43˚ 44' 6" N, 7˚ 25' 30" E
HAPPENINGS By Claire Griffiths; photos by Mark Sims
Back to Monte Carlo
■■■■ If it felt like you’d been dropped back in time to days you’d lived before while in Monaco this past September 19–22, it’s because in some ways you nearly had been. According to Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) official statistics, things don’t change much from year to year. Just like last year, in 2012 there were 500 exhibiting companies (88 percent of which renew each year), 100 superyachts between 25 and 90 meters in length and 40 new launches, not to mention the additional fleet of 80-odd superyachts that anchored out to nudge in on the action. Almost all of the 30,000 expected visitors came from foreign shores, representing 38 different countries. Oh, and the green leafy things once again strategically dressed the quay — about 500 of the bushy beasts (if you’d cared to notice or count) had been uprooted for their annual outing to this tinselly town.
What we definitely did notice were the gold platform boots, the very beautiful people and the big, white boats. As hard as it is to pick out superstars from a cast of distinguished superyachts, some set more tongues wagging than others. Wally’s S/Y Better Place and Rossinavi’s M/Y Aslec 4 got thumbs up from RINA and were awarded the Green Plus Yacht Award, 2012, and the MYS and Baccarat 2012 Design Award went to S/Y Vertigo from Alloy. Size-wise, the largest new launches emerged from Lürssen with the 87-meter M/Y Ace and Oceanco, whose M/Y Nirvana clocked in at 88.5 meters. Many were impressed with S/Y 60 Years, the first superyacht from Turkish yard Royal Craft. Sweaty hands and stinky feet speak the same language wherever they come from, and dawn saw choruses (trilling quite chirpily, actually) of yacht crew chamoising, polishing, scrubbing and rubbing away previous footfalls as the sun rose before the flood gates opened, allowing more sweaty hands and feet aboard. But it wasn’t all “the same ol’ stuff.” There were new bits to the
22-year-old Monaco Yacht Show story, especially at the Dockwalk Captains’ Hideout. Set in the re-vamped Stars ‘n’ Bars upper lounge, now called the Star Deck — complete with an open-air balcony overlooking Port Hercules — 320 captains and crew rolled up for the Welcome Party on yacht show eve. Over the course of the next few days, 1,400-plus yacht crew dropped in for hot lunches, free drinks, WiFi and sponsor gifts and prizes, including iPads, digital cameras, wine and some highly coveted (drum roll, please)…stress balls. The word about the epic prizes must have spread like wildfire around the docks as Dockwalk’s Hideout broke attendance records this year. To ease the pace and milk the pleasure, exhibitor parties and official events pockmarked the calendar. Among these fabulous festivities were the PYA/ISS wine tasting on Wednesday, the MYS Captains’ Party at Le Meridien Beach Plaza Hotel on Friday, Boat International Media’s fabulous ’do to celebrate the launch of The Superyachts book at The Hermitage and the Fraser Yachts’ Captains’ Dinner on Thursday, at which Capt. Takis Tsakos of M/Y Ionian Princess claimed top prize: Charter Captain of the Year. Capt. Fernandino Tarquini of M/Y Force Blue won Best Charter Crew over 50 meters; he and his crew garnered lots of applause for their actions in rescuing a guest who fell overboard during the season. Finally, Capt. Paul Waltho of M/Y Dragon accepted the award for Best Charter Crew under 50 meters WANT MORE? See Lauren Beck's on behalf of Capt. Dave Frevert. MYS 2012 pics on DOCKWALK.COM Merci, Monte Carlo! Encore. DW
32 NOVEMBER 2012 DOCKWALK.COM
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