Harbour Magazine No.8

Fraser Chief Commercial Officer

Our Global Yachting View

WELCOME

As I write this year’s introduction to Harbour magazine, I cannot help but feel the superyacht industry is poised on the precipice of change.

International events and environmental factors are forcing a rethink of everything from our supply chains to our operational impact. At Hill Robinson and Moravia Yachting, we welcome a future where better codes of conduct are followed, planetary health is prioritised, and yacht ownership returns to being a true pleasure.

The opportunity for positive change is extraordinary.

Extraordinary is a word that lives at the heart of Hill Robinson’s ethos.

In everything we do, in each everyday task, everyone in the company is striving to deliver the extraordinary.

Over the course of the last 12 months, the Group has opened another office location, and grown by a further 23% with the addition of 47 new personnel. We have managed 1,289 metres of refit, and we continue to manage the operational needs of 63,242 gross tonnes of superyacht.

Clients of Moravia Yachting, Hill Robinson’s sales and purchase arm, have benefited significantly from the expertise of the Hill Robinson yacht management team. Pre-purchase and condition surveys have been carried out on their behalf, operational and refit costs accurately quoted and, through Elite, crew recruited with the skills to suit both the superyacht and the owner.

Owning a yacht shouldn’t be hard work. Our international reputation for excellence remains the leading reason why clients choose Hill Robinson, and our unwavering dedication to providing best-in-class service remains unsurpassed.

In the pages of Harbour magazine, you’ll find articles that share industry insight, testimonials from our clients, and we’ll provide you with our global yachting view.

Kurt

HITTING THE ICE IN ST MORITZ

—— The International Concours of Elegance, The ICE, is aptly named. Taking place atop the frozen waters of Lake Moritz, this magical ballet of ice-skating automobiles draws a crowd of international enthusiasts and prestige car owners. Rob Bellinger was there to showcase Maserati’s brand-new Levante Trofeo and bring us the inside track.

It is not without some trepidation that 580-bhp and two-metric tons meet 20-million cubic litres of water; particularly when the transport in question is a high-performance SUV. With the crackle of frozen snow and ice, we carefully edge the Maserati Levante Trofeo, in the blue early morning light, onto Lake Moritz. Yes, onto Lake Moritz, which spends on average 135-days of the year frozen to a depth of circa 45cm and is the scene for The International Concours of Elegance aka ‘The ICE’. This is the highest altitude event of its type at some 1800m above sea level. Our Maserati becomes one of the unique vehicles represented at this motors and Moët-fuelled event. We are here not only here to take part but also to take a closer look at those gathered under the themes of ‘Cinema, Racing and Lifestyle’ on the frozen Moritzersea.

Clustered around a tented village, a cornucopia of around forty classics are assembled; huddled around these, oblivious to the �13c cold, are the ice pilots and their crews. In all, some eighty years of motoring will be celebrated, with all vying to become winners of various classes. It is a breath-taking mix of rarities that greet us, with cars from the big screen and historical designs garnering equal attention. It is not only the setting that is unique for a Concours of Elegance, where cars are judged on their presentation and design beauty, but also in the fact that all vehicles will not only be statically displayed but also driven with gusto around a track on the ice. This unique display of Moritzer madness is from the vision of organiser Marco Makaus, who first dreamt of such an event some 37 years ago.

The spectacle of a 1956 Mercedes 300 SLS Porter Special on opposite lock, tail out, snarling around icy corners, had to be seen to be believed. Initially, the spectacle defies just that. The roofless, silver torpedo seemed most at home power sliding on spiked tyres; along with having undoubtedly the best deep-growl exhaust note of the day as it was spiritedly thrown around the ice arena. Californian racer Chuck Porter crafted the roadster from a damaged car and won many Stateside races in it, making it a truly unique vehicle. Snapping at its heels was perhaps its more familiar IWC Racing Team stablemate, the 300SL Gullwing, which was victorious at Goodwood Revival in the Tony Gaze Trophy at the helm of David Coulthard. Although for this appearance it was resplendent with skis, reflecting the change of venue and allowing spectators to imagine it in period chasing through the alps for the winter season in St. Moritz. Its owner would have been no doubt checking their timepiece to ensure they weren’t late for their timeslot on the Cresta Run.

The beauty of a red single seater, against a white background throwing up plumes of snow and ice from its open wheels, needs to be seen to be believed. The snowy blank canvas enhances the colours of the Italian red racing livery along with the clean mountain air concentrating its sound and smell. The car in question is a 1939 4CL designed by Ernesto Maserati himself, and it went on to rightly take the prize for best Vintage Grand Prix car. Close up, it is easy to see why the car was victorious with the long vented bonnet, pert aero screen, rearward seating position and stunning proportions. On the track it gives the impression of being one long engine with the driver hanging on, smiling as he pirouettes. These cars are difficult enough to control on a tarmac track due to their lack of creature comforts but seem very at home on the ice when most steering input is given only really by the right foot feathering on and off the throttle.

Hitting the ICE in St Moritz

Image ‘Self preservation’ on ice from the 1968 Lamborghini Miura from The Italian Job.

Image ‘Haute Horlogerie’ in automotive form- the 1956 300 SLS Porter Special.

If asked by anybody if they should attend next year, we would say “you need to be there”, as in the words of McQueen, “Anything before or after is just waiting”.

10 Image The big cats at play in the snow with both the Jaguar D and E-type claws out looking for grip.

The beauty of a red single seater, against a white background throwing up plumes of snow and ice from its open wheels, needs to be seen to be believed.

Image Ernesto Maserati’s 1939 4cl taking the Grand Prix both to and from The Ice, St. Moritz.

Images (clockwise from left)

ICE powerhouse – Maserati Lévante Trofeo McQueen’s Meyer’s Manx becomes snow buggy.

IWC Racing Team’s speed skating duet.

In the ‘Stars on Wheels’ class, there was one car that was bound to take the attention of all ‘would-be Bonds’ as it sharked its way onto the ice with machine guns prominent and rear bulletproof screen raised. However, no one was prepared for its owner to reach out of the window, pistol raised, and give chase to a fictional ‘baddie’ whilst firing blanks! Beautifully presented, as if straight out of a Corgi box, this version of BMT 216A (the car’s registration plate) was the promotional 1965 Aston Martin DB5 from ‘Thunderball.’ Identical in every way, including fully working gadgets, to the Goldfinger car; it went all over the world, guns proud and belching smoke on arrival at premieres. Our ice 007, in full evening dress, was undoubtedly determined to ‘shake and stir’, and gave the day’s star performance; of which Connery would have been proud.

Burbank, California is a long way from Switzerland and the next car to win our desire should perhaps have been the vehicle most out of its comfort zone on the ice. Thanks to huge magnesium rear wheels with Firestone racing tyres, this was not the case. Steve McQueen brought the Meyer’s Manx Beach Buggy to The Thomas Crown Affair in 1968 and it became an instant piece of film folklore. Having seen it airborne on the cover of ‘Hot Rod’ magazine, he suggested replacing the scripted Jeep with something more agile and brutal. He then took the standard car and had it customised by off-road specialists Con Ferr, adding a bespoke sleek windscreen, wheels, quilted seats and ditching the VW Beetle engine for a six-cylinder 180hp one from a Chevrolet Corvair. We dictated some McQueen special styling additions for the buggy’s run around the track, and amongst the plethora of furs, fleeces and feathers were McQueen’s favoured Persol 714 folding sunglasses, and Sanders ‘snuff’ coloured suede chukka boots.

On ice and snow the car excelled; with a tractor-like configuration of smaller front wheels and the large rear paddle wheels pushing hard, thanks to their lateral grooves. The beach buggy proved that in its mind’s eye, snow was no different to sand and that it could indeed be alternative slope

transport, and Brand

has even been seen on the piste skiing behind one! This itself was an echo of the car’s post-McQueen and production past in Kaui, towing water skiers in the shallows. With this new life and success on the frozen water for the Meyer’s Manx, perhaps the ultimate yacht, beach AND snow car has been born?!

Our ‘Giallo Modenese’ (or bright yellow) Maserati mount took everything in its stride that we threw at it; thanks to its many electronic aids, and it was joined on the ice by a sister Trofeo in Kermit green. The pair cut quite a dash against the mountain backdrop with their superior horsepower and certainly boasted more practicality than anything else on the ice. This didn’t however detract from the driving being equally rewarding as we were ‘spike free’. Our lakeside sojourn served not only to further enhance our respect for and highlight the skills of those four wheels drifting around the arena, but also to reinforce our own ‘mad dogs and Englishmen’ spirit.

The ICE 2022 became the first event to ever cause a traffic jam stretching from St. Moritz centre and into the Alps through the Julianopass, the main access point from Zurich. The unique metal, surroundings and atmosphere make it an event not to miss. The next edition will take place in February 2023 and is undoubtedly destined to become the European car event of the year. If asked by anybody if they should attend next year, we would say “you need to be there”, as in the words of McQueen, “Anything before or after is just waiting”.

Director Richard Gauntlett

Hitting the ICE in St Moritz

Written by Rob Bellinger

Around the World in

485 DAYS

Written by Gemma Fottles

Images: Downwind sailing for all of Pacific Ocean crossings, in SE trades winds.

(Previous page:) Oyster fleet anchored off Upunohu Bay, Morea/Tahiti. May 2022.

—— Setting sail from Antigua in January this year, the Oyster World Rally 2022/23 is a 16-month sailing adventure like no other. Here we delve into what makes this supported circumnavigation one of the sailing world’s most bucket-listworthy experiences.

Life-changing and bucket-list-worthy are often overused phrases when it comes to travel adventures. But there cannot be any journey more worthy of these accolades than the Oyster World Rally. Organised exclusively for Oyster owners and covering a total distance of 27,000nm, the Rally is a fully supported circumnavigation of the world, visiting some of the most remote destinations on the planet with a fleet of like-minded sailing enthusiasts.

Marking the beginning of its third edition, the 22/23 Oyster World Rally (OWR) fleet set sail from Antigua in January, bow firmly pointed in the direction of the world’s most beautiful destinations. Now in Fiji, the first half of the 16-month journey was nothing short of spectacular. Heading from the sun-soaked shores of the Caribbean to Panama via Colombia and the San Blas Islands, the fleet of 25 continued onto the Galapagos Islands before undertaking the lengthy passage to Australia through the breathtaking archipelagos in the South Pacific – from The Marquesas, Tuamotos, Society Islands (Tahiti/Bora Bora) to Fiji.

Next on the itinerary are the gems of Australia’s east coast, from the Whitsunday Islands’ snow-white sandy beaches to getting up close and personal with the Great Barrier Reef. Cruising up to Darwin, the journey then heads to the Indian Ocean, exploring the tropical islands of Cocos Keeling, Mauritius and Reunion before arriving in South Africa for Christmas.

The voyage back to the Caribbean begins in the New Year – a full 12 months since departing Nelson’s Dockyard in Antigua. The fleet heads west via St. Helena, Ascension Island and Salvador, Brazil, before a final stop in Grenada and finishing back in Antigua.

The beginnings of the Rally

The first edition of the OWR took place in 2013/14, initially a one-off experience celebrating 40 years of Oyster Yachts. Inviting a limited number of Oyster owners on the journey created a family feel. At the same time, the dedicated support service enabled Oyster owners the sailing experience of a lifetime without navigating the complexities of such a large undertaking.

Images (clockwise from top left) Nick in Galapagos, March.

Many turtles during every snorkel and dive in Galapagos.

Anchored off San Blas, Kuna Yala islands, Panama. February 2022.

Michael’s morning catch, Wahoo.

Live from Fiji: inside the 22/23 Rally

One enthusiastic participant for this year’s edition of the Rally is Nick Hill, Co-Founder of Hill Robinson. Taking a trusting step back from dayto-day operations and teaming up with a lifelong friend Michael Davie, Nick departed Monaco in November and has been cruising on the Oyster 66 Archaeopteryx ever since.

“I met Michael when we worked for Richard Matthews at Oyster Marine in 1981,” Nick tells us from his hotel room, where he is taking a couple of days rest and relaxaion while Michaels’s family stay on the boat. “I went on to Cambridge and then became a professional yacht captain for 12 years before co-founding Hill Robinson, and Mike went on to Oxford, then a successful career in the city. We both maintained that love of sailing and wanted to do something special.”

Currently enjoying life in the Pacific Islands, here Nick tells us all about his experience on the Oyster World Rally 22/23 so far.

Tell us about your decision to embark on the OWR.

Niall Robinson and I have been running Hill Robinson for over 20 years. Many people never quite fulfil their dreams for various reasons, whether it be down to business or family commitments, misfortune or poor health. I thought I’m 60, healthy, and I can make the time to do it… I’m going to get organised, maximise the opportunity and enjoy a civilised circumnavigation! One thing you notice in the Pacific is the variety of people you meet on yachts, from 40-footers to 40-metre superyachts. Everyone is just enjoying the escape from normal working life by sailing. Anyone can do it at any level with the determination and enthusiasm to make a life change.

Right at the Rally’s start in January, we met up with Richard Matthews in Antigua, with whom Michael and I started our sailing careers. It was a fantastic, full-circle moment. The OWR is a great adventure, a privilege to be able to enjoy. Every single day I appreciate how fortunate we are to be doing this, and I can only encourage more adventurous voyaging for our clients at Hill Robinson.

With both yourself and Michael being experienced sailors, why did you decide to hire crew for the Rally?

We’re both experienced sailors, but with this programme and schedule, we wanted the boat to be kept in excellent condition and perfect working order – so not spending our valuable time in exotic places fixing stuff, searching for provisions or fuel or servicing the generators! So we hired captain Catherine and chef Sean, who are both fabulous sailors and great personalities to have on board. As a previous yacht captain, I’ve done multiple ocean crossings, but with a great crew, crossing an ocean is certainly a more leisurely experience.

Stepping back from the company for more than a year must have been a daunting decision. Tell us more about that process. For many of us, business commitments are pressing. We become totally absorbed by our obligations and responsibilities. It’s really about time, not money. Can you give yourself that free time? I’m lucky to have incredible business partners in Niall Robinson and Karl Hartmann, plus an amazing support team in our directors and executive team. I’ve known Niall since 1985 and couldn’t have a better partner and friend. He was so keen for me to make this trip. I think it’s been an encouraging and motivating event for our staff. It means that the company is well run, and your boss does not need to be looking over you all the time. If you can delegate and trust, you attract the best people.

It’s been great to have the very real excuse of no internet connection when making ocean passages of 10 to 15 days. Who does that today, with no Wi-Fi, no email or social media?

Images (clockwise from top left) Pacific crossing, always heading west into the sunset.

Atlantic half way party, any excuse to dress up.

What’s been the destination highlight so far?

The biggest highlight so far was the Galápagos Islands; it lived up to the expectations in many ways. But there are so many highlights, you cannot just mention one. For us on board Archaeopteryx, we enjoy the milestones; crossing the equator with King Neptune, crossing the International date line (losing one day), clocking up the miles and dining on fresh mahi-mahi and tuna that we catch frequently. Rain squalls that wash the boat down for you and the always wonderful meals prepared by Sean.

A second major highlight for us so far was discovering the remote Marquesas Islands, with their amazing isolated communities and Polynesian history surviving in village ruins in the forested valleys alongside the rivers. The freshwater rivers supporting complex communities linked to many others are widely distributed across the entire Pacific.

Tell us more about exploring the Galápagos.

We had a Galápagos guide on board for seven days, allowing you to visit different anchorages that you otherwise would not be able to access. We motored at night and anchored at dawn. We went ashore in the early morning to see the sunrise and the wonderful variety of wild birds and animals, went back to the boat and did breakfast, went snorkelling before a hike on one of the islands, went snorkelling again and rounded off the day with a delicious meal.

My first dive in the Pacific was off Kicker Rock in San Cristobel. I went over the side, and bam! There were a dozen hammerhead sharks! It was incredible. It’s so humbling – you kind of just forget about everything else. In addition to numerous sharks, there were turtles grazing, and sea lions playing, with a passing stingray. Quite an amazing experience.

We were also lucky with the weather and nice flat, calm water, allowing us to anchor off uninhabited islands. You can often get rough anchorages in the Pacific. Most anchorages on our next stop in the Marquesas Islands were quite uncomfortable with big swells, so we realised quickly that we were fortunate in the Galápagos!

What’s the best thing about disconnecting? It’s been great to have the very real excuse of no internet connection when making ocean passages of 10 to 15 days. Who does that today, with no Wi-Fi, no email or social media? It’s quite refreshing as I love getting into the watch routine – it’s extremely relaxing. You have time to think and reflect. That’s really been one of the greatest things for me on this trip, that ability to disconnect. We have over 200 employees at Hill Robinson and a large fleet crew to handle and manage, so to disconnect from that… well, that is trust. We catch up periodically, and I join the odd board meeting, but I am largely unavailable due to long passages and the time difference. It’s almost like going back 30 years.

It’s not hard to see why the Oyster World Rally is becoming one of the most coveted sailing experiences out there. Follow the adventures of the OWR 22/23 on the official website. The world is truly your Oyster.

FLYING HIGH

—— Hot off the runway comes a whole fleet of new aircraft, with private aviation once again leading the charge with innovation, technology and style. Here, we discover more about three of the coolest models to take to the skies.

Written by Georgia Tindale

Image H160 Airbus over London

H

AIRBUS

Positioned between the company’s H145 and H175 ranges, the H160 Airbus is a medium helicopter with a difference. Benefits to those onboard include boosted comfort – thanks to an increase in volume per passenger compared to other medium twin helicopters – alongside larger windows that ensure that she offers the brightest cabin in her class.

Performance-wise, she can reach a top speed of 150 knots, with a generous range of 475nm. For those concerned about their environmental footprint, the H160 delivers in this regard as well, thanks to her reduced fuel consumption and perceived sound making her impressively clean and quiet.

Finally, the H160 is chock-full of innovations from her maker, including the Airbus-developed Helionix avionics suite for reduced pilot workload, the canted Fenestron® for greater useful load and a flat attitude in flight, and her sound-reducing Blue Edge™ rotor blades that ensure quieter operations.

G800 GULFSTREAM

Next up, it’s the G800 jet from Gulfstream. Ideal for globe-trotting owners, the G800 can cruise for 8,000nm/14,816km at Mach 0.85. Thanks to her high-speed range advantage, passengers can save up to 1.5 hours on flights longer than 6,500nm/12,038km, and as we all know, time is money!

With up to four comfortable living areas offered on board, the G800 can house as many as 19 passengers and sleep 10. Designed with ultimate comfort in mind, the G800 offers the lowest cabin altitude in the industry, as well as sixteen panoramic oval windows to bring in natural light and stunning views over the world.

As an added bonus, you are sure to arrive alert, relaxed and refreshed at the end of your time aboard, thanks to both the plasma-ionization clean air system, which purifies the fresh air in the cabin every two to three minutes, as well as her elegantly designed, soothing interior space.

Key Information

Top Speed Mach 0.925 Range 8,000nm

Passengers 19

FALCON 10X

Finally, we come to the truly big guns: the Falcon 10X from Dassault. The cabin cross-section is larger than some regional commercial jets, measuring in at 2.03m tall and 2.77m wide – space galore!

Thanks to her sheer size, the Falcon 10X offers a wide selection of interior configurations. Rather than offering four distinct cabin zones of equal length, owners can configure the cabin with different zone lengths to create totally customised interiors.

Whether you are looking for a large dining/conference area, an entertainment area with a large-screen monitor, a private stateroom or a luxury master suite, the Falcon 10X is ready to accommodate your desires – and much more.

Powered by next-generation military technologies, the Falcon 10X does not disappoint where performance is concerned, with a 7,500nm (13,900km) range and a maximum speed of Mach .925 to keep you ahead of the rest.

Key Information

Top Speed

Mach 0.925 Range 7,500nm

Passengers 19

AVIATION INSIGHTS

Brett Dutton – Senior Aviation Manager at Hill Robinson: “I think we are going to see a rebound in larger aircraft next year. That would be the passenger jets – 737 or A320s – which are basically business jets. On the corporate side of the house, Gulfstream and Bombardier are also selling massively at the moment.”

“In terms of how yacht owners are using their craft, the main trend I have observed is the need for versatility. If a yacht has to travel on the water for two days, the owner can spend more time doing the things they love if they can get off the boat, do what they need to do, and then come back. The quickest way to achieve this is by using a helicopter, or, if it’s a long journey, a jet and then a helicopter.”

He continues: “On the larger yachts, it is becoming noticeable that more and more of them have a helideck on board, and, to put it bluntly, bigger is better! Why land a little helicopter when you could land a large one?”

“At LunaJets, we offer private jet charter for our clients and work flat out, 24/7, to get you the perfect jet you need for your journey. Location dependent, we are proud that we can find you a plane within 90 minutes between call and takeoff.”

He continues: “This summer has been extremely busy and we expect winter to be much the same. We recommend that you book as early as possible to avoid any problems with regard to air traffic control, ground staff availability, fuel and so on.”

Hill Robinson Group announces aviation partnership with LunaJets

The partnership will enable the Hill Robinson Group to further enhance its array of client services, providing best-in-class solutions and synchronised travel plans when facilitating journeys between the shore, sea, and sky.

“We found ourselves repeatedly turning to LunaJets to help serve our clients’ private aviation requirements, and were assured by their proficiency, high levels of service and all-round success. The synergy between our two companies is self-evident and when considering a partner in this field, LunaJets were the clear choice.” –Niall Robinson, Hill Robinson.

“We started working with Hill Robinson back in 2018 and immediately felt a common value proposition with LunaJets. Throughout the years we have followed each other’s growth, passion and culture of excellence at every level of our companies and realised that Hill Robinson was a logical partner in the yachting industry.”

Founded in December 2007 by current CEO Eymeric Segard, LunaJets is the European market leader in private jet charter services with more than 8,000 flights in 2021. The company is headquartered in Geneva with offices in London, Paris, Monaco, Riga and Dubai. Their bespoke and flexible offering, guaranteeing to provide the most competitive prices in the market, is a perfect match for the dedicated service offered by Hill Robinson’s own operations.

Alain Leboursier – Managing Director at LunaJets:

—— Hill Robinson’s aviation team discusses the trends in aviation and their top tips for those wishing to get in the air.

Hill Robinson Group announces aviation partnership with LunaJets

Hill Robinson and Moravia Yachting have embarked on a luxury service partnership with LunaJets, identifying the company as their preferred supplier for client aviation requirements.

Alain Leboursier, MD, LunaJets

—— Hill Robinson is an environmentally friendly company and Love the Sea is our initiative to promote environmental change, support sustainable action and improve the health of our oceans. Love the Sea will become an umbrella for all our sustainable activities and promote the projects and organisations we’re supporting.

We are pleased to be funding the following initiatives through 2022/23, both with monetary donations and volunteering our time and resource wherever we can.

1 Blue Marine Foundation

Dedicated to restoring ocean health by addressing overfishing and expediting marine conservation projects, the Blue Marine Foundation combines top-down intervention with bottom-up projects – partnering governance and finance with communities at the front line of conservation. From helping to develop low-impact models for sustainable fishing and restoring marine habitats and protect threatened species, to strategic campaigns that work to connect people with the sea –enhancing ocean understanding across generations – the Blue Marine Foundation is involved at every level. At the time of writing, the Blue Marine Foundation has secured commitments to protect over four million square kilometres of ocean, and has 21 international projects underway. The Foundation aims to have at least 30% of the ocean designated as protected marine area by 2030, and the other 70 per cent well managed.

2 Beach Buddies

Beach Buddies began in the Isle of Man with the simple intention of clearing the Isle’s beaches of the accumulated rubbish. Over 8,000 volunteers have helped Beach Buddies on their journey to cleaner coastal areas and safer beaches. From literal litter-picking to fundraising for larger waste bins in problem areas, their proactive approach to problem solving has been applauded by the local community, including the Hill Robinson Isle of Man office have joined the Beach Buddies team at two of the beach clean events.

3 Yacht Carbon Offset

Yacht Carbon Offset has been helping superyacht owners, charterers, industry companies and events offset their carbon footprint since 2008.

Yacht Carbon Offset’s services provide an immediate and effective way for someone to counterbalance the global impact of their activity’s greenhouse gas emissions, by contributing to the development of renewable energy and marine projects.

Carbon offset, as a tool, was developed under the umbrella of the United Nations to help individuals and organisations meet their goals for emission reduction. It works by conveying a net climate benefit from one entity to another, using carbon credits.

For yachts and individuals, they offer an innovative pay-as-you-go service that allows users to identify the emission sources of their activity (such as a flight, use of tender and water toys, or generator fuel), then calculate the greenhouse gas emissions in tonnes and the number of carbon credits needed to offset them. Users can then select a specific project to receive their credits, and make payment via the app. The carbon credits are then allocated to the specified project, and emissions are offset on a tonne-for-tonne basis.

Hill Robinson uses Yacht Carbon Offset to balance the company’s emissions, as well as encouraging yachts under our management to do so. In 2021, over 32,000 tonnes of CO2e were offset. This year, Hill Robinson have selected the Ambatolampy Solar Project in Madagascar to receive their carbon credits.

4 Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation

With the defining mission to both protect and progress planetary health, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation can already attest to over 700 sponsored projects, over 100 international partners and in excess of €90 million awarded in grants since the foundation’s inception in 2006.

The work is a personal passion for the Sovereign Prince, who is committed to reconciling humanity with nature, and encompasses both oceanic conservation and land-based projects. “To save our planet, to change a system that destroys it step by step, we will need all the ideas, all the willing, all the mobilizable means. We will need to multiply the initiatives, from the most confidential to the most global ones, from the most classical to the most innovative ones. And we will need to do everything to convince the world to change with us. This is our destiny today, the destiny of our generations: taking these problems head on, to save this planet before it is too late. It is our responsibility and that is why we are here.” – H.S.H. Prince Albert II of Monaco

Initiatives include The MedFund – created to manage marine protected areas (MPAs) in the Mediterranean, the Global Fund for Coral Reefs – which was a collaboration between the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and the Paul G. Allen Family Foundation, and the Human Wildlife Initiative, which serves to better facilitate the coexistence of wildlife and human activity.

W A V E S O F C H A N G E

Written by Marina Mici

ALEX PARKINSON WINCH DESIGN

—— The last decade has seen a marked change in the interior design of superyachts. Departing from the traditional, and occasionally even unethical materials previously used for a yacht’s interior finishes, yacht owners are increasingly looking for sustainable designs, and giving their most prized possession the ‘green-credentials’ it deserves.

Partly thanks to new breakthrough technologies and materials, partly because of the changing demographic of the owners who commission them, and partly because of the designers and naval architects who conjure them, the yachting industry is slowly navigating its way into greener waters.

For many of us, environmental credentials are increasingly a priority, and this shift in priorities is also now reflected in superyacht design. From hydrogen and hybrid power to energy-efficient hull designs, it is the advancements in sustainable technologies and design that are potentially the most important developments in the yachting industry. Shipyards are combining greener propulsion and power generation with clever design, and green credentials are fast becoming imperative to the technical side of a successful yacht build. But what of the luxurious interiors, are these also getting greener?

A number of leading interior designers are proving that sustainability and an award-winning interior need not be mutually exclusive. Leading the charge, Winch Design have been avoiding using anything endangered or rare for a number of years, and the studio even has a library dedicated to sustainable materials. “Sustainability is increasingly taking centre stage across the whole industry, and each year becomes more and more important, not only for the planet but for the long-term success of the industry,” says Winch Design’s sustainability specialist, Alex Parkinson.

“The majority of our clients want to enjoy responsible yachting, and, while there is still a long way to go with regards to environmental considerations, we are certainly seeing a more conscious effort from both designers and clients alike, ranging from the selection of materials to the choice of propulsion.”

Of course, eco-conscious owners don’t want to compromise on quality, and in the main they still expect the luxury finish with which superyachts are associated. It is therefore up to the designer to source sustainable materials that offer the best of both worlds. “We are privileged to work with an incredible variety of suppliers, whose passion to create a more conscious luxury is as strong as our own. Within the studio we have a huge library of materials for designers to experiment with, and that is constantly updated with visits from new or existing suppliers,” says Alex. “The innovation shown within sustainable materials is inspiring and really encouraging for us as designers.” Alternatives include natural by-products like fruit leaves, eggshells, and feathers, or commonplace materials, often recycled from the fishing or farming industry and then transformed into a luxury material. “We recently revealed a unique concept interior for the Amels 60 range, Barefoot. The yacht has an inviting and tactile colour palette, complimented by a variety of sustainable textures,” explains Alex. “Pineapple leaves for example have undergone a non-chemical hardening process, resulting in a lightweight, versatile and hard-wearing leather alternative, and adding subtle texture to wall panelling, as well as a great anecdote for the owner to tell their friends on a tour.”

Building on the idea of a circular economy is nothing new, but until recently many synthetic alternatives have generally been disregarded due to their sub-standard finish. However, suppliers are now producing synthetic alternatives that can be used to create high quality products with a finish that can be as luxurious, if not more so, as its natural counterpart. Synthetic, man-made alternatives for precious commodities such as teak are just one example. Dickie Bannenberg, from leading design studio Bannenberg & Rowell Design, says that it is becoming

Images (Above) de Le Cuona fabrics in situ (Opposite) de Le Cuona pure edition throw

“Sustainability is increasingly taking centre stage across the whole industry, and each year becomes more and more important, not only for the planet but for the long-term success of the industry.”

harder and harder to secure the quality and size of teak that the industry used to take for granted. “Our recent 55.5m (182ft) Moon Sand, built by Lürssen, has entirely artificial teak exterior decks,” says Dickie. “And I can only see the supply of natural materials, such as teak, going in one direction, and as such these synthetic alternatives are the way forward.”

Aside from replacing rare natural materials, synthetic alternatives can also be formed by recycling and upcycling waste that would otherwise be polluting the earth. Favoured by leading design studio Harrison Eidsgaard, Sylka’s sustainable range uses plastic waste to produce high quality fabrics. “Their soft and durable carpets are created from plastic bottles gathered in the oceans, and they are rolling out a program of recycling old or unwanted carpets,” says Ewa Eidsgaard, Director at Harrison Eidsgaard. The notion of a sustainable, circular economy is certainly making its way into the yachting arena.

Another studio at the top of their game in responsible design is Design Unlimited. Working with the marine adventure company Arksen, the studio helped create the sustainable interior for the builder’s latest launch, the Arksen 85. “Arken’s builds are designed with ecological integrity,” says Managing Director Julie Tucker. “Many of the interior materials are recyclable, and the modular cabin system allows for design evolution and adaptation even during its usage.”

However, eco-conscious design is not just about using sustainable materials; to be truly green they also need to be ethically sourced. Harrison Eidsgaard specifies green credentials for the materials they use in all of their projects, but the main focus is on ethically sourced, natural materials. “Ideally these will be organic and sustainable,” says Ewa. “All of our linens, cottons and wools are sourced responsibly, and many of our clients do request information about their origin.” de Le Cuona is just one of the suppliers that Harrison Eidsgaard work with, and their collections include certified organic fabrics designed with sustainability, wellness and health in mind. “It is important that our organic textiles are certified to make sure the products have been through the rigorous certification process,” says Bernie de Le Cuona, CEO, de Le Cuona.

“Each stage is traceable from the field to fabric and even the warehouse is certified to GOTS. Their Pure range has been designed without compromise on the beauty and the handle of the fabrics - a first for the industry and a game changer for sustainable luxury in interiors.” And it doesn’t stop there. “Their ethos extends throughout the full supply chain – from packaging to sample recycling, and carbon neutral shipping,” says Ewa. Nature Squared is another leading supplier of sustainable materials, which can be used to create stunning superyacht interiors (and cars, jets and homes). Where possible, they source farmed or waste materials that can be harvested in a way that supports local economies in developing countries. Fostering local knowledge and materials with their own skills and experience, Nature Squared takes what might otherwise become waste or landfill and turns it into something beautiful and luxurious, while at the same time providing sustainable employment and encouraging traditional skills that go back centuries. “We believe in simultaneously addressing both environmental and social issues.  By enhancing heritage craft and applying it to waste materials, we reduce methane production, restore pride in local traditions and create an innovative, design-led thinking that will remain relevant for future generations,” says Lay Koon Tan, Co-Founder of Nature Squared.

All of the above are not just fashionable trends that will go out of style, but positive design improvements that make for more sustainable designs with each passing year. As innovative materials are invented and technical challenges overcome, design boundaries are pushed, and these will continue to be driven further as more owners give designers the push to be greener. Of course, there are always pressures on producing high-quality alternatives, and these directly bear on what is ultimately achievable in the interior design of the yacht. But this is where good designers come into their own, paving the way for a more ecoconscious luxury within the interior design of superyachts.

The ecological tide is definitely turning.

Images (left to right) The repurposed materials of Nature Squared. de Le Cuona Atlas Kyoto linen.

Images (clockwise from top left)

Main saloon aboard Barefoot, Winch Design

Eggshell, Winch Design

Moon Shell and Cloud Drift fabrics, de Le Cuona

POWER WATER

Fortescue

Written by Sam

LÜRSSEN

—— Yacht builders from San Lorenzo to Lürssen are pioneering emissions-free hydrogen power.

Sam Fortescue takes a deep dive.

Sky-high oil prices may leave yacht owners squirming, but there are already moves underway to reduce dependence on fossil fuels. At sea, as on land, engineers and designers have been hard at work integrating energy efficient equipment and alternative fuels into futuristic boats. And, with the weight of the commercial shipping sector behind it at last, hydrogen power is becoming a reality on yachts.

We’ve certainly been talking about it for long enough. There are demonstrator ferries, barges and tenders that have been successfully running off hydrogen for several years. But a superyacht is of an entirely different complexity, much more power hungry and, as a luxury asset, requires a particularly rigorous approach from designers.

High-end Dutch design house Sinot made waves back in 2019 when it unveiled details of an achingly beautiful concept yacht called Aqua at the Monaco Yacht Show. Stuffed to the gunwales with features, the heart of the 112m yacht was its clean propulsion system and futuristic twin cryogenic vacuum tanks containing 56 tonnes of liquid hydrogen.

All the major yacht builders have begun talking about hydrogen power now, but north German custom specialist Lürssen has got further than most. Its Bremen shipyard will soon start drawing some of its power from an experimental fuel cell on site, and work has begun on the first yacht that will feature the technology. It’s a breakthrough moment in the yachting sector.

“We are building a 100m-plus yacht now fitted with fuel cells and diesel engines,” explains Lürssen Americas director, Timothy Hamilton. “The fuel cell is a game changer. It will allow the yacht to stay at anchor for 20 days and nights without starting up a diesel engine. It will be able to cover 1,000 nautical miles on fuel cells alone, with all the hotel loads covered.”

Working with Freudenberg, Lürssen’s approach has been to use a so-called methanol reformer. The methanol is hydrogen rich, easily stored as a liquid, and reacts at low temperatures in the fuel cell. It is also relatively simple to source in yachting centres. The fuel cell then combines the methanol with steam, “She won’t be able to cruise oceans on hydrogen power, because methanol is not as fuel dense as diesel, but we’re hoping to see efficiency go way up, so we can replace diesel altogether,” Timothy continues. “I think we’re only a few years away.”

At the other end of Europe, Italy’s San Lorenzo has been making similar progress in an exclusive partnership with Siemens Energy for yachts up to 80m. The yacht builder announced at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September 2021 that it was building a methanol fuel cell system into a 50m hybrid yacht due for delivery in 2024. It is likely to be the first hydrogen-powered yacht ever launched.

Like with Lürssen, there’s more scope for generating power on board than propulsion, but San Lorenzo says that the fuel cell will “significantly” extend the time spent at anchor without resorting to the engines or a generator to supply hotel loads. It should also permit limited manoeuvring without burning a drop of diesel.

Image Aft deck of Alice, Lürssen.

“The fuel cell is a game changer. It will allow the yacht to stay at anchor for 20 days and nights without starting up a diesel engine.”

TIMOTHY HAMILTON

AMERICAS DIRECTOR

Images (clockwise from top left)

Design plans and propulsion concept for Lürssen’s MY Alice.

San Lorenzo CEO Massimo Perotti is taking ownership of the first yacht himself, to drive development. “By sharing our experience and resources, we will be able to best meet the challenges of sustainability by pioneering the development of a new generation of technologies that will mark a major shift in the yachting industry,” he said.

Methanol fuel cells are sometimes seen as a stepping stone to truly emissions-free energy, because, while less polluting than diesel combustion, they still emit CO2. Totally clean hydrogen propulsion is some way off, because of the challenges posed by distributing and storing the gas safely.

“The technology is there, and environmentally speaking it’s the best option we can think of,” says Thibault Tallieu of French hydrogen pioneer EO Dev. “The challenges aren’t technical, not even so much the cost, but the combination of these things with the solutions to refill easily –to have that infrastructure in place so owners know they can go from Monaco to St Tropez; Capri to the Balearics.”

A thriving ecosystem of small-scale producers and local distribution channels is developing across Europe. You can already fill your Toyota Mirai car with hydrogen gas at motorway service stations across Europe, for instance. And the Hynova project demonstrated last summer how mobile service stations could be used to keep an all-hydrogen tender running on the French Riviera.

Ultimately, it will require a change in mindset among yacht designers, builders and owners, as Royal Huisman illustrated when it developed a 3D model of an existing yacht with the diesel power system entirely replaced by hydrogen. “At that moment your technical volume doubles,” says Huisman’s Henriko Kalter. “There you have to make a choice. If you want to build the same vessel with the same range, you will lose a lot of space on board.”

Smart energy management and more efficient yachts are needed to help bridge this power gap. Everything from smarter hull design to intelligent aircon and energy recovery can make an impact here, and every builder is tackling the problem in their own way. “More intelligent use of technical space is going to be needed, which means we need to keep pushing forward with energy reduction,” says OceanCo group marketing director, Paris Baloumis.

This is a hugely competitive issue for yacht builders, so don’t expect to see them publish details of their solutions. Rest assured, though, that feverish work behind closed doors is going to yield a torrent of new boat launches featuring hydrogen power, starting in 2024 with San Lorenzo’s 50m.

HRClick: A central hub for on-board safety and compliance

—— Having developed purpose-built apps for its fleet, Hill Robinson is utilising the latest technology to improve safety management and compliance.

Safety should be the cornerstone of all yacht operations, whether private or commercial, over 500gt or under. But complying with the abundant safety regulations can be an arduous and time-consuming process, which is why Hill Robinson developed HRClick – a simple yet powerful support tool that streamlines processes and improves efficiency. Comprising HRClick Crew and HRClick Forms, the apps enable yachts to easily stay on top of crew certification, hours of rest, ISM (International Safety Management) forms, checklists, yacht certification, and general operational administration.

Firstly, the HRClick Crew app monitors and manages crew certification according to the specific size and type of yacht and its safe manning requirements. “The idea is that it gives crew the responsibility for updating their own certificates on the app, alleviating some of the workload for the chief officer, purser, or whoever is usually tasked with updating crew documents,” explains Michele Minns Perrone, Head of Fleet Compliance. “Each crewmember has access and can upload their own certificates, monitor when they are coming up for expiry and update when they have renewed.”

HRClick Crew also includes an Hours of Rest module, which Hill Robinson can activate for MLC-compliant yachts (Maritime Labour Convention). This function enables crew to easily record their hours of work and rest, with any non-conformities clearly highlighted. All information inputted into HRClick Crew can also be exported into useful lists and reports, such as crew lists, overviews of all crew certification, and compliance reports.

The HRClick Forms app is used to generate and manage forms and checklists as part of the safety management system on board, such as crew familiarisations, pre-departure checklists, pre-arrival checklists, bunkering checklists and permits to work. Both apps are fully integrated

so that when a crewmember is added to HRClick Crew, they are automatically visible on HRClick Forms. Crew can use HRClick Forms offline to fill in checklists if they have limited internet connection, with all information shared with Hill Robinson once a connection is established again.

HRClick Forms is also used to raise issue reports, such as non-conformities, defect reports and incident reports. This then informs Hill Robinson’s compliance department who work with the crew to carry out preventive and corrective actions. “As the technology is completely paperless, the crew can inform the DPA (Dedicated Person Ashore) immediately when a defect has been identified or an incident has occurred, provided there is an internet connection,” adds Michele. “It’s also very easy to track the status of each crewmember’s familiarisations, with all completed and outstanding familiarisation forms listed under their profile on the app.”

Copies of all yacht certificates can be stored in HRClick Forms, with expiry dates and survey windows automatically monitored. The app incorporates a document library section where any useful documents can be centralised and stored for future reference. While HRClick Forms is primarily focused on safety management, the app also has a feature for crew to add tasks and assign them to someone. Checklists not related to safety, such as interior inventories or guest pre-arrival checklists, can also be uploaded and centralised in one place.

Between HRClick’s two apps, everything relating to on-board safety management and compliance is centralised and easily managed. With the software designed to be as user friendly and intuitive as possible, Hill Robinson is helping crew streamline all processes relating to certification and documentation so that they can do their jobs more efficiently.

Michele Minns

Head of Fleet Compliance, Hill Robinson, Antibes

For Hill Robinson, safety and security is an intrinsic part of yacht management. As well as ISM implementation and management, Hill Robinson oversees certification for the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS), which covers international, maritime and port security regulations, and the Maritime Labour Convention (MLC), which regulates all aspects of crew employment and welfare. Hill Robinson also provides class and flag state approved Safety Management Systems that are in line with current international and industry requirements and future provisions.

Leading the department is Head of Fleet Compliance Michele Minns Perrone, who grew up surrounded by the yachting industry as her father was a yacht captain and one of the founding members of the Professional Yachting Association. Having worked at Hill Robinson since 2006, Michele keeps a watchful eye on the compliance of Hill Robinson’s management fleet and she was integral to the implementation and delivery of HRClick.

Written by Bryony McCabe

Best in Class

Hill Robinson Elite comprises Elite Recruitment and Elite Academy, which work in tandem to recruit, train, and support the best talent in the business.

Elite Recruitment, through its global team of experienced and passionate recruiters, partner with clients to source exceptional crew and staff for some of the most iconic superyachts and prestigious residences in the world. Our experience enables us to source the right people in a highly competitive and skills-short market.

With client-centricity at the fore, our team take the time to understand the specific and unique requirements for every role. We value the importance of our clients having the right team in place and utilise our extensive network of professionals to source world-class talent.

Head of Elite Recruitment, Susanne Jovanovic, says: “We pride ourselves on building professional relationships with clients and candidates alike and offer a specialised and unique level of service throughout the process.”

Susanne says minimising employee turnover results in reduced operational costs and maintaining consistency ensures that teams are familiar with safety issues and protocol, as well as the specific requirements of an owner or regular guests.

Elite Academy focuses on the development of crew and staff to cultivate exceptional service delivery, world-class hospitality standards and etiquette; elevating the guest experience onboard superyachts and within luxury estates.

Head of Elite Academy, Ash McDonagh, says Hill Robinson is uniquely positioned to offer a comprehensive variety of blended learning, encouraging peak performance and enriching culture.

“Our programmes support delegates throughout their career; from onboarding to role-specific training, hospitality programmes, coaching and leadership development,” she says.

Building more engaged and committed teams, improves the service experience delivered to clients and has the added value of increasing employee satisfaction, wellbeing, and longevity.

Elite Academy facilitates the development, delivery, and evaluation of learning through an enhanced learning management system, leveraging 20-plus years of industry knowledge and trusted partnerships with leading experts to deliver a memorable experience.

Susanne Jovanovic

Head of Elite Recruitment, Hill Robinson, UK

Susanne Jovanovic, Head of Elite Recruitment, grew up on the west coast of Sweden. From a young age, her passion was to travel and explore new places. Straight out of school, she embarked on her first adventure abroad working as a nanny in Italy. She fell in love with the country and the culture and ended up staying for a couple of years.

Having seen the large cruise ships come in and out of port, Susanne decided that she wanted to work on one. Joining as a purser, she worked on board for several years travelling and visiting some amazing places around the world. After a few years of adventure, however, it was time to move shoreside.

Susanne was offered a job at the Head Office of one of the leading cruise lines in the world, where she held roles within HR, rotations and recruitment, and spent nearly 19 years with the company prior to joining Hill Robinson in 2021. As Head of Elite Recruitment, Susanne enjoys building relationships with candidates and clients, and customer experience is at the heart of everything she does.

—— At Hill Robinson, we believe that investing in people is a crucial part of attracting and retaining the right individuals.

Written by Lauren Rosser

Refitting for the Future

—— Is it possible to retrofit a yacht to make it more eco-friendly? What are the best practices and is it worth the environmental and financial costs? Rachel Ingram investigates.

As the world becomes more eco-aware, we’ve seen industries repurposing everything from fashion to furniture. In recent years, yachting has followed suit with modern refits offering environmentally conscious owners an alternative to new builds. Take SuRi, the former crab catcher that was literally cut in half and extended by 11m during her conversion into a 63.4m explorer yacht by Bay Ship & Yacht Co. Or Aquila, which was gutted and transformed into a striking contemporary 85.6m superyacht by Pendennis. There’s no doubt these projects are impressive, but at what cost?

It is the general consensus that refitting, or retro-fitting, a vessel is the eco-alternative to building new. In many cases, this is correct, but it’s a complex subject, as Kevin Laverty, Hill Robinson’s Director of Projects explains. “A lot of people don’t really understand sustainability as a topic. They think sustainability is only environmental, but sustainability has three pillars: environmental, economic and social.”

The sustainability triangle “In seeking to be sustainable, you can create conflict between those three pillars,” Kevin says. Taking the example of a simple cabin refit, he explains that during the process, you’ll likely remove and replace original materials such as wood, stone and copper piping, which isn’t very environmentally friendly. “Of course, you can recycle or repurpose the materials, but it’s a process of diminishing returns,” he says. “Every time you take some copper pipe out and re-manufacture it, you’re investing more energy into the process. And where’s that energy coming from?”

However, there’s another perspective to consider. While the economic impact of a refit may be negative, it could create a positive impact in a social or economic sense, he says. “You could be providing work and employment for people; therefore, you’re contributing to the economy around the shipyard. You’ve got to look at sustainability against those three pillars.”

Refit

Service Area

Hill Robinson’s client-focused technical team ensure the highest quality execution, timely and cost-effective completion of a refit project and are well positioned to assist with emergency support, maintenance, refit planning, and the handling of insurance claims. Comprising naval architects, marine engineers, surveyors and former captains, the team consists of more than 30 experienced technical personnel.

Dealing with flag states, class societies and suppliers often requires patience and diplomacy, as well as language skills, and our team speaks over 15. Our shore support team works with captains to find solutions, organise contracts, and guarantee accurate quoting and budgets. We keep all parties up to date, helping to ensure refits and maintenance periods are successfully completed on time and on budget.

Written by Rachel Ingram

Take OceanXplorer1, a North Sea survey vessel which was converted into an 87m research yacht by Gresham Yacht Design. The refit was commissioned by philanthropist Ray Dalio. He teamed up with OceanX director James Cameron and the BBC’s Blue Planet, who now use the yacht to conduct scientific research. You could argue that the potential social impact outweighs the financial and environmental costs of the conversion.

Going green

When talking about ‘eco-friendly’ yachting, many people jump straight to green energy such as hybrid, electric or even hydrogen. And while re-fitting a yacht’s combustion engine with an innovative, ‘greener’ alternative is a commendable option, there are easier and less costly ways to start having an impact. Electrical consumption is a good place to start.

“We often talk about cutting fuel but, looking at the operating profile of your average superyacht, it probably spends 70% of its time sitting in port running generators,” Kevin says. “Look at the number of running hours on a generator versus those on a main engine and you will find a massive disparity. You could have engines on a 15-year-old vessel with less than 10,000 hours on them and generators that have 100 to 120,000 hours on them.”

He advises finding ways to reduce generator hours in small increments, such as switching to LED light bulbs, increasing base AC temperature by a couple of degrees, placing heat-rejecting films on glass windows, or embedding extra insulation into the yacht.

“These are the small wins that, in aggregate, will deliver big savings in hotel load, which ultimately will deliver a bigger impact to your environmental operation than simply changing the main engine,” he says.

The efficiency debate

When it comes to the issues of fuel burn reduction, increasing the efficiency of a yacht is a common solution. The world’s best shipyards have already built a number of ultra-efficient environmentally friendly vessels but applying this technology in a retrofit capacity is complicated.

“You can’t just take a 15-year-old 50m Benetti and put a sail mast on it,” Kevin says, referencing the Oceanco-built hybrid motor sailor Black Pearl. Likewise, it would be costly and difficult to, for example, take a twin engine yacht and implement the push-pull arrangement on board Savannah, the world’s first hybrid superyacht, built by Feadship. “It could be done if budget and time were unlimited, but the economics of that just wouldn’t be good,” he says.

“The problem is that people tend to go for the big ticket every time. They go for the biggest number on the table and think if I can make a 10% change, then bang, I’ve done it. But the biggest number on the table is the hardest one to do anything about in retrofit or refit. When you’re talking about refits, the performance of the yacht was dictated a long time ago and, retrospectively, there’s not a whole lot you can do about that in real terms. Instead, it’s all about doing incremental small things to make differences that add up.”

However, there is a sustainability argument to extending the life cycle of a boat, as in the case of former fishing vessel SuRi. Referencing Entourage, a yacht refit managed by Hill Robinson, he says: “At the point we became involved, it was effectively ready to be scrapped. It had so many issues. But our team found a way to economically reinstate the yacht. It took a lot more time because we were working to a very tight budget, but we managed to carry out all the repairs and give the yacht an extension of life. That was a win-win.”

Image Feadship’s 83.5m Savannah, launched in 2015.

Refitting for the Future

Images

OceanCo’s 106.7m Black Pearl, launched in 2016.

Refitting for the Future

“It is the general consensus that refitting, or retro-fitting, a vessel is the eco-alternative to building new. In many cases, this is correct, but it’s a complex subject”

Images 85.6m Aquila, refit by Pendennis Shipyard.

Refitting for the Future

Images 78.43m Amaryllis during refit.

Changing attitudes

The mindset of owners and those working in the industry has changed vastly in the last decade, which has contributed to the rise in refits for sustainability. “Owners are definitely becoming more aware of the environmental impact of what they’re doing. We as an industry are also becoming a lot more aware. We’re under constant attack for our social impact, or perceived lack of social impact. So, leading the way on environmental measures can only be a good thing,” Kevin says.

This attitude extends into every aspect of a refit, from fuel to materials. “When you’re talking about refits, you have to ask, where do the materials come from? What manufacturing processes has it gone through? There’s no point spending your time under a banner of sustainability if you’re buying ‘dirty’ materials,” he says. “The good thing is the younger owners are getting it. They understand and they’re asking, ‘how can I make less of an impact on the planet, but still have my 50m yacht?’”

To determine if a project is positively sustainable, Kevin advises setting your key objectives, looking at the sustainability triangle and carrying out a holistic, multi-layered assessment that looks into every aspect of the job ahead. “The outcome of your sustainability assessment has to be SMART objectives – specific, measurable, achievable, realistic, and timely actual targets. And then you implement those objectives, just as you would any other objective of the project, making it subject to change control.”

While such assessments are not currently law, legislation is catching up. “Refitting for sustainability is happening – and it’s happening because of IMO (the International Maritime Organisation),” Kevin says. “This kind of regulation is brand new in superyachting. There’s not a lot of people carrying out sustainability reviews, but it is coming. I think one day, people will treat sustainability assessments the same way as risk assessments. It’s project management 101.”

Image 87m OceanXplorer I

Managing expectations

—— When Hill Robinson was founded in 2000, the concept of yacht management was relatively new. More than 20 years on, this specialised service has developed and evolved significantly, as Isabel Bermudez, Head of Yacht Management, reflects.

Over the last few decades, yachts have been subject to an increasing amount of maritime safety and environmental regulations. To ensure ongoing compliance with these regulations, owners and captains required additional support, and this created a need for yacht management services. This is essentially how Hill Robinson came into being in 2000; to manage the increasing operational complexities of the world’s largest yachts.

A yacht manager is, and will always be, the central point of contact for the yacht’s stakeholders. As the fleet has grown, however, Hill Robinson’s approach to yacht management has adapted to offer more specialised support in relevant fields. As Isabel Bermudez, Head of Yacht Management, recalls, “When I started working for the company 10 years ago, we did not have a compliance department, so the yacht managers dealt with any compliance issues as needed. As our fleet grew, there was a need for more specialised support –now we have an entire compliance department.”

Another example of a specialised service that Hill Robinson has added to its offering as its fleet has grown is crew recruitment: there is now an in-house team of crew specialists who carefully select candidates to suit each yacht’s individual needs. The role of the yacht manager, however, is unchanged. “We remain the main contact for everybody that has any connection with the yacht and orchestrate the whole entity,” adds Isabel.

It’s essential, of course, that these various departments work together with the yacht manager to ensure the smooth running of each yacht. As such, the Hill Robinson Antibes office – from which around 55 yachts are currently managed – is a well-oiled machine.

“The office is made up of a technical team, an operational team, an accounting team and a compliance team and, from these teams, client service teams are created,” Isabel explains. “Each yacht manager works with a yacht administrator, technical manager, account manager and compliance manager to form a client service team. Each client service team then works for a group of boats, sitting together in the office and continuously sharing information.”

In fact, this teamwork is so effective that Isabel believes it’s one of the company’s key strengths. The team is made up of former crew, naval architects, accountants and a variety of other professional backgrounds, thereby providing a well-rounded support network and array of expertise to each yacht under Hill Robinson’s management.

Written by Bryony McCabe

Another key aspect that makes Hill Robinson’s approach to yacht management stand out in the industry is its flexibility. “We are very good at adapting to each client’s needs – how our yacht management works for one boat looks completely different to how it works for another boat because we listen to the owners and captains and what their specific expectations are,” says Isabel. “For some boats we do mostly technical management or accounting and for other boats we spend hours on the phone with the captain every day. Our yacht management is not a standard service, it’s very specific to each client.”

Captain Mark Stout has been the captain aboard two yachts under Hill Robinson’s management in the last five years and agrees that the management team is what makes the company stand out. “Hill Robinson is one of the friendliest management companies to work with – Isabel and the project managers are available to speak to around the clock and when I go to the Antibes office for meetings there are always the same familiar faces and everyone is very welcoming,” he explains. “There have been some tough decisions over the years, but we as a team were always able to find an amicable solution.”

Captain Brendon Gorn of M/Y Kathleen Anne has worked with Hill Robinson from the very beginning, having captained one of the very first boats that the company managed, and three further yachts over the 20-plus years since then. He comments, “I’ve seen Hill Robinson grow from a team of four people to over two hundred, and the core mission of the company hasn’t changed: to look after the owner’s interests to the best of their abilities, as well as ensure the safety and wellbeing of the crew.”

As Hill Robinson’s management proposition has expanded to encompass a full spectrum of services that owners require the most, its team’s dedicated and collaborative approach has maintained the company’s high standards of excellence across its flourishing fleet.

Isabel Bermudez

Head

Antibes

Isabel Bermudez has managed export sales administration in various industries, including a company specialised in hydraulic power systems and thrusters where she worked for nearly 10 years. Here, Isabel was introduced to the yachting industry and gained valuable experience of the intricate relationships between shipyards, equipment suppliers, and manufacturers.

Isabel joined Hill Robinson in October 2010 and spent her first five years at the company supporting the technical department. Having joined the yacht management department in 2016, bringing with her valuable commercial and technical experience, Isabel was promoted to Head of Yacht Management in 2021.

of Yacht Management, Hill Robinson,

“Over the last few decades, yachts have been subject to an increasing amount of maritime safety and environmental regulations”

The Supply Chain: Managing risk and disruption

Written by Bryony McCabe

In early 2022, the superyacht industry was in a good place: many builders had full order books, there was healthy levels of refit activity and an active brokerage market. Fast forward a few months and the situation has changed, in some respects dramatically. World events – specifically the Russian invasion of Ukraine and the sanctions that followed – have added a whole new level of disruption to a global supply chain still in recovery from the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic, as well as other factors related to transport and logistics.

Supply chain disruption

Kevin Laverty, Director of Projects at Hill Robinson, has observed the impact of a disrupted supply chain across his fleet of new build and refit projects. Previous concerns over the worldwide shortage of silicon chips, which in turn affects the supply of electronic goods, remain. “The types of items that we are seeing become unavailable are the network switches and devices that make up the AV and IT networks on board superyachts,” notes Kevin. “It’s not affecting the consumer side so dramatically – largely due to the buying power of a Samsung or an LG – but the availability of devices from smaller companies is becoming problematic.”

Another supply chain issue that is currently affecting the superyacht market is the increasing prices of raw materials – the cost of steel, copper, and particularly aluminium has skyrocketed due to increased demand, the increasing cost of production and unprecedented rises in the rates of inflation across the Eurozone, UK and wider world. The inflated prices will have the most impact on the new build sector due to the way in which most superyachts are built. As Kevin explains; “A typical superyacht will have a steel hull and an aluminium superstructure, with aluminium making up about 40 per cent of the overall raw metal boat. If 40 per cent of that boat increases by 40 per cent in cost, that’s quite a significant hit.”

Higher project costs and delays?

Increased prices of raw materials and shortages of labour or integral components risk impacting the overall cost and timely delivery of both new build and refit projects. Whether this happens depends on how long these current market conditions continue, which is impossible to predict. Minimising disruption, however, is in the hands of the shipyards.

“Those established shipyards with full order books will be actively engaging their supply chain to minimise the risk to their deliveries,” reassures Kevin. “The main challenge for them, however, is that superyachts are very bespoke, so they can probably only estimate how many tonnes of aluminium they are going to need year on year within a 10 per cent variability. And if they underestimate by 10 per cent, that is going to cause a delay. Any significant increase in prices from the supply chain are likely to be passed on to the customer (if the initial price of the project was realistic).”

Minimising the impact

The effects of these supply chain issues are already being felt across the superyacht industry and, as such, Hill Robinson is having to be proactive in addressing them. Not only does the project management team have the technical know-how and expertise to keep abreast of such market dynamics and see the challenges coming, but Hill Robinson’s in-house procurement team is also being fed information by its suppliers to have an overall view of the difficulties that the market faces.

“Our in-house procurement capability enables us to generate a wealth of historical trend data,” advises Kevin. “By analysing the demand across our fleet of various vessels with different owners, we have an overview of consumption. And that allows us to advise clients about when they need to start ordering certain items in time for upcoming projects. It’s data-driven foresight – not just opinion – based on a real-time view of what we are seeing in the supply chain.”

The turbulence of current market conditions is another reason for cautiousness: now, more than ever, it’s important that buyers are astute when making significant purchase decisions. “There was a similar feeding frenzy in the superyacht industry in 2005/2006, where we saw the emergence of some of the very worst brokerage practices,” reflects Kevin. “Then, during the 2008/2009 downturn, a lot of those contracts were cancelled and there’s still a lot of half-built hulls in existence today that owe their parentage to that time. The current sanctions regime could well give rise to further incomplete projects entering the market and potentially staying there for some considerable time.”

Never has it been more important for clients to receive independent and unbiased advice to help them navigate this environment and ensure that they don’t become a victim of buoyant market conditions.

—— The effects of global disruption to the supply chain and increasing raw material costs are being felt across the superyacht new build and refit sectors. Kevin Laverty, Director of Projects at Hill Robinson, assesses how these factors could impact the market and what this means for clients.

Kevin Laverty

Director of Projects, Hill Robinson, Isle of Man

Kevin Laverty has over 35 years of project management experience in various roles within offshore oil and gas construction, marine engineering, shipbuilding, port equipment construction and superyachts, acting as owner representative on significant new build and refit yacht projects. Part of the Isle of Man team, Kevin joined Hill Robinson in 2015 as a Senior Project Manager, and was promoted in 2020 to Director of Projects, which marked a new chapter for Hill Robinson’s project management division.

As Director of Projects, one of Kevin’s key priorities has been to further develop and professionalise the Hill Robinson Project Management System. Hill Robinson has a strong project management team who undertake an incredible array of superyacht refits and related projects, and the Project Management System aims to create a standardised approach to the management of projects.

The importance of surveys

—— Given the level of investment that superyacht ownership requires, surveys are not just prudent, they can save clients a great deal of frustration and money. Marco Rossi, Principal Surveyor at Hill Robinson, explains how a survey can be valuable prior to buying, selling and chartering.

There are many reasons why carrying out a full condition survey of a superyacht might be a good idea. Whether a potential buyer wants an impartial assessment of a pre-owned yacht, or an existing owner wants to understand the performance and value of their own yacht, an independent survey is advisable when dealing with assets of this scale. Even a charter client might be inclined to enlist a surveyor to verify the true condition of a yacht prior to chartering it for an extended period.

Whatever the reason, a survey is a step in the right direction to avoid any unpleasant surprises and give peace of mind. As Marco Rossi, Principal Surveyor at Hill Robinson, describes, “Surveys are a staple of the maritime industry, with regular surveys required to maintain vessels to a certain standard and keep them in Class or compliant with Flag. However, these surveys are normally only a verification of minimum requirements and beholden to whomever owns the yacht.”

An independent, third-party survey can instead reveal a wider range of areas that might need attention, with issues relating to the engineering systems cropping up more than most – something not easily spotted without the help of a surveyor. This trend is typical of the yachting industry and can be largely attributed to a lack of structured maintenance programmes on board; whereas the commercial shipping industry generally carries out regular maintenance to ensure its vessels run smoothly 365 days a year, the yachting industry does not operate in the same way.

“Engineering systems need to be maintained or they’re going to break, so owners in the shipping industry don’t wait for that to happen,” explains Marco. “Their ship’s crew will know, for example, that a piece of equipment is likely to fail between 5,000 and 6,000 hours of operation, so they will replace it or recondition it after 4,800 hours. Preventive maintenance is the norm for careful commercial owners who want to guarantee uninterrupted service to their clients.

“Regrettably, the yachting industry does not have the same approach, as yachts are often managed by a small team or only by the crew, therefore corrective maintenance is more the standard, this lack of pre-emptive approach can often compromise the owner’s vacation, a profitable charter, or even an entire season.”

While the yachting industry could certainly learn some lessons from this precautionary attitude to maintenance, it’s unlikely that this approach will be adopted across the board anytime soon. “While some of the larger yachts over 80 metres with year-round cruising itineraries are being maintained like commercial cruise ships, the smaller yachts are not prepared to do it because of the cost and winter seasons with no, or very little, cruising time,” Marco asserts.

A survey can, therefore, reveal issues that might go unnoticed by a regular periodical inspection, giving clients peace of mind that a yacht is fit for purpose prior to buying, selling or chartering (the price of that peace of mind is incredibly small and can be quantified as less than 0.005% of the value of the yacht). The challenge, however, can be finding a reputable and unbiased surveyor in a fragmented market.

As Marco advises, “Most maritime survey companies mainly operate in the commercial shipping industry, for which yachting is just a side business, and so might only have few experienced yacht surveyors on their team. While one surveyor might be sufficient for a 40-metre yacht, any yacht over 50 metres would require more than one skilled surveyor to carry out a thorough survey.”

After 20 years in the business of managing and building superyachts, and with more than 30 experienced technical personnel, comprising marine engineers, naval architects and former captains, Hill Robinson has the technical knowhow and resources within its survey department to carry out thorough surveys of yachts of any size, wherever in the world they are berthed.

Marco Rossi

The sea has always been an important part of Marco Rossi’s life. Born in Genoa, Marco is a son of a mariner who sailed on luxury cruise liners. Upon graduating from San Giorgio nautical college, Marco followed the family tradition and became a chief engineer on passenger ships at the age of 30.

Marco switched from sea to shore during his involvement in the construction of two luxury passenger vessels in Italy. Shortly after, he joined the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) as a Senior Surveyor and ISM Lead Auditor, based in South Florida. He surveyed and inspected the majority of ABS classed yachts, visiting the Ft. Lauderdale and Caribbean marinas for a decade.

It was during this time that he developed a passion for yachts with beautiful, clever designs paired with technically advanced features. After spending several more years involved in the new build and management of research vessels in Norway and France, Marco is now Principal Surveyor at Hill Robinson, working from the Antibes office.

Principle Surveyor Hill Robinson, Antibes

Written by Bryony McCabe

Patriotism vs Practice: Flying the US Flag

—— Patriotic American owners might be predisposed to want their national flag flying from the stern of their yacht, but they perhaps don’t fully realise the limitations it places on the crewing of the vessel. Barrett Wright, President of Hill Robinson USA, explains the challenges that some of the Hill Robinson fleet are facing with the stars and stripes.

Ever since 2018 – the year in which President Trump signed an amendment to reverse a 1920 law which defined a yacht as a vessel with a maximum volume of 300gt – yachts over 300gt have been able to register in the United States. As such, there has been an increase in the number of US-flagged superyachts on the water as American owners have seized the opportunity to fly their national flag. With several US-flagged yachts under its management, however, Hill Robinson USA has first-hand experience of the associated limitations.

Perhaps the biggest difficulty for yachts registered under the US flag is the restrictions it places on what crew can be employed on board. As Barrett explains, “The captain and officers on a US-flagged yacht are required to be citizens or naturalised citizens of the United States, and they must carry a US passport. There’s also a 75/25 rule whereby only 25 per cent of the unlicensed crew can be permanent US residents, but 75 per cent are required to be US passport holders.”

As a result, Hill Robinson USA has found finding crew for the US-flagged yachts under its management a real challenge, with some yachts in its fleet deciding to drop their American flags in favour of a less limiting foreign flag. “It’s really difficult to find quality US crew with the right qualifications and it’s very frustrating,” adds Barrett. “And this means that the limited pool of quality US crew out there are in the driving seat with regards to salary demands and compensation. Oftentimes, we find these yachts are having to pay higher than market rate to secure good crew because they are in such high demand.”

Furthermore, the US flag necessitates that the crew working on board must be employed by a US employer, thereby requiring them to pay federal withholding tax, Social Security and Medicare in the United States. This stipulation further reduces the number of candidates available to work on US-flagged yachts due to many crew preferring to lessen their tax burden by conducting their financial affairs offshore.

There are, of course, some benefits to flying the American flag, besides the obvious display of patriotism. For example, many owners are incentivised to register their yachts in the US for tax depreciation purposes and the US sales tax cap of $18,000 allows owners to secure US registration at an affordable price. If the 1.5 per cent duty on a foreign-built yacht has been paid, owners of US-flagged yachts are free to operate them in US waters as private vessels or commercial charter yachts, whereas foreign-flagged yachts that are not duty-paid must obtain a restrictive cruising permit for recreational cruising and are prohibited from carrying out charter operations in US waters.

For an American owner that wants to use their yacht both domestically and overseas, however, Barrett advises they avoid the US flag primarily because of the limitations it places on finding crew. She concludes, “There are those who are set on the American flag, and there’s no problem with that if they are settled with a longstanding crew. But the headaches that come along with finding [the right] people to work on board, and how you can employ them, is why I wouldn’t recommend the US flag as a first choice for US yacht owners.”

Barrett Wright

President, Hill Robinson, USA

After graduating from the University of Pennsylvania, Barrett Wright began her professional career at Sotheby’s in 2000. Looking for a change, Barrett joined the yachting industry in 2003 and, after working aboard sailing yachts in the Caribbean and New England, found herself based shoreside in Newport, Rhode Island, working for a yacht design firm.

Upon relocating to Florida in 2010, Barrett joined Hill Robinson – first as yacht and company accountant, but quickly expanded her role to include yacht operations. In February 2015, Barrett was promoted to President of Hill Robinson USA and continues to run the company’s US operations.

With her finger firmly on the pulse of the US superyacht market, Barrett is a member of the International Yacht Brokers Association and the International Superyacht Society, and she is a regular contributor to the Mare Forums.

Written by Bryony McCabe

Designed for Charter –The DNA of a successful charter yacht

—— In a highly competitive charter market, creating a prosperous charter machine is a goal many owners aim for, but don’t always achieve. Julie Bichon, Head of Charter Management at Hill Robinson, reveals the key ingredients for success on the charter market.

It’s a common misconception that, when a yacht is made available for charter, it will easily secure a summer of charter bookings and offset its operational costs – but it’s not always that simple. With so many yachts on the charter market, all with similar equipment lists and specifications, it takes more than the physical aspects of the yacht to make it stand out.

As Hill Robinson’s Head of Charter Management Julie Bichon explains, it’s not simply the newest yachts from the most highly rated shipyards that prove the most popular on the charter market. “While some clients will prioritise recently launched, Northern European-built yachts, others don’t necessarily mind about the yacht’s year of build or builder, as long as it’s extremely well maintained,” she comments.

Of course, there is a minimum standard expected of any yacht on the charter market; whatever the age or build, it must be in pristine condition with all the water toys and lifestyle amenities that charterers desire. However, it’s the on-board experience that matters the most, and this so often comes down to the crew.

“The crew will be what the clients remember,” Julie explains. “Whether they are looking for a friendly and engaged crew or silver service and don’t want to see the crew at all, the crew needs to be able to adapt quickly to each client and ensure their expectations are met. In particular, the chef can make or break a charter, and if the crew can offer additional skills, such as massage or fitness training, this can help the yacht stand out from the competition.”

When a charter yacht starts receiving consistently positive feedback about its crew, retaining the same team will become an important consideration for the owner. Crew longevity will often mean repeat clients because they know what to expect, and brokers will be reassured when recommending the yacht to new clients.

Just as important as the attitude of the crew is the attitude of the owner or owning company – having a commercial mindset can make all the difference to securing bookings. From a charter broker and client perspective, responsiveness to enquiries and flexibility on commercial terms is key. As Julie advises, “It has become the norm in our industry for charterers to expect a discount on the charter rate, so owners need to be open to negotiation.”

Of course, a successful charter yacht is defined differently depending on the owner’s individual expectations or requirements. Having a charter management team that can adapt their approach to suit each individual yacht, therefore, is essential. “The Hill Robinson charter fleet includes both owners who want a successful charter machine and those who want just a few charters booked in around their own usage – it’s our job as charter managers to work around what the owner wants,” Julie says.

A charter yacht should also have a targeted marketing campaign surrounding it. “Each yacht is different and features something special,” adds Julie. “Marketing is extremely important as it ensures brokers know what to sell to their clients and what makes that specific yacht stand out from the others.” While it may take time to spread the word and establish a yacht’s reputation on the charter market, owners can speed up the process by hosting events on board and inviting prominent retail charter brokers to open days, lunches or fam trips.

Hill Robinson’s boutique approach to charter management makes it stand out in the superyacht industry. With a team of five charter managers and a current fleet of 19 charter yachts, the ratio of charter managers to yachts enables us to work closely with owners and ensure the best results for each yacht.

Written by Bryony McCabe

Julie Bichon

Head of Charter Management, Hill Robinson, Monaco

From the Atlantic Coast of France, Julie had the travel bug from an early age. After a year living in Missouri as an exchange student in high school, Julie fell in love with meeting new people as well as experiencing new cultures and cuisines.

A love of sailing and all things related to the water has guided her career into the superyacht industry, where she has been working for over 10 years. Having joined Hill Robinson in 2021 as a Charter Manager, Julie’s no-nonsense approach and analytical personality has seen her excel in the company and she has since progressed to Head of Charter Management.

Julie oversees the charter management fleet and leads the team of charter managers. From management of the yacht’s calendar and liaising with brokers to negotiate and confirm bookings, to the creation of accurate marketing materials and implementation of proactive advertising campaigns, Julie and her team are adept at handling every facet of the charter process and coordinating all aspects of a yacht’s promotion.

Designed for Charter

“Julie and her team are adept at handling every facet of the charter process and coordinating all aspects of a yacht’s promotion”

A NEW SUN RISES IN THE EAST

Written by Bryony McCabe

GRANT THOMPSON OPERATIONS MANAGER, HILL ROBINSON

—— The past year has been a busy one in Jeddah, with the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix and the opening of Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina; some of many recent milestones. As the Kingdom gradually opens its doors to international tourism and yachting, Hill Robinson is ready to help superyachts access the region.

Part of a wider initiative to attract international tourism to Saudi Arabia, Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina has the capacity to accommodate over 100 yachts and superyachts up to 120 metres. Under its Vision 2030, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA) is undertaking a series of ambitious coastal developments centred around yachting infrastructure, including NEOM, AMAALA, and The Red Sea Project. Together, they aim to redefine sustainable, luxury travel and make the ‘Red Sea Riviera’ an alluring destination for the elite yachting community.

Having first opened its doors for the inaugural Saudi Arabian Grand Prix at the end of 2021, Jeddah Yacht Club and Marina is now open for business as an official point of entry to the KSA and the Red Sea. With Hill Robinson’s new office within the marina development –its second office in the Kingdom – the company is the go-to name for superyachts wanting access to the region, offering a whole host of speciality services including provisioning, concierge and aviation, as well as inbound and outbound clearance and agency services.

“We have a full-service approach for the visiting yachts to enable them to clear in and out of KSA, and we cater to all the needs they may have whilst in the country,” explains Grant Thompson, Operations Manager at Hill Robinson. “The KSA is a scene that is continually changing, and our finger is firmly on the pulse.”

The mysterious veil of the KSA was lifted in 2019 when the country tentatively opened up to international tourists. And as a superyacht destination, the nation has a lot to offer. “The underwater life is world class with diving activities in very low numbers,” adds Grant. “There are numerous pristine islands and beaches along the Red Sea coast, so this is an area of huge potential for yachting.”

Furthermore, the climate and its convenient location near to the Suez Canal makes the KSA an ideal destination for yachts coming from the Mediterranean, allowing them to extend their summer season well into December. For yachts heading back to the Med via the Suez, temperatures in the KSA in April make it an attractive stop-off point.

The challenge for yachts hoping to visit the region, however, is acquiring the necessary permits and clearances. Having first set up shop in Jeddah in 2018, Hill Robinson has been assisting yacht owners and charter guests navigate the bureaucratic red tape from the get-go. The bountiful wealth of the region – its culture, heritage, marine biodiversity and pristine coastline – has been accessed by many thanks to Hill Robinson’s team on the ground.

As the nation rolls out its plans to become more accessible for superyachts, with improved infrastructure and facilities to cater to the needs of owners and guests, Hill Robinson will remain on hand. “With the numerous initiatives underway to further establish yachting in the Red Sea – building marinas, the founding of the Red Sea Operations centre who overview the cruising areas within the country, and the development of hotels and diving schools – we are looking at opening more regional offices around the country to furnish the demands of these initiatives,” concludes Grant.

“We have a full-service approach for the visiting yachts to enable them to clear in and out of KSA, and we cater to all the needs they may have whilst in the country.”

Images (clockwise from top left)

The Suez Canal affords ease of access for superyachts.

Divers explore coral reefs in the Red Sea.

The inaugural Saudi Arabian GP took place in 2021.

ST BARTHS SECRETS

Love the island of St Barths but been there one too many times? Discover this idyllic isle’s secrets spots with a little insider knowledge from Hill Robinson.

Written by Roxanne Hughes

—— The French-speaking isle of St Barths can most succinctly be described as a Caribbean St Tropez. A favourite retreat of the rich and famous, the island is renowned for its scenic beauty, chic boutiques, and fabulous French cuisine.

A popular spot for the superyacht fleet, the isle features on many a cruising itinerary. We encourage you to venture beyond the port of Gustavia and discover this island’s lesser-known treasures.

History

Between the beaches and multi-million-dollar villas, are a few remaining sites that detail the island’s history. Saint Barthélemy has been under French rule since 1648. In 1784 it was given to Sweden in exchange for Gothenburg trading rights but was sold back to France in 1878.

The Wall House exhibits the island’s Swedish colonial era, and there are three 17th century forts that were built to protect the harbour. The petite Anglican Church of Saint-Bartholomew, located at the far end of Gustavia’s harbour, was built in 1855.

Beaches

Behind the town is Shell Beach, which has a deep and sheltered anchorage and a crescent-shaped beach. Drop anchor in the bay and swim ashore for lobster lunch with your feet in the sand, and admire your vessel from another vantage point.

The village of St Jean is adjacent to the airport on the northern coast and here you’ll find both the Eden Rock resort and Nikki Beach. A pristine stretch of sand and turquoise sea, this spot is most famous for its position at the end of the airport runway. To the east of St Jean is the quieter bay of Lorient. There are calm waters here that are ideal for snorkelling and you’ll find yourself amongst a much more local crowd.

In St Barths’ northwestern corner is Flamands – one of the longest sandy beaches on the island. It can be a little breezy here and the surf gets easily whipped up, but the Cheval Blanc Resort offers enticing respite. At the northwestern tip, one reaches Anse de Colombier. This is a protected bay and a premium snorkelling spot with green sea turtles, stingrays and barracuda all common sightings amongst a myriad of colourful reef fish.

St Barths Secrets

Restaurants

La Petite Plage

Where better to embrace French ‘joie de vivre’ than St Barths? La Petite Plage is located in the heart of Gustavia, right on the harbour and, come nightfall, dishes are served to the sounds of a DJ and a party atmosphere often ensues. The glass-fronted establishment faces the water and there are a few smaller tables out front, should you want to dine al fresco.

Tamarin

The Tamarin restaurant is found within a tropical garden of lush plants, banana trees and ylang-ylang. As the stars come out, this delicately lit jungle entices you in with its scent and colour, promising a sensory experience like no other. Occupying a secluded setting nestled in the hillside, it’s ideal for both more intimate and romantic dining as well as larger groups, with the vegetation providing a natural divide between diners and creating separate seating areas. Head Chef is Jérôme Lebeau and his delicious French cuisine comes with an international twist and exotic style. The Saint-Jacques carpaccio, lobster, and octopus come highly recommended.

Shellona

Taking prime position on Shell Beach, close to Gustavia, Shellona is a popular spot for long, relaxed luncheons. The cuisine takes a Greek tone, with a menu crafted by Chef Yiannia Kioroglou. Expect Mediterranean, Caribbean and French fare all with a gastronomic Grecian twist. Ask for a table upstairs for more of a view or dine in the beach-front lounge area with your feet in the sand.

Le Ti

This Caribbean tavern runs a traditional charcoal BBQ, accompanied by a nightly cabaret show. Party like a pirate and dance on the tables to the tunes of the resident DJ, and if you feel like your attire isn’t quite up to the atmosphere, simply take a look in their fancy-dress room!

The restaurant’s 60-day-aged Angus prime rib is a popular choice from the grill, but there’s also a sizable tuna tataki and mahi-mahi fillet that are likely to take your fancy.

Images (clockwise from opposite page) St Barth’s famously-short runway Al fresco dining at Tamarin The church of Saint Bartholomew Shellona

Le Ti

Hidden Corners

Wild Swimming

The natural pool at Grand Fond isn’t found in any tourist guides, and for good reason. Head for Grand Fond by car, and follow the path towards the beach from the parking area. When you reach the beach, turn right, and follow the small path through the big rocks. You’ll need to walk for 15 minutes, with the sea to your left and the mountain to your right, and then follow the sharp incline downwards. You’ll be rewarded by two crystal clear natural swimming pools, which are usually deserted.

Mini Mokes

To truly embrace St Barth’s uber-chic secret side, our advice is to jump in a mini moke and tour the island for yourself. Take the road less travelled – chances are, you’ll find a beach at the end of it and someone waiting to pour you a glass of rosé.

Images (top left to bottom right) Shell Beach

The Wall House museum in Gustavia

Mini Mokes lined up in the village

Venture beyond Gustavia to discover the hidden treasures of this Caribbean St Tropez

The most important aspect of the rebranding process was ensuring that Moravia Yachting completely aligns with the philosophy of Hill Robinson.

Image Adam Papadakis – Head of Sales, Moravia.

MORAVIA’S THE WORD

Having been a staple in Monaco’s glittering Port Hercule since the early 1960s, Moravia Yachting was acquired by the Hill Robinson Group in 2017 and officially relaunched in 2020. Specialising in providing yacht brokerage and charter services, Moravia Yachting offers its clients the care and attention of a boutique brokerage house with all the expertise, stability and strength of a global group.

The most important aspect of the rebranding process was ensuring that Moravia Yachting completely aligns with the philosophy of Hill Robinson. In other words, super-serving clients, maintaining an acute focus on client needs and providing a niche approach that differs from the larger brokerage houses. When it comes to brokerage services, two of the key values required to achieve this goal are confidentiality and discretion.

“In our business, there is a lot at stake and there are significant amounts of money involved,” explains Adam Papadakis, Head of Sales at Moravia Yachting. “Without confidentiality, you risk losing a client, losing credibility, or even facing legal implications. That’s why confidentiality is part of Moravia’s code of professional conduct for all its employees, especially the brokers who have direct contact with the clients. Clients want to feel comfortable with their broker and be confident that we’re looking after their best interests – this is what ultimately creates long-term relationships.”

For Adam, there are two areas to which confidentiality applies in practice. The first is straightforward: it’s the commercial aspects, including prices, transaction details and the client’s personal information. All brokers, yacht managers, lawyers and even yacht crew come across and handle a significant amount of such commercial and legal information daily and adhering to strict confidentiality standards is a must.

Written by Bryony McCabe

The second area is less quantifiable and has to do with the general code of ethics, behaviour, and personal terms surrounding the relationship with the client. As Adam explains, “We spend a major part of our time with our clients at their houses, cruising on board their yachts, meeting their friends and family; our job from first making contact is to nurture the relationship within an environment of trust, professionalism and controlled intimacy, avoiding pitfalls that will undermine any of the above fundamental principles. Although we work as a close-knit team, we all know what can be disclosed internally and what cannot.”

Since its relaunch, Moravia has built a team of highly qualified brokerage professionals that continues to grow. As such, a continuous and holistic approach is used to instil the values of confidentiality and discretion within the team. “At the time of recruitment, we clearly convey these values to the broker and continue to do so through ongoing training,” says Adam. “It might sound counterintuitive, but we ensure confidentiality and discretion by communicating internally and enhancing transparency and teamwork within the company.”

As an example of how this works in practice, Moravia brokers are encouraged to share case studies of circumstances they are facing, or that have occurred in the past. “This means that even those with less experience in the team are being exposed to different scenarios and are learning about the appropriate actions to take,” adds Adam. “It’s prevention rather than cure.”

In a business where success relies on contacts – and maintaining a trusting relationship with them – confidentiality is paramount. “Having a long-term approach towards its relationships with clients is what has kept Hill Robinson growing, and Moravia Yachting mirrors this ethos,” concludes Adam. “Our number one priority is to sustain and develop our relationships with our clients – that’s why we have the respect of our clients and they keep coming back to us.”

Moravia Yachting prides itself on upholding its core values of confidentiality and discretion.

Adam Papadakis, Head of Sales, explains how these values are instilled within Moravia’s growing team.

A Prestigious Partnership

—— Founded in 2018, The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust was formed to support young leaders who are transforming their communities across the Commonwealth.

With Moravia Yachting announced as the Trust’s exclusive yachting partner, clients of the Hill Robinson Group now have the unique opportunity to be a part of this important work.

The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust (QCT) was set up in recognition of Her Majesty The Queen’s love for the Commonwealth and its young people. Since 2018, QCT has been working with a new way of grant-making to help young leaders transform their communities through social ventures across the areas of agriculture and food, education and employability, the environment, health, and inclusion.

A small staff team, primarily comprising those from the private sector and professional services with deep expertise working in developing countries, QCT provides organisations with flexible funding, practical tools and support and a vibrant network of fellow young leaders. “We act as a secretariat to social entrepreneurs around the world doing incredible things,” explains CEO Chris Kelly. “They are often solving local issues

with local solutions, so we recognise that the expertise lies with them, but they might need help with organisational aspects such as financial management, impact measurement or safeguarding.”

Unlike many other funders, QCT focuses on achieving longer term rather than short-term impact. “Our aim is to strengthen the organisation and help them reach a sustainable place where they are able to carry on growing into the future,” adds Chris. “If we help them with these organisational aspects and give them ownership, we are helping them to do more over a longer period of time.”

Having recently added another 15 young leaders to an existing cohort of 11, QCT works closely alongside each of its grant recipients for twoplus years. It typically costs £45,000 for the trust to support a young leader during this time, including funding, technical assistance and overhead costs – a nominal sum when considering what the value of the consultancy support would be in the professional services industry.

One such recipient of QCT’s support so far is Daniel Misaki, founder of Ihandiro Youth Advocates for Nature (IYAN). Born and raised in the Rwenzori mountains in south-western Uganda, Daniel grew up surrounded by lush forest and a rich biodiversity. However, with local households depending heavily on firewood and charcoal burning for cooking stoves and light sources, Daniel’s community has seen significant forest cover loss, as well as increased landslides and soil erosion.

Images

QCT funding is already supporting a number of environmental and educational projects across Africa.

Recognising that many of these issues were rooted in a lack of access to, and education about, clean energy sources, Daniel founded IYAN to empower the local community to protect nature through a number of conservation and sustainable livelihood efforts. QCT support is enabling Daniel to supply households with 1000 clean energy cooking stoves and 240 solar solutions, as well as increase awareness of environmentally sustainable solutions. QCT is also helping to expand IYAN’s reforestation activities, helping the organisation to reclaim unforested land.

Now that Moravia Yachting has been selected as QCT’s exclusive yachting partner, following many years of discussions between Chris and Moravia Yachting’s Charter and Sales Broker Alastair Callender, its clients will now have the opportunity to directly impact equally worthwhile causes. Considering Her Majesty The Queen’s longstanding affiliation with yachting, and that QCT is typically supported by highnet-worth individuals, the partnership is immensely synergistic.

“Moravia Yachting is highly honoured to receive this endorsement and forge close personal links with The Queen’s Commonwealth Trust,” comments Alastair. “To build and connect a network of philanthropists to one another, while importantly supporting the work of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II’s Commonwealth Trust, gives the company immense pride. It is extraordinarily rewarding to ‘join the dots’ between many of yachting’s enthusiasts and also shine a light on how the QCT’s young

leaders are a catalyst for sustainable growth and positive impact. As a direct result, countless lives are being protected and numerous communities around the world are now being transformed.”

Chris hopes that the partnership will help QCT to fundraise and support more young social entrepreneurs around the world. “I think our leaders will be of immense interest to Moravia Yachting’s clientele, who might like to support a young person who’s making a tangible difference to communities with Her Majesty’s blessing,” he concludes.

Looking to the future, the partnership promises to bring about a number of specially curated fundraising events. With QCT and Moravia’s combined network and access to unique and special venues on land and on water, there are some exciting plans in the making –watch this space!

Please scan the QR code to find out more about the work of the Queen’s Commonwealth Trust.

TALKING CHARTER

—— As the 2022 Mediterranean charter season kicked off, Moravia Yachting’s retail charter team assembled for a round-table discussion on the summer ahead and to share their observations on current market dynamics.

Following the uncertainty and limitations of the last two years, people are eager to take advantage of the eased travel restrictions and experience something truly extraordinary for their holidays. Many of us have acquired a fresh perspective on life’s priorities and this sentiment is being reflected in a spike in the number of charter enquiries and bookings. “People have been locked away for nearly two years and they want to get on a boat and explore,” comments William Molloy, Head of Charter.

Rob Lander, Charter and Sales Broker, concurs; “Demand is definitely as strong as ever this year. Combined with the fact that quite a few bookings have bounced forward to this year due to cancellations caused by the pandemic, all the most popular boats are fully booked for the summer, or very nearly so.”

While the charter market suffered significant disruption during the numerous lockdowns around the world, perhaps one positive outcome from the pandemic is an increase in enquiries from firsttime charter clients allured by the benefits of chartering a yacht in terms of its privacy and luxury. Sharing an example, Charter and Sales Broker Alastair Callender, tells how he recently booked a tandem charter (two superyachts following the same itinerary) for a family group of 22 who traditionally took their annual holiday on a cruise ship that accommodates thousands of other people.

“My clients enjoyed the luxury, safety, and seclusion of their own yacht and described it as ‘the family event of all time’,” says Alastair. “A luxury charter is, therefore, far more attainable than some people realise, with some fabulous yacht options on the market that are equivalent to a cruise, ski trip or safari. Without exception, all my clients have chartered time and time again once they have experienced priceless, tailor-made yachting memories for the first time.”

There has also been a shift in how clients are approaching their charter experience. Charter Broker Darina Posthuma-Veligora, for example, is seeing clients looking to book longer durations on board and charter bigger yachts than usual. “Many people have reassessed their values and what is important in their lives, and are keen to spend more quality time with their family and friends,” she explains.

With more and more options on the market, there is increasing interest in chartering yachts with multi-qualified crew, such as yoga instructors, masseuses, hairdressers, drone operators and even musicians.

Investing more in their charter experience, clients are also expecting an elevated on-board experience and realising that the key to this is the crew. As such, the yacht’s crew is becoming one of the most important selection criteria when booking. “With more and more options on the market, there is increasing interest in chartering yachts with multiqualified crew, such as yoga instructors, masseuses, hairdressers, drone operators and even musicians,” observes Lea Tintaud, Charter Broker.

For one charter that Lea organised last year, one of the yacht’s crewmembers was a talented violinist and surprised the guests with a special performance during dinner on board one evening. Not only was it unexpected, it thrilled the guests and became a highlight of their trip.

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Take to the water toys, relax on deck or enjoy a little ‘you time’.

The team unanimously acknowledges that they are also seeing a changing demographic of charter clients: a younger average age of clientele has led to an increased demand for the latest water toys on board, such as Seabobs, flyboards and slides, as well as a more informal service approach. “They want a relaxed atmosphere as opposed to fine dining,” comments Charter Broker Caroline Hillier. The younger generation are a lso more interested in sustainability, which has led to a high uptake in Moravia Yachting’s carbon offset programme, which counterbalances the environmental impact of a charter at a relatively low cost.

Demand is definitely as strong as ever this year. Combined with the fact that quite a few bookings have bounced forward to this year due to cancellations caused by the pandemic, all the most popular boats are fully booked for the summer, or very nearly so.

In terms of trends in yacht design, beach clubs astern are now high up on the priority list for many clients, creating a peaceful space for charter guests to relax and have direct access to the water. And a connection with the marine environment is important elsewhere on board: “Advances in technology have allowed yacht designers to feature more glass in the superstructure, more floor-to-ceiling windows, so yachts with lots of natural light and panoramic views are definitely the most popular on the market at the moment,” adds Rob. As per usual, the Mediterranean is guaranteed to attract the most

charter bookings this summer, with Croatia and Greece proving to be the trending destinations. “There’s been an explosion of Michelin-star restaurants in Croatia, especially between Dubrovnik, Hvar and Split, so it’s definitely an important charter destination,” says Debbie Marcow, Charter Broker.

There are also hopes for more yachts to be available for charter in Greece this year as a recent law by the Greek Ministry of Shipping has introduced a new pathway for yachts of 35-metres and over, and constructed of plastic, steel or aluminium, to charter in Greek waters for up to 21 days, plus a seven-day extension, in any one calendar year. This exciting news means yachts previously unavailable can now be booked for three-week charters in the Cyclades, Dodecanese and Ionian islands, visiting Greece’s most famous ports of call such as Santorini, Mykonos, Athens, Skiathos and Ithaca.

Whatever the itinerary, a private yacht is the most extraordinary way to experience any destination. Carefully considering each client’s particular aspirations, tastes and requirements, Moravia Yachting’s team of retail charter brokers are specialised in guiding clients through the myriad of charter options available and curating their ultimate yachting experience.

Written by Bryony McCabe

—— Moravia Yachting is part of the Hill Robinson Group, empowering our clients with unrivalled technical, operational and global industry knowledge.

Our home port of Monaco has taught us the importance of circumspection over size. By embodying the ethos of the Principality we have been entrusted to sell and acquire yachts on behalf of select clientele. In essence, Moravia promises discretion and yachting prowess for exacting owners, with a heightened understanding of service excellence.

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MORAVIA — YACHTS FOR SALE

Beautifully proportioned and designed to offer the ultimate superyacht lifestyle, B2 is a first-class vessel in every regard. The 2022 refit included a new interior by Winch Design and B2 now boasts accommodation for 31 guests, a glass-bottomed pool, and beach club. One of the largest yachts on the market and maintained in immaculate condition, B2 is perfect for multi-generational family use or an owner seeking a vessel of premium pedigree for charter operations.

MORAVIA

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This fast, world-cruising vessel is a fully fledged superyacht with the superlative level of finish demanded by the most discerning of superyacht aficionados.

Delivered in 2019, this incredible all-aluminium explorer was built by SilverYachts and sports a striking military-inspired exterior by Espen Øino.

ISLAND

Following an extensive refit, completed in 2022, Island Heiress is presented for sale in fantastic condition. The yacht features all the amenities of a superlative superyacht lifestyle, and she also boasts an enviable charter record, should a new owner want to continue her commercial operation.

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This tri-deck motor yacht boasts a stylish and carefully considered interior design. There’s accommodation for 10 guests in five cabins, plus the option to accommodate two additional guests in the cinema room, and the exterior spaces are geared toward socialising. Indigo Star I is an extremely capable and seaworthy vessel, with a top speed of 17.5 knots. The yacht is MLC compliant and has enjoyed a busy charter operation in recent years.

BEST OF THE BIG YACHTS

Written by Roxanne Hughes

Best of the Big Yachts

—— When it comes to superyachts, size matters. The bigger the boat, the bigger the bounty of facilities, lifestyle amenities, and options. But, at this top end of the superyacht sector, the choice of yachts is limited to just a few. We take a look at what the big boats have to offer, and some of the largest vessels available for charter.

The 100m+ segment of the charter market offers just three superyachts to choose from in the MYBA system, the 126m Octopus, 168m Scenic Eclipse, and 106.5m Dream. Although, there a few more ‘off market’ commercially registered yachts, such as 115m Ahpo and 101m Symphony. Chomping at their heels are those in the 90m+ bracket, and the likes of 95m Madsummer, 95m Kismet, 95m O’Pari, and 85m Bold

Whilst the number of yachts available in this top size segment is small, their actual availability for charter is higher than that of their smaller superyacht siblings. “At the end of June 2022, entering the peak summer season and amidst a boom for charter business, 90% of yachts above 80m still showed some good summer availability,” comments William Molloy, Head of Charter at Moravia Yachting. William attributes this availability to the cost of chartering these giants, with most weekly rates in excess of €800,000 and some at €1.5million per week. For this same time period, the high-season months of July and August, nearly all the quality 40 to 60 metre yachts were fully booked.

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Previous page: 85.3m Bold

From left to right: Aft decks of 95m O’Pari O’Pari at anchor.

Best of the Big Yachts

But what has a 100m+ yacht got that a 50m doesn’t? In terms of space and facilities, the difference is massive. For example, 101m Symphony has 3,000 Gross Tonnes of internal watertight displacement, whereas 63m 11:11 has just 1,181 Gross Tonnes. “For me, it’s the crew to guest ratio that really sets these big boats apart. It’s a 24-hour service with complete dedication, and it’s true luxury,” says William. The moment you reach out to start planning a charter on these huge yachts, the onboard team kicks into action. There will be 27 crew aboard, likely more, and that’s a huge amount of ‘people power’. Other obvious benefits of these larger boats include a greater array of tenders and water toys, beach club setups, cinema rooms, and hotel-style facilities such as onboard spas and gyms.

The capability to cater for different groups of guests, of different ages and with different interests, is also enhanced on the larger superyachts. “On a 60-metre boat, some guests will want to go ashore for shopping, some will want to go snorkelling and others may want to explore the coastline, and a choice on the day’s activity has to be made,” explains William. The attributes and assets of a larger yacht means one tender can take guests on a day-long excursion, the limousine tender can speed those who wish to go ashore into the harbour, and if further transport is needed, there’s often even a helicopter that can be called into service.

There’s nothing that a 100-metre yacht doesn’t offer. Stepping aboard one of the largest superyachts for charter at last year’s Monaco Yacht Show, William recalls the array of equipment: “This yacht had it all.

From a selection of drones to help capture memories of your time aboard, to cryogenic therapy rooms and two nine-metre-tall living trees in the atrium. Most of the floor in the guest area was stone tiled, and each floor tile’s heat could be individually controlled. Crazy!”

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Lana cinema

Lana beach club

Bold cinema

Dream piano lounge

William has over 14 years’ experience as a charter broker, with some 200 charters booked as well as six yacht sales and a new-build project to his name.

His early career includes nine years as professional yacht crew and a degree in Maritime Studies helped turn his passion into a profession. Representing everyone from families looking for a quiet getaway to multinationals offering corporate hospitality at major worldwide events, William is perfectly placed to lead Moravia Yachting’s charter division.

With a love for exploring the Mediterranean, William can advise clients on the best cruising destinations. His personal favourite is Italy, particularly the Amalfi Coast and the Aeolian islands, citing the region’s volcanoes, crystal clear waters, laidback beach restaurants and Italian hospitality as the highlights.

William has many long-standing clients, some who have chartered with him for over 10 years, booking yachts from 20m in length right through to some of the largest superyachts on the water.

William Molloy

Head of Charter, Moravia Yachting, Monaco

“Everything I have ever done has perfectly qualified me to give good advice to clients about what type of boat to charter and the best locations to visit by boat.”

CHASE ME

Discover the superyacht chase boats and tenders that are luxury motor yachts in their own right.

Written by Julia Zaltzman

The beauty of superyacht life is the ability to go anywhere, at any time.

Lounging, dining and socialising aboard a yacht creates a true sense of adventure, but when it’s time to explore further afield the choice of tender, chase boat or landing craft will dictate where and how. Traditionally the chase boat was a fast open boat that chased after large sailing yachts competing in regattas. These days, it serves as a dayboat for owners who wish to spend nights away from the mothership or don’t wish to be limited by the size of the yacht’s tender garage.

That said, tender garage designs have rapidly evolved in the past ten years, giving birth to a new breed of superyacht that can accommodate multiple tenders, in larger sizes, with a growing range of purposes. Vast garages at the stern, large tender bays forward and even concealed hatches in the bow with side openings have given life to an array of tender options, from classic wooden beauties and large sports fishers to sleek limousines with customised livery. The following are our choice of six of the best tenders and chase boats on the market today, able to suit a variety of yachting needs.

Lounging, dining and socialising aboard a yacht creates a true sense of adventure, but when it’s time to explore further afield the choice of tender, chase boat or landing craft will dictate where and how.

1 SACS Rebel 47

The SACS Rebel 47 is a luxury cruiser and muscular tender at the same time. The Rebel’s rugged good looks give it a visual impact on the water that’s backed up by innovative technology derived from military use and rescue boats. Combining efficiency and stability with all the necessary amenities, it’s a versatile option as both superyacht tender and a day boat for guests. The Rebel 47 has a top speed of 38 knots and an 18-person capacity.

Chase Me

Image Falcon Tenders’ Miss Wonderly on the River Thames, UK

2 Compass Tenders

Calling all fashionistas! The semi-custom Latitude East from British builder Compass Tenders pairs sexy sports appeal with comfort and views in a sleek and alluring package. Stretching to 11m in length, the limousine tender possesses a curved coach roof with central glazing to reveal blue skies and electronically operated glass doors. The spacious interior cabin comfortably seats eight guests, providing the light and feel of an open tender, with the practicality needed for transferring guests in wet weather. When the sun’s out, the aft deck seating area delivers all the fun and none of the compromise. Hitting a racy pace of 36 knots, it’s a speed machine to boot.

3 Boesch 620 Acapulco Sport

Some boats are built for speed. Others are born to turn heads. The Boesch 620 Acapulco Sport is designed to do both, blending the brand’s classic mahogany silhouette with latest-generation design. The refreshed model enjoys a cockpit with an elevated wedge sunbed and a large swim platform. A newly developed hull, combined with the traditional Boesch power train concept, makes it the ideal tender for watersports, especially at slalom speeds when the wake stays compact and soft. With reduced emissions and fuel consumption, the 6.2m beauty accommodates six guests in an L-shaped lounge, with plenty of space left for skis and gear under the foredeck and sundeck. With its gently curved gunwale and decorative maple inlays, it’s simplicity at its best.

4 Sea Ray SLX 260

The uber sleek SLX 260 launched in May this year by Sea Ray Boats is the latest addition to the US brand’s premium SLX line, and incorporates all-new design language developed in partnership with BMW Design Works. At 8m in length, the compact bowrider possesses a flowing S-shaped sheerline, but it’s the functional details that clinch the design, such as ergonomically designed deep seats, a swivel-and-slide helm seat and a larger transom sunpad for lounging. There’s also an optional ‘power tower’ that extends sunshade via zipped T-tops, which raises or lowers with the push of a button. It can be upgraded with Fusion speakers and colour-changing lighting to complement the boat’s touchscreen helm console to bring the digital party to recreational boating.

5 Scout 530 LXF

The 530 LXF is the flagship S-Class model from the South Carolina boatbuilder, fusing a luxury sportsfisher with a high performance cruising chase boat. Meticulously crafted, the 16.28m vessel is built using cutting-edge carbon epoxy construction and Scout’s ‘stepped hull’ technology. Perhaps the coolest feature, however, are the hardtop mounted rocket launchers for holding big game fishing rods. Deployed at the touch of a button, they can be electronically raised or lowered to help with the loading and unloading of rods. When entertaining (or celebrating a catch) the dual electronicallyactuated hydraulic beach platforms port and starboard create a 5m beam deck, while the open heated helm seats ensure comfort whatever the weather.

6 Navier 27

At just 8m, the Navier 27 is pitched to become the longestrange, high speed electric vessel on the market achieving a 75-nautical-mile range at 20 knots. It aims to do this by eliminating hydrodynamic drag, made possible by hydrofoiling technology led by Paul Bieker of America’s Cup. Bringing together an intelligent software navigation system, the Navier 27 – conceived by a pair of MIT alumni aerospace engineers – hits the sweet spot for millennial owners who are drawn to an electric boat with range. Built using advanced composites, the autonomous craft cuts running costs by 90 per cent. Unsurprisingly, the first 15 hulls currently under construction at Lyman-Morse shipyard in Maine sold out in six weeks when made available in 2021.

7 Falcon Tenders Miss Wonderly

Miss Wonderly is the debut tender from British boatbuilder Falcon Tenders. Handcrafted in Southampton, the stylish, high-quality 10.5m limousine bridges the gap between performance and ocean preservation. The hybrid technology maintains quiet, smooth and emissions-free transitions throughout ports and inshore waters, seamlessly changing to combustion power in open waters. Exterior lines penned by Michael Leach Design are paired with opulent interior finishes using sustainably-sourced materials, including reclaimed teak decks. Marrying artisanal craftsmanship with a powerful driving experience, Miss Wonderly boasts a dedicated helmsman rotating seat with an ergonomically designed control station, a large activity platform aft and one of the most sumptuous interior experiences on the tender market.

ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE

Written by Julia Zaltzman

—— “The conversation starts with ‘What do you dream of?’. They say, ‘Burning Man in the Arctic’, and we say, ‘we can build that’,” explains Andrew Grant Super. And he’s not kidding. Broadway’s Hamilton on water, the 1942 Battle of Midway or a Tomorrowlandstyle music festival erected in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea. Nothing is off limits.

Super, a former marketing profiler, is at the forefront of yachting’s burgeoning stagecraft industry. It’s a world in which trickery art and creative installations are used to allow the heart to believe it’s seeing what the brain knows it’s not. He refers to it as “traversing the ‘rand’ of human exploration”. Put simply, it’s next-level theatrics spiced up with some seriously cool tech.

“We are experiential travel designers, an engineering house of sorts,” he says. “We came to yachting to bring fresh ideas from different industries, different people, different skills.”

Fresh is the word. Picture this: You’re standing on the aft deck of your yacht, a crisp Pinot Gris in hand and the salty sea breeze ruffling your hair. The ocean stretches for miles around. It’s summer on the Italian Riviera. And then you see it. Bubbling beneath the gin-clear water. The legendary sunken city of Atlantis, almost within your reach. Disbelieving, you take to your private submersible for a closer inspection, only to find yourself gliding past turrets, diving towards towers and swooping through arched colonnades.

“Do we build the whole of Atlantis?” he grins. “No. The budget would not allow for that.” Though find him an owner willing to finance such a gig and he’ll surely make it happen. But the timings, planning and logistics of such an endeavour also prove problematic.

“We’re not a McDonalds drive thru,” he jokes. “Recreating Atlantis already takes the best part of a year to pull together. It’s the Disney EPCOT principle, whereby you don’t need to build the entire city to give guests a sense of what it might feel like. They’ll see some physical structures that they can weave in and out of, built in such a way that it gives the perception that they’re seeing, breathing and living within Atlantis. The rest is stagecraft, augmented reality projections and visualisations.”

Strictly speaking, the term ‘stagecraft’ refers to the technical aspects of theatrical production, such as set design, lighting and stage machinery. But Super has elevated it to superyacht-worthy status. His bespoke experiences range from around €350,000 to the €2 million mark. And demand is through the roof. Berkeley Rand, the design and engineering house that Super founded in 2020 in partnership with BWA Yachting, is so oversubscribed that it’s taking bookings into 2024. It’s easy to see why.

By engaging highly skilled maritime off-grid experts and experiential engineers who use immersive AI technology to push the envelope of explorative discovery, Berkeley Rand creates a personal adventure tailored to each guest. The ideas range from Broadway at Sea, for which exclusive licences have been obtained to stage full costume shows like Hamilton on water, illuminated by 2,000 drones that light the stage and create shapes deep into the night sky. On a sand shelf in a Maldivian atoll, guests dine at pop-up Michelin-star outposts, such as Nobu, designed by world-class architects and sprinkled with an element of Harry Potter magic. Using advanced digital panels with 3D layering that were originally developed to redefine camouflage in the U.S. military, the waiters and staff are invisible. The effect is an out-of-this-world culinary adventure.

It’s no mean feat putting on immersive maritime experiences on such a grand scale. It requires engagement with global heritage brands, such as Disney, Marvel, Star Wars and NASA. Experts from Apple and Google bring digital clout, while those from Aston Martin, Bentley and Prada bring the luxury. From Snapchat to the Royal Navy, the list of contacts reads like a Who’s Who.

Last year, the company employed around 500 marine planners across various events, often running concurrently. Each trip is orchestrated onthe-ground, overseen from Berkeley Rand’s Mayfair headquarters, and supported by a further 40 creative brains around the world, all leaders in their respective fields of engineering, design and technology. It’s their role to conceive the inconceivable, and then make it happen.

It’s not all high-tech trickery, of course. On occasion named faces are roped in, too, such as extreme athlete Wim Hof, a.k.a. The Iceman, who is noted for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures. The Dutchman leads an Arctic Man experience – a Burning Man of sorts, recreated in the Nordic countries that sees guests undergo an enlightening physical experience that tests their mental resilience. For those who wish to sail alongside historical discoverers or commune with a pod of migrating whales, it takes a little more than a few celebrity faces.

“It requires artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing to create sonic sounds that enable guests to talk to whales,” he explains. “They’re either in submersibles or we build immersive freestanding pods aboard the yachts from where guests ‘communicate’ with the mammals as they pass around the ship.”

“It’s all about the magic of having waiters turn up out of nowhere so that you feel you’re immersed in a dream,” says Super. “The food’s appearing from every direction and you’re dining on a temporary sandbar in the Maldives in a restaurant designed by Foster + Partners. It’s insane! Once home, you’re the only people in the world to have eaten at a Nobu in the Maldives. It’s an experience created exclusively for you.”

The re-enactment of the Battle of Midway is one of the company’s more famous events, staged for a client in 2020. Wearing augmented reality goggles, the guests saw their superyacht converted into a World War II American battleship. The kids shot at fighter jets tearing through the sky as the smell of cordite and cannon fire drifted on the sea breeze.

“We tap into all the senses, equipping guests with full-body haptic suits so that when they pull the trigger on their virtual gun, they feel the haptic shakes throughout their legs and torso as though they’re really shooting,” explains Super. “It’s about getting the experience from every angle, so you really feel as though it’s happening.”

Does it push the realms of fantasy? Yes. Does it appeal to everyone? Probably not. But by playing to the advantages and natural beauty of each fixed location, it elevates the yachting life, rather than redefine it. At present, the Mediterranean is Berkeley Rand’s major stomping ground. During Covid, the company’s activations in the Riviera and Baltics ramped up. But looking ahead, Super’s eyes are firmly set towards the Caribbean, which he describes as “a major hunting ground”, the Indian Ocean, now that the experiences are becoming more remote, and the US, which accounts for 40% of the yachting market.

“West coast tech titans are critical to us,” he says. “They run through our veins. Power families are our classic clients who love what we do. The complexities around trying to entertain a three-generational family who have seen it all is stifling. Adapting immersive technology to augment, enhance and capture the moments we create for our guests to provide maximum visceral enjoyment is what we’re all about.”

If seeing is believing, don’t be surprised if you hear about a legendary lost city turning up at a yachting hub near you.

“It requires artificial intelligence, machine learning and natural language processing to create sonic sounds that enable guests to talk to whales.”

ANDREW GRANT SUPER BERKELEY RAND

Images (clockwise from top left)

Berkeley Rand’s augmented reality experiences range from the surreal to the sublime, from re-enactments of famous battles to the re-envisioning of lost underwater worlds and the re-staging of world-famous shows.

OPENING THE DOOR TO THE DEEP

FIVE SIGHTS TO SEE BY SUBMARINE

Written by Gemma Fottles

Though our oceans account for over 70% of the planet’s surface area, less than 20% of the underwater world has been explored. The reasons, until now, have been relatively straightforward. Deep-sea exploration requires extraordinarily advanced and costly technology – the likes of which have historically been reserved for scientific research teams and military operations. The very idea of a private submarine capable of safely carrying unqualified passengers, stored on board a luxury yacht and used for nothing but pleasure? No one could have imagined how quickly it would take off.

As technology has evolved, however, deep-sea exploration has become increasingly accessible. In fact, the private submarine market has exploded in recent years, and today, a personal submersible is no stranger to the deck of a sturdy explorer yacht or adventurous superyacht. The Dutch U-Boat Worx and the American Triton Submarines are two of the biggest submarine brands to prove just that. Their dedicated superyacht submarines catch the attention of yacht owners worldwide with easy launch and recovery systems, 360-degree views, and submarine pilot training programs for the crew to boot.

One of the most accessible models is U-Boat Worx’s NEMO. Weighing in at just 2,500kg and with room for two passengers, NEMO is the smallest member of the U-Boat Worx fleet, offering a deep-diving submarine explicitly designed for the yacht market. The NEMO submersible can dive to depths of 100 metres and, at just 2.3 metres wide, requires less storage space than a couple of jet skis.

But what is waiting for you once you get down to the unknown depths of the ocean? By all accounts, a submarine dive is an out-of-this-world experience. Total peace, silence, serenity and an insight into a part of this planet that is impossible to get elsewhere. Picture diving to depths of hundreds of metres, meeting whales and sharks on the way and getting up close to ancient shipwrecks, unique rock formations and rare creatures that call the bottom of the ocean their home. This opens up a whole new kind of exploration for yacht owners and their guests. With a sub, you can enter unchartered territory.

0°33′37″S 91°2′27″W

GALÁPAGOS ISLANDS

Lying in the Pacific Ocean around 1,000 kilometres from the coast of Ecuador is a volcanic archipelago that is wild, beautiful and, quite simply, out of this world. It’s not hard to see why the Galápagos Islands are amongst the world’s most coveted destinations – and there are few better playgrounds for submarine exploration. Home to thousands of diverse flora and fauna, many of which are endemic to this unique region, a submarine adventure opens up the fantastic underwater world of the Galápagos to everyone on board. Peer out at giant whale sharks and humpback whales as they migrate east in the summer and spot rare marine life that lives in the deep sea. Thanks to its incredible biodiversity, the Galápagos is also one of the most protected natural areas. Cruising outside the three main islands of San Cristóbal, Santa Cruz, and Isabela is only possible with a professional guide but, for those equipped for real exploration, the rewards are well worth it.

64°50’14.0”S 62°59’03.5”W

ANTARCTICA

Can there be a better way to explore the hidden depths of the most remote place on Earth than by submarine? Making Antarctic exploration available to everyone, young or old, a submarine adventure here is an experience that is hard to forget. Dive down past massive ice shelves, gaze at the vast icebergs in all their glory, and experience a part of this world that few humans have ever been able to lay eyes on. Aside from ethereal ice sights, Antarctica’s freezing waters are home to a fantastic variety of wildlife. When it comes to experiencing the majestic beauty of the blue whales and orcas or the ethereal sight of vast schools of krill, there are no better viewpoints than from a private submarine.

17°17’54.7 “N 87°30’58.8” W

GREAT BLUE HOLE

Lying at the centre of Lighthouse Reef around 70 kilometres from the Belize mainland, the Great Blue Hole is the biggest sea hole in the world – so big that it can be seen from space. Discovered by Jacques Costeau in the 1970s, today, this UNESCO World Heritage Site is one of the best dive spots on the planet. In 2018, the 124-metre-deep hole was explored by a submarine for the very first time with no other than Richard Branson and Fabien Cousteau, the grandson of the famous explorer credited with its discovery, onboard. A submerged cave that was slowly flooded over more than 150,000 years, not much life exists in the hole once you sink past the first few metres. The main focus of a submarine dive here is to gaze upon ancient stalactites and fascinating cave formations that were all but a mystery until a few years ago.

16°44’45.3”S 145°56’23.7”E

GREAT BARRIER REEF

Another of the Earth’s natural phenomena that’s so large it can be seen from space, the Great Barrier Reef needs no introduction to the adventurous yachtsman or woman. Stretching along the northeastern coast of Australia, the Great Barrier Reef regularly attracts millions of tourists yearly, snorkelling and diving to get up close with the world’s largest living organism. However, exploring the Great Barrier Reef by submarine is a relatively new experience. Peacefully cruise past more than 50 species of shark from the comfort of the submarine, and spot the remainder of the Reef’s ‘Great Eight’ list: clownfish, giant clams; manta rays; Maori wrasse; potato cod; whales and turtles.

15°32’27.8”S 167°15’08.4”E

VANUATU

The South Pacific Ocean island nation of Vanuatu is an explorer’s dream, with crystal clear waters teeming with coral reefs, amazing sea life and incredible shipwrecks providing plenty of opportunity for memorable submarine dives. Located just off the paradisiacal island, SS President Coolidge has long been a famous wreck dive. The luxury American cruise liner turned troopship was lost in 1942 after hitting two mines during WWII. The captain managed to run her aground and safely evacuated all 5000+ passengers before she started sinking and slipped into the depths of the Pacific Ocean. Though the ship’s bow is easily accessible by scuba divers, at 240-feet-deep, her stern is where sub explorers can get a close look at sights that few get to see.

——

With more and more yacht owners and charter clients looking for a taste of adventure and with more private subs available than ever –here we open the door to the deep and delve into the top five spots to explore by submarine.

Dive down past massive ice shelves, gaze at the vast icebergs in all their glory, and experience a part of this world that few humans have ever been able to lay eyes on.

Images (clockwise from top)

Come face to face with turtles in the Galapagos

Great Barrier Reef

SS President Coolidge, Vanuatu

Great Blue Hole

Play with penguins in Antarctica

REDESIGNING & REFITTING

Written by Bryony McCabe

—— Having undergone an interior refit this year, penned by Winch Design, 85.6-metre B2 presents an enticing purchase proposition.

Built by Abeking & Rasmussen in 2008 to a design by Reymond Langton, the 85.6-metre B2 has recently completed a €5 million-plus interior refit, which was designed by Andrew Winch and project managed by Hill Robinson. The interior refresh was extensive, and featured an overhaul of the interior and exterior furniture, upholstery, and artwork. The redesign has transformed the on-board experience and offers a new owner the opportunity to buy a pedigree yacht combined with a fresh interior curated by a leading design studio.

Ignacio Oliva-Velez, Senior Partner at Winch Design and their project manager for the refit, describes the previous interior as the ideal blank canvas. “The interior was a connoisseur’s collection of signature furniture and pop art, and the minimalist interior architecture was the perfect backdrop to showcase it,” he reflects. “This base framework was kept throughout the refit, allowing us to replace the furniture and artwork seamlessly.”

The brief for the redesign was for a comfortable and cosy interior with informal seating areas and a focus on relaxation and enjoyment. The decor was requested to be bright and colourful, with a textured, natural and homely feel, and the intention for the artwork was to showcase innovative and contemporary international artists – all within a relatively short period of time. To meet these requirements, Winch Design searched their pool of suppliers for available furniture, accessories and furnishings and contacted a number of galleries who represent and exhibit exclusive modern art with an international theme, carrying out a true curators’ job to select the final collection for B2

For Winch Design, the biggest challenge during the project was the time allowed to specify, search, test, procure and deliver all the necessary interior design goods. “The solid sense of teamwork and partnership between Winch Design and Hill Robinson, including the network of suppliers, local outfitters and project managers, helped mitigate the time constraints and assure a successful result,” adds Ignacio.

B2’s new interior is characterised by a neutral colour palette that features buttery soft cream leathers, natural textures of dark woods and rattan, and pops of teal-blue textiles, creating a contemporary and welcoming space inspired by the ocean. “Stepping aboard the yacht, you are immediately met with the inviting aroma of wood and leather,” describes Ignacio. “One of the interior’s most stand-out new features is the incredible blue parchment bar unit, the inspiration for which came from the owner and the various references he gave us.”

B2’s five decks are optimised for relaxing and socialising, with a versatile interior layout featuring saloon lounges on both the bridge deck and on the main deck. The indoor dining area on the upper deck seamlessly connects to the aft deck terrace, creating a free-flowing dynamic with the exterior seating area, or to simply provide dinner with a view. This deck is peppered with eye-catching artwork and feature furniture pieces, such as the exquisite dining table and sideboards. Forward on this deck is the owner’s stateroom – a serene haven with his-and-hers’ bathrooms, dressing rooms, and a full beam suite enjoys 180-degree views over the bow.

“Karl Hartmann, now Partner at Hill Robinson, was the original build manager for the boat and we are immensely proud to still be involved with this impressive vessel some 14 years later!”

NIALL ROBINSON PARTNER, HILL ROBINSON

B2’s exterior areas have been designed to offer versatility in terms of relaxation and entertainment options, with the bridge deck space now incorporating a large table for alfresco dining. Designed by Winch to meet the vision for the space, the custom-made table caters for intimate family dining and extends to transform into a banquet-style entertaining and bar area.

Perhaps B2’s most notable feature is her glass-bottomed pool. Located aft on the main deck, it resides above the beach club. With fold-down balconies port and starboard and the influx of light through the pool above, the new-look space is bathed in rippled and shaded sunshine. “With its eclectic feel and striking yellow bar, the beach club is guaranteed to provide all levels of entertainment,” adds Ignacio.

Overseeing the sales process together with the Partners, is Moravia Yachting’s Head of Sales Adam Papadakis, who believes B2 is a very interesting purchase opportunity for the right buyer. “B2 ticks many different boxes for a new owner,” he explains. “She has the existing pedigree of the Abeking and Rasmussen build and Reymond Langton design, but the refreshed interior style from Winch Design takes the yacht to another level of excellence.”

Furthermore, an impressive 31 guests can be accommodated across 15 staterooms. “The yacht was designed for multi-generational usage, offering a flexibility and versatility that very few other yachts do, even those of a larger size,” Adam adds. “The layout of the five different decks creates a variety of social spaces so that, even with 31 guests on board, the yacht still feels private and expansive.”

Images (Below) Saloon (Opposite) Master Suite

has the existing pedigree of the Abeking and Rasmussen build and Reymond Langton design, but the refreshed interior style from Winch Design takes the yacht to another level of excellence.”

ADAM PAPADAKIS HEAD OF SALES, MORAVIA YACHTING

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OUR CHARTER FLEET

—— In the following pages we will introduce you to the collection of charter yachts managed by Hill Robinson. Whether you are a charter guest planning the ultimate escape or a superyacht owner seeking the care and attention of a professional management team, our bespoke approach is designed to provide you with value, reliability, and the service excellence you deserve.

CHARTER FLEET

Fantastic yacht, she is a very impressive vessel indeed and certainly currently one of the best 36 pax vessels available today. Dream is an incredible achievement!

KEY FEATURES

CHARTER FLEET

Combining innovative functional comfort and a sophisticated aesthetic, B2 invites you to enjoy the pleasure of peaceful, comfortable cruising, whilst offering all the amenities one could wish for.

CHARTER FLEET

We had an excellent experience on board! The crew were fun, very professional and dedicated. We loved the water toys – especially the jet skis with music – and the quality of food was excellent. Congratulations to you Captain and your great crew!

CHARTER FLEET

We enjoyed extraordinary service on board an impeccable yacht. We found her to be incredibly warm and welcoming and the owner’s deck was a private sanctuary we enjoyed immensely. Thank you to Captain Johan and your crew for all you did to ensure our family time was so special.

CHARTER FLEET

Designed for long range exploration and wellequipped with the finest amenities, superyacht Nomad offers the complete charter experience.

CHARTER FLEET

Thank you to the crew for an amazing experience on board. We have been lucky to charter numerous yachts in the 65 metre range and we found Eternity and her delightful crew set a new standard in the Bahamas! We are forever grateful for the family memories and look forward to our return.

KEY FEATURES

— Master office with fold-out balcony, ideal for over-the-water dining/relaxing

— 5.25m/17.3ft foredeck Jacuzzi that doubles as an exercise/ resistance pool

— Dedicated sun deck gym with Peloton, punching bag, stability balls and yoga mats, etc

CHARTER FLEET

Still buzzing after such a fantastic regatta! Thanks for making us all feel so welcome and looking after us so well. Your crew are a credit to you. Hope that our paths cross again soon.

KEY FEATURES

CHARTER FLEET

It was a last minute charter; Captain Igor did a great job pulling together provisions within 24hrs with no preferences – not easy! Overall a great trip and thanks again for making this happen last minute – team effort!

CHARTER FLEET

With careful attention to detail and a strong knowledge of the experiences charter guests desire, formed from their own experiences as charterers, the owners of Audaces are focused on delivering an unparalleled charter program for this size of yacht.

The service on board Island Heiress was impeccable, the boat is divine! The best part was spending time with my best friend in paradise and luxury beyond my wildest dreams. Best time ever, best crew ever! Thank you!

CHARTER FLEET

KATHLEEN ANNE

What an amazing trip! Croatia was a wonderful surprise and the Kathleen Anne was a perfect fit for our family trip. We thank you all for the attention to every detail. You spoiled us and we appreciate each and every one of the great crew.

Indigo Star I’s impressive leisure and entertainment facilities, combined with large interior spaces make her the ideal charter yacht for socialising and entertaining with family and friends.

We chartered Viking III for a week and cruised along the Cote d’Azur. She was stable, comfortable and perfectly sized for our group of six. We spent most of our days ashore and loved returing to the yacht for sundowner cocktails and evening meals. Viking III was a home-from-home.

Cruising with Only Now was the ultimate experience. The captain and crew were super organised and professional and we had a lots of fun with the yacht’s water toys. The dining experience was simply ‘wow’, the freshest seafood and tapas we have ever had in the Mediterranean.

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