are redefning the modern yacht charter. With a yacht as your springboard for adventure, the only limit is the imagination and the organization skills of a charter’s management team.

“Simply stated, yachts are foating platforms which can be fully customized to exceed the expectations of their lucky guests on a number of levels not found easily ashore,” says Jennifer Saia,

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PICTURED: Papua New Guinea.

THOSE LACKING IN ON - GROUND

charter specialist at Denison Yachting. “Crews in general are keen to be a part of the planning and delivering the charter of a lifetime.”

Yachts can take guests into the most remote places, including those lacking in on-ground infrastructure, without sacrifcing comfort. “A superyacht is essentially your foating hotel that just so happens to have a full crew there to ensure your needs are met with fve-star meals, drinks to cheers with, and hands to hold as you step from one activity to the next,” adds Hadley Albanese, charter assistant at Denison Yachting. “When you are on a superyacht, you are really at the helm of your own adventure.”

In recent years, guests have realized the potential of their yachts and requested increasingly creative, tailor-made itineraries and experiences. “Adventure and creativity are at the forefront as people are looking for ‘of-thebeaten-path’ places to explore,” says Albanese.

“Clients are using these vessels as more than a means of transportation from port to port, but as a quest from one unknown to another, which has everyone excited about the future itineraries to be planned.”

In 2022, Albanese’s team organized a surprise 50th birthday celebration for a client’s wife and 38 of their closest friends on the Amazon River in Peru on river expedition vessel Aqua Nera. “It’s one thing to help someone celebrate a birthday on board a yacht, but it’s a whole other thing to send a container to Peru with a drum set, a DJ booth, personalized outdoor gear, party theme supplies, and more,” she says. The team worked to perfect every detail, from locations and activities to advanced provisioning in just six months. “It was planned to the ‘nth’ degree,” adds Saisi. “We could not have pulled it of without the technology we have today. It’s something we will never forget nor will the Mrs!”

YACHTS CAN TAKE GUESTS INTO THE MOST REMOTE PLACES, INCLUDING

INFRASTRUCTURE, without sacrificing comfort.

“Adventure and creativity are at the forefront as people are looking for ‘o -the-beaten-path’ places to explore,” says Albanese.

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Elise Ciappara, head of yachting at luxury travel company Pelorus, echoes this sentiment. “There is a growing trend amongst our clients who want their trip to feel unique,” she says.

Staged experiences, often involving the expertise of professional actors and production crews, are some of the most unique on ofer. “Pelorus has worked on many diferent staged experiences, such as James Bond treasure hunts in Greenland, New Year’s fireworks displays in Papua New Guinea, a private junkanoo in the Bahamas complete with fre dancers, privatization of Petra for a candlelit dinner, a masquerade ball in Venice, and the production of a client’s favorite play in the clearing of a jungle. The options are endless.”

“They actively ask us to avoid classic ‘bucket list’ ideas, or cookiecutter experiences, and are looking for Pelorus to create something completely extraordinary for their charter holiday.”

PICTURED: Private junkanoo in the Bahamas (bottom left); Greenland (bottom right); A luxury treasure hunt can add mystery and adventure to your charter (right).

This year, Pelorus will debut a series of “superyacht treasure hunts” in Sardinia, Antigua & Barbuda, and Indonesia in partnership with Luxury Treasure Hunts. Participants will visit several staged locations and complete a series of tests and challenges as they hunt for “buried treasure”, with a little help from actors along the way.

Neal Bateman, head of yachts at luxury adventure travel company Cookson Adventures, agrees that there is a growing appetite for more creative and adventurous experiences onboard and ofshore. “This trend is refective in the evergrowing feet of explorer yachts being built, with some notable new splashes in the last few months, including Shackleton and J7,” he says.

When it comes to charter activities, he reveals that a yacht, by its nature, gives his team “a valuable level of fexibility”, which extends to the shore as well as the sea. “Superyachts enable us to project our trips further inland where we can widen our range of experiences away from the coastline,” he says. “We have extensive expertise in being able to maximize the yacht’s assets to support these inland experiences, which ofen means the level and standard of the trip overall is raised substantially.”

“The addition of a highly professional crew is a huge asset to every adventure as they are always happy to join us on our shore excursions to create spectacular post-activity resting spots, set up camps, and cook in truly breathtaking locations,” he adds.

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A recent success story was a trip to Norway’s west coast for a multi-generational group wishing to “experience life as a Viking once did.” The guests enjoyed an itinerary of activities on the country’s maze of waterways before going ashore for an immersive “Meet the Vikings” set-up. “Guests were rowed from their yacht in a traditional boat across to an exclusive and specially created camp, where local experts brought Norway’s historical heritage to life through folkloric stories and ancient rituals,” says Bateman.

The travel company commandeered the help of experts, ranging from professional extreme sports athletes to ex-Norwegian Naval Special Forces expedition guides, to open the full potential of Norway’s remote fords and mountain ranges. “It became the ultimate outdoor playground for these budding explorers,” he says.

Bateman reveals that the next generation of yacht charter guests are already more adventurous than their parents.

“Children of clients who’ve grown up onboard their family’s yachts, usually cruising the Mediterranean and the Caribbean, are now young adults with the means to charter or buy a yacht themselves and are looking for a new experience and a story to tell,” he says.

And with the development of technology both on and off board, the possibilities for entertainment can only be enhanced. Ciappara reveals that, in the future, the Pelorus team plans

PICTURED: Attending a masquerade ball in Venice will make your Italian yacht charter even more memorable.

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to stretch digital boundaries. “We would love to create on an onboard hologram series. This would be an incredible way to bring specialists to remote locations, whilst using the space onboard in an exciting way for guests,” she says.

While the traditional sun-soaking, champagnepopping superyacht lifestyle will, and should, always be present and available for guests who wish to enjoy it, the possibilities on ofer during a charter are growing with the interests of an ever more adventurous clientele.

“In the future, we can only hope for continued collaboration with yacht managers and captains as, while we can map out every detail with the guests, ultimately, it’s the crew that helps to execute these wild celebrations,” says Albanese. I hope to see even more exploration become available for all who truly seek adventure, and not just on their birthdays.”

“Some of Denison’s trips are more extravagant than others, but all have the same goal–to make a memory for someone.”

PICTURED: Bahama House Harbour Island (right); Greenland sunset in Disko Bay (far right).

SOUTH PACIFIC SCUBA SCHOOL

Getting certifed to dive at the Kokomo

Private Island in Fiji is the ultimate luxury

words BILL SPRINGER photography NEIL ANDREA, JULIE ANDERSEN, JACK JOHNS

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And I probably would have continued to make excuses for not getting certifed. But then I met Carl Allen the bonafde underwater “History Hunter” featured in our last issue. He invited me out to see the secret, shallow-water site in the Bahamas where he and his team have been recovering treasure worth millions from the wreck of the Maravillas (a legendary Spanish treasure ship that sank in 1656). I got to experience the excitement, wonder and joy that happens when divers bring priceless artifacts up to the surface for the frst time since the 1600s for myself. I signed up for a PADI Open Water Dive Course as soon as I got home.

So, my journey to become a PADI-certifed diver actually began on a cold and snowy weekend in New England. I completed PADI’s comprehensive online learning course in front of a roaring fre at home. I practiced all the skills I’d need with a great instructor from a local

My job as a yachting journalist has brought me to many of the world’s premier diving destinations. But I’d never actually gone diving!

“Snorkeling is just as good,” I’d say to myself. Or, “I’ll get certi ed when I get home.”

PICTURED: Learning to dive in warm, crystal clear water with expert PADI instructors is the best way to get certi ed.

Kokomo provided the perfect mix of over-the-top luxury while helping guests foster authentic connections to the land and the local people.

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PICTURED: The villas, the diving, and, frankly, everything at Kokomo Private Island in Fiji are spectacular.

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PADI-certifed dive shop in a chilly local pool. And while “diving” in a chilly local pool on a dark winter night in Massachusetts (who knew there could be so much hair in a public pool?) was not quite as luxe as it could have been, it was totally worth it because my open water certifcation dives would take place on a tiny island in the South Pacifc.

LUXURY LEARNING

I knew getting certifed to dive at the Kokomo Private island in southern Fiji was going to be fun. But it wasn’t until the resort’s private seaplane skimmed to a stop on the impossibly blue water in front of the island, and then we were welcomed by the smiling staf singing a traditional local song, that I realized it was going to be more than fun. It was going to be...special.

We even were able to tame the jet lag a bit (Fiji is 17 hours ahead of the East Coast) since we headed out for our frst certifcation dive shortly afer checking in to our ultra-luxe beachfront villas. All I can say is...wow.

First off, our dive instructors were as welcoming and fun as they were competent and committed to teaching the skills we needed to be safe, self-sufcient divers. All of the equipment on the dive boat was top-notch. And to say I felt pretty lucky to be doing my required PADI certifcation skills such as clearing a flled mask, taking of and putting on dive gear, equalizing my ears, and maintaining neutral buoyancy in the warm,

PICTURED: The Kokomo Private Island resort in Fiji is as spectacular as the diving just o shore.

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crystal-clear water around Kokomo instead of the cold and murky water near my home in Boston was an understatement.

Since the staf was so warm and friendly, and we were with other like-minded, soon-to-be certifed divers, any nervousness we may have felt quickly morphed into the confdence that comes from experience. In fact, we settled into a glorious rhythm that featured two tank dives on the pristine reefs surrounding Kokomo from 9am to 1pm each day. And while our frst four dives were dedicated to demonstrating all the skills we needed to be certifed, we were spoiled with days of awe-inspiring diving even before we were ofcially “certifed” simply because our instructors always built some time in to explore the reef as well.

Things only got better once we were certifed. We dove among the prolifc wildlife and world-class coral of the Great Astrolabe reef.

We even explored a section of reef that our instructors had never explored before, so we named the spot “Sega na leqa” which means “no worries” in Fijian.

I love that the Kokomo dive team can bring other guests back to “our” site. And we did a night dive, too.

Now that I know what I was missing all those times I went snorkeling instead of diving, my travels will never be the same. I love the feeling of weightlessness you get and being able to escape to an entirely diferent underwater reality. It’s satisfying to learn new skills (even at the ripe-old age of 54!). It’s downright empowering to be able to calmly swim at 50 feet below the surface afer spotting some small sharks while exploring a coral wall on the edge of a deep drop of.

But our time on land specifcally having the luxury to spend the afernoon hours

PICTURED: Small sharks 50 feet below the surface (right); We were diving like pros by the end of the trip (far right).

“

OUR DIVE INSTRUCTORS WERE AS WELCOMING AND FUN AS THEY WERE COMPETENT AND COMMITTED TO TEACHING THE SKILLS WE NEEDED TO BE SAFE, SELF - SUFFICIENT DIVERS.

“

I LOVE THE FEELING OF WEIGHTLESSNESS YOU GET AND BEING ABLE TO ESCAPE TO AN ENTIRELY DIFFERENT UNDERWATER REALITY. ”

swinging in a hammock strung between two palm trees between the beach and the pool in front of my private villa was pretty amazing too. Kokomo provided the perfect mix of over-the-top luxury while helping guests foster authentic connections to the land and the local people.

And since one of our dive instructors was also a passionate marine biologist, we got to learn about the environment from a local who loves it. She helped us understand just how special is was to be able to dive Fiji’s pristine reefs. And just as importantly, learning how vital the work she, Kokomo, PADI, and numerous other organizations

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are doing to help protect the world’s fragile ocean ecosystems has renewed my commitment to do my part to help the environment.

That’s only one of surprises that made this trip so special. Sure, I’m excited to now be able to help Carl Allen dive for treasure in the Bahamas now. But I’ve learned that being certifed to dive being a diver is way bigger than diving on just one site. A whole new underwater world is now open to me no matter where I travel in the world.

And it could be for you too!

So, if you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to visit an entirely new world (without going to space that is!), do yourself a favor and get certifed in Fiji or another tropical location.

You’ll be so happy you did.

PICTURED: The author (in the white rash guard) is all smiles with the special group of divers and instructors that he got PADI certi ed with at the Kokomo Private Island in Fiji.

PHOTO ESSAY: Racing Around the World for the Oceans

My parents grew up sailing, but life eventually took them away from the coast, so for me growing up, I only knew the vastness of the ocean through the photos on the walls and magazines on the table. But that was enough to capture my imagination...I spent the rest of my childhood wanting to see it for myself.

That gradually started happening out of sheer determination. What I found was exactly what I wanted my life’s passion. But I also found something that I knew none of my friends knew: sailing was a sport, and the ocean was more beautiful than you could ever imagine. So, I started combining sailing with storytelling in an efort to show them. Here I am now, at 38, still sailing around

the world and telling the story for the fourth time. This time, I’m a member of the 11th Hour Racing Team on board an IMOCA 60 in The Ocean Race.

I sincerely hope some of these photos from my ocean racing adventures will inspire you to get out and explore our beautiful blue planet. However, since 11th Hour Racing was established to use the power of sport to restore the balance between people and the planet so we can efect systemic change across sailing and sports communities to beneft the ocean, I also hope these images will inspire you to help conserve and protect our fragile blue planet as well. Find out more at www.11thhourracing.org

Starry Night

An around-the-world race gives you an incredible platform to tell a competitive story, but it’s also an amazing opportunity to share a bit about the world we live in, too. We get to visit places where humans don’t often go. We get to see things humans don’t often see. We get to experience remoteness and isolation in ways that only astronauts could understand. In fact, there is a waypoint along our journey through the South Paci c named Point Nemo, where you are closer to the International Space Station than you are to any point of land. It is also known as the Oceanic Pole of Inaccessibility. The night sky is unpolluted and the sky has a distinct dome-like feel, as if you are inside a snow globe!

Dolphins

When we rst started sailing in France, it was before the Covid pandemic and while dolphins were around, it was uncommon to see them. Fast forward a few years–and with a global decline in commercial tra c and a decrease in shing activity–the dolphins that were at once a rarity became daily in their interactions. The common dolphin made a huge rebound in the Bay of Biscay with less risk of bycatch, less noise and sea pollution, and greater awareness. They are everywhere now, and it seemed like we would have pods come by to say hi each time we left the dock.

Foil Flight

Drones have become an essential part of the o shore tool bag. The sensation of ight is hard to feel on board; it’s really noisy, really violent, and the senses are a bit lost with such a limited understanding for what is happening outside the cockpit walls. Drones, on the other hand, can give you a surprisingly di erent perspective of what you and the boat are actually doing…for what the sails actually look like. It is obviously an exciting way to capture content, but we have come to appreciate its performance bene ts, too–checking sail trim and boat setup as if we had a coach in a helicopter with us at all times!

Bucking Bronco

Ree ng the mainsail presents one of the few times someone will leave the cockpit without having to slow down. All of the front sails are on roller furlers, so most of the work is done from the cockpit; you just have to go forward and coil them into their bag, but for those sail changes we tend to throttle back because of the inherent speeds and risk of exposure. When ree ng the main though (the process of decreasing our mainsail area), it’s usually done at high speed because you are farther back from the bow and somewhat protected by the mast and sail. Upon exiting the cockpit, you clip your lifejacket/harness into the jacklines and then tie the mainsail in a neat bundle so as not to collect and hold water. All in all, it’s a few minutes outside, but you’re usually battling the bronco the whole time!

WITNESS to HISTORY

There’s nothing like diving more than two miles underwater to witness the Titanic for yourself

PICTURED: Bow of the Titanic.

words KIM FRANK photography OCEANGATE, DAVID CONCANNON, KIM FRANK

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The Titanic.

I’ll place her name on its own line, such is her weight. What fuels the enduring intrigue? When James Cameron rekindled our collective fascination with the ship, he gave us historically infuenced characters to root for, and revealed a parallel theme exploration of the wreck itself. It is a potent combination to imagine that one of us could simultaneously foat on the same open ocean coordinates in the North Atlantic, conjuring our inner Unsinkable Molly Brown, and descend 12,460 feet in a submersible to witness the Titanic

For the first 73 years, Titanic enthusiasts (and there are millions worldwide) had only speculation, passed-down artifacts, swapped stories frst-hand, and later from dog-eared pages of Walter Lord’s A Night to Remember, to satiate the appetite. But, in 1985, when the joint FrenchAmerican expedition led by Jean-Louis Michel and Robert Ballard discovered the wreck site, a race to explore ensued.

At the time, only four submersibles on earth had the technical ability to carry humans to this depth. All of them were spheres made of titanium or

steel and could ft three people picture a cannon ball with origami-folded occupants. Two Russian Mirs, the French Nautile, and the American Alvin Deep-sea exploration was severely limited by size, expertise, fnances, and connections. For decades, only a chosen few explorers were granted a dive, fewer than have ventured to space. Among them was David Concannon, an explorer and lawyer, who (at the ripe age of 34) won the Haver vs RMS Titanic, Inc. lawsuit to restore access to the Titanic for exploration and flming. He wrote this account of his frst dive in 2000:

“As we glide af on the starboard side of the boat deck past the ofcers’ quarters, we notice that the ceiling and wall of Captain Smith’s stateroom have almost completely collapsed. This is signifcant because the wall was here just 10 months ago. In 1999, the wall was peeled away and hanging precariously. Now, a large section of

PICTURED: Vintage shot of David Concannon in the Mir, 2000 (right); Horizon Arctic on site (far right).

In 2005, Concannon led the last expedition using the Mir submersibles.

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the wall has disappeared, and I can stare directly down into Captain Smith’s bathtub.”

In 2005, Concannon led the last expedition using the Mir submersibles. Afer that, opportunities to explore the wreck dwindled; the Mirs and Nautile were retired and Alvin underwent a lengthy reft. Eventually, one submersible was commissioned by a private individual for his own use. All dreams to explore Titanic by the rest of us were dashed.

Until...

Once upon a time, a little boy dreamt of being an astronaut, then Captain Kirk of the Starship Enterprise, and from there Han Solo, commanding the Millennium Falcon. That same boy took apart his stufed bear to study the mechanism that made the animal talk. When this boy became a young man, he built his own fberglass plane from a 600-page manual and a kit, starting in his mother’s garage.

Decades later, he envisioned a new kind of crewed five-person submersible in a unique cylinder shape, utilizing carbon fber, a material not yet used for deep ocean exploration. A submersible that would defy convention and have the potential to democratize ocean exploration.

Meet Stockton Rush, founder of OceanGate Expeditions, creator of Titan, a submersible capable of successfully diving to the Titanic with crews that include scientists and ordinary citizens, called “Mission Specialists”.

With an unusually thick shock of blondishgray hair, chiselled features, and piercing blue eyes, Stockton’s dynamic energy and witty, madscientist personality is hardly concealed. Stockton seems more like wild genius seeping out from his foundation of California laid-back cool, with a

PICTURED: OceanGate Titan Platform Sub Dive (left).

veneer of Seattle-style suitability tossed in for the sake of business meetings. As I interview Stockton, we are sitting on those open ocean coordinates, two and a half miles above the fabled ship.

“What makes Titan diferent than anything ever built?” I ask.

“Essentially, the diference is the carbon fber and titanium pressure vessel. Carbon fber is used successfully in yachts and aviation, but it has not been used in crewed submersibles.”

According to Stockton, this stall in innovation is caused by fear of using new materials. Given how small the submersible manufacturing space is, and how few new subs are made, there is little motivation to stretch the envelope.

In Stockton’s words: “I am so far out of the box, that if you are in the box, outside the box looks like a bunch of maniacs. Out-of-the-box maniacs smashing the box.”

OceanGate Expeditions’ team has made 13 successful dives to the Titanic in Titan over the past two years. They are successfully disrupting the nascent deep-sea submersible space. “One of the criticisms we still get is: ‘the sub isn’t certifed,’” says Stockton. “But how can you create something new and get certifed through a process that is designed for something wholly diferent? I think it was MacArthur who said, ‘You are remembered for the rules you break.’ We try to break the rules intelligently and intentionally. A lot has changed in the last ffy years, such as rules for using metal for manned subs. We now know a lot about composites and how to manufacture and test them, making certain they work.”

PICTURED: Close up sub after launch (far left); Stockton Rush (left).

journeys

Assisting OceanGate on this, its frst Titanic expedition in June 2021, are experts David Concannon and the legendary P.H. Nargeolet, former commander of the Nautile, who round out an all-star cast to trouble-shoot and test Titan’s frst dives to Titanic. Our ship, the Horizon Arctic, navigates a sea comprised of an ever-shifing mix of deep-ocean cerulean blue to charcoal grey and white caps, where the Titanic sank 109 years ago. The dives are difcult, as expected, but successful.

On our last night, I walk on catwalk around the bridge, alone. A wind picks up. Looking out over the endless sea, I can’t help but wonder what it must have felt like to be tossed from the safety of my vessel into the wild water beneath me. In April, with no warm current, among ice foats, in the pitch-black night. I reach for the slim white railing, feeling a sudden surge of vertigo. It is difcult to reconcile the tragedy that took place here more than a century ago with the science and technology laboratory the site has become.

There is something profound about this dance of exploration and innovation. For a week, we

were frmly, if not ironically, within its embrace. Below us, the Titanic, whose feats of engineering represented the best minds of its time.

What fuels this enduring intrigue? The Titanic embodies all that captivates our imaginations: tragedy and history, legend and lore, compelling heroes and villains, the intersection of greed and triumph, ingenuity across generations. The story of the unsinkable ship–the fastest, strongest of its kind–and that of Stockton’s Titan –the first submersible of its kind–each speak to our human traits of quest, persistence, and grit. In the moment, we never truly know the meaning of a seismic event. From the limited perspective of a lifespan, what appears to be a failure may become, generations later, the inspiration for a transformational success. I can see one example of this on the deck beneath me: Titan , resting on the surface above the short-lived triumph of a different era, which we can’t seem to forget.

PICTURED: 2021 Titanic SurveyExpedition Mission (left); Titan descending (below).

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