Yachtstyle issue 28 by Yachtstyle

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YACHTSTYLE ISSUE TWENTY-EIGHT SUMMER

LOGBOOK

l l

024 NEWS

036 REGATTAS

Great Britain launches its AC bid; the new Monaco Yacht Club is open

10th Top of the Gulf in Pattaya , 1010 Match Race in Hong Kong

044 PARTIES

052 BOAT SHOWS

Horizon, Prestige, Princess and Macallan all hosted parties this summer

Gold Coast Boat Show reviewed (May). Yacht CN anticipated (October)

056 IAN WILLIAMS

069MRFAN

A pro sailor at the top of his game, and an eye on the history books

First Chinese owner of a Swan 60 is finding success on the circuit

FEATURES â&#x20AC;˘t:S::i.~ot just shipyards: Viareggio is in Tuscany, and has a lot more to offer

076 SUMMER RETREAT Relax. It's su mmer, and the charter business is growing in Asia

090 TAIWAN TODAY SuRi is a superyacht that's packed to the doors with toys for adventurers

Boatshows, shipyards, regattas. Something is stirring in Taiwan

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MANAGING miTOR: SUZY RAYMENT CONffiiBUTORS: GUY NOWELL. NIC BOYDE. BOB FISHER. JODY CHAPMAN. JENNY COOPER. BART KIM MAN AND MARIA BOYDE PHOTOGRAPHERS: GUY NOWELL. GILLES MARTIN-RAGET. XAUME OLLEROS. JAMES ROBINSON TAYLOR. RICK TOMLI NSON. AND MARK EVELEIGH

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12 EDITOR•s LETTER )) SUMMER ISSUE

COI\ITRIBUTORS

BOB FISHER Author of:A.n Absorbing Interest: The America's Cup 1851-2003' , Bob Fisher

has written the definitive work on this unique yacht race. A yachting correspondent for The Guardian and the Observer, 'The Fish' as he is better known is fu lly qualified to comment on present goings-on in the AC world. He

CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Spntzt in Pletrasanta; Jimmy Farquhar is Top Dog; Talwan International Boat Show on the Love River; poss1bly the best gelato in the world (please, don't call 11 ice cream); full scale 1ntertors mock up at Yachthne

describes the prescriptions for the next iteration of the oldest trophy in internationa I sport as "A Most Pern icious Protocol'.

JENNY COOPER New Zealander

have been hearing about Viareggio ever since I started Yacbtstyle some seven years ago. I finally got the opportunity to visit this Italian hub of the superyacht industry at the beginning of summer, and what a surprise! Instead of the ugly industrial shipbuilding city that I was expecting, Viareggio is a classy seaside resort that is listed as one of the TopTen beach resorts in Italy. Viareggio is full of style: a quick visit to the Rossinavi shipyard, a stopover in the artists community in Pietrasanta, a conversation with a lighting specialist and a tour of a leading superyacht interior outfitter were interesting and most educational- and all of them were too short - but it was the trip up the mountain to see the source of the marble that inspired Michaelangelo that was the biggest treat of all ... along with the Dolce Vita gelato! (Page 64). New holiday opportunities provide the theme for our charter feature, Summer Escapes. Yachts of all sizes and facilities are available for charter in the Asian region, and they make for a completely different holiday package on the water (Page 74). However, if you are looking for some serious toys to play with, then it is hard to beat the hardware available on the superyacht SuRi, who was visiting H ong Kong recendy. The inventory includes a helicopter, and a glass bottomed saloon where you can watch the underwater wildlife from the comfort of your own sitting room (page 84). Or if you fancy getting away from it all and communing with nature in comfort and style, then a sojourn on the ironwood-hulled phinisi, Dunia Baru, is a superyacht experience that will be one to write home about (Page 120). Taiwan has been building all manner of yachts for over 50 years; everything from small fishing craft to

superyachts, but until recently there has been little opportunity for the local population to get out on the water. Government restrictions on recreational boating and sailing have now changed and the Taiwan Authorities are actively encouraging a boating habit amongst the residents of this island. The first Taiwan International Boat Show was a raging success, and the second Penghu Regatta is the start of things to come. (P age 90). We have the usual round up of the key regattas, boat shows and parties, along with an interview with world #1 match racer, Ian Williams, who was in H ong Kong recently for the 1010 4G Match Racing International, which be won! (Page 56). We also congratulate the new Swan 60 owner, Mr Fan who three weeks after taking delivery of his yacht was off on the Nord Stream Race, a 750nm dash from St P etersburg, Russia, to Warnemunde in Germany. This passionate sailor was delighted when they managed a second on their first race and now he is off to Palma, Spain, for the Swan 60 World Championship (page 60). I hope to be sailing with Mr Fan on his Swan 60, Windward, in the China Cup International Regatta in October, which is when the next issue of Yachtstyle will be coming your way. Enjoy the summer and your time on the water.

Jenny Cooper is as comfortable trimming the sails of an Etchells as she is working with major asset management companies and leading financial institu tions. Combining this with her love of art, and knowledge of the local cultural scene. this means that Jenny is perfectly suited to bring Yachtstyle readers the latest information on the fi ner thi ngs in li fe. In this issue Jenny 'makes some connections' as Art Basel Hong Kong blows through town and stirs up the regiona l art world.

JODY CHAPMAN

Jody is a yacht designer based •n Singapore. Having cut his teeth with several years in automotive design at Aston Martin, Jaguar&. Land Rover he changed tack in 2006 and followed his passion for yachting. Seventy Seven Design was establi shed in 2011 to harness the thriving creative &. design environment of South East Asia. He is a voracious reader and has written for yachting, design and engineering publications throughout Asia and Europe. A self-confessed geek, Jody gives a cursory g lance at some of the new wearable· tech gadgets which are popping up and

PS: Congratulations to Jimmy Farquhar on being RHKYC's Top Dog for this season.

ponders whether they are a sea change or merely a drop in the ocean.

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24 LOGBOOK » NEWS

Ladyeat

he 76th Bol d'Or Mirabaud, around Lake Geneva, will long be remembered by all crews as an exceptional race. Contested in a strong 15-25 kts northerly, the race conditions were idyllic, with warm temperatures and sunny skies. "The strategy was to stay in contact with our competitors and not to take extreme options, so that we could seize every opportunity and keep some cards up our sleeve,• explained Dona Bertarelli, skipper of Ladycat, the winner of the Bol d'Or Mirabaud, at the end of the race. As is often the case, the victory was determined when passing the Bouveret barge- the halfway point and a cape that is often very difficult to navigate. The leading boats sailed into a lull, allowing the second row to catch up. It was nerveracking, but allcwed Dona Bertarelli, Yann Guichard and their teammates a chance to return to get back into the action which had previously been dominated by Alinghi, Realstone and Mobimo. After 66.5nm and 5 hours 38 minutes, the Decision 35 Ladycat crossed the finish line, ahead of Realstone and Alinghi. It is the second time in a row that a sailing boat in Zenith oolours has won the Bol d'Or; the M1 Zenith catamaran, skippered by JeanPhilippe Bucher, won the race in 2013 -this time Bucher fell victim to sail damage. "I'm very proud of my team who sailed well from start to finish, • concluded Bertarelli. "~ is an enormous pleasure to win the Bol d'Or Mirabaud for the second time. Now we have to win the next edition because to keep the Bol d'Or forever, you have to win the race three times in five years!"

IWC and the Charles Darwin Foundation Research Station The waters around the Galapagos Islands are one of the largest marine conservation areas in the wor1d. The archipelago is home to many unique, rare, and in some cases endangered species. It is one of the most fascinating and ecologically diverse locations on the planet. This year, the Char1es Darwin Foundation celebrates the 50th anniversary of its Research Station, which today is the base for more than 100 scientists, students, teachers and volunteers who research the flora and fauna in the waters of the region in order to help prevent the unique ecosystems from being irreparably damaged. rNC has been a partner of the Char1es Darwin Foundation since 2009 the bicentenary of the scientist's birth -and has now contributed a significant annual sum to assure the future of the research station. IWC CEO Georges Kern comments, "As a successful global watch manufacturer, IWC is committed to social responsibility. We therefore made the choice to support the wor1< of the Charles Darwin Foundation on a long term basis in order to make a sustained effort to help preserve this area of natural beauty.•

SAVE THE DATE! The 7th World Yacht Racing Forum and the Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium are being held 10-11 December, 2014 in Barcelona, Spain. www.worldyachtracingforum.com

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26 LOGBOOK » NEWS

Monaco Yacht Club

New CEO for Ferretti Group

The Board of Directors of the Ferretti Group, as convened by Chairman Tan Xuguang, who also heads the Weichai Group, has named Alberto Galassi to be Ferretti's new

is Serene Highness the Sovereign Prince Albert II, accompanied by the royal family, the building's architect Lord Foster and government ministers, officially opened the new premises of the Yacht Club de Monaco on 20 June 2014. It was a historic occasion for the 3,000 guests and all those who participated in the Giraglia Rolex Cup which finished in Monaco for the first time in its 62-year history. "The flag I raised today flies proudly on the mast at the top of our new premises. It marks an important phase in the life of our Club, for Port Hercule and for the Principality," said Prince Albert as the doors of the Yacht Club de Monaco and the rowing club, the Societe Nautique, were officially opened to members. "With this architectural masterpiece we are affirming our Monaco yachting identity, and our ambition to continue to orient our country's future prosperity towards the sea. • The Monaco government chose Lord Norman Foster to design the YCM's new flagship, as the renowned British architect is famous for his hi-tech approach to the environment. "When designing this building which is open to the sea, at the centre of the harbour and embracing the city, we wanted to preserve the traditional spirit so dear to the Principality; said Lord Foster, adding that if this building was a real liner he would call her Free Spirit. As slender as the liners which used to cruise between England and America in the early 20th century, the new building will offer members, owners and yachting professionals a friendly meeting place that will undoubtedly contribute to the vitality of life in Port Hercule and the Principality's international prestige.

DID YOU KNOW? Ocean of Hope has set sail from Copenhagen on a circumnavigation of the world. The yacht is crewed by people with multiple sclerosis.

Chief Executive Officer. Sr Galassi replaces Ferruccio Rossi and is part of a consolidation/relaunching plan that is focused on the conception and construction of a new range of products, as well as on the implementation of new business and marketing strategies. The goal is to secure new positions in international markets and thus confinm the role played by the boats made by the Group as ambassadors of 'Made in ttaly' technology and style. The new endeavour is being made possible by the essential support of the Weichai Group, the majority shareholder in the Ferretti Group since 2012. Weichai has been of crucial importance with its contributions of equity support and new distribution channels. To show its determination in ensuring the worldwide growth of the Ferretti Group, the Weichai Group has decided to offer a shareholders' loan of €30 million that is immediately available and can be converted into an increase in capital in the future.

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28 LOGBOOK » NEWS

Swim to Macau

Hong Kong resident has become only the second person to swim across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong to Macau. Simon Holliday, 35, set a record for the swim in a time of 1Oh 20m 30s, beating the time of Beijing swimmer Zhang Jianwho swam across in 10h 30m in 2005. Holliday said afterwards, "There were tough moments - lots of big tankers near the start, and lots of time to contemplate what I was doing, but the jellyfish didn't appear, and instead, the dolphins did, for over an hour! It was one of the most amazing moments of my life to see them around us for so long, even though I had to keep my head down and kept going.• "My team have been amazing - Shu Pu has worked tirelessly to make this swim happen and was with me all the way on her outrigger canoe. She becomes the first single paddler to get across. I also want to thank Ami for navigating so expertly through challenging waters. And to the rest of the crew - thanks so much for your tireless support This wouldn't have happened without you.• Holliday began his swim at 05.00h from Peaked Hill (Kai Yet Kok), on the west edge of Lantau Island, and swam approximately 35km to Hac Sa Beach in Macau, arriving at 15.40h. The swim raised CNer HK$250,000 for Ocean RecCNery Alliance and their project Grate Art, which brings together eight local and Chinese artists to create plaques used to remind people not to dump into drains on the street, as these sometimes flow straight into the ocean. www.justgMng.corrv'Simon-Holliday

Shenzhen Auction

Competitors in the annual China Cup International Regatta will be familiar with the marina that serves as the regatta base, officially known as the Shenzhen Sea Sports Base and Voyage Sport School. The 218-berth facility, complete with slipways, hardstanding, athlete village, teaching and lecture rooms, media rooms, training facilities and an all-weather pitch was built as the sailing and windsurfing venue for the 26th Universiade 2011 at a cost of RMB366m (US$59m). Bids are now invited for a management company to take over the facility and run it as a watersports centre providing school-level academic education in marine sports and training, arranging watersports events at National and Provincial level, providing sports facilities and accommodation for the Dapeng New District Sailing Windsurfing Team, public welfare sea sports activities and youth sailing camps. Apart from the marina, it boasts accommodation for 400 athletes and a huge amount of office, back-office and teaching space. This project is all about 'legacy' -what to do with expensive municipally-funded sports facilities after they have fulfilled their original purpose. In this case, converting the existing hardware into a commercial entity makes perfect sense. All the relevant components are in place: what is needed is the software - the tight permissions and a managemenVoperator with some imagination. www.dpxq.gov.cnl

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30 LOGBOOK » NEWS

Waterspeed Collection

he Rolls Royce Phantom Drophead Coupe Waterspeed Collection arrived at its spiritual home in the Italian lakes for its European debut. Stealing the show on the opening day of the Concorso d'Eieganza at Villa d'Este on the shores of Lake Como, Waterspeed was designed to celebrate Sir Malcolm Campbell's act of setting a world water speed record on the nearby Lake Maggiore in 1937. Campbell established his world-record speed of 126.33mph on the morning of 1 September 1937 in the famous Bluebird K3, powered by a Rolls Royce 'R' engine. The following day he went one better, piloting his craft to 129.5mph, emphatically breaking the United States' five-year stranglehold on the world water speed record. Campbell's momentous achievement captured the world's attention and reaffirmed the RollsRoyce 'R' engine's record-breaking superiority after triumphs on land and in the air. Celebrating this remarkable act of British 'derring-do' Rolls Royce Motor Cars' Bespoke department has created the Waterspeed Collection, consisting of 35 specially designed Phantom Drophead Coupes, the first of which is displayed at Villa d'Este. Echoing the cutting-edge technology employed in the construction of Sir Malcolm Campbell's Bluebird K3, only the finest, newest materials furnish the Waterspeed Collection. Brushed steel perfectly complements an exclusively developed Maggiore Blue colour scheme whilst handcrafted Abachi wood inlays evoke the sense of a boat effortlessly gliding through water at pace, and exterior coachline and laser etchings inside the car bring Campbell's 'Bluebird' motif back to life. "This very special motor car serves to pay perfect homage to my grandfather's remarkable acts of daring and endeavour,• said Donald Wales, grandson of Sir Malcolm Campbell. "The extraordinary attention to detail and commitment to engineering excellence so evident in these motor cars perfectly echoes the lengths my grandfather and his colleagues went to in their pursuit of their water speed records."

IRC Rule IRC racing in South East Asia is well established, with popular regattas including China Coast, Top of the Gulf, Raja Muda and the Phuket King's Cup attracting large and competitive fleets from around the region and further afield. There is a great deal of interchange between the IRC fleets, particularly from Malaysia, Thailand and Hong Kong, with many boats regularly travelling to regattas in other countries. The RORC Rating Office, based in Lymington, UK, has been in discussion with the three south east Asian Rule Authorities (Malaysia, Thailand and Singapore) about making the administration of IRC certificates simpler and more efficient for owners and event organisers and thereby enabling the highest level of consistent service possible. From June 2014, the IRC administration in Thailand, Singapore and Malaysia will be combined into a single Rule

Authority - IRC SE Asia - to be managed by Simon James who has managed IRC Thailand for many years. James, a respected event organiser and race officer in Asia, thinks the new arrangements will make things clearer for everyone: "With boats regularly moving between countries, owners and race crganisers will benefit from better continuity and a consistent process for IRC rating certificates. One of our aims is to co-ordinate the region's resources to provide both weighing and measurement facilities in the region. • IRC measurers in each country will be recognised by IRC SE Asia on the recommendation of the National Authority in each country, with ISAF International Measurers in the region automatically accepted. Principal SE Asian regattas are also being encouraged to invite measurers from the region to work alongside their own measurers where possible.

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32 LOGBOOK » NEWS

Grace Eat Monaco he Perini Navi Group will display Grace E at the Monaco Yacht Show 2014. The new 73m Picchiotti motor yacht is the third unit of the Picchiotti Vitruvius Series of motoryachts designed by Philippe Briand. Following on from the success of her predecessors, the 50m Exuma and the 55m Galileo G, Grace E features the same hull and superstructure design elements that characterize the Picchiotti Vitruvius series and assure efficient and long range navigation, but with unique characteristics in the specified propulsion system. The Grace E features an advanced new generation diesel-electric propulsion system with two Azipod fixed pitch propellers by ABB. The system allows for major improvements in fuel and power consumption, long range, efficiency and remarkable noise and vibration reduction relative to traditional propulsion units. She is also equipped with a variety of four tenders- and related toys and garage spaces - for the exploration of the surrounding environment. Ideal for cruising on the high seas, Grace E has exterior spaces spread over five decks. The upper deck, or Wellness Deck, is entirely dedicated to personal wellbeing and features a gym, a massage room, a steam sauna and hydrotherapy equipment. The stunning interiors, designed by Remi Tessier, are an unmatched example of sophisticated and contemporary elegance and a masterpiece in design.

Team Brunei Robeco, the Netherlands-based asset management flllll, is delighted to sponsor Team Brunei in the Vctvo Ocean Race 2014-15, saying that "It marks the next stage of our joumey to become the preferred choice for asset management among professional investors worldwide, and perfectly fits the round-the-world pioneering spirit that has long been embedded in Robeco's DNA" The Volvo Ocean Race is the most prestigious round-1hewol1d sailing competition. Team Brunei is expected to stop CNer in Sanya, China, in February 2015 and in Auckland, New Zealand, in March 2015.The sponsorship will support Robeco's 2014-2018 strategy to accelerate growlh in Europe, the US and Asia. Robeco strongly believes that sponsoring Team Brunei will enable the company to increase rapport wi1h dients all CNer the wood. Robeco's CEO Roderick Munst9fs said, "There are many parallels between successful investing and sailing. Just as Team Brunei's skipper and navigator will use data analytics and modelling to optimise their success in lhe race, our investment professionals base their investment decisions on research and quant models. Combining lhis technical knowhow with effective teamwork to leverage the human aspect is another excellent parallel. • "Being a proud sponsor of Team Brunei will contribute strongly to our recently announced growth strategy. I'm convinced that sponsoring Team Brunei in lhe Volvo Ocean Race will give us a great international platform from which to better connect and engage with our clients. I look forward to a successful race and wish skipper Bouwe Bekking and his team a fast and safe journey.•

DID YOU KNOW? Hamilton Island Yacht Club has withdrawn as Challenger of Record from the 35th America •s Cup

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AMOST PERNICIOUS PROTOCOL The message is clear. The present Defender of the America's Cup, Team Oracle USA, wa nts to hold all the cards before the next match starts TEXT BY BOB FISHER PHOTOS BY GILLES MARTIN-RAGET AND BERMUDA AERIAL MEDIA

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ithin hours of its issue, on June 2nd, and more than two months after it was promised, the Protocol governing the 35th America's Cup was being described as "the most pernicious Cup Protocol yet to emerge," and a little over a month later the ty among the potential Challengers would endorse >eription. No one had more than indicated that they hallenge the Golden Gate YC, outside of the 'left路rom AC34 - Luna Rossa, Team New Zealand and >, and the newcomer, Ben Ainslie Racing. tis hardly surprising as one reads the 78 page )1, submitted by the team that so objected to the )I of AC33 that it took the Societe Nautique de : through a lengthy court process that was only settled !ed of Gift match in massive multihulls. The driving ehind that process was the Oracle Team USA for , the current holders of the Cup and now producers >rotocol for AC35. It contains the main item that was bad in 2007 - the aim to exert complete control over

everything, from the the organisation of the racing to the financial matters. The Defender stated - during the period between the announced date of issue (March) and its actual issue - that one of the main aims it sought was to 'monetise' the event. Looking at the figures the Commercial Commission (led by the Commercial Commissioner appointed by the Defender) intends to levy, one sees that it has indeed stuck to that ideal. The first tranche of the non-refundable Entry Fee (to accompany the entry) is for US$1 ,000,000. In addition a further US$25 ,000 is required to protect the AC trademarks, and another US$50,000 to host and maintain the AC35 website. As if that were not enough, there will be a second tranche of the entry fee, due no later than 1st December 2014 , of another US$1 ,000,000, and a Performance Bond must be in place for yet another million bucks. ' Monetise' , one of Russell Coutts' progress warnings, - it most certainly has done that. The only bright side is that apart from the first tranche, if a Challenger withdraws prior to December 1st

2014, much of the rest is recoverable. Small consolation. The Defender has seen fit to attempt to sever all connections with ISAF - and that is, in itself, a very dangerous move for all the competitors, who by competing in a nonsanctioned event would find themselves banned from every other sailing event around the globe - in theory at least they wouldn't even be allowed to take part in their club's evening beer can races. This is obviously a reaction to the International Jury's findings against members of Oracle Team USA last time. So there is no mention of a jury to be formed, only a Board of Arbitration whose three members would have little knowledge of the nuances of the Racing Rules (and even the use of these, as they are known by all sailors, is doubtful). The Umpires, also chosen by the Defender, would make all decisions and there will be no questioning their decisions. Perhaps the reason for the total control may be found on page 8 of the Protocol where it states: "The purpose and intent is to ... minimize disruptive and often commercially damaging protests or other public disagreements over Rules or other legal disputes. " But is this what the competitors require? It is far more likely to satisfy the television companies who can predict the forward days of sailing at all times. The Great God TV is taking over the most high-level, if not important (that is still the Olympics) event in our sport. Incidentally, the Arbitration Panel, among its various and sweeping powers, can fine a competitor up to US$1million, order a full forfeiture of its Performance Bond, or disqualify it from a race, a series, or even an event. Remember, the AP has limited knowledge of the sport and can order (among other technicalities) a reduction in the number of sails allowed, but it has no power to settle disputes between the Defender and the Event Authority.

The Arbitration Panel is made up from an appointee from the Court of Arbitration for Sport, but it may not be anyone nominated b y GGYC or the Challenger of Record. In addition, the latter two bodies will nominate a second member and the third will be agreed by the two elected members. And all three form the quorum. T he fee for requesting the use of the AP is US$25 ,000. One of the sticking points for teams considering entry to AC35 could be that, as of mid-July, the venue has not been announced. Two of the initial four under consideration, San Francisco and Chicago, have been rejected and only Bermuda and San Diego remain being considered. The decision must be made before the end of 2014 - and one shouldn't show surprise if San Francisco is re-nominated! There will be an America's Cup World Series in modified AC45s in 2015 and 2016 to be held at as yet unnamed venues around the world. Once those are completed, all competitors (and that includes the Defender) shall participate in the AC Qualifiers in their AC62s. There will be a double round robin of matches in which the winner of each match shall score a point and the loser none. The winner of the round robin, and that could be the Defender, will score one point towards the the AC Match. The seeding for the Qualifiers is based on the ACWS results, providing long-established teams a distinct advantage. Then there are Challenger Playoffs in which the top four teams meet in a seven-race semi and a nine-race final series. It is at this stage in the competition that the Defender may launch a second boat - identical in hull and rig to its first to use for practice, but may not use the second boat for the Match. The AC62 class rules were issued three days after the Protocol and the first Amendments were published a further three days later. 4

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP, LEFT: Bermuda, pretty as a picture; super high speed AC72s for the last America's Cup; close quarters action at AC35; Fleet racing in San Diego, America's Cup World Series 2011

)f I SUMMER 20 14 I 35

Top of the Gulf Regatta 2014 by Guy Nowell

DID YOU KNOW? New kid on the block: Penghu Regatta, right in the middle of the Taiwan Strait. Next up, June 2015

elebrating its lOth anniversary this year, the Top of the Gulf Regatta sailed out of Ocean Marina at Jomtien Beach, near Pattaya, into four days of exceedingly mixed weather that kept the Race Committee and the competitors on their toes and the scoreboard open until the very last day. Once again the event hosted a keelboats fleet, a substantial collection of beach cats and dinghies, RS One windsurfers, the Thai Optimist National Championships and the Platu OD Coronation Cup. All together that added up to 232 boats and over 600 crew, giving rise to TOG's claim to be the biggest and most diverse sailing event in Asia - it just depends on how you define things. Weather conditions were the defining note for the regatta. For four days random storm and rain cells built over the Pattaya coast, wandered around moving mostly in a west or southwesterly direction, and alternately soused the race course and the competitors or left them parked on a glassy sea with nary a breath of wind. Racing was conducted in the gaps between showers and calms, and in oftenswinging breeze that at some time or other during four days came from every point of the compass. After four days of the most trying weather imaginable, all divisions finished with a full card of races. The competitors are to congratulated on their patience, and the Race Committee on its tenacity. The regatta started pretty much as per the programme, with RO Denis Thompson running windward-leeward races on the first day and islands courses for all classes on the second. Boats racing the islands courses encountered reversals of breeze that gave rise to boats sailing in opposite directions with spinnakers up, and a transition zone in the middle that was well-nigh impossible for anyone to read. Day three produced more rain than anything else, alternating with zero breeze

and glassy water. After numerous attempts to get some racing going, meteorology got the better of race management and all further attempts were abandoned. With just one day to go, the top divisions had only three results on the board. The 13-strong Platu fleet were sailing in the san1e race area as the big boats, and struggled just as much. Complete reversals of breeze produced equally ferocious reversals of fortune, with boats dumped from the top of the fleet to the back on a windshift, and race leaders suddenly finding themselves back markers. Going in to the last day the Platus only had five scores on the board and needed two more to allow a drop - and some of them really needed that drop! The Race Officer described it succinctly (and remarkably politely) as "a very trying day". Never was it more true that 'the last day makes the regatta' (or otherwise) - a good last day and this would be A Good lOth Anniversary Top of the Gulf, and Denis Thompson was determined to make it happen. After a good start followed by yet another rainstorm, the RO and his team slotted in a total of 14 races to allow all divisions to record a full set of results. The Coronation Cup was decided in the very last race, with Scott Duncanson collecting the title for a record fourth time. He and his crew on Kingdom Property match-raced Chris Way's Easy Tigers all the way round the course, holding them back for a seventh place finish. When the discards were applied Duncanson was able to throw away an 8 and Way dropped a 7- for Duncanson to win by a single point. Peter Ahem's Oi! found the going tough after the rain, scoring 1, 3, 3 for the day but still had enough money in the bank to take the I RC 1 title. IRC 2 was decided in the slow lanes of the last race when Foxy Lady scored a 2 behind David Dirnmock's Blue Note. <;f

•\,\

{

CLOCKWISE

FROM

TOP OF TI-lE

o.PPOSITE TOP· Big boats enjoying. the breeze on the last day of racing· Coastal courses ' for some of the diVISions· f • Close lghting among the .Platus· . ' Th a1. 0 ptlmlst National Cham· plonships· 01'1· Foxy L d ' ., h . a y; Karasu beadlng towards the /eeze (and rain); hal dancing at th Gala o·1nner; Scotte Duncanson wins th Coronation Cup fore the fourth time

SUMMER 2014 I 37

LOGBOOK ))CALENDAR )) HONG KONG

REGATTA CALENDAR 2014 JANUARY

H KRNVR Memorial Vase Presented by zeroh+ by Raffles Marina

Royal Langkawi International Regatta www.langkawiregatta.com Singapore Straits Regatta www.straitsregatta.com ABC Four Peaks www.abclubhk.com

FEBRUARY

Neptune Regatta www.neptune-regatta.com RHKYC Class Regatta www.rhkyc.org.hk Phang Nga Bay Regatta www.bayregatta.com Philippine Hollie Challenge www.phinsailing.com

MARCH

Subic-Boracay Race www.lighthousesubic.com/sailing.php RHKYC Tomes CUp www.rhkyc.org.hk Boracay CUp Regatta www.lighthousesubic.com/sai/ing.php RHKYC Nations' Cup www.rhkyc.org.hk Around Hainan Race www.hnoceanrace.com Pedro Blanco Race www.rhkyc.org.hk

he Hong Kong Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve (HKRNVR) was the pre-WW2 volunteer force responsible for patrolling the eastern sea approaches to Hong Kong. Beyond Cape Collinson and Shek 0, past Cape d'Aguilar, on to Po Toi and across to Waglan Island, the very last light at the eastern end of the British Empire. It was manned by sailors from the local yacht club - in this case, the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club. Some 40 years ago the HKRNVR Memorial Vase was presented to the RHKYC as a trophy for a race, with the proviso that "the course should take participating yachts into waters patrolled by the HKRNVR." The Volunteer Reserve is long defunct, but the trophy continues to serve as a reminder of the days when amateur sailors played their part in the security of Hong Kong. This event is also the last race of the 2013-2014 zerorh+ Top Dog Trophy Series. Going into the HKRNVR Memorial Vase, Jimmy Farquhar's E22 '3xll' was a mere five points clear of Etch ells 1364 game on, and everything to play for. There was plenty of wind on offer, and competitors enjoyed 9-15 kts of easterly breeze and even some sunshine, encouraging Race Officer Gareth Williams to set the longest course available and treat the fleet to a Shek 0 Rock rounding, before returning to Victoria Harbour through Lei Yue Mun. A whole pack of Flying 15s, led over the line by Tchaikoffsky at the gun, took the first five places with Etchells Easy Tiger cruising home in 6th place. Once the numbers were run, Jimmy Farquhar on 3xll emerged as a worthy winner of the Top Dog Trophy, with Tchaikoffsky 11 points behind, taking second only 1.6 points ahead of Frank van Kempen's Etchells, 1364. <;f

Le French May Societe Generale Spring Regatta

by Guy Nowell

he bookends at the start and finish of the Royal Hong Kong's official sailing season are the Autumn and Spring regattas. They provide an opportunity for everyone from the biggest racing boats down to the smallest dinghy class to get out on the water together and show off the Club's strength in depth. To close out the 2013 -14 programme, the Hong Kong Observatory promised rain - and they weren't wrong. In spite of the inclement weather, 80 boats were out on Victoria Harbour for what turned out to be a challenging afternoon's sailing, with the breeze swinging constantly and a much stronger tide than expected. Several Etchells and Sportsboats were more or less stranded under the I sland Eastern Corridor at their leeward mark, and the }/80 fleet was lucky to finish inside the three hour limit having set themselves an optimistically long course. The weather looked equally malevolent on the Sunday morning, but the Race Officer put paid to leisurely breakfasts by signaling an on -schedule start. Starts were, indeed, delayed while the breeze tried to make up its mind, but after that it was 'plain sailing'. The rain stayed away from the harbour, and there was sufficient wind to keep the programme on track. The afternoon races were shortened as the breeze died (and so did the light), and most - if not all boats were lucky to get back to the Club before the grandmother of all downpours descended. Prizes were given away and trophies graciously awarded by Ms Lilas Bernheim, Deputy Consul of France in Hong Kong and Macau and Mr Ashley Wilkins, CEO and Head of Global Finance Asia Pacific, Societe Generale Corporate and Investment Banking, the RHKYC season was officially at an end.~

REGATTA CALENDAR 2014 APRIL

Rolex China Sea Race www.rhkyc.org.hk Hong Kong Race Week www.rhkyc.org.hk Commodore's Cup, Subic Bay www.lighthousesubic.com/sailing.php

MAY

Top of the Gulf Regatta www. topofthegu/fregatta.com HKRNVR Memorial Vase www.rhkyc.org.hk RHKYC Spring Regatta www.rhkyc.org.hk ABC Classic Yacht Rally www.abclubhkcom Koh Samui Regatta www.samuiregatta.com

JUNE

HHYC Typhoon Series www.hhyc.org.hk Borneo International Challenge Regatta www.borneorace.com

SUMMER 2014

I 39

LOGBOO K))CALEI\IDAR )) THAILAND

REGATTA CALENDAR 2014

Koh Samui Regatta 2014: Island Style by Guy Nowell

JULY

Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek www.phuketraceweek.com Sail Indonesia wmv.sailindonesia.net

AUGUST

SMU Western Circuit Regatta www. westemcircuit.com

SEPTEMBER

RHKYC Autumn Regatta www.rhl<yc.org.hk

OCTOBER Hong Kong Kettle www.rhl<yc.org.hk China Cup International Regatta ww.v.chncup.com

NOVEMBER

Lipton Trophy wmv.rhl<yc.org.hk Around the Island Race www.rhl<yc.org.hk Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta www.rmsir.com WMRT Monsoon Cup www.wmrt.com Phuket King's Cup www.kingscup.com

DECEMBER

Asia Superyacht Rendezvous www.asia-superyacht-rendezvous.com

House

ake a shard of emerald green and drop it in the sea off the west coast of Thailand. Smother it in tropical vegetation, hide a host of private villas and ultra luxurious spa resorts among the trees, line up a selection of five-star hotels along the sugar white sand beaches, and sprinkle in some local beach hut accommodation. Welcome to Koh Samui, where the airport buildings are made out of coconut trees and there are no air bridges or luggage carousels. Welcome to Island Time. Very quickly you come to the conclusion that 'what this place needs is a regatta' - and that's just the way they were thinking when the Koh Samui Regatta was inaugurated back in 2002. Since then the event has grown from a handful of beach cats into a full -blown big boats regatta that attracts 500 or more competitors and visitors, and enjoys a reputation for hospitality, good racing, and all round fun - and lots of cold beer at the Regatta Tavern! The 13th Koh Samui Regatta lived up to all expectations. 23 boats in four classes battled it out over five days and nine races on a combination of windwardleeward and coastal courses. The IRC 0 division had Neil Pryde's Hi Fi, Peter Ahern's Oi! and Frank Pong's Jelik swapping places at the top of the leaderboard all week. Hi Pi's win in the very last race of all secured a victory by a scant two points while Oi! and Jelik were tied, with second place going to Jelikon on a countback. The IRC I division was a simpler matter - Bill Bremner and Foxy Lady recorded eight \vins from nine starts, leaving Elektra (Marcel Leidts) and newcomer Jessandra II (Ronald Dane) scrapping for the other podium places. Times are tough on the economic front in Thailand, with tourism experiencing straitened tin1es thanks to the recurring political unrest in the capital, Bangkok. Successfully keeping a regatta going at all is cause for congratulations - we hear that the other major Koh Samui sporting events - a marathon, golf tournaments etc - are all on hold this year, mostly due to constrained sponsorship. So vote with your feet: dig out the flip flops and the sarong, and start thinking about the next Koh Samui Regatta, 23-30 May 2015. ~

ROYAL LANGKAWI YACHT CLUB Jolon Doto' Syed Omor, 07000 Kuoh, Longkowi, Kedah Dorul Amon, Malaysia. Tel : +604- 966 4078 Fax : +604- 966 5078 E-mail : office@longkowiregaHa.com

42 LOGBOOK Âť REGATTAS Âť HONG KONG

1010 4G Match Race International Roll out the big guns! by Guy Nowell

DID YOU KNOW? lan Williams has won four WMRT World Titles, and is now campaigning for a record fifth win.

atch racing is a deliciously arcane corner of sailing, but attracts some of the most astonishingly skilled sailors. Each race is a one-on -one duel in which mere boatspeed and tactical proficiency are not enough: competitors also need to know how to exploit the Racing Rules of Sailing to the disadvantage of their opponent. 'Put him on the ropes and keep him there' might be a good non-sailing metaphor. The penultimate event of Hong Kong's annuallOlO 4G Match Racing Series is the HK Nationals, and the endgame is the invitational International, including this year Ian Williams GBR (World #2), David Gilmour AUS (#12), William Tiller NZL (#20) and Sam Gilmour AUS (#26). Top Asian competitors included Wataru Sakamoto JPN (#28) and Maximilian Soh (#73) from Singapore. The round -robin stage of the event took place in highly variable conditions that included a thunderstorm and what is politely referred to as 'torrential rain'. Sunday's knockout

rounds were totally different with clear air, sunshine and 15kts of good sailing breeze. Jeremy Koo (MAS) was the only Asian representative in the semi-finals, with Ian Williams, David Gilmour and William Tiller for company. After a change in the breeze, the race course was moved from Kowloon Bay to a position right in front of the RHKYC's Kellett Island Bay clubhouse, making for excellent viewing from the balcony as Ian Williams defeated David Gilmour 2 -0 in the Final, and William Tiller took down Jeremy Koo 2 -0 in the Petit Final. In both matches spectators were treated to closely-fought, top class thrilling racing that was a great deal closer than the scorelines suggest. Williams said afterwards, "this is a very timely event, taking place just a fortnight before the Alpari World Match Racing Tour begins. I'd like to see some more of the WMRT competitors here for a warm-up." And so would Hong Kong! <iif

1010

OPPOSITE PAGE: Sponsor's delight - westerly breeze, spinnakers, and a clear-air Hong Kong backdrop

IOto

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT Sam Gilmour (6) takes on Max Soh (3); Inch-for-inch into the leeward mark- Soh vs Wataru Sakamoto; a victorious lan Williams (left) and crew; William Tiller chases Williams in a pre-start; Soh vs Gilmour

SUMMER 2014

I 43

Trendy Taiwan The first Taiwan International Boat Show was a major success. Held in the newly opened Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre, the event was organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA and Kaohsiung City Government, implemented by TAITRA and supported by the Taiwan Yacht Industry. Over 70,000 visitors attended the four day event. On board parties, sea trials and forums were just some of the activities that introduced boating to the enthusiastic residents of Taiwan . PHOTOS COURTESY OF HORIZON

HORIZON

SUMMER 2014

I 45

_,---:

~~]1-Es~ ·· ~J{ Esm~~6;~,~t·· :~gO·N·tH1:.

Plenty of Prestige The 'Top Guns' of Prestige turned out for the Asian launch of t he Prestige 750. The CEO of Prestige, Jean-Paul Chapeleau, along with the designer Camillo Garroni were in town to support the local Prestige representative Paul Blanc and local agents Don Chow (Hong Kong) and James Li (China). This was the second 750 hull to be launched from the shipyard, and demonstrates Prestige's outstanding ability to make the most of the interior spaces on a yacht, and create a relaxed yet luxurious environment where entertainment and the 'prestige' boating lifestyle blend seamlessly. PHOTOS: GUY NOWELL

~ \:!!::5)

Princess Partners Dah Chong Hong Holdings Ltd announced the official establishment of DCH Marine Ltd at a reception at China Merchants Wharf in Kennedy Town on June i 0, 20i 4, signifying the Group's official entry into the luxury yacht market in Greater China. The Group and Princess Yachts South China, a member company of Chow Tai Fook Enterprises Limited, co-organised the launch of the new series from one of Britain's leading luxury motor yacht manufacturers, Princess Yachts International. Three flagship masterpieces - the Princess 32M, Princess 98 and Princess 82 were unveiled w ith an aggregate value of over HK$200 million. PHOTOS COURTESY OF PRINCESS YACHTS SOUTH CHINA

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Classical l\lotes The Macallan Bravo! Series continues to bring together the very essence of two different worlds, this time melding the delicate and complex aroma of whisky with the marvel that is Mendelssohn's contribution to the Shakespearean classic, A Midsummer Night's Dream. Conducted by Mr. Nicholas McGegan, the evening's music was performed with the ladies of the Hong Kong Philharmonic Chorus as well as the Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra in the Hong Kong Cultural Centre Concert Hall. Over the years, The Macallan has supported various artistic presentations, intending to share the finer things in life w ith those who appreciate ingenious talent and master craftsmanship. PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE MACAUAN

â&#x20AC;˘â&#x20AC;˘ --

Best of British The recent Rolls Royce Icon tour brought the very best of that British brand to town. The ballroom of the Ritz Carlton was a celebration of modern, contemporary super-luxury that only Rolls Royce can offer. This iconic super-luxury motor car brand is celebrating its 11 Oth anniversary, and the exhibition showed VIPs and guests how the brand has evolved from its beginnings in 1904, to its present day status as the inimitable pinnacle brand in the motor industry. VIPs were treated to a ride in a Rolls Royce as well as an outing on the luxury British motoryacht a Fairline Squadron 78. PHOTOS BY WALLACE CHAN

52 LOGBOOK ))BOATSHOW REVIEW )) HONG KONG

Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show _

DID YOU KNOW? HK Gold Coast Boat Show 2015 promises a "bigger and more vibrant experience for all".

his year's Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show, held at the Gold Coast Marina and Country Club, distinguished itself by having 60+ boats in the water, although there was nothing anyone could do about the chilly and continuous downpour. Prominent at front and centre of the show, Simpson Marine were celebrating 30 years ' in the business', and had nine boats on display rang ing from an Azimut 64 down to a Barracuda 7. Azimut has been the best-selling motor yacht brand in Asia for some time, and everyone else would like a piece of the action. Simpsons reported "a significant number of visitors" over the weekend. There was also a strong showing from Ferretti Group, showing seven boats in-water, and very keen to show off their first foray into designing for the Asian market in the shape of the new Altura 840, 'Tai He Ban by Ferretti'. Special 'Asian' features include a round dining table and a separate tv/karaoke lounge. Star of the show, and nothing to do with size, had to be the Riva Aquariva Super. 'Iconic' is a well-laundered adjective, but the classic Riva speedboats are so gorgeous that it makes you wonder why the company feels obliged to make anything else. Other boats and brands on display included Fairline (Jebsen Marine), Acoelera, Sanlorenzo, Sunseeker, Jeanneau and Prestige (China Pacific Marine), Cranchi (Starship Yachts) and the superlight Delta 33. Rainbow Marine International was representing the Italian shipyard Filippetti Yacht and Luxury Yacht Share Asia (LYSA) and Riviera Orientale -fractional ownership and charter respectively - were also present. Why buy a whole boat when you can only use it part of the time - or why buy one

-n

at all when you can rent? So much simpler... On shore, and a collection of components suppliers, chandlers, small boat dealers and others reported "stead y business, but the weather didn't help. â&#x20AC;˘ The range of exhibitors was interesting, from Chinese yacht clubs to jellyfish tank builders. The Gold Coast Fashion Show is a welcome diversion at this event, and the 2014 parade debuted local-born designer Makin Jan Ma, w ith Hong Kong supermodel Rosemary leading the event to showcase the designer's Spring/Summer 2015 Collection. The dealers and brokers are still bemoaning the fact that Hong Kong's marinas are full for all intents and purposes, and that's not going to change in the next five minutes. They report that there is indeed appetite in the market for sales, but deals are very hard to close without parking spaces for the product. One dealer w ith two big boats in stock said, "I could sell them both tomorrow if the berths were available." Having recently been to the very slick and well-presented Singapore Yacht Show, we suggest that there are two things missing from Hong Kong boat shows: a decent, dry, air-conditioned marquee in w hich to house the shore-side exhib itors; and after that some good quality catering and a proper bar. Much business is conducted over a drink at the end of the day. Points to ponder. Next year's Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show w ill be held on 1-3 May 2015. Building on the success of previous shows, and promoting the concept of "Affordable Luxury", the 2015 show promises to deliver a "bigger and more vibrant experience for all". ~

路.

OPPOSITE TOP: VIP Opening Ceremony

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Ferretti Altura 840; Makin Jan Ma fashion show; sunset over the Gold Coast; Simpson Marine on parade; Riva Aquariva Super; Lagoon 52; Beneteau Oceanis 38

SUMMER 2014

I 53

54 LOGBOOK )JBOATSHOW PREVIEW)J NANSHA, CHINA

Yacht CN 2014 ansha Bay Internatio nal Boat Show will be held on 16th-19th October 2014, and preparations for the Boat Show and China Yachting Conference are well advanced . Many yacht dealers, shipyards and notable brands have expressed interest in partic ipat ing, and a s ubstantial number of wet berth and o n-land spaces have been prebooked. Exhibitors include Sunseeker,

Chaparral, Regal. Prestige, Jeanneau. Marquis. Sealine, Maxi. Dafeiyang, Ming Hua, Sunway, Novatec, Galeon, Sessa and others. More than 30 wet berths were booked o ut within weeks of the original announcement of the show dates. The China Yachting Conference w ill be running concurrently w ith the Boat Show, and the programme is in the process of being finalised. The speaker list includes a number of well known ind ustry figures from Europe, UK. Australia, South-East Asia, Hong Kong and China. This year's China Yachting Conference w ill continue the event's intention to be a truly international industry forum , fully representing the trends in different aspects of the global yachting market. Moreover, the 2nd China Yachting Conference w ill expand its range of topics to not only include marina developments and operations, but also cover c rucial topics on yachts development

and boat owners' interests, including yacht licensing, regulations, policies. insurance and maintenance. The two day conference w ill be divided into two sections: the first day (17 October) w ill be dedicated to marinas and related topics, w hile the second day (18 October) w ill focus on major trends, recent developments and other important issues for boat ow ners, shipyards, dealers, etc. The organisers have also invited official representatives from China MCA. Customs and CIQP to provide the delegates w ith firsthand information on governmental polic ies regarding imported yachts, port regulations, yacht registration and many other aspects for those planning to buy a yacht. A real boat owners' "Need to know". Delegates will also have a c hance to learn the most effective tips on how to choose a yacht, insuring your asset. and boat safety, along with what are the most common problems that boat owners experience and the most effective WO:fS to resolve them. Other topics will include how to maintain a yacht, and what owners should do after purchasing a yacht - w here to go and how to enjoy time on the water. watersports, sailing etc. Yacht CN 20 14 is shaping up to be a boat show that you won't want - and can't afford - to miss. ~

Boat Show Calendar 2014-2015 Jul.31-Aug 04

Sep.12-21

Sep.17~22

Sydney International Boat Show

PSP Southampton Boat Show

Le Grand Pavois

VENUE:

Sydney, Australia www.sydneyboatshow.com.au

VENUE:

Southampton, UK www.southamptonboatshow.com

www.grand-pavois.com

Monaco www.monacoyachtshow.com

Sep.25-28

Oct.o2-07

Oct.16-19

Nov.o7-10

Auckland On Water Boat Show

Genoa Boat Show

YachtCN Nansha Marina â&#x20AC;˘ China www. yachtcn.net

China (Xiamen) International Boat Show

VENUE:

Genoa, Italy www.genoaboatshow.com

VENUE:

Nov.27-30

Dec.os-o7

Jan.17~25

Mar.o3-07

Pattaya Boat Show

Hong Kong International Boat Show

Boot Dusseldorf

Dubai International Boat Show

Auckland, New Zealand www.auckland-boatshow.com

Ocean Marina. Thailand www.oceanmarinapattayaboatshow. com

VENUE:

VENUE: Club Marna GeNe, Hong Kong www.clubmarinacove.com

VENUE:

La Rochelle, France

VENUE:

Dusseldorf, Germany www.boat-dusseldort.com VENUE:

Sep.24-27 Monaco Yacht Show VENUE:

Xiamen. China www.xmboatshow.com

VENUE: Dubai, UAE www.boatshowdubai.com

56 LOGBOOK)JPEOPLE)J IAN \N路ILLIAMS l

- - - - - - - - - -

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MATCH MAKER Four times World Champion match racer lan Williams ha s already overtaken so me legendary names in the sa iling wo rld . Now he is aiming to become a champion among champions. TEXT BY GUY NOWELL PHOTOGRAPHS BY GUY NOWEll AND MARK llOYD

e were leaning on the balcony railing watching the Extreme Sailing Series in Singapore. "This stadium racing is brutal," says Ian Williams. "You can lose a race in a heartbeat. For example, look at that (Ben Ainslie rounding the leeward mark in second-last place) - and he's no mug." And right behind Ainslie was Dean Barker ... Ian Williams's speciality is match racing, and that can be brutal, too. A lesser-known discipline in sailing, match racing pits just two boats against each other. There are no points for coming second, and sudden death is the elimination rule. Events typically start as round-robins , with the best eight scores going into a knockout series. The boats are all the same, and it is all down to the sailing skills of the crews, and their ability to exploit the Racing Rules of Sailing to hang a penalty on the opponent. It 's chess, gone afloat. It's all about trying to lay a trap for the other team while staying clear of their traps, yourself - and at the same time sail fast, spot the wind shifts, and take the fight to the enemy. Just like in stadium racing, you can go from cheese to chump on a single tack, and there is

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absolutely no quarter given. Consider, then, that37-year old Williams has no less than four World Match Race Tour championships to his credit. Consider that he lost the 2013 title in the last race of the last event of the season, and understand why he very much wants to win the WMRT title in 2014 and write himself into the record books as a five-time World Champion. Like so many top sailors, Williams started young and started small. H is first racing experience was in a tiny Cadet class dinghy, just 3 .2m long and "deliberately designed to be too small for adults" , at the age of nine. At only 12 years old he was a Cadet World Champion, and credits this achievement for spurring him on to even greater things. "You learn the feeling of success, and if you like it, then it inspires you to work even harder, and to try and win some more." Winning some more was definitely on the cards: in the next few years the quietly-spoken Englishman went on to collect three more Worlds and four UK National titles in the Cadet class. H e says, "sailing was always a 'given' . My parents were keen sailors and they just took me along. I first crossed the English Channel at the age of six weeks, in their Contessa

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32. They introduced me to racing because I needed an outlet for my competitiveness - and I was absolutely useless at cricket!" Next he turned his attention to match racing, winning three UK National Youth titles (1994 , 95, 96) and four UK National Championships between 1997 and 2012. Evidently the dog-eat-dog world of top level match racing suited him. "I have always enjoyed the team work of sailing a keelboat more than going it solo in a dinghy. I am not a loner when it comes to sailing." At the same time he had Olympic ambitions and started sailing a three-man Soling and participated in the GBR Olympic Trials in 2000 - but the class was dropped from the Olympic list in the same year, and that was that. So he went off to Bristol University, and acquired a degree in Chemistry and Law, qualifying as a Solicitor in 2003. "I raced in the Worlds in 2004/5 and carne 22nd, and realised that to do this thing properly you have to do it properly, so to speak. Part-time sailing at that sort of level just doesn't work. " For the 2004/ 5 season he took a sabbatical from the world of law - and finished 2nd. "No Englishman had ever won a World title in match racing, "

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he recalls. "2005 was a really good year to have a crack at it as all the big guns were occupied with the America's Cup." Having proved to himself that he could indeed cut it in the world of professional sailing, Williams stayed away from the law office, went back to the World Match Race Tour the next year, and won the first of his four WMRT titles. Ian Williams is generally reckoned to be a cool customer, especially by his competitors in the world of professional match racing. Maybe it's the legal training, maybe it's just natural sang froid, but either way the ability to stay frosty calm has stood him in good stead over the years. "Match racing is sometimes like playing stone-scissors-paper," he says. "Different people have different styles. If you race against the same skippers sufficiently often you get to know what they are likely to do in any given situation. If you can anticipate their move, you can block it. " So what makes a top-notch match racer? "A good crew, for a start! Everyone talks about winning the start, as if it were the only thing that matters, but if you can sail around the course just a fraction faster than your opponent, you are going to be in good shape. That comes from the crew." And what makes a good match racing boat? At any given regatta they are all the same, but they change from event to event. "The perfect racing boat is one that is identical to the one your opponent is sailing, it's as simple as that. Sometimes we race four-up in something small like a ]/80 ,

and sometimes we are a crew of five in a Bavaria CR40. T his puts a huge premium on a crew that can adapt in an instant, and sort out the way they work together with no more than a day's practice. You cannot 'carry' anyone in a match race - everyone is contributing to the tactics, the boatspeed and the boat handling. T his really is a great team sport." It's a professional sport, but it doesn't pay as well as top level golf, or tennis. Williams counts himself lucky to be doing something that he really likes doing, but is under no illusions that it is going to make him rich. "Sailing doesn't have that sort of commercial support, but I think that as events like the Extreme 40s and the World Match Racing Tour become - physically - more accessible, closer to the crowds, it'll change. Sailing is losing its 'gin and tonic on the top deck' sort of image, and that can only be a good thing. Sailing is not exclusive. Turn up at any dinghy club and you'll get a ride, learn to sail. Did you know that sailing is the UK's second-biggest participant sport after fishing? Really. " Sailing this year for a place in the history books, Williams is one of the two most visible sailors in England. The other, of course, is Sir Ben Ainslie, who not only has five Olympic medals and a slice of the America's Cup on his mantelpiece, but also won the WMRT championship in 2010. Just for the record, Williams and Ainslie have squared off six times in match races, and the score is ... 6-0 to Williams. ~

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RACING STYLE The first Chinese owner of a Swan 60 is making hi s mark on the Gazprom Swan 60 Circuit. TEXT BY SUZY RAYMENT PHOTOGRAPHY BY OnEdition

Before his yacht had even been delivered Fan had committed to racing In three of the Gazprom Svvan 60 Class regattas that make up the 2014 Circuit.

r Fan is the first mainland Chinese owner of a Swan 60. "The Swan 60 chose me rather than me choosing her," says Fan. "I decided I wanted to have a really beautiful sailing yacht as my birthday gift, and the Swan 60 matched my needs perfectly." ''-'-'u•u.u. '1>4 to Fan, the Swan 60 stands out over all other yachts with her perfect craftsmanship and easy handling. He feels that for him the yacht is a perfect balance of cruising and racing, as well as pleasure and business. Leonardo Ferragamo, Nautor's Swan Chairman and a competitive yacht racer himself says that, "the Swan 60 Class was born out of popularity from experienced sailors; it is big in both offshore and coastal racing. The class has matured quickly, and there are some serious team campaigns in evidence this year". The Swan 60 design has attracted a raft of high profile international sailors, with America's Cup, Olympic and Volvo Ocean Race veterans ensuring quality competition. The 2014 circuit began in June with the third edition of the Nord Stream Race. Over 100 Swan 60 competitors

from a diverse mix of 13 nations raced from St Petersburg in Russia to Warnemi.inde, Germany, via a stop-over in Finland at Helsinki. The 750nm race across the Baltic Sea follows the route of the Nord Stream Gas pipeline, the eponym of the race, which connects Russia with Europe. Before his yacht had even been delivered Fan had committed to racing in three of the Gazprom Swan 60 Class regattas that make up the 2014 Circuit: he was on the start line for the Nord Stream Race just weeks after having launched the boat. Fan's Team China did more than just complete the race - they finished in second place, just a few of miles behind Team Russia; an outstanding result for the first-time Asian entry. Choosing a good partner and a race skipper has been critical to making the programme work, says Fan. "I worked very closely with Lorenzo Bortolotti on the planning and construction of my yacht Windward, and by working together on a day-to-day basis we shared a lot and gained mutual trust in each other. When I decided to race the Swan 60 class, I invited Lorenzo to be the race skipper, and utilised his extensive experience when it come to racing in top regattas, building up the best Windward crew possible. Our

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selection criteria for different crew positions is based on the requirements for that role but most importantly the need to be passionate about sailing and bring a high standard of racing to the boat." Team China's skipper Lorenzo Bertolotti commented that "Our first race was a difficult one as we were looking for wind shifts and extra wind speed rather pursuing any particular tactic. We just missed catching Team Russia at the finish, and we were really neck and neck for the majority of the passage. I feel Team Russia know the Swan 60s better than us after racing on the circuit for three years, and they are all fantastic sailors, so full credit to Igor Frolov and Tommaso Chieffi, as they did a great job. Mr Fan was very proud of our second place result, and the race organisation was exceptional, with a great mix of offshore and inshore legs, " said Fan. "I particularly enjoyed the offshore element and would love for this to have never stopped." "I enjoy bonding with the team and getting involved in the watch system. I tried a nwnber of different roles on board during the race, from the bow to the stern, and I really learned a lot. Now we need to work together to understand our jobs better before the next event. As they say, practice makes perfect!

We will be training hard together to find our ultimate synergy." Windward's next stop are the warmer waters of the Mediterranean where the annual World Championships are held. The event in Palma, Spain, is run in conjunction with the 33 Copa del Rey MAPFRE, the biggest of all the Spanish regattas, and organised by the Real Club Nautico de Palma. Fan is hoping that Windward's teamwork will come together, and that they will be in the hunt for the silverware. Fan believes the 2014 Gazprom Swan 60 Class circuit winner needs to be a very well rounded team with skills that ensure the Swan 60 excels across all wind speeds, and that the team can reach their ultimate potential in both offshore, coastal and inshore racing disciplines." The boat then goes on to race in the glittering bays of Porto Cervo, Italy, for the Rolex Swan Cup scheduled in September. "I am a passionate sailor, and for me this is a dream ... to own a Swan and race against and alongside some of the best sailors in the world. " Besides racing, Fan will also be using the yacht to cruise around the Mediterranean with his son. "I can't wait to have some quality time with him - sailing together is definitely going to be an unforgettable life experience! " ~

ABOVE CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Mr Fan, owner of Swan 60 Windward lifts his trophies for his inaugrual Nord Stream Race; Team China finished in 2nd place; Mr Fan at the helm as Team China approach the finish line; Windward's owner, skipper and crew

SUMEMR 2014 I 61

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TUSCAN TREATS ONCE UPON A TIME, TUSCANY WAS THE HEART OF THE RENAISSANCE. TODAY ITALY’S MOST FAMOUS REGION DRAWS UPON ITS PAST – AND UPDATES IT. TEXT AND PHOTOGRAPHY bY GUY NOWELL

Ys | summer 2014 | 65

This is Turcany, the birthplace of the Renaissance, where you trip over history every time you cross the road. It is also the home of Chianti, salame Toscana, and pecorino cheese

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When you hear Viareggio described as ‘one of the most important centres of superyacht building in Italy’, you are forgiven for imagining an industrial town dominated by cranes, dirt, and the spark of welders’ torches. Not so! Viareggio is a glorious seaside resort of style and character, boasting miles and miles of golden sand beaches, some of the finest examples of Liberty style architecture anywhere, a fabulous promenade known as the ‘Passeggiata a Mare’, and an even more wonderful annual preEaster carnival parade, the ‘Carnival di Viareggio’ that dates all the way back to 1873. And this is Tuscany, the birthplace of the Renaissance, where you trip over history every time you cross the road. Florence is the capital, and Siena is just around the corner. The image of the Leaning Tower of Pisa dominates the picture postcards, and Michaelangelo not only took the pure white marble for his

‘David’ from the Carrara quarries, but also lived and worked in Pietrasanta. This is also the home of Chianti, salame Toscana and pecorino cheese, which is just as important. High summer produces an influx of sun-starved Dutch and German tourists, but the shipyards are busy all year round. Down at the southern end of the town, near the old port area, you’ll see writ large such celebrated names as Benetti, Perini Navi, and others. You’ll also find Rossi Navi whose boats are no less large, but – if there is such a thing – more ‘boutique’ than the vessels coming out of their competitors’ yards. Shipbuilding has been an item in Viareggio since the beginning of the 19th century, beginning with shipwrights building small fishing vessels along the banks of the Burlamacca canal. Today history, culture, architecture and tourism live comfortably side by side with the building of superyachts, the ultimate and most refined expression of the shipbuilder’s art.

PREvIOUS PAGE: Sunset from Mommio Castello OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Benetti sheds at Viareggio; Margherita and Fiorenzo Bandecchi; mosaic workship; marble art; the Rossi family; Prince Shark by Rossi Navi with lighting by Promotech AbOvE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: the famous Leaning Tower; Art is everywhere in Pietrasanta; Italian interior design; Tuscan produce and hospitality

Ys | summer 2014 | 67

Rossi Navi. Family Matters One of those ship builders is Rossi Navi, an old company with a new history. Sr Rossi senior was repairing fishing boats beside the Burlamacca canal 30 years ago, before moving on to building small cruisers, helped by his ever-inventive brother, Paride. Today the company is building 40m and 70m superyachts, the COO is Federico Rossi who started in the family firm at the tender age of 13 years, and whose son (15) works in the design department during the school summer holidays. “We only launch maybe two yachts a year”, says Rossi Jr. “We are not a production yard. Everything we build is bespoke, and of exceptional quality. Our engineering workshop creates everything that goes into the boat, and Uncle Paride is still in charge. We have the lathes, CNC routers, cutting and bending machines, polishing and welding gear. We can design and fabricate

everything from alu-bronze bollards to stainless steel handrails. It’s all about being able to fulfill inventiveness, ideas, and imagination – if the client wants it, we can probably make it. It’s also about creating ‘cool’ – novel solutions to standard problems, like revolving transom doors or a circular glass lift, or the ingenious stern staircase that just… disappears!” Apart from an almost obsessive attention to detail, ‘doing it a little bit differently’ is Rossi Navi’s hallmark. A superyacht owner doesn’t want a boat that’s just the same as the boat moored next door. “We offer the owner something special, something unusual – because we can.” At present, all the creative and engineering skill is being poured into a new build of a classic motor yacht, using modern thinking and design to solve problems on a boat with very traditional lines – like the crane that disappears into the funnel, and the lifeboat davits that support the top deck shade system.

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE: Rossi Navi, in the shed; Rossi Navi on display; ‘boutique everything’ on a Rossi Navi yacht; engineering solutions; Prince Shark’s fabulous disappearing stairway

Ys | summer 2014 | 69

Rossi Navi received Commendations at both the 2014 World Superyacht Awards and the 2014 ShowBoats Design Awards for Vellmari, but they are not resting on their laurels. Currently in the shed, two 49m vessels from Rossi’s ‘Prince Shark’ line, and a 38m built to the lines of an early 1900s gentleman’s yacht but packed to the watertight doors with modern design and technology. Federico Rossi describes it as “a challenge to capture the perfect balance between functionality and looks.” If you thought building superyachts was all about boilerplate, veneer and cushion covers, think again. “We love our job,” says Federico, “and we love our product. We are creating art that works, on a huge scale.” With three boats in build and more on the order books, Rossi Navi are busy – but never too busy to talk to and listen to their clients.

Ancient Arts A casual glance inland from the coast at Viareggio reveals a flat coastal plain that rises abruptly into the foothills of the Apuan

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Alps. And is that summer snow on the peaks? No it’s the outward sign of the famous Tuscan marble quarries, the most famous of which are near and around Carrara. Marble was first quarried here in Roman times, but in the 1980s the area was declared a national park, and quarrying of the rock faces had to stop, so the marble quarries simply went straight into the mountains – after all, they are marble all the way through – creating halls and chambers and galleries worthy of the Hall of the Mountain King. Access to the quarries is by no more than a hairpin goat track, and it is worth remembering that lorries haul out 35-ton blocks of the beautiful milk-white stone down the same road. Down on the plain, and the marble is sliced and diced, shaved and pared down into more manageably sized pieces. For sure, some of the finest will find its way onto superyachts being built at Viareggio. The rest will become stone veneers and cladding, paving stones and tiles, and even blocks destined for artists’ studios. Maybe some of it will find a way to an artists’ atelier in Pietrasanta, the archetypal small Tuscan town whose craftsmen and artisans have attracted the attention of many great artists.

Michaelangelo lived here – if the Bar Michaelangelo is not enough evidence, take a look at the blue plaque on the wall. Yes, the great man lived and worked here. Henry Moore and countless others have come to Pietrasanta to work with the local stone or have their sculptures cast in bronze. Fernando Botero is today’s ‘nom du jour’. Step away from the main square, and there are numerous workshops such as Studio Barsanti which houses a marble sculpture facility, a bronze foundry and a mosaic workshop. It’s a family business, like so many in Tuscany, and Emanuele Barsanti is the second generation proprietor of a business that has seen countless artists pass through his gates. Business is good, but for how long? “Attracting young people to the artisan’s work of bronze casting and the creation of mosaics is very difficult.” Barsanti cast bronze for myriad artists, and have created mosaics on a more-than-epic scale for private individuals as well as churches and cathedrals all over the world. “It is work which requires concentration and patience,” says Barsanti, “and today the world is fast,

and young persons don’t want to do something slowly.” The Murano glass chips that make up the stock of the workshop come in thousands of colours; creating mosaics is not something to be hurried.

Made to Measure How do you build and fit a bespoke luxury interior into a superyacht, quickly and efficiently? Time was when your carpenter disappeared inside, measured the space, came back and cut the wood, fitted it, came back and trimmed it, fitted it again, and so on. A time consuming and expensive process. There’s a better answer here in Tuscany: Yachtline. The trick is to create a full scale mockup in the factory near Pisa, built on a floor template that is a laser cut precision copy of the on-site floor plan of the yacht or house. Then bring in a workforce of master craftsmen, carpenters and wood carvers, build the entire interior in demountable units, ship everything off to its proper location and install. Fiorenzo Bandecchi, President of Yachtline, recalls that

opposite, clockwise from top: Entrances to marble quarries above Levigliani; Barsanti Jr and Sr; marble sculptor at work; Fabrizio Rovai, President of COSMAVE (Marble Quarries Business Assoc), and son Filippo Above: Bar Michaelangelo and the piazza, Pietrasanta

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Fiorenzo Bandecchi, President of Yachtline, recalls that the recent fit-out of a 55m superyacht entailed just 60% less man hours – compared to making it in “the old way”.

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the recent fit-out of a 55m superyacht entailed just 60% less man hours – compared to making it in “the old way”. A 4,000 sq m apartment on Manhattan is going to take only three months to build, ship and fit, top to toe. Presto! Yachtline have been building deluxe interiors for apartments, houses and boats for the last 65 years, so they are not beginners. The last 30 years has seen increasing concentration on superyachts, and most recently a ‘cooperation’ with Bennetti and Perini Navi, both blue riband top line superyacht builders. Now Bandecchi and partner Enrico Ciacchini are looking at private jets (“we were contacted by Boeing…”) and super-luxe retail stores (“imagine shopfitting a big store, in just a week”). “And,” Fiorenzo is keen to point out, “this is all done with Italian style and Italian passion. You can go to Germany or Holland

for engineering, but for real style it must be Italian.” He believes excellence in the present must be rooted firmly in the past, and is in the process of creating a Museum and Academy of Carpentry “in memory of my father, who taught me everything. Computer controlled milling machines are only tools, and to use tools properly you must be a craftsman. To do that we need to teach the young generation to do the job properly and to understand the materials – and so, the Academy: that unique blend of old and new, bringing history up to date, on which Tuscany thrives.

Light Fantastic Tuscany is home to the avant garde as much as it is to the traditional. On the outskirts of Viareggio you will find a company that calls its product ‘integrated lighting’, meaning that

the lighting systems that they design and build are internal and integral to the structure to be illuminated. Promotech Italia – and chiefly founder Claudio Giampaoli – have taken the application of LED lighting units to the ultimate level. They have created panels of light that are completely evenly illuminated (“How do we do that? Simple: just work at it for 10 years…”), tough enough to stand on, powerful enough to backlight a gossamer veneer of slate (marble is almost too easy), and so colour-controllable that photographers use them for product shots. In a residential setting – or, indeed, on board a superyacht – change an entire wall from sunshine to candlelight in an instant. The applications are only restricted by imagination. “We have tried to create something that truly exploits the almost limitless potential of LED lighting. Low energy

consumption, long life, low temperature, dimmable. We can illuminate anything from a saloon to a staircase, or even a wine cooler.” This is ‘Tuscany techno’, blending together modern concepts and ancient materials, creating interior lighting systems that are exciting and inspiring, and at the same time supremely practical. Promotech light panels are like having a tame and controllable skylight built into any given structure, at sea or on land, by day or by night. And when the client’s imagination goes beyond what Promotech have perfected already – well, they just sit down and work out a solution to the new problem. “We call this ‘hand-crafted technology,’” says Giampaoli. “It’s a perfect metaphor for Tuscany, fusing old and new, craftsmanship with technology, and materials with ideas.”

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: full size interior mock-up at Yachtline; designed with a computer; cut by a computer; but still finished by a craftsman ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Claudio Giampaoli shows off an infinitely versatile Promotech light panel; more Promotech integrated panels; backlit stone sliding doors walls; light up absolutely anything with integrated curved LED lighting

Ys | summer 2014 | 73

The real charm of chartering a superyacht - or even a smaller motor or sailing yacht - is that you, the holiday maker, have complete freedom to choose where you want to go, andwhen you want to go there.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Cruising the Raja Am pat on Silolona

stay closer to home and, for the same money as the European holiday, charter a yacht for a week or two in a tropical paradise and have the holiday of a lifetime. Superyacht charters come crewed, and your meals, service

of possibility, range and practicality of mooring, you can decide what to explore and what to sail past. Remote coral islands, isolated bays and beaches with nary a footprint (except perhaps from the turtles and sea birds), or perhaps you need a bit more excitement and you might prefer a night on the town at some of the treacly beach clubs that now line any of the Asian coastlines. Find somewhere you like? Stay an extra day, or maybe two. The

and so forth are all included in the price. Yes, being asked to cough up sums like USD250k per week can make the eyes water and the wallet flinch, but try funding 12 guests or a large

choice is yours. With the expansion of superyacht charter in Asia ,destinations such as the Seychelles, the Maldives, the Andamans, the great

extended family in six double cabins on a cruise ship or at a luxury resort and that can also be pricey option. The real char of chartering a superyacht - or even a smaller motor or s 路路

Indonesian and Philippines Archipelagos, not to mention the coasts of Vietnam, Malaysia and Thailand, are now within easy reach. In all instances you'll have an expert skipper and licenced and professional cre\v to run the show. Experienced bridge

deal of fun with younger children. So why not choose to

yacht - is that you, the holiday maker, h~p e freedpm to choose where you want ~hen you want t go.fuere. Tr it once and.yeU"bl!gm to u rstand'\V y yacht charter is - - -a-faveurite-amt>ligst t ose 'in the know'. It isn't just about the discreet service, or the specially cooked-for-you meals, which are served when and where you want them. Or about the array of water toys - sailing dinghies, speedboats, hovercraft, amphibious jeeps and the like. It's the freedom. It's your boat for the charter period, and within the realms

CLOCKWISE, FROM OPPOSITE TOP LEFT: Riviera Orientale's Numari ne charter; Silolona hideaway; Maverick is based in Phuket; Capricorn, available for Asian charter; Si Datu Bua, delicious luxury from stem to stern

officers, highly-trained chefs, skilled stewards, all to serve you whatever you'd like, whenever you want, and take you wherever you want to go. Most of these boats can accommodate more people on deck than there are cabins for, so invite your local friends for a day cruise, or evening cocktails and canapes, as you make your way from port to port over the course of your cruise. Yachtstyle looks at some of the yachting options that are just the ticket for that special holiday.

SUMMER 2014 I 77

MAID MARIAN 2 Launched in 1931, this classic superyacht has a delightful story. She was once owned by Adrian Zecha, founder and chairman of Amanresorts, and was chartered in connection with the famous Amanpuri Resort. Then film director Roland Emmerichar fell in love with her and brought her in 2007, commissioning British designer John Teall to complete a dramatic refurbishment and return her to her original Art Deco styling.

SUPERYJ\CHTS ON CHARTER

MAID MARIAN 2

DESTINATIONS: PHANG NGA BAY. SIMILAN ISLANDS, PHUKET GUESTS: 10 GUESTS CABINS: 3 DOUBLES AND 2 TWINS RATES: FROM THB115,000 PER DAY

NORTHERN SUN

DESTINATIONS: SOUTH EAST ASIA GUESTS: 12 GUESTS CABINS: 6 DOUBLE SUITES. RATES: FROM US$140,000 PER WEEK

MAVERICK

DESTINATIONS: SOUTH EAST ASIA GUESTS: 8 GUESTS CABINS: 4 STATEROOMS RATES: FROM €77.000 PER WEEK

BIG FISH

DESTINATIONS: SOUTH EAST ASIA GUESTS: 10 GUESTS CABINS: 5 DOUBLE STATEROOMS RATES: FROM US$195,000 PER WEEK

CHARTER COMPANIES WWW.ASIAMARINE.NET WWW.BURGESS.COM WWW.NORTHROPANDJOHNSON.COM

MAVERICK Based in the breathtaking waters of South-East Asia, Maverick II and her friendly crew with their wealth of local knowledge take you on a luxurious adventure in this superb cruising destinatk)n. The adventure superyacht has just undergone an extensive refit so not only does she look new, modem and fantastic, she is also fully equipped with a range of water toys to keep even the most active guests busy.

NORTHERN SUN For the first time 51 m Northern Sun is now available for charter in the South East Asia region, with plans to base there year round. The decision to charter comes after six years' extensive cruising of the region as a private vessel. Myanmar, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Borneo, Hong Kong and China are all on the destinations list. The vessel's long range of 12,000 miles and her proven seaworthiness mean she is capable of catering to the most adventurous client's request.

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BIG FISH The philosophy behind the design and building of Big Fish centres on an idea that the best luxury expedition vessel must be able to achieve certain key requirements. These include safely, securely and comfortably transporting the guests and crew to any ocean, and living life to the full in an environment of contemporary, informal luxury.

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MOTORYJ\CHTS ON CHARTER

LAVENDER

Lavender is a brand new 92ft luxury motoryacht with extraordinary speed and power. The master bedroom has a king-size bed, with queen-size in the VIP suite, and there are two smaller bedrooms with twin single beds. All have en suite bathrooms facilities. Perfect for a superluxe overnight cruise to one of Hong Kong's secluded bays or a night on the town, enjoying the lights of Victoria Harbour in a city that never sleeps.

ISABELLA ROSE The Isabella Rose is a magnificent 65 ft Princess flybridge cruiser. Ideally suited to the waters around Phuket, she has huge outdoor areas for relaxing and sunbathing, as well as substantial covered and indoor entertaining area. The vast flybridge is a wonderfully relaxed setting whether underway or at anchor, and has a large table with generous U-shaped seating which provides the perfect space for alfresco dining.

LIFESTYLE The Numarine 78 Fly is perfectly named for the luxury lifestyle it offers. The motoryacht is the perfect location for private or corporate functions or it can be a quiet weekender, or a less quiet trip to Macau for some high-rolling fun. Lifestyle can take you to the secluded bays in the New Territories where you can gently rest at anchor in Double Haven, and still have you back in time for dinner in front of the twinkling lights of Repulse Bay.

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SILOLONA &Sl DATU BUA Silolona and Si Datu Bua are modem incarnations of the glorious traditional Indonesian sailing ships originally bred for trade along the historic Spice Routes. Luxuriously melding all the safety and amenities of the 21st century w~h the style and grace of ages long past, each was meticulously designed and hand crafted specifically for the highly acclaimed Silolona Sojourns of Discovery. The Sojourns are some of the most sought-after private travel experiences in South East Asia. Each journey is unique and everyone, young or old, is enthralled by the magical experience provided by these boats. Ffom Papua and Raja Ampat, the Banda Islands and Komodo, dedicated and professional Asian crews will lead guests to little-known corners of the Indonesian Archipelago - their, home, of which they are very proud - and introduce vis~ors to a feast of history, culture, sights and adventure second to none.

CAPRICORN

A range of activities await the adventurous, from diving and snorkelling around magnificent coral reefs in crystal clear waters to sunbathing on untouched beaches - or just relaxing on the spacious teak decks, with a glass of good wine, taking in the ocean breezes and tropical vistas. Capricorn is a Turkish-built gulet, fully equipped for your leisure and enjoyment.

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SAILING YACHTS ON CHARTER

SILOLONA DESTINATION: SOUTH EAST ASIA GUESTS: 10 GUESTS OVERNIGHT AND 50 DAY GUESTS CABINS: 3 KING STATEROOMS AND 2 DOUBLE SUITES RATES: FROM USD1 08.500 PER WEEK

Sl DATU BUA DESTINATION: SOUTH EAST ASIA GUESTS: 6 GUESTS OVERNIGHT CABINS: 3 KING SUITES RATES: FROM USD84.000 PER WEEK

CAPRICORN DESTINATION: PHUKET AND PHANG NGA BAY GUESTS: 11 OVERNIGHT GUESTS AND 30 DAY GUESTS CABINS: 2 DOUBLE CABINS, 2 TWIN, 1 TRIPLE RATES: FROM THB115,000 PER DAY

ROYAL ALBATROSS

DESTINATION: SINGAPORE AND SOUTH EAST ASIA GUESTS: 10 OVERNIGHT GUESTS AND 149 DAY GUESTS CABINS: 5 SUITES ALL WITH EN SUITES RATES: SGDS.OOO FOR MIN 2HRS. OVERNIGHT RATES AVAILABLE ON REQUEST

CHARTER COMPANIES WWW.ASIAMARINE.NET WWW.OCEANINDEPENDENCE.COM WWW.SILOLONA.COM WWW.TALLSHIP.COM.SQ

ROYAL ALBATROSS Climb the rigging of this magnfficent Tall Ship and sail away to adventure. This unique sailing ship is the perfect venue for hosting a special occasion or celebration with a dffference! The spacious upper decks and lavish 270째 view Grand Salon provide guests with an exquistte and unforgettable experience, integrating the herttage of a historic vessel with the latest technology in entertainment, luxury, comfort and styte.

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SuRf is every inch an expediuon yacht practical, muscular, and displaying the sort of attitude that will take her anyvvhere, any time

â&#x20AC;˘

follows function, and s/y Suri's declared function is to be the ulâ&#x20AC;˘ilmate launch platform for adventure. In the words of her owner, was built "To share the water planet's unlimited opportunities

and opulence associated with any self-respecting superyacht. Building a new boat from scratch was going to be expensive - and even more importantly - time consuming, so the answer was to add

for adventure with like-minded thrill seekers and their families while

more accommodation and 'social space' to Smi, while extending the

enjoying the pinnacle of luxury in the sanctuary of StlRi's on board

garage/hangar at the same time. Sometimes the simple answers are

facilities. " It's quite some mission statement.

the smart ones.

Not your typical cookie cutter sleek-styled superyacht, StlRi is every inch an expedition yacht: practical, muscular, and displaying the sort of attitude that will take her anywhere, any time. SuRi was launched by Halter Marine in 1978 as an offshore support

So it was that SuRi was hauled out at Bay Ship & Yacht Co, San Francisco, to be fitted with a 36ft mid-body extension that would add an additional two cabins to her mezzanine deck and increase the size and capacity of her hangar. A spacious fully glass enclosed

vessel named Rosanna Herbert, and then became the 52m Fierce Contender, a crab boat built to survive the brutal conditions of the

guest lounge was added to the already comfortable and elegant

Bering Sea. In 2007, after starring in the popular tv series 'Deadliest

controlled part of the existing lounge, or opened to become a straight-through indoor-outdoor area.

Catch', she was converted to being a 'shadow vessel' - in effect the support ship that followed around the owner's other vessel, the

The extension also allowed for the creation of a media lounge that includes the 'Windows on the Water' - two 4ft x

conventionally-designed partner.

6ft windows in the hull surrounded by high intensity lights that

In time, SuRi's owner decided that what he really needed was the carrying capacity for all the watercraft, land vehicles and even aircraft that were already on board, but still providing the comfort

THIS PAGE, FROM TOP LEFT: Hangar contents lined up to go; submarine (optional extra); A-Star Squrrel helo; Windows on the Water in the media lounge

main lounge that can either be closed off to become a fully climate

JeMaSa, and carrying all the 'toys' that wouldn't fit on her more

not two superyachts, but just one- a deluxified version of SuRi with

SuRi carries the toys and the transport for every need, every occasion

attract fish and other sea life for the edification and entertainment of guests. Capt Nemo would approve. At the same time, the rest of the interiors were extensively refitted to an even higher level of luxury than before, and in 2012 SuRi was back in the water, now

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• 'Gem' Class 23ft gaff-rigged open daysailer • 1 Hobie Cat • 1 Heritage single rowing boat • 1 Heritage double rowing boat • 2 single kayaks • 2 double kayaks • 9 surfboards ranging from 5' to 8' • 3 stand-up paddle boards • Snorkeling gear • Complete SCUBA gear • 2 SeaBob underwater scooters • 3 SeaDoo Wave Runner 1503CC • 2 Yamaha Stand-up Jetskis 701 CC

• Adult Connelly water skis • Child Connelly water skis • Kneeboard • Wakeboard • SeaDoo towable inflatable for 3 persons • Super Mable inflatable for 3 persons • O'Brian inflatable for 2 persons • Yellow banana boat for 4 persons • Fishing gear for trawling/jigging • Variety of big game fishing gear • Freestyle cruiser inflatable water slide 11m

• Stan-Craft Wooden Speedster with 600hp Inboard Engine - 1997 deluxe vintage boat, fully refurbished with mahogany wood and comfortable seats; 30 feet in length and can carry 6 passengers; maximum speed of 40 knots. • Intrepid Center Console Cuddy 37ft with 2 x 350hp VB Yamaha 4-stroke outboards - maximum speed of 45 knots. Built-in toileVshower. Fully equipped for big game fishing. • Munson Packman - 23ft landing craft with two 200hp 4-stroke outboards maximum speed of 30 knots. This boat takes SuRi's motor bikes and bicycles right up to the beach where these land vehicles can easily wheel out for your next adventure. • Nautica RIB 15 DL inflatable boat - 11ft inflatable working rubber boat with 60hp 4-stroke Yamaha outboard. • Avon Rover 340 RIB gray inflatable boat - 3.4 meter inflatable working rubber boat with 20hp 4-stroke Yamaha outboard.

Helicopter: A-Star Squirrel Helicopter seats pilot and four passengers to take you on a splendid voyage from the ship to shore or vice versa and enjoy the magnificent landscape and sceneries from the sky. Seaplane: Dornier S-Ray 007: 2-passenger amphibious aircraft

• • • •

a full63m (206ft) on the \Vaterline, and ready to go looking for adventure all over again. There's probably nowhere in the word that SuRi can't go, but getting there is only half the game - what makes her utterly unique among superyachts and support vessels is the arsenal of accessories that she carries, and which come into their own both en route

5 off-road motorcycles 2 650cc BMW road bikes 2 ATV quad bikes 4 Cannondale bicycles

an exquisite 23ft Gem class open dayboat, and oarsmen will find two Heritage rowing shells at their disposal. And there's heaps more - see sidebar. Even the most energetic guest is never going to find time to take advantage of this collection of equipment during a week or maybe two. That would be like trying to watch every

and when SuRi reaches destination. The newly-extended hangar

movie on a flight between Hong Kong and London: it can't be

is full - and 'full' is the right word - of exciting gear. The A-Star Squirrel helicopter will bring guests on board, and can of course

done. Never mind -just remember that the SuRi has a range of 9,900nm at llkts. To put that into perspective, you could cruise

also provide scenic and exploratory flights. The Dornier S-Ray 007

from Singapore to the Raja Ampat via the Riua Archipelago, the

amphibious flying boat can take off from or land on any moderately flat patch of water and has a range of 700nm, making it a truly

south coast of Borneo, Bali, Flores and the Banda Islands, and back around the north of Sulawesi, down the Makassar Strait

fantastic platform for both sight-seeing and reconnaissance flights.

and back to Singapore... twice. Or to look at it another way, a

If you want to head ashore, go by hovercraft or in the ship's 24ft

circumnavigation of Australia including Tasmania is only 6,600nm.

Munsun landing craft or, more conventionally, in her beautiful 30ft mahogany Stan-Craft Speedster.

The problem is that if you did either of those voyages, looked after to the Nth degree by SuRi's ever attentive staff, you probably

If fishing is on the agenda, then SuRi provides a 37ft sport fisher with all the tackle ready to go. Sailors are taken care of with

never want to go ashore again. And you are going to have plenty

CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE TOP: SuRi in Antarctica; sightseeing by RIB; Stan-Craft Speedster; heli-deck lounge; as fresh as can be; SuRi's fullyequipped gym; all suites are deluxe, naturally

of time to try out all the toys, right?~

)}" I

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Taiwan has been building yachts for the international market for over 50 years, and is reportedly the 6th largest producer of luxury superyachts over 80ft in the world. But few Taiwan locals have indulged in the delights of boating, mostly due to government restrictions in the recent past. Anything along the coast was a military no-no, putting paid to everything from beach holidays to marinas. This is all about to change. The wraps have been taken off the coastline, and the Taiwanese are queuing up to go afloat. But first of all they were queuing up to go to the inaugural Taiwan International Boat Show earlier this year, which proved to be a raging success. Organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA, and Kaohsiung City Government, implemented by Taiwan External Trade and Development Council (TAITRA) and supported by the Taiwan Yacht Industry Association, this was a cohesive effort from both government and private industry that really worked. The new Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre saw over 60,000 visitors come through the doors, a good indication that the interest is there, and a glimpse of a domestic pleasure boating industry waiting in the wings. According to official figures 32 yachts worth NT$1 billion (US$33.17 million) were sold at the show, and a further NT$5.26 billion business was transacted post-show. Lai Jui-lung, head of the Kaohsiung Marine Bureau, was quoted as saying that some 26,000 visitors (including 2,500 buyers from China, the United States, Japan, Hong Kong and Singapore) attended the Kaohsiung

Exhibition Centre on the show’s final day alone. Granted, head counts are notoriously unreliable, but the exhibition halls at TIBS were certainly packed to the doors, and the queues just to stand on a boat for a few moments were neverending. The viewing gallery windows overlooking the halls were crowded mullion to mullion. Julian Jesson, the GM for Simpson Marine (Taiwan) explained, “Taiwan has been building boats for the last 60 years, but people have never had the chance to go out and have fun on boats, unlike their western counterparts. Now that boating is sanctioned by the government, people are curious and they want to experience what a luxury sailing or motorboat is like, first-hand.” Over 80% of the shipyards that exhibited at the show are located in Kaohsiung. The big names were all there - Horizon Yachts, Jade Yachts, Kha Shing Enterprise Co Ltd, Johnson Yachts Co, Grand Harbour Yachts Inc, Global Yacht Builders, and Ta Yang Yacht Building Co. Having the show in Kaohsiung meat that prospective buyers could also visit the shipyards, most of which are no more than a 30-minute drive from the city centre. “The Kaohsiung Government is now working towards the creation of an industrial park dedicated to yacht manufacturing, and the development of the marine recreation industry,” said Lai Jui-lung. This show definitely marked a significant moment for Taiwan’s six-decade old marine industry history. Just how sharp a corner has been turned, and the size of the highway ahead remains to be seen - but at least the wheels are rolling.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Boating action in the South Hall of the Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre; the in-water factilities

Ys | SUMMER 2014 | 93

This PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Horizon RP110; interior of the Horizon 11 0; Johnson Yachts on show; Monte Fino 100; luxury top deck of Johnson superyacht; Bill Dixon; Horizon sundeck with Jacuzzi

OPPOSITPAGE FROM TOP: Kaohsiung Officials being given a tour of the show ; Jade 95; Peter Hurzeler, Memphis Han, Andrea Manco, and Eric Petitjean

SUPERYACHTS "Taiwan is finally coming of age," says John Lu, CEO of Horizon Yachts. "It has been a significant player in the production of superyachts for many years, and now it is being recognised for the quality and economical pricing that has helped to put it among the top ten countries producing luxury yachts over 80ft." Horizon Yachts had 14 boats on display at the show, including two 110ft superyachts. One of these was displayed in the indoor pavilion, willie the other was in the marina located directly in &ont of the Exhibition Centre. Lu has worked tirelessly with the Taiwan government to launch the show, and he believes that the promotion of the yachting lifestyle to the local market is a major step in the right direction. "The majority of the yachts that we are producing in the shipyard are over 70ft," say Lu, and Horizon has already sold three of the RPllOs since they were launched in 2013, (one to the US, one to Japan and another to Australia). Lu believes that Asia will be a growing market for the company, and expects it to account for 30% of their business in the not-so-distant future. The largest boat at this year's show was the Jade 959. At 52m she was certainly impressive, even without all her luxury interiors which were yet to be fitted. Memphis Han, CEO of Jade Yachts, built his own special island pavilion complete with palm trees in front of the Exhibition Centre, and shipped a steady stream of visitors over to his floating VIP lounge, and the unique exhibition space became 'party central' during the four-day show. Also moored on the island and available for viewing \vere the Jade 95 and the 34m all-carbon Ocean Runner presented by Northrop and Johnson. Kha Shing Enterprises Ltd \Vas there, too. Having launched their first boat in 1998, the company grew quickly and had already launched 1,000 yachts by 2006. In 2009 they delivered their flagship Monte Fino 122, a 37m designed by Dubois Naval Architects, but they have also been an OEM manufacture- Hargave Custom Yachts is one of the brands that comes from their shipyard. Originally set up by the legendary designer Jack Hargrave, this wellrespected brand in the USA is now run by CEO Michael Joyce. "Today's, buyers are very demanding," says Vice President, Peter Colagiovanni. "They want to customise everything they purchase in life, and our job is to help them achieve their dream yacht. Asia is going to a big part of our future, and we are delighted to be part of the first Taiwan International Boat Show," said Colagiovanni. Johnson Yachts was another well-known superyacht shipyard at the show. One of the first companies to work with a European designer, their successful partnership with Bill Dixon and his design office has put the company on the map. Johnson Yachts are now in their third decade of boatbuilding, and have produced yachts that range in size from 65 to 125 ft. It is noticeable that the Taiwanese boatbuilding industry has for so long faced east tO\vards North America. Maybe a growing enthusiasm for boating in Asia will allow expansion into markets a great deal closer to home?

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OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Monte Fino and Belize on show; Julia Chen; The President of Taiwan, Ma Yingjeou and Eddy Tao; the Horizon AC80; Grand Habour Motoryacht; uGreen 42 Hybrid yacht

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II II II

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MOTORYACHTS Taoyuan-based Novatec shipyard is definitely targeting the Asian market, and the Novatec 58 Euro was on display in the South Hall. CEO Eddy Tao belives that one of the winning points of the brand is that their mid-size range of yacht can be semi-customised. The yacht that \Vas on display at the shO\v had a third cabin in the a& section of the yacht that can be used as a second saloon for meetings or for entertaining guests. This competitively priced yacht ex-factory model offers savings of almost 50% compared to a similar sized vessel from Italy. Looking to the future, Novatec has recently hired the acclaimed Italian designer Carlo Mezzera, formerly of Azimut, to design a new rage of motoryachts beginning with the Novatec Galaxy 72 due for launch in 2015. Kha Shing and Horizon are also looking to capture a larger slice of the local market with their entry-level yachts. Kha Shing's Monte Fino CAT 45 Sports Fish \vas developed "as a result of customer feedback", says John Kung, Deputy GM of Monte Fino Yachts. Many of the local buyers wanted a boat to go fishing in, and so we introduced the CAT 45." Alongside the Monte Fino was the Belize 54 Daybridge which Kha Shing produce for Riviera. "We are really excited about the Taiwan and China markets", says Curt Goldring from Riviera. "We are actively seeking out new dealers in the Asian region as we see big opportunities for the future." Goldring says the company has signed 17 orders for the Belize 54 since it was released in 2013. Horizon is also looking to target the local market and they are importing Nimbus boats from Sweden. "The majotity of the boats we build are 70& and up", says Lu, "but this is not where the market should start in Taiwan." Lu believes that the smaller yachts are what is needed for this new market, and the Nimbus 335 and 365 were on display at the show. Horizon sold one Nimbus on the spot, and expect to be selling a lot more in the future. Motor catamarans were also much in evidence. The largest was the Horizon E88 which was displayed in-water, while the smaller hybrid UGreen 42 was on show in the South Hall. Launched for the Asian market, hybrids are growing in popularity says Jack Chen, the President of Bluewater Yacht Builders. "People are becoming more concerned about the environment and fuel efficiency, and this is why we started the UGreen project." Bluewater's main line of custom built boats range in size from 50-90ft, and include longrange cruisers, sport fishers, sedans and flybridge models. Ta Chou is another family-owned business that has been building motoryachts for the leisure, commercial and military markets. Julia Chen, Ta Chou's GM, appreciates that the potential new customer base in Taiwan has little experience of boats - and even less of maintenance. "This is where we can help," says Chen. Ta Chou shipyard offers refit and maintenance services, and is a major supplier of motoryachts for the charter industry.

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SAILING YACHTS Dick Beaumont from Hong Kong-based Tayana Yacht Sales points out that Ta Yang Yacht builders have been producing Tayana Yachts for over 40 years. "The company has been hand crafting quality yachts for sailing enthusiasts, and there are plenty of Tayanas cruising around Asia. Tayana's focus is on the client and there is a lot of customisation and personalisation that goes into each yacht, without a major increase in cost," says Beaumont. The company has recently launched the new Elegance series, \vhich is all set to take Tayana into a new era. Designed by Kevin Dibley, the new flagship Elegance 66 'White Dragon' is currently in build at the Kaohsiung facility and is due for launch in December 2014. The Elegance series will showcase substantially updated styling and design, and include many technical innovations such as a carbon fibre mast and an in-boom furling system from Southern Spars. Beaumont believes that the yard is moving into a very exciting time, and that the company will soon be at the forefront of

luxury blue water cruising. Ta Yang is also changing the way that it markets the yachts, with the shipyard dealing directly with the customer rather than through a dealership network. Corum Yachts, another sailboat manufacturer in Tahvan, is located in Luzhu Township, Taoyuan County. The company manufactures racing and cruising sailboats, and small and medium-sized powerboats. "From design to manufacturing, we have a professional team who supervises the production of top quality yachts," says Director, Kevin Lee. "Corum specialises is light\veight racing yachts under 50ft, and we have worked closely with the Argentinian designer Soto Acebal to produce the Soto 27 ." A nwnber of the Soto 27s produced by the yard are now being raced in China. The one-design fleet are sailed in the Greater China Soto 27 Series, and the China Cup International Regatta. Corum sailing yachts range in size from 6m to 14m, and the shipyard also plans to start producing cruising catamarans in the near future.

OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT:

MORE THAN YACHTS There was, hO\vever, a lot more to the Taiwan I nternational Boat Show than yachts. 139 component and equipment suppliers from Tahvan, Australia, US, Italy, Singapore, Hong Kong, China and Indonesia turned the exhibition floors into a treasure trove of hardware, generators, engines, propellers, navigational instruments, radar devices and radio systems amongst all the other electronics, interior and design solutions. According to TAITRA, more than 2,000 overseas buyers

Like many Australian exhibitors, Ronstan - a sailing hardware manufacturer - signed a new distributor at the event. "With an enonnous coastline and large population looking for new and e..xciting \vays to spend their precious leisure time, it's only a matter of time before a domestic market for sailing products begins to emerge in Taiwan," says Peter Dowdney, Ronstan's

ABOVE CLOCKWISE:

Australasian Sales Manager.

attended the show, with the largest share of overseas buyers coming

With over 24,000 visitors showing up on the first two days, and the weekend clicking up double that nwnber, the viewing

from Asia (65%), followed by the USA (15%) and then Europe

registration process to visit yachts was overwhelmed. In fact, by

(13%). There was also a strong showing from the Australian

midday on Sunday, the Horizon stand was apologising to visitors

International Marine Export Group AIMEX, who brought more

that they had to close the viewing registration because all the available allocations had been taken.

than 20 suppliers to the first-time event. AIMEX CEO MaryAnne Edwards said, "We have been pleasantly surprised by the

CorumYachts on display; Roger Goldsmith and Peter Chen of Tayana Yachts; in-waterdsplay; Kevin Lee, Tiffany Koo and Jacky Wong from Corum Yachts

Tahvan is a nation surrounded by \Vater, so really it is no wonder

Overhead view of the Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre; models and boats; long lines of visitors at the Horizon stand; equipment manufactures; design competition; AIMEX exhibitors enjoy happy hour

that the shO\v was a success. Will the next show be - as proposed

professional organisation of the event and the superb facilities at the new exhibition centre. The significant nwnber of true industry

- in 2016? Or is TIBS destined to be an annual event? Watch this

exhibitors makes this a show with huge potential."

space. And watch Tai\van go boating.

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PENCHU REGATTA At its second running, the Penghu Regatta, sponsored enthusiastically by Audi, and organised by Simpson Marine (Taiwan), attracted 13 boats. "This is not yet a major international

moderate breeze, sunshine and clean, warm water. Perfect. This year's regatta involved a day of windward-leeward

regatta. This is more what you would call grass-roots sailing," said

racing and an around the islands race, the latter taking place in a little less breeze than some \vould have liked. Party time after

Julian Jesson, Simpson's MD for Taiwan. For many years sailing and yachting (and indeed all \Vatersports)

all. This cheerful event deserves more attention - anyone in

have been stifled by a military ban on recreational activities on the coast. That restriction has now been lifted, and if the attendance

Hong Kong game for a small adventure could sail across to the Penghus, race a weekend, cruise for a few days and race the

racing was well attended, and for sure a good time was had by

at this year's inaugural Tahvan International Boat Show is any sort

second weekend. There are no restrictions on foreign-flagged

of an indicator, then Taiwan could well be heading for a boating

vessels entering Taiwan.

boom.Meanwhile, after the skipper's briefing (in a waterfront bar), and after a fe\v questions about starting sequences follO\ved by the

Said Jesson, "Penghu really is an ideal destination for sailing. We are thrilled with the interest we have seen during this regatta,

obligatory handing out of souvenirs to civic notables, it \Vas time to

demonstrating the passion for yachting that exists in Taiwan. There

get out on the \Vater and enjoy the scenery of the Penghu Islands,

has been strong support for the event locally, and we are already

25nm or so off the west coast of Taiwan. In the winter the place is packed to the high tide mark with

looking forward to building on the success of this year's event

windsurfers who come here for days on end of wind over 30kts. In the summer the place looks rather like the Scilly Isles, with

to be able to support the development of yachting in the stunning Penghu archipelago."~

100

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with a bigger and better programme next year. We are delighted

TPE 101

'~i

61)'\

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP CENTRE:: Heading off on an around-theislands race; VIP Presentation路 handing out the prizes; happy sailors!; Audi catches the breeze路 High Castle collect' their trophies; every one a winner

SUMMER 2014

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104 ON BOARD » SEA TRIAL » SAN LORENZO 96

u •

MADE TO MEASURE 'Made To Measure' superyachts are adapting Italian styling for the growing Asian market, with San lorenzo leading from the front in the design stakes. TEXT BY SUZV RAYMENT PHOTOS COURTESY OF SAN LORENZO

Opening up the interior as much as possible to provide ' ' panoramtc wews and natura/light

Il l

YACHTY't .1

he Sanlorenzo shipyard has been building luxury yachts since 1958. Their ‘Made to Measure’ approach to the luxury boating industry has proven to be extremely successful, with the company now ranking second on the list of top ten shipyards building superyachts over 24m (as ranked by Showboats International). The Sanlorenzo shipyards currently have 39 projects under construction totaling 1,345 meters. Their new collaboration with Sundiro Holding in China, and the establishment of Sanlorenzo China Holding Limited, has allowed the brand to promote its Italian-built Sanlorenzo motoryachts from 22 to 62 meters to the Greater China market (China, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan). Traugott Kaminski, CEO of Sanlorenzo China Holdings, has lived in China for over 25 years and is now the exclusive agent for San Lorenzo in the Greater China region. Kaminski has been working with the Sanlorenzo shipyard to design yachts that meet the needs of his Chinese clients. “I am very happy for the opportunity to work with such a leading brand,” says Kaminski. “Both Sanlorenzo shipyard in Italy and Sundiro Holding in China have placed their trust in me, and I am sure that together we will see significant achievements in the region. Sanlorenzo has a solid management team and thanks to the new SL96 and SL106 models, specially designed according to the requests of their Chinese customers,

we have some of the best products for the Greater China market. ” Kaminski explains that he is looking to do more than just sell luxury boats. The company plans to offer after sales service that guarantees the most professional assistance to customers, captains and crews; yacht maintenance, management and charter to better protect and optimise the investment of its owners; yacht finance and leasing services; and consulting services for transport, import and registration of yachts in the Greater China territories. Combining his ‘China knowledge’ with Italian styling, Kaminski believes that Sanlorenzo have created the perfect yachting experience for the Mainland clients who wants to entertain in privacy and with style. “These yachts can be used for business meetings and entertaining, as well as the occasional weekend jaunt on the open seas,” says Kaminski. “For me the most important thing is to work with a shipyard so that they understand what we are trying to achieve. We have crafted the layout and interiors, and a tour over the three decks will show how the design has been adapted to the emerging boating market in the Mainland.” Sanlorenzo and Kaminski have worked together to identify the design touches and interior flourishes that appeal. “Privacy is a paramount concern for any superyacht owner,” says Kaminski. “However there is a big difference between European yacht owners

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Full beam owner’s stateroom; quality woodwork looks and feels good; en suite fits neatly into the angle of the hull; VIP suite making the most of space in the bow; a place for everything (and everything in its place ABOVE: Saloon, dining area and helm station all in one grand sweep

Ys | SUMMER 2014 | 107

108 ON BOARD>>SEA TRIAL >>SAN LORENZO 96

Not just selling boats: aftersales service, professional training, yacht maintenance, management and charter, and consulting services for finance and leasing, transport, import, and registration

YACHTY't

- who use their craft almost purely for pleasure, and go cruising for many days at a time, with the crew being almost part of the family - and a Chinese owner. According to Kaminski, Chinese owners prefer the onboard help to be unobtrusive, and for this reason on the SL%, the staff quarters are tucked away at the front of the lower deck (where guests cabins can usually be found on other yachts). The four crew share two cabins, each with en suite toilet and shower so that they can look presentable at all times. Sliding internal doors between sections of the main deck ensure privacy, and external doors allow the crew to pass unobtrusively from their quarters or the galley to the stern of the boat or wheel house without disturbing the owner and guests in the main social areas. Each yacht is unique, designed and built with the input of the buyer. In this latest edition of the SL96, Kaminski has taken the opportunity to open up the interior as much as possible to provide views and natural light. The lounge has a balcony and floor-to-ceiling glass windows on one side, and the dining area has a sunroof. A nifty electronic system allow windows to be blackened when the space is not in use, to ensure a slim-lined seamless exterior that gives the boat a real cutting-edge appearance. The interiors are immensely chic, with bright and bold accessories, conveying an atmosphere of a casual but stylish private club. Tastefully decorated in light tones of fine European wood, leather and marble with lively orange accents, colour choices are of course - at the discretion of the owner. "There is so much to be done on a yacht of this size to make it extraordinary', stresses Kaminski. Naturally, the entire yacht is air-conditioned and has every contemporary comfort factor from flat screen televisions and LED lighting to large fridges and a superbly equipped galley.

The indoor entertaining areas are all on one level for comfort and convenience. Guests descend to the lower deck and enter a lobby area rather than the typical narrow hall, thereby giving a sense of spacious that few other designs offer. A total of four cabins sleep a total of 10 guests with the owner's suite housing double vanity unit and a walk-in shower for two. The VIP suite is almost as grand as the owner's accommodation, and makes any distinguished guest feel equally important onboard. Two guest cabins, each with two single beds and Pullmans complete the living quarters. For those who want to play on the water, a reconfigured lower deck allows space for a large tender and two jet skis. The flybridge boasts a Jacuzzi and plenty of lounging space for drying off after a dip, a dining table, wide-screen TV and teppanyaki cooking station. As this first SL96 Special Edition designed for the China market heads for its homeport of Sanya, where Sanlorenzo is opening its debut flagship store in the region, Hong Kong will get a look at the next Sanlorenzo-Kaminski collaboration later in 2014: the SL106 Special Edition. Apart from another 10 feet and a more lavish interior decor, the SL106 will offer a round dining table - requested by many Chinese customers - two extendable balconies, three jet skis, a sauna and massage bed, and even an auspicious fish tank in the dining area. The opening of Sanlorenzo China Holding Limited in Hong Kong has been central to the recent agreement with the Chinese group Sundiro Holding, in which Sanlorenzo maintains the Italian ownership and the identity of a 'Made in Italy' icon worldwide, but now with the advantage of a powerful and strategic local Chinese partner, Sanlorenzo is making its presence felt in the East.~

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE: The large galley area: entry to the lower deck storage and utility room: the helming station on the upper deck has controls and functions identical to those on the main deck ABOVE: The large swimming and boarding platform - the shore power cable at the stern reels in at the touch of a button

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ON BOARD

NEW BOATS 11\1 ASIA AZIMUT 50/NAVETTA 33

J\ZIMUT 50 Sprightly Newcomer Azlmut have taken the Inspiration for this design from last season's best selle0 the AzlmutBO, adding !nan exceptlona/fy large flybrfdge

o new it hasn't been shown yet, this new 50-ft flybridge was launched in June 2014, and will be on the European and American show circuits this autumn. Azimut say that they have taken the inspiration for this design from last season's best seller, the Azimut 80, concreting a revamped design vision for the Azimut Yachts flybridge collection. Some classic features remain: the vertical hull windows, but Stefano Righini's external design includes such eye-catching features as the mirrored-glass deckhouse window and flybridge, improved spatial feel, with the exterior spaces given priority: sizeable bow area and cockpit and 17 .5m2 of flybridge, one of the largest in this category of boat. The interiors are by Carlo Galeazzi and include the usual saloon and dining and relaxation areas and a lobby leading down to the cabins and the galley. The main cabin with en-suite bathroom is amidships, taking advantage of the full width of the 15ft beam. The main guest cabin is in the bows and there is plenty of room for the third cabin with pullman beds and a shared head. There's a crew berth with its own head. Finishes, as usual for Azimut, are negotiable. The pre-launch photographs show extensive use of light-coloured materials: white or pale cream leather and tops, pale oak or beech wood\vork and

bleached-teak decking offset by washed-mahogany finishes inside. She is powered by two Volvo Penta Dll, 670 HP straight shaft engines which provide a maximtun speed of 30 knots and cruising speed of 26-27 knots. No word yet as to when Azimut expect to be able to show this boat in Asia, but it could be December if we're lucky. www.simpsonmarine.com

NAVETTJ\ CRESCENDO 33 Villa on the Sea t 106ft long, this is no tiddler. A very substantial boat indeed, and has the power to shift - cruising at up to 16kts. Comfortably sleeping 10 in 5 cabins, and with space for 6 crew as well, there's room for tinkering with the layout and accommodating extra guests. As configured, much of the entertaining space is circular, so round tables actually fit well, which for those of us from the Far East makes not only for utility but is pleasing to the eye as well. Even the spa on the top deck is dead circular. Top deck aside, there are two entertainment space decks (although in one configuration part of one of these is given over to palatial "Owners" accommodation). 20 people can be sat down for meals at once, and substantially more can be entertained for cocktails. The galley is on the main deck, but so placed as to be tmobtrusive, and large enough for several staff to be cooking and serving at once. No compromises here, as is too common in boats said to be designed for the Asian market. If the large amount of entertaining space within isn't enough, Ferretti have added the new essential extra du mode - a little platform that slides out to increase the width of the main deck, at least in part. A moving balcony.

Sleeps 10, dines 20, and entertains a host for cocktails. Ferretti have successfully packed more space Into 33m than you would have thought possible

The business area of the boat is down below: a sizeable engineroom concealing two enormous MAN V12 1400H P diesels sits behind the main accommodation and just forward of a good-sized garage, below the main deck cockpit. She displaces 147 mt and has a range of 800nm www.ferrettigroup.com.

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PRINCESS 32M Every Inch a Lady Princess de/fvers a lot in this 32m package there's plenty of space, and none of it is wasted either indoors, outdoors or aloft on the f/ybridge

t over 100ft long and 23ft wide she is a big boat by any measurement and like all her sisters, is both elegant and has fully practical seakeeping capabilities. Depending on the engine package chosen, she can reach up to 24kts (that's with the twin 2,637mhp MTU diesels). As you'd expect for a yacht of this size, there's plenty of room, yet no space is wasted, and the saloon features to starboard a dropdown balcony accessible through sliding doors to create a room of truly magnificent size. The dining area seats 10 comfortably, and the rear cockpit seats 8 or 10 at a stretch. The owners' cabin is on the main deck, forward, and gets splendid elevated views on each side. The galley is well-sized and capable of supporting a large cocktail party with canapes as well as dining on board. The guest accommodation below can be configured in 3 or 4 bedrooms, all ensuite. Crew quarters are comfortable and have their own access and feature a spacious mess and three cabins. Easy access to the machinery room is provided, and a remote module allows cre\v members instant access to the ship's control and monitoring system. The wheelhouse is set on its own raised deck, with commanding views forward, a central helm perch and sociable dinette on

the port side. The spacious flybridge is ideal for entertaining and al fresco dining with seating for 10, a bar and lounge areas. The optional spa bath is integrated with the sunbed and the large aft area will accept additional furniture. An optional hard top with an electric sunroof is also available as required. www.princessyachtschina.com

BERING 65 Solid and Seaworthy ering Yachts was founded in 2007 with the aim of developing rugg~d, safe, reliable long-range passage makers capable of crossmg oceans. Unlike many of today's cigarette-boat-inspired, "slap-anotherdeck-on-it", fast cruisers, meant for sheltered inshore waters, rarely away from home for more than a weekend, the Bering 65, representative of its entire line, can leave home forever. Not to put too fine a point on it, she's a tough little steel trawler, 58ft on the waterline, and 20ft wide, with 4 watertight bulkheads and fuel capacity of 4,500 litres. She cruises at 8.5kts and can reach the dizzying speed of 10. At cruising speed she has a range of over 5 ,OOOnm. She displaces 92 mt. Very solid, but with a draft of only 1.7m at full load with full tanks. Centre of gravity is low, so she excels in the area that matters most: a sea-kindly motion in heavy weather. Beyond using a proven hull design, the Bering 65 relies on a "heavy for size" approach to providing the uncommon sea-kindly motion that very few, if any, recreational motor yachts are capable of delivering. The low centre of gravity combined with the sheer mass of the vessel provides a reduction in roll moment and minimized pitching and pounding that is so well proven in the commercial marine market. The Bering 65 can be configured in a nwnber of different ways.

There is room to allow for both a generous master cabin as well as multiple guest cabins. You may choose to have dedicated crew quarters further aft, as well as a midships "utility/work" room. This is excellent space for additional storage as well as a general work area with a work bench. Serious cruisers only need apply. www.asiayachtservices.com

With a name like 'Bering' you are entitled to expect something rugged. This well-found trawler style mobile comfort zone wants to leave home forever Built for long distances and longevity

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FAIRLINE SQUADRON 60 Squadron Leader Fairline are famous for making not just goodlooking boats, but 'good performing' boats - their sea trials are serious affairs. Here, they've thought of everything, right dONn to the engraved lead crystal tumblers

he fully equipped flybridge stretches back to cover the entire cockpit and provides a huge area to relax and entertain with a bar with its griddle, fridge, sink and optional icemaker. Optional? Don't be silly. Fairline are famous for making not just good looking boats, but good performing boats - their sea trials are serious affairs. With Fairline's customary sea keeping and performance the flybridge is also the perfect position for an exhilarating helming experience if you want to give the crew a break and cut loose a bit. The large submersible bathing platform is large enough to have sun-bathers as well as swimmers. Tempting targets, of course, but it's all fun. The rib sits easily on the platform when moving between moorings. There's even a stowable shower hidden in the transom to wash off the salt, which is a nice trick. A few steps up from the bathing platform takes you to the large open cockpit which in turn runs into the saloon area providing an expansive, uninterrupted entertaining area. Another couple of steps up from the salon is the galley and the dining area and the stairs down to the cabin deck with one twin and two double cabins. Crew accommodation is aft, in the transom. With twin Volvo 900mhp engines she can do a tidy 32kts, so she is very nippy indeed, and carries 2,6001 of fuel. The new

Squadron 60 takes all the innovative features you would expect from a far larger boat and applies them to every square inch of its design. The sumptuous mid-ship master cabin, for instance, has been designed to create more space for a larger en suite and an unconventional longitudinal bed set off the centre line. As usual for a ship of this standard, the finishes are sumptuous. I like the six engraved lead crystal tumblers in the drinks cabinet, the full set of cudery and the Fairline china dinner service. British craftsmanship at its best. www.jebsenmarine.com

LAGOON 52 New Generation Family Cruiser impsons bring you yet another Lagoon, to the region where "lagoon" means catamaran -infuriating for anyone else trying to sell cats, but there you go. She's 52ft long and 28ft wide, so has a considerably larger net floor space than most apartments in H ong Kong and at a fraction of the price. And she sails. What is not to like? The purist sailor prefers a monohull, and a weekend running around the cans in the harbour, but this boat isn't designed for racing, and putting the polars to the test. It's designed for popping up the coast to a nice quiet bay and having a weekend's sybaritic pleasure as much in the destination as in the journey. And if you've got a week off, try another bay too. There are standard 3, 4 and 5 cabin versions, all of which leave substantial living space outside the cabin area for those who do not spend all day in bed. The sailing isn't just for show. Lagoon, together with their yacht design partner VPLP, (\vho have experience of competitive sailing) are developing a new style for a whole new generation of Lagoons. This Lagoon 52 is the first model of this new generation. With its diamond-shaped vertical bows, contemporary styled hulls and its levitated hardtop and with a taller rig

moved aft the Lagoon 52 stands out from the crowd. The yacht offers many entertainment and lounging areas such as a vast flybridge, a cozy forward cockpit and a spacious aft cockpit. All ropes and controls are located on the flybridge, away from the living areas, so if you want to pay someone else to have all the fun, then go to it. A tilting steering wheel improves perfect visibility for the skipper, whether under sail or when maneuvering. www.simpsonmarine.com

A considerably larger net floor space than most Hong Kong apartments, and at a fraction of the price. And considerably more mobile than an apartment - so what's not to like?

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MARKETING FEATURE

OPPOSITE PAGE: Outdoor furnishing featuring Sunbrella® performance fabrics are both stylish and long lasting. THIS PAGE: BVZ Asia® carries specialty fabrics, hardware and finishing materials for boat tops, covers, tarps, sails, seat cushions, interiors and more.

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hen looking for marine products, the bottom line is that they need to stand up to the harsh elements. With BVZ marine collection, you are guaranteed unparalleled performance. BVZ Asia® carries specialty fabrics, hardware and finishing materials for boat tops, covers, tarps, sails, seat cushions, interiors and more. BVZ Asia® holds the widest distribution network of Sunbrella® performance fabrics and associated products in Asia. It has inventories in five major distribution centers in Hong Kong, Guangzhou, Malaysia, Thailand, and the Philippines. Clients can order directly from any of the offices ensuring convenient and reliable delivery. “We carry the best lines for marine applications including Strataglass and Crystal Clear 20/20,” says Galen Au, group general manager. “A remarkably clear and scratch resistant vinyl

sheet, Strataglass performs well in boat curtain, automotive window, tent and awning applications, where clarity and lack of distortion are demanded. Test results for the UV coating show up to 100% blockage of the harmful spectrum of UVA-UVB rays. Meanwhile, Crystal Clear 20/20 are uncoated press-polished vinyl sheets that offer exceptional clarity and flexibility most desired for boat curtains and window applications. It is the largest presspolished sheet product available in the market and is exclusively available through in Asia through BVZ Asia®,” Au explains. “For boat owners who are serious about protecting their investment, they can have custom-fit Sunbrella fabric covers. Custom-fit boat covers are great for mooring and storage,” Au shares. “Having the right cover can prolong the beauty of seats, instrument panels, and ensures durable, worry-free use.” For more information on these marine products, visit www.bvz.com or email info@bvz.com.

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The Dunia Baru is all solid ship. MassAie ironwood timbers, great baulks of teak everyvvhere,路 tons and tons of Indonesian hardwood have been lavished on this boat and its fittings

he Dtmia Baru is an ironwood-hulled Phinisi-styled superyacht, and will be covered in a later article. She is available for charter in Indonesian waters and comes complete with a five-star chef and a five-star dive master. She sleeps 14 and carries 18 crew besides. Combining the latest technology with the finest Indonesian boat-building traditions, she's the ideal platform for exploring this unpopulated part of the most densely populated country in SE Asia. It may just be me, but "superyacht" implies acres of snowy-white deck; lots of idleness while the discreet and plentiful crew look after your every whim; for the energetic, lots of "toys" and things to do, and excursions; first-class food and drink; luxurious accommodation; big.

For one reason or another, although all these terms emphatically do refer to the Dunia Baru , somehow "superyacht" isn't the right term. Yes, she's super. Physically big at 167ft, and easily sleeps 14, including two in a colossal "owners" suite on the top deck, with its own private deck area. T he Dunia Baru is all solid ship. Massive ironwood timbers, great baulks of teak everywhere; tons and tons of Indonesian hardwood have been lavished on this boat and its fittings. Its engines and generators and electrics are state-of-the-art, as is the internal plumbing and air-conditioning. T he walk-in refrigerator helps the chef satisfy

the most discerning palates in the remoteness of the Dunia Baru cruising grounds, and there's always a line over the side. The fish doesn't get fresher than that. "Superfriendlyship", that's the Dunia Baru for me. We were treated like guests. H ouse guests, not hotel customers, and the difference is all the difference in the world. The crew were discreet 路 when they weren't clowning around hoisting the huge gaff-rigged mainsail, four men to the halyard. They were friendly 路 but not the butter-wouldn't-melt tight-lipped smile of the swiss-trained steward on your typical superyacht deck. The chap serving me my cocktail had first been employed as the electrician who did the lighting, and currently doubled as the topmastman, shinning barefoot up the main to raise and lower the topsail between the topmast and the gaff of the mainsail. And swarming headfirst down the shrouds afterwards, delight written all over his face.

The Dunia Baru poses in the Komodo Islands THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: The Dunia

Baru 路 ready to go almost anywhere you command; miles from anywhere, in the middle of nowhere; Varanus komodoensis can grow to over 3m long; everything wood, from truck to keel; the topmastman is also the electrician; trekking among predators on Rinca Island

But all this was later 路 first I had to get to Bali, but thereafter I didn't know very much about where we were going. The email said: "Get to Bali" and "We will have someone at the airport to pick you up and bring you to the boat. Most likely my daughter. My hope is to leave at sunrise. We should anive to Gili T by 3 pm." Gili T ? Well, I was met at llpm, and whisked off through swarms of motor-bikes and other desperados to a reassuringly solid RIB alongside a seedy dock somewhere on the east side of Kuta. Five

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The Lombok Strait isn't wide, but It is deep and has strong currents. It sits athwart the Wallace Une that divides the Asian ecosystem from the Australasian

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minutes later I was climbing the Dunia Baru's companionway and tucking in to a couple or three 'welcome' drinks before bed. This couple-or-three - well, we stopped short of double figures I think- were being drunk by myself, Mark-the-owner, and Ramon, the dive master. Ramon is from Mexico, but if you want to know how he made his way to the Dunia Baru, you have to buy him a beer. More than one beer. He's been there and dived it, and gave up collecting the T-shirts many a long while ago. His passion is mantas. And sharks. The bigger the better. True to the promise, up came the anchor at 5.30am and upstairs I went to meet my hosts again. Funny how beers on boats don't cause hangovers. Don't believe me? Try it on the Dunia Baru. Anyway, breakfast was tackled with equanimity. Served in the rearmost maindeck room - the galley-cum-dining room -where \Ve ate most of our meals, and sat most of the day when indoors. Guests, owners and senior crew (usually Ramon) on three sides of a rectangle, all facing the chef, who like most artists seemed to require constant

reassurance, and like all seacooks got his leg pulled mercilessly. Breakfast out of the way, I had time to look around me: we were heading north up the Lombok Strait to "the Gili Islands", three flat islets off the northwestern point of Lombok, each more westerly than the other. The Lombok Strait isn't wide, but is deep and has strong currents, and sits athwart the Wallace Line that divides the Asian Ecosystem from the Australasian. On the left elephants, on the right kangaroos. For some reason not even the birds cross over. Just humans in boats, and I was engaged in doing just that. To be sailing along such a famous line, proposed by such Darwin's famous colleague Alfred Russel Wallace is really something - at least for this old biologist. The Gili Islands are all in shallow water concealing countless dive spots. "Gili T " is Gili Trawangan and is the outermost, with a settlement which faces across the half a mile or so of back-eddying water

to the next innermost. Gili T has a coastal strip,lined by cafes, dive shops, restaurants and guest houses. There's even an Irish Bar, the Tir Nan Og, which claims to be the biggest Irish bar on the smallest island in the world. The following morning saw us at remote Pulau Satonda, a superb snorkelling spot. But this isn't what Pulau Satonda is famous

to the north includes a relatively sterile area with gas bubbling through the sea bed from the active part of the volcano deep below. We had two more days of diving, and a final day of dragonhunting. The diving was on several sites to the north and east of Komodo Island, home to the Komodo Dragon, the world's largest monitor lizard. Komodo sits between Sumbawa and Flores and partly blocks the narrow straits, and is surrounded by swirling wa-

obliged, and nobody was disappointed. The non-divers had their fun too. The Dunia Baru boasts some handy toys. A couple of small RIBs in addition to the big one, a sailing dinghy, paddleboards and open-top surf kayaks, and there was plenty of time for us to paddle ashore to the empty beaches to ramble or just sit, or snorkel. Or zoom around on the jetskis. Last day was dragon day and we went to Rinca, an island next to Komodo and hired a couple of guides. The dragons, naturally, hang around the guides' camp. "We don't feed them", said Ramli, chief guide, "they smell our food and come here in hope". The dragons get even bigger in zoos. "They feed them like puppies until they are very big", he said, which tells you two things, if you think about it. In the afternoon the breeze got up and it was time to prove that the Dunia Baru is not just a motor boat. Up went main and mizzen, main tops'l and three jibs. Raising the sails makes the Dunia Baru look like her antecedents, the great trading vessels of the East

ters, and pelagics abound. We were all agog to see mantas - Ramon

Indian Archipelago. ~

for: just 300m behind the beach over the lip of a 50ft slope, is a volcanic crater lake. Completely invisible from the sea. Amazing. Next stop was Pulau Sangeang. It is a volcano and the sea bed

OPPOSITE: The 18-strong crew is a crash course in diversity, hailing from five different islands and embracing three different religions

THIS PAGE, TOP: Plenty of toys (in case you get bored)

THIS PAGE, ABOVE: Paddle your own canoe, peacefully; Ramon Estrada, Divemaster

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Port in a Storm Port has always pl ayed second fiddl e to Bord ea ux, but in fact it has long sin ce held its head just as high . Nic Boyde reviews an old favourite. TEXT BY NIC BOYDE PHOTOS COURTESY OF JESSENWINES OPPOSITE TOP: Croft's vineyard estate Quinta da RoMa

OPPOSITE BELOW: Replicas of the 'rabelo' boats that used to bring the wine down-river, at Oporto Oeft), and the original house of Taylor Partners (right)

ort, as H ugh Johnson has said, is the "happy ending to a story with a fairly discreditable start". Its creation, (essentially by foreigners), its development (including much adulteration and outright forgery), and its raison d'etre (a foreign argument), are all part of its discreditable start

and in fact its discreditable early life, yet the outcome, the drink of today, has the range and the depth to challenge the most sophisticated drinker. Port is a fortified wine, in that it has distilled spirits added to it to bring its alcohol content up to 20%. It is fortified before natural fermentation is complete, which kills off the yeast before it has finished its job of converting the grape sugars into alcohol. So port is sweet and strong, and there's not much tastes better than sweet and strong, or so riddled Samson. Why fortify the wine? Well, fortification does help wine survive transportation, especially transportation by sea, and particularly by sea across the Bay of Biscay. It also makes it taste nicer - if the wine needs a bit of help (and the original wines of the region needed it), then fortifying early did the trick. Fortification also improves shelf-life generally, especially if the bottle is not to be consumed all at one sitting. (Irrelevant, surely? Never happened to me. Ed). All alcoholic drinks survive transportation more readily if they are stronger - Export Lager and Export Stout are the stronger-thanlocal varieties of the beer world, but wine in particular is fragile unless fortified. The foreign argument referred to is of course the off-and-on again argument about who should rule western France. The English to whom it belongs, or the upstart French, the current and temporary owners. A thousand years of bickering, and the only real gainers are the Iberians (and those of us who love Sherry and Port). Whether for reasons of blockade, or punitive taxation, the Bordeaux-Britain trade was often interrupted and wine merchants had to deal with the powerful English thirst by seeking alterna-

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~ WAR.RlE'ยง

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PORTO

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: LBV ports- a predominance of English names; port ageing in casks in Taylor's cellars; port is an integral part of the history of Portugal; David Guimaraens, Taylor's chief winemaker

to the production of the great British Port houses designed for the UK market, dominated by big heavy Ruby ports meant for 20 years or more of cellaring. While White port is made from white grapes, Tawny and Ruby

being drunk all around you. They are not big on the Late Bottled Vintage Ports or the rare Vintage Ports so enamoured of the export market. For me, these are the wines to drink lots of as aperitifs, as dessert wines, as wine-instead-of-dessert, or just as wine to drink all evening, dinner optional. Excellent value, excellent taste and enough variation to satisfy a lifetime's study. Go to Macau. Study. Go to Portugal. Study some more. It is not that you can't get great Tawny ports outside Portuguese places, but you don't get the range and you don't get the bargains. Only the greatest wines are worth bottling and marketing for export. Or the cheapest, done in large volumes. Of the red ports, or Ruby ports, there is Ruby, very fruit-driven, a blend of different wines, three to five years in barrel, and packaged to sell inexpensively. You can cook with them, lightly chill for an aperitif, or drink with dessert and cheese. Not meant to be cellared, and once opened will keep for several days.

are both made of the same red grapes, and are the way they are because of how they are matured. Tawny spends longer in barrels and the red colour oxidises to tawny. Ruby ports are bottled earlier and retain their redness. All ports spend a couple of years maturing before being bottled. In Portugal itself it is the White and Tawny ports you will find

Ruby Reserve ports spend another couple of years in barrel, acquiring more complexity, but are still fruit-forward while being described as having "vintage character". Again, not meant to be cellared and will drink well for several days after being opened. Late Bottled Vintage Ports are from a single harvest year, and the year is on the bottle. Designed to be consumed when bottled

tive sources of wine. No point looking northwards - even the beer gets nasty- so south they went, and the Portuguese were happy to help. Only one problem -the native wines were iffy at best. Astringent whites are all very well, and survive to this day as the modern sophisticated vinho verdes, but astringent thin reds take a lot of drinking before they taste good, and the hunt was on for something more palatable than Blackstrap. 200 or so years after a treaty that gave a permanent tax advantage to Portuguese wine over French (thus creating a permanent demand that survived times of peace between England and France), Port has moved on, and in Hong Kong, with our proximity to Macau and its strong Portuguese heritage, we are not limited

(and the year of bottling will also appear on the label, perhaps atthe back of the bottle), these wines are four to six years old and have typically been kept in gigantic oak barrels. Some LBVPs are un@tered, and will throw a sediment. These can be stored for five to 20 years, but can be drunk straight away. They will need decanting no matter what you decide. Vintage Ports are the giants of the port - especially Ruby port world. Deliberately rare. A shipper will only declare a Vintage year if he reckons he has enough high quality grapes to bottle from a single harvest. Perhaps once every three years. Often the product of grapes from several Quintas, not always belonging to the shipper, the wine is stored in used (and therefore relatively neutral) barrels for between two and three years, after which, by law, it must be bottled, unfined and un@tered. Designed to be cellared for up to 30 years, the top Vintage ports will last longer. The 1966 Graham's is drinking well now; will last another decade easily and still shows signs of improving. The 1970 Fonseca is promised to be on top form in 2050. Pity I won't be there to find out, but for HKD1,300 and the cost of a Ouija Board, your son can tell you. His palate might have developed by then. Meanwhile, keep passing to the left, and mine's a Captain's Decanter.~

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STYLE DESIGN WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY

On the Move Mobile technology is evolving fast, and whether or not you have noticed the recent trend in ‘wearable-tech’, its stealthy approach is as exciting as it is daunting. If you are not already ‘plugged in’ then it won’t be long. TEXT BY JODY CHAPMAN

ech has a bit of an identity problem: far from sexy or rarified, mobile gadgets are often insipid white plastic oblongs. This is okay if it’s going to spend 99% of its life in a Prada handbag or the pocket of your Dunhill jacket, but if people are going to proudly wear their devices to be seen, the design needs to be as carefully considered as the function. Over the past 20 years the mobile phone revolution has caused the fashion and technology industries to slowly converge - with ‘wearable tech’ this amalgam is complete. Apple has been in the driving seat since the launch of it’s iPhone back in 2007 and despite rumblings about a loss in direction since the sad departure of Steve Jobs, it is still the company to watch when it comes to future consumer technology trends. The introduction of a fingerprint scanner in the iPhone 5S had civil liberties netizens up in arms about the wholesale availability of yet more intimate details. It is rumoured that the next iPhone (the iPhone 6) will include a heart rate and blood pressure monitor integrated into the earphones - not altogether surprising when Apple have been working closely with Nike in training gadgets and apps. The optimist in me hopes that this level of human diagnostics will help with training, fitness and early detection of illness, but the pessimist worries that the data could be used to refuse health insurance. As Edward Snowden said, your privacy is something you only miss when you need it most. The unprecedented genius stroke that made Apple the envy of their competitors was the ability for third party companies to create and sell applications to be used with the iPhone. These ‘apps’ tap into the various sensors and data in the phone and, coupled with connectivity to external devices, enable a myriad of paired gadgets. Pedometers, heart rate monitors, thermometers and more have enabled a suite of wearable devices that sync with your phone and vice versa.

If you’d rather stick with a conventional hand-phone but are still interested in tracking your activities, there are now a plethora of different fitness devices including the already discontinued Nike Fuelband which tracks activity, pairs with your iphone, offers encouragement and even rewards you with (valueless) points called NikeFuel for being more active. Fear not Nike fans! Since the news was released that it was stopping the FuelBand, Apple and Nike are in cahoots anew, so expect the new iPhone6 to be bristling with Nike-friendly apps. Last Christmas’s essential gadget was a Jawbone UP. This benign-looking rubber bracelet allows users to track their activity each day and then monitor sleep patterns at night. It also keeps track of diet, building up a very accurate picture of the wearer’s state of health. The UP along with Polar Loop, Fitbit and Withings Pulse use an accelerometer to track movement, and an algorithm to interpret what that activity movement equates to. By no means fool-proof, but a huge and intuitive step in the right directionfor non-specialized fitness tracking. Entirely transcending the predictable shiny white plastic gadget is the gorgeous Shine by Misfit Wearables. The sensor is encased in an elegant machined and laser etched aircraft grade aluminium disc which can be kept on your person by a range

of accessories, including the bloom necklace, watch mountings, brooches or sports clothing. It monitors activity and sleep, and displays the time. Wireless syncing to your smartphone is achieved by placing the Shine disc on the phone’s screen. From US$199, available from www.misfitwearables.com Just in case you are overwhelmed by training plans, diets and biometric stats for yourself, then why not start keeping close tabs on your pet. Whistle is a collar-mounted activitymonitoring device for dogs, and the software integration is by Jawbone (the makers of the ubiquitous UP). It keeps track of how much activity your dog is taking, and the app keeps a log of feed times and general wellbeing. From $129, available from www.whistle.com

immersive. Whilst the system is being developed primarily for the gaming industry, the possible applications of a consumer friendly virtual reality experience are far reaching. Imagine remote schooling, visiting museums, galleries, going shopping, and even city tours without leaving the comfort of your living room. Oculus have yet to make a consumer retail product, and the Rift is a development kit for programmers and designers, but expect the next generation of games to be made for Oculus headsets when they hit the shelves next year. www.oculusvr.com Coogle Glass is set to revolutionise how we integrate with digital technology. Part tracking/recording device and part heads-up-display, it brings Minority Report science fiction tech finally into the reach of general public. T he lightweight head-mounted device brings together voice recognition, global positioning and internet connectivity to provide real-time recording, feedback and web access without ever looking down at a phone, tablet or PC. It is a giant leap in humanmachine-interface and whilst the product is still officially in development, it is already causing a huge stir. Conscious that the Google brand is not yet synonymous with high-fashion, the company teamed up with catwalk mainstay

Wearable technology was envisaged by the Dick Tracy cartoons of the 1940's, and despite numerous reminders courtesy of The Jetsons, Star Trek, Knight Rider and many others, it took almost three-quarters of a century for the watch phone to make it into reality. Samsung produced a wristwatch extension of their Galaxy smart phone last year, and the rumours are strong that Apple is about to join the party too. Pebble is a wildcard entry to the smart watch race; it was brought to life through a record breaking Kickstarter campaign with over 85,000 people pledging support. Whilst not specifically a phone, it pairs to your mobile device, keeps track of your activities and has a variety of apps to play music, games and navigation. Pebble Steel (as pictured) retails at US$250 www.getpebble.com The giants of the digital age, Facebook and Coogle are also taking bold steps into the development of wearable technology. Facebook recently made a $2bn acquisition of virtual reality pioneers, Oculus. Virtual reality was the buzzword of the mid '90s, but the technical challenges meant it never really took hold as prophesied. The limits of processing power and image definition caused tiny lags between movement and display making the subject feel dislocated, dizzy and after only a few minutes, motion sick. Rift, the pre-production headset from Oculus, uses lightning fast processors, high-end optics, predictive algorithms and sensor cameras to ensure the digital experience is completely

Diane von Furstenburg to design a range of Google Glass to appeal to the luxury end of the market. They also have a strategic partnership with Luxottica who are responsible for the big names in eyewear including Oakley and Rayban. T he aim is to match the technology with the brand, and take Google Glass 'from geek to chic'. Whilst there is no official release date or retail price available for Google Glass, expect them to be available soon. Just as the iPod changed our behaviour towards music, Google Glass will forever change how we deal with data. All these devices represent further integration of technology into our everyday lives. Their design is minimal, usually combining several functions and tending towards unnoticeable. Whereas conceivably 10 years ago a runner would have an ipod, a phone, heartrate monitor, pedometer and possibly a wrist motmted satnav, this can now be encapsulated in a single device. 4

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Brake's photographs have a universality about them that resonated with the selection panel as the collection has never been exhibited before in Asia

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rt Basel Hong Kong came to town again in mid-May this year for their second edition. Hosting the world's leading art fair has confirmed Hong Kong as the art epicentre for Asia where local and international art enthusiasts can admire, discuss and watch more Asian art change hands than just about anywhere else in the world. It's no wonder everyone wants a piece of the action. With 245 galleries exhibiting, the halo effect Art Basel Hong Kong generates is like lighting a long fuse. In the months leading up to the unofficial art week in May, artists, galleries, collectives, art organisations and even hotels feverishly rush to prepare for their latest openings, exhibitions and art related events. For that one-week, Hong Kong feels more connected culturally than at any other time of the year. Connecting with Hong Kong people is not easy, as many governments have discovered. But anything visually unique, viewed from the harbour, is typically a success through a shared common experience, and gives people something to talk about... not to mention the support generated by social media activity. Think 'large yellow inflatable duck'.

This year, residents and international visitors had much more to see in the public outdoor domain. Berlin based artist Carsten Nicolai's fair-sponsored light installation 'Alpha Pulse' took over the face of the ICC building in Kowloon for two evenings, accompanied by an online app to enhance the experience. Not far from ICC, British artist Tracey Emin's animated neon light work 'My Heart is with You Always' adorned the front fac;ade of the Peninsula Hotel every night for ten days leading up to and during the art fair. As the unofficial 'home' of neon lights in Asia, it was a fitting piece to exhibit publically in Hong Kong where more efficient LED lights are replacing the neon on the busy downtown streets. Far away from Victoria Harbour, two of the more serious art satellite hubs of Chai Wan and Wong Chuk Hang continued to extend their profile into the local community holding open days and evenings during the art fair. Chai Wan, the industrial area on the eastern end of Hong Kong Island hosts Chai Wan Mei Festival each year. Supported by 10 Chancery Lane Gallery, Platform China and Asia One, the festival boasts over 60 artists, performing artists and designers from 40 studios over a two-day period. Chai Wan Nite attracts far more than just an art crowd and jives into

PREVIOUS PAGE: Gu Wenda's 'United Nations: Man and Space' (Hanart TZ Gallery)

THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM OPPOSITE TOP LEFT: Yang Longliang (Galerie ParisBeijing); Yee Suk Yung (Kukje Gallery/ Tina Kim Gallery); Neugerriemschneider

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A strong theme for many Chinese artists is the connection beM!een old China and present day China

the early morning - luckily with limited noise restrictions. Wong Chung Hang, host to well known Hong Kong names Blindspot Gallery, Cat Street Gallery Annex and Spring stay open late one evening during 'art week' known as 'Art Night' with 13 galleries and organisations playing host. Koru Contemporary Art managed by Gallery Director Mark Joyce, is one of the South Island Cultural District (SICD) member galleries based on the south side in Aberdeen. The gallery was also present at Art Basel Hong Kong under 'Insights' featuring an inspiring solo exhibition of vintage colour photographs by famous New Zealand photographer Brian Brake sourced from his estate. Brake lived in Hong Kong during the late 1950's and early 1%0's and during this period he visited China several times, capturing images of local people and everyday scenes. Although well known in his own country and to some extent internationally, Brake is not a name in Asia many people recognise. It was this connection together with the Hong Kong and China elements of the story that lead to the collection being exhibited at the fair. As Joyce comments "The vintage photographs, all signed by Brake, have a universality about them that resonated with the selection panel as the collection has never been exhibited before in Asia. The images are evocative and

portray China in a period when very few people had access." From the smaller 'Insights' section to the large-scale installations and sculpture areas, 'Encounters' at Art Basel Hong Kong is found in the wide-open spaces across both levels of the fair. With their high-impact visibility, the works provided a lot of interest and at times entertainment with live performances included in some of the pieces. The show was curated by Yuko Hasegawa, Chief Curator from the Tokyo Museum of Contemporary Art, who said in her curatorial statement that the show "reconsiders social and communal memories and relationships". As one of the seventeen installations in 'Encounters', Korean artist Yee Soo-Kyung's \vork brought back to life discarded pieces of highly glazed ceramics using gold lacquer resin, epoxy and gold leaf to 'mend' the cracks. Well known for her series of tall artworks 'Translated Vases', Soo-Kyung, in her new work titled 'Thousand' reassembled the shiny celadon-hued ceramic pieces and arranged them on a circular display stage, laid out with pure precision. In this format she highlights again the connection between the traditional use of porcelain as a complementary piece in art and her O\vn contemporary portrayal of imperfect shapes that taunt the perfectionist in us all.

A further feature work in 'Encounters' that may have disturbed some visitors was Chinese artist Gu Wenda's 'United Nations: Man and Space'. Made of hair from over a million participants from around the world, it is a derivation from an ongoing project started by the artist fifteen years ago. Gu stitches the hwnan hair together into large sheets and in the exhibition it was complete with depictions of national flags. In a 2014 interview, by Ysabelle Cheung in Time Out Hong Kong, Gu commented he wants to 'try and unite people through hair'. H e said, "It represents misunderstanding between people. It's a co-existence which is questionable where the world is more divided, with more conflicts among cultures and races, countries, politically and socially". Known for his modernization of Chinese traditional ink painting, Gu's use of artistic materials extends beyond the use of human hair! A strong theme for many Chinese artists is the connection between old China and present day China. Shanghai based artist Yang Yongliang's works are well known for their traditional 'shan-shui' style depiction of Chinese mountains and waterfall scenery but when looking closely, they depict the ever-changing highly urbanised landscape that China has become. Yang's works

in monochrome tones are fascinating as the level of detail and clarity keeps onlookers coming back for more. This year, Yang's solo exhibition with Galerie Paris-Beijing was in his traditional style but as video art displayed on large high-resolution screens. As animated videos, these works are even more interesting than Yang's photographs as the movement is concentrated only in certain areas of the image. The video works are created directly as an extension of his photographic takes. Yang continues to use multiple copies of a still image as a starting point but during the complex digital production process, he replaces some of the detailed layers with live video footage. Making a connection with contemporary art can be a daunting exercise. When appreciating art some people look for a connection to the story behind the work and the artist who created it. They seek the connection that will in some way associate them with the work - a time or place in history, an ideological belief, an innovative artistic technique or a personal link known only to them. Usually it involves a combination of several threads. With an abundance of contemporary art to visit in the region, it's definitely time to get connected. In 2015, Art Basel Hong Kong will be held from March 15-17. ~

OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Brian Brake (Kim Contemporary Art); Pekin Fine Arts; Xu Qu (Tang Contemporary Art)

ABOVE CLOCKWISE: Carsten Nicolai's Alpha Pulse lights up the ICC; Rebecca Baumann (Starkwhite); Acquavella Galleries; Galleria Continua

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THE LAST WORD 145

CHARTERING NEW COURSES

M BY BART KIMMAN

Bart J. Kimman In Hong Kong since 1985, Kimman was initially an investment banker. Yacht Broker since 2002, he is a specialist in the sale and purchase of large yachts and started Northrop and Johnson Asia in 2008. Northrop and Johnson Asia is a member of the Mediterranean Yacht Broker Association (MYBA) which focuses on Yacht Brokerage, Yacht Charter and Yacht Management. Bart represents various shipyards, and has bases both in Hong Kong and Phuket.

any experts agree that South East Asia offers some of the very best yachtcharter areas in the world. An area of 4.5m sq km includes 10 countries, 630 million inhabitants, and 16 official languages. The variegated cultures have been influenced by all the major religions of the world, and have developed some of the best cuisines on the planet. From an adventurer’s point of view, the region has the largest tropical rainforest in the world after the Amazon Basin, and the Coral Triangle provides some of the best diving anywhere. Combine all this with the natural habitats and cultures of the mountain tribes and sea gypsies, and Asia makes for an unforgettable and unique yacht charter experience. Do you really want to cruise from the same crowded anchorage to another over-familiar marina or quayside in the Mediterranean – again? Surely it’s time for something new, exciting, and (almost!) off the chart? The history of SE Asia is dominated by maritime adventures. To and fro across the Bay of Bengal, the early traders learned to read the rhythm of the monsoon winds, allowing them to sail eastwards with the southwest monsoon, and remaining and trading and returning once again with the northeast monsoon – or vice versa. These predictable and seasonal winds allowed trade and communication to develop between India and the Malay peninsula some 2000 years ago. At the same time trade flourished between the Chinese Empire in the north and the spices and commodities-producers to the south. The Malay peninsula was the natural connecting point for two trading areas, and then the Europeans arrived and the rest really is history. The story of Asia is a palimpsest of trade routes and the ancient history of commerce, and it is a fascinating tale. In an area this size the first choice is ‘where’? Where to spend a two-week charter holiday? – and of course that all depends on what the charterer is looking for… but there are plenty of brokers and voyage managers ready with information and advice – you’ll only have to ask. In the southern hemisphere Indonesia is the preferred area, around the 8th parallel, where there is good breeze and spectacular destinations including Bali, Lombok, Flores, the Komodo Islands, the Raja Ampat and Papua New Guinea. To the north of the equator, Borneo, the Southern Philippines and Sulawesi are in the heart of the Coral Triangle – and arguably offer the highest level of marine diversity and some of the best diving on the planet. For the ecologists and environmentalists this is heaven on earth. Continuing north, you can indulge in more diving adventures in the popular Andaman Islands in the Indian Ocean, or cruise the west side of the Kra Peninsula through the Mergui Archipelago in Myanmar, and be amazed by the natural beauty

of pristine beaches and encounter the friendliness of the local sea gypsies. Is Asia safe? Yes, it is. You won’t be kidnapped by pirates, although you may be approached by some raffish-looking men in small boats offering to sell fish. (Who wants frozen when fresh is on offer?) And you are not going to be arrested for illegal trespassing, either. There are plenty of old stories told in waterfront pubs confirming that pirates and rogue authorities will attack and hold for ransom, but thanks to the diligent hard work of the pioneers of the charter trade over the last 25 years, safe areas have been developed in cooperation with high-level government involvement. This has turned some of the spectacular cruising grounds of Asia into visitor-friendly ports of call. When proper permits are obtained and local rules are obeyed, cruising should be trouble free. Any charter Captain worth his salt will be fully aware of the relevant rules and regulations, and will have been advised by professional local agents before undertaking a charter. Foreign flagged vessels must follow strict port clearance and immigration procedures in each country they visit, as prescribed by international maritime law. Yacht captains, yacht managers and local Government officials have worked very hard over recent years to establish a system allowing yachts to charter and visit the appropriate destinations, provided they keep to the local rules. In most places a proper Cruising Permit is all that is needed, allowing free passage in the designated destinations. Maritime law is very clear about commercial vessels carrying cargo or passengers. An integrated system of international and domestic maritime regulations tells Captains what they may and may not do. Unfortunately none of these laws apply in Asia (except Hong Kong and Singapore) because for the most part ‘Pleasure Vessels’ are not recognised under said countries’ maritime law. However, more and more Asia countries are defining pleasure vessels as distinct from commercial vessels, and trying to regulate the pleasure vessels by issuing cruising permits – all of which means that local knowledge plays an important factor when planning a yacht charter. A well-respected charter Captain in Southeast Asia recently suggested that as it is almost impossible to register a yacht in every one of the 10 countries offering charter destinations in the region, then owners and charterers should look at the problem the other way round: make a selection of the preferred destinations and start building relationships with the local authorities. The more the local authorities understand the business of yacht charter, the faster progress can be made. Increased levels of professionalism in the business of yacht charter in Asia mean that the business is growing quickly. Figures for day charter, overnight charter, adventure charter, luxury charter, crewed charter and bareboat charters are all on the rise. There are now several charter organisations operating in Asia – just remember the Golden Rule of Charter: consult the professionals, and then go out and enjoy an unforgettable onboard Asian experience!

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