Yachtstyle issue 27

ASIA’S AWARD WINNING BOATING LIFESTYLE MAGAZINE

issue

27

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YACHTSTYLE ISSUE TWENTY-SEVEN SPRING

024 NEWS Women’s team in the Volvo and the Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre

034 AWARDS The 16 winners of the Asia Marine and Boating Awards in Shanghai

038 REGATTAS Great Nations’ Cup and Zerorh+ Tomes Cup at the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club

042 BOAT SHOWS Shows in Singapore, Shanghai, and Taiwan plus the Show Calendar

050 PARTIES Singapore Yacht Show and Conference, Rolex China Sea Race, and LYSA

054 CARLA DEMARIA The passionate helm of the new luxury line of Monte Carlo Yachts

058 PHILIPPE BRIAND Award winning designer designs graceful yachts that delight the eye and the senses

060 IAIN MURRAY The Australian sailor behind the challenger of Record for the next AC

FEATURES 070 EPIC BATTLE This edition of the Rolex China Sea Race was a hard fought battle on the water

076 EXTRA LARGE Big and beautiful superyachts were at the Singapore Show and are available for charter

088 ROCK STARS The Extreme Racing Series started the season in Singapore with top sailors

096 HALLMARKED The British brand of Fairline believes that quality is what counts

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ONTENT

LOGBOOK

THE ENGINE Of YOUR IDERS

ONTENT YACHTSTYLE ISSUE TWENTY-SEVEN SPRING

ON BOARD 104 LYSA Hong Kong’s new programme for fractional Yacht Ownership

108 NEW BOATS Ferretti’s Altura 840, Grand Banks 43EU and Lagoon 560 S2 114 BOATS ON BOATS Shipping yachts around the world requires specialist knowledge

STYLE 122 MARINA BAY The modern waterway in Singapore is steeped in history but alive with action

128 BOATING MOVIES Our film critic reviews classic, modern and old movies of the sea

130 COLOURED GEMS Diamonds of different colours and hues are a good investment

134 BASELWORLD A selection from the 144 new watches that went on show in Switzerland

138 ISLAND TASTE New Zealand’s memorable wines are for drinking and for the cellar

140 POSH This style section looks at the latest luxury indulgences

145 LAST WORD The confessions of a trainee skipper will make the reader smile

146 LAST SHOT An intriguing photo of the Captain of his ship not on the bridge

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MANAGING EDITOR: SUZY RAYMENT CONTRIBUTORS: GUY NOWELL, NIC BOYDE, IAN LANG, BEN DILLON, MICHAEL AUMOCK AND MARIA BOYDE PHOTOGRAPHERS: GUY NOWELL, JEFF BROWN, CARLO BORLENGHI AND CHRIS LEWIS

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COVER PHOTOGRAPH VERTIGO PHOTOGRAPHY CHRIS LEWIS

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12 EDITOR'S LETTER SPRING ISSUE

CONTRIBUTORS

NIC BOYDE

Nic Boyde grew up in Cyprus and Geordieland (similar-sounding languages he says), and has since learned to speak English and Greek, three oriental languages and gives lessons on swearing in Swahili.

No stranger to the inside of a bottle of fine malt, and an avid collector of fine Bordeaux, he has sailed since childhood, and has represented three different nations in three different sports. He prefers sea miles to airmiles and has lots of both.

CLOCKWISE TOP LEFT: Climbing the rigging on Albatross at the Singapore Yacht Show; the iconic Merlion of Singapore, a view from the top of a Monte Carlo 65 at the Singapore Yacht Show; and sending a post card from the Fullerton Hotel, which was previously the General Post Office

S

ingapore is featured strongly in this issue of Yachtstyle. This small island has a special place in my heart as it was the first Asian city I visited on my first overseas trip. I still remember the excitement of my first visit to the Far East and this dynamic island that continues to grow and develop, and in many ways leads the rest of Asia in a number of areas. This fact was recently recognised when Singapore was awarded the title of ‘Boating Capital of the Year’ by the Asia Marine and Boating Awards (page 34).

The Awards are held in conjunction with the Shanghai Boat Show, which unforgivably this year was held at the same time as the Singapore Yacht Show, but that aside, the award was given to Singapore for setting the pace with its Yacht Show, its international sailing events including the Extreme Sailing Series with its stadium racing format, and the Clipper Race stopover. Singapore also leads Asia with its extremely strong youth sailing programme that has already produced world champions.

The Extreme Sailing Series literally started with a bang and was packed with yachtstars, including America’s Cup hero Sir Ben Ainslie and Volvo Ocean Race legend Franck Cammas, as well as Olympic champion sailors Sarah Ayton and Pippa Wilson. Ten of the sailors from this event are featured in our Guys and Dolls story (page 88).

The Singapore Yacht Show was another Singapore success story and given it is only in its fourth year the show is already being described as the ‘Best Boatshow in Asia’. Held at Oneo 15 Marina,

BEN DILLON

on Sentosa, it is a great location for any boat show and this year the show included some magnificent superyachts which were available for viewing. Four of the undisputed stars of the show are highlighted in our Extra Large feature story (page 76).

But the show was not just about big boats.

Simpson Marine are celebrating their 30th Anniversary this year and had 17 yachts on display including two new luxury Monte Carlo Yachts for whom they are now the exclusive dealers in South East Asia. Yachtstyle caught up with Carla Demaria who set up this brand for the Beneteau Group. We interviewed her about why she believes this brand is perfect for the Asian market. (page 54).

Finally in the style section we look at how Singapore has transformed Marina Bay and the Fullerton Heritage Precinct into a spectacular waterfront arena and given new life to an old port.

I wish Hong Kong could do the same with our unique harbour, but we shall have to wait to see what proposals the Harbourfront Commission comes up with. In the meantime we celebrate Singapore’s successes and Spring.

Cheers

Ben Dillon is a writer newlybased in Asia and an expert on film, films, and filmmaking. Hot off the plane he was dragooned onto the foredeck of his uncle’s Beneteau First 42 and onto the set of Terminator 4 for the Hong Kong sequences of this immensely popular Hollywood franchise where his passion for the film world earned him many friends.

IAN LANG

Ian Lang is currently doing 12 hours a day on a Great Barrier Reef boat trying not to get in the way. As a trainee commercial skipper, the Australian documentary maker and China e-learning specialist says there is almost as much paperwork as when he was a University Professor “ but boating people are happier.”

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14 GALLERY ALEX THOMSON’S MAST WALK HUGO BOSS

WHO’S THE BOSS? After the spectacular Keel Walk, now Alex Thomson presents the Mast Walk. “I hate heights,” he says, but you’d never guess.

After a pause to enjoy the view from the top of the 30m mast, Thomson swallowed-dived off the top - immaculately attired in his Hugo Boss suit, of course.

PHOTO: LLOYD IMAGES / HUGO BOSS

Ys | AUTUMN 2012 | 15

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16 GALLERY LORO PIANA CARIBBEAN SUPERYACHT REGATTA AND RENDEZVOUS SEAHAWK

SUPERBREEZE Superyachts really enjoy superbreeze. The Loro Piana Caribbean Superyacht Regatta and Rendezvous produced “fantastic weather and great sea conditions, the best possible ones for racing,” said Pier Luigi Loro Piana. “My thanks go to the real stars of this event, the sailors who participate”. And the boats, of course. This is the 60m Seahawk, by Perini Navi.

PHOTO: JEFF BROWN / SUPERYACHT MEDIA

Ys | AUTUMN 2012 | 17

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18 GALLERY LES VOILES DE SAINT-BARTH 2013 CAOL ILA

BOUNCY, BLOWY AND BLUE The final day of racing at Les Voiles de St. Barth enjoyed a fresh 22–25 knot southeasterly producing an impressive swell on the island’s windward side. Pristine waters provide an added advantage for the crew of Caol Ila - “it’s okay, we can still see the keel...”

PHOTO: CHRISTOPHE JOUANY

Ys | AUTUMN 2012 | 19

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20 GALLERY LORO PIANA CARIBBEAN SUPERYACHT REGATTA AND RENDEZVOUS RAINBOW

ALL HANDS ON DECK Around the windward mark, hoist the spinnaker, and then drum up all hands possible to take down the headsail. On the J-Class, Rainbow, that means a lot of canvas to squirrel away. Owners and crews reported beautiful blue, breezy and exhilarating sailing conditions for the racing at Yacht Club Costa Smeralda, Virgin Gorda.

PHOTO: CARLO BORLENGHI / STUDIO BORLENGHI

Ys | AUTUMN 2012 | 21

BOAT

INTERN TIONAL "'f"OIA

lEADSHIP RoYAL DurcH SHIPYARDS

Asia

Pacific __Syperyachts

KATAROCKS I NFINITE LUXURY

The best of boating is celebrated with the ASIAN MARINE AND BOATING AWARDS P.034 and Carla Demaria, the head of Monte Carlo Yachts, is full of ITALIAN PASSION P.054

GUY NOWELL

LOG BOOK

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24 LOGBOOK NEWS

Challenger of Record ANDREA FRANCOLINI

Taiwanese Superyacht

H R

oyal Huisman, naval architects Germán Frers and interior styling architect Rhoades Young are delighted to announce the signing-up of the first Royal Huisman customer in Asia.

The stylish 43m luxury sloop – a beautiful yet performance-oriented Germán Frers design, offers exceptional potential for individual customization. Over the past several years the team has worked hard to increase awareness and understanding of the Royal Huisman brand in South East Asia. They have also sought to develop an industry network by appointing Regional Liaisons including Bart Kimman, Director of Northrop & Johnson Asia, who, following the introduction acted as liaison between the client and shipyard during the negotiations to secure this order. As a very experienced yachtsman, the client, a Taiwanese national, has made clear his intentions to attend future superyacht regattas with this new boat that will be christened ‘Sea Eagle’.

Kimman will continue to provide an active on-the-ground presence in support of Royal Huisman’s presence in the region by providing future clients with expert advice and guidance, especially those who are new to the world of custom superyachts and to sailing.

Emmy Award Nominations for AC Coverage

GILLES MARTIN - RAGET

Media production for the 34th America’s Cup have received five Emmy Award nominations, including one for Outstanding Live Sports Special.

“When we started planning for the 34th America’s Cup in 2010, one of the priorities was to create an exciting television experience for viewers,” said Stan Honey, Director of Technology for the America’s Cup. “These nominations for the media production of the America’s Cup in 2013 are a clear signal that the America’s Cup is now being recognized as a compelling television sport.”

The America’s Cup Official App, for iOS and Android, was nominated in the Outstanding New Approaches - Sports Event Coverage category. The Official App allowed users to follow the racing live via video, race animation, or text updates and users could select from several audio streams, including commentary, or on-board audio from each of the competing teams. Users could also post comments, chat and interact with event media and officials. The 35th Sports Emmy Awards will take place on May 6th in New York City.

www.americascup.com

amilton Island Yacht Club (HIYC), located on the edge of the Great Barrier Reef in Queensland, Australia, has challenged for the 35th America’s Cup. HIYC’s challenge has been accepted by the Golden Gate Yacht Club, which remains the Defender and Trustee of the world’s oldest international sporting trophy after its team, Oracle Team USA (Oracle) owned by Larry Ellison, won the 34th America’s Cup in San Francisco.

For the past three decades HIYC has run Audi Hamilton Island Race Week, which has become the largest annual regatta in Australia with some 200 offshore yachts competing in recent years. HIYC is led by Australian winemaker and sailing legend Bob Oatley, whose succession of yachts named Wild Oats have dominated ocean racing in Australia for years, including having won six of the last eight Sydney-Hobart races. An Australian team led by Oatley won the last Admiral’s Cup, widely regarded as the world’s top prize in ocean racing.

The challenge was filed by Oatley and his son, Sandy, on behalf of HIYC shortly after Oracle won the thrilling deciding final race in the 34th America’s Cup against Emirates Team New Zealand.

“We are delighted to have Hamilton Island Yacht Club and the Oatleys leading Australia back into the America’s Cup for the first time since 2000,” said America’s Cup liaison Tom Ehman. “Hamilton Island’s challenge was filed on the day Australia was celebrating the 30th anniversary of Australia II’s historic win in the 1983 America’s Cup off Newport, RI, which ended New York Yacht Club’s 132-year reign as the Cup’s defender.”

“Given Australia’s previous success in the America’s Cup, the Admiral’s Cup and Olympic yachting, and as proud Australians, we think it is time for our nation to be back in our sport’s pinnacle event,” Oatley said. “The recently completed America’s Cup in San Francisco has revolutionized the sport for sailors and fans, and we were excited to see how many Australians played key roles on the teams and in the regatta organization.”

Tom Ehman added, “The dates, type of boat, format and rules are subject to negotiation between the Challenger of Record and Defender following consultation with prospective challengers, venues, sponsors and other stakeholders. Both Clubs are keen to have multiple challengers, as has been the norm since 1970, and to cut campaign costs for all teams. But first we must determine the venue, which, under the America’s Cup Deed of Gift, is decided by the Defender.”

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26 LOGBOOK NEWS

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston

Lagoon Success

M

an hadn’t yet walked on the moon. 45 years ago, sailing solo non-stop around the world was as big an adventure as space travel is today and even now, fewer people have sailed solo around the planet than have orbited it above the atmosphere.

On 22 April 1969, Robin Knox-Johnston became the first person to sail solo nonstop around the world aboard his 32 foot ketch Suhaili. He had none of the modern technological aids sailors regard as standard today and even his radio was out of action for the majority of the ten month (312 days) 30,000 mile journey.

Reflecting on his historic feat, Sir Robin said: “It is hard to believe that 45 years have passed since the day I completed that first circumnavigation. I’m still incredibly proud of the achievement, which was the start of many, memorable moments throughout my years at sea.

“Ocean racing has always been a fundamental part of my life, and as I prepare for my latest solo challenge at what feels like the ripe old age of 75, I am delighted to say that my thirst for the thrills and adventures has not ceased.” Sir Robin Knox-Johnston is one of Britain’s most celebrated mariners and this autumn he will compete again in a solo transatlantic race, the classic Route du Rhum.

Robin was knighted in 1995, and has uniquely been the UK’s Yachtsman of the Year 3 times. He was ISAF sailor of the Year with Peter Blake in 1994 and in 2007 was one of the first 6 inductees into the ISAF Hall of Fame. In 1996 he created the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race to offer people from all walks of life and ages the experience of ocean racing together with the opportunity of completing a circumnavigation.

Over 4,000 people have since been introduced to sailing through the unique event which is now the longest in the world at 40,000 miles and is currently three quarters of the way through its ninth race. Sir Robin will welcome the Clipper 2013-14 Race fleet back to London on 12 July.

www.clipperroundtheworld.com

L

agoon is celebrating its 30th anniversary; over these three decades Lagoon has achieved a number of records in the yachting industry. To date around 3,000 Lagoon yachts have been built, with Lagoon selling its first yacht into China in 2004. There are now more than 40 catamarans in China, with another 100 yachts located elsewhere in Asia.

The Lagoon success story continues in China with four of its largest models being sold over the last few months. Amongst the recent sales was the brand new Lagoon 560 S2, which recently had its world premiere in Hainan. This model was specifically designed for the Chinese and Asian market, with its galley and dedicated service space being separated from the owner’s quarters and reception areas.

Over the years the Lagoon range has included some of the most innovative models on the market. For example, the Lagoon 440 - the first catamaran with a flybridge; the Lagoon Power 43 - the first Lagoon power yacht; the Lagoon 420 - the first production catamaran with a hybrid propulsion system. Another popular model in China is the Lagoon 620 and the group has just launched a new Lagoon 52, which they see as the new Ambassador for this exceptional range of catamarans.

Prestige on Show

Royal Yacht Squadron Win

Something a little different in the sailing world was the thrilling final race of the prestigious Interclub Ski Yachting event in Gstaad. the Royal Yacht Squadron team of Sir Graham Wilkinson, Christine McGrigor, Anna Gordon and Christopher Preston, won back the title from the defender Bayerischer Yacht Club. The event held in the world famous mountain resort, brought together teams representing yacht clubs and sailing teams from all over the world.

Past winners include the Royal Yacht Squadron, Société Nautique de Genève, Bayerischer Yacht Club, Yacht Club de

Monaco and the hosts: the Gstaad Yacht Club. The invitation-only event, which consisted of giant slalom Friday night ski races, followed by match racing with remote control carbon fiber yachts in Gstaad’s semi-Olympic indoor pool, powered by state-of-the-art wind machines on Saturday, welcomed yet again a record number of 25 teams from all over the world.

Given that one of the clubs’ objectives is to promote youth sailing, an identical event was organized also for the under-16s, which was won by team Optimist Academy with Joshua Richner, Florian Geissbühler, Alexander Hubmann and Rémi Vonlanthen.

The prize giving ceremony was held with over 100 guests in the beautiful clubhouse, during which Gstaad Yacht Club racing team members Matias Buhler and Nathalie Brugger gave a short but very inspirational presentation of their Nacra 17 Rio 2016 Olympic campaign. www.gstaadyachtclub.com

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he Prestige 450 was in the spotlight on the first day of the China (Shanghai) International Boat Show. Over 50 guests and media attended the christening of the first model of this yacht to be sold in China. At the ceremony the owner, Ms. Xu, was joined by the Director of Jeanneau Asia Pacific, Paul Blanc, and the Director of Bahrfuss, the Prestige dealer in Shanghai, Annie Lu.

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The Magic of Seduction Astondoa- 72GLX

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44 52 55 62 72

120 150 151 185 197

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ASIA BOATING LIMITED http://www.asia-boating.com 1/F Annex Building, Aberdeen Marina Club, 8 Shum Wan Road, Aberdeen, HK Tel: (852} 2572 9212 F-ax: (852) 2 572 6033 Emdil: info@asia-boating.com

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28 LOGBOOK NEWS

Monte Carlo Yachts

Bob Oatley (WILD OATS XI owner), Skipper Mark Richards and Patrick Boutellier (Rolex Australia)

G

rand Banks Yachts has acquired full ownership of Palm Beach Motor Yacht Co Pty Ltd of Australia. Palm Beach founder Mark Richards – one of Australia’s most successful yachtsmen in recent times – will be appointed CEO of the enlarged Group. Grand Banks said the transaction would strengthen the position of the Singaporelisted luxury motor yacht builder as a global company with two worldclass brands that are well represented in the leading markets of North America, Australia, Asia and Europe. The manufacturing facilities of both brands will continue to operate at their respective locations – Grand Banks in Malaysia and Palm Beach in Australia.

Palm Beach was founded in 1995 by Richards, 46, a seven-time champion skipper of the 628-mile Sydney-to-Hobart yacht race between 2005 and 2013. Richards also led Australia to victory in the Admiral’s Cup in 2003 and has participated in two America’s Cup regattas, representing Australia. Palm Beach designs and builds five different highly-customized yacht models ranging from 45 to 65 feet which are mostly sold in the United States.

“With Mark as incoming CEO, this critical leadership role will be filled by a qualified boat-builder with a deep passion and experience for yachting, combined with a proven track record of technological innovation and success in building and marketing boats internationally.

It is a rare combination and a remarkable fit coming at a critical juncture of Grand Banks’ own transformation,” said Heine Askaer-Jensen, Grand Banks’ Chairman.

Richards said: “This transaction is a major personal decision which is driven by my firm belief that the expanded investment and development of both Palm Beach and Grand Banks, together with the skills and collective will of the two brands, will combine to make the enlarged group one of the world’s leading luxury boat-building companies. I have deep respect for the Grand Banks brand, and it will be a great honour for me to further strengthen the brand and to lead it to continued success.”

DID YOU KNOW? Simpson Marine is celebrating its 30th Anniversary. Founded and headquartered in Hong Kong, the company has expanded to 12 cities in seven countries in Asia.

Simpson Marine has been appointed the exclusive dealer for Monte Carlo Yachts in Southeast Asia.

The agreement is a major step forward for MCY who are growing their presence in the Asian market. Simpson Marine will provide a full range of sales and service support for MCY’s exciting range from their existing offices in Singapore, Thailand, Indonesia and Malaysia.

The MCY range is an important addition to Simpson Marine’s portfolio of luxury motor yachts at a time when demand is increasing in Asia. Built at a state-of-the-art facility in Monfalcone, Italy, the MCY line was designed by famous Italian design house Nuvolari Lenard and balances the latest technology with refined, contemporary elegance.

Since their first appearance in the Asian market two years ago, the yachts of the MCY range have already made a strong impact across the region. The largest yacht, the MCY86, enjoyed its official Asian launch in Hong Kong earlier this year and the spacious interior, original design and unprecedented levels of customisation attracted much attention and positive feedback.

This relatively new range of luxury motor yachts benefits from the unmatched industrial and financial strength of Beneteau Group, the innovative engineering and revolutionary manufacturing processes developed in the Monfalcone shipyard, and the designs of Nuvolari Lenard.

Nautor's Swan in China

CARLO BORLENGHI

CARLO BORLENGHI

Grand Banks Acquires Palm Beach

N

autor’s Swan has signed an exclusive dealership with Windward Asia Company Limited to strengthen Swan’s presence in China, Hong Kong SAR and Macau SAR. “We noticed that Asia, especially China, has developed more solid ground for sustainable growth after sailing through the recent years’ financial turbulence,” said Mr. Leonardo Ferragamo, Chairman of Swan.

“We needed to act fast, like a yachtsman at sea, or the opportunity would have been lost. We met with Windward Asia and were impressed that we share a common ideology: always ready for change.”

The official Swan Chinese website promoting the yachting lifestyle is now

online, and the official Swan China Showroom and Service Centre will be opening In Sanya, Hainan.

Celebrating this partnership, Windward Asia will later this year lead the first-ever Team China with their Swan 60-909 (named Windward) to Europe where they will race against Europe’s finest.

They intend to participate in five highrank international regattas: Nord Stream Race in Germany (29 May – 8 June); Gazprom Swan 60 World Championship in Spain (2-9 August); Palermo-Montecarlo (21-26 August) in Monaco; Rolex Swan Cup in Italy (8-14 September); and Les Voiles de St. Tropez in France (28 September – 4 October).

+86 156 2502 6185 | www.leopardcatamarans.com | asia@leopardcatamarans.com

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30 LOGBOOK NEWS

ELOI STICHELBAUT

Pedal Power

A

bike on a boat? It might sound silly but it is a very serious technical innovation to help Yann Guichard handle the maxi-trimaran Spindrift 2 alone on the next Route du Rhum. Édouard Touchard, a member of the Spindrift racing design team invented this ingenious system when he was with Franck Cammas’ team preparing for the 2010 Route du Rhum. Cammas, the

skipper of Groupama 3, won the race a few months later on board his 31.5 metre trimaran. The new mission for Édouard is to adapt his invention for Spindrift 2, which is almost 10 metres longer and has lots more canvas.

Are we talking about a real bike?

“Absolutely, it is a regular bike attached to the deck that operates the winches on the same principle as the columns, except that you’re using the greater power of the legs and not the arms,” says Édouard, the mechanical engineer. “Yann can rotate how he uses them and increase his endurance.” In the workshop in Lorient, the time and space to develop this new kind of bike is almost like being behind the scenes at the Tour de France. Édouard coordinates operations with Florent Le Gal, who handles the composite aspects.

“The all-carbon framework has been simplified,” Florent says. “The crossbar was also removed to allow Yann to get onto the saddle quickly even in his oilskins in stormy conditions. The wheels are gone, meaning the bike can be screwed

Alpari World Match Racing Tour

into the cockpit. The saddle, also made of carbon, is a normal retail model that has been ‘marinised’. And finally, the handlebars have been replaced with the type used by triathlon cyclists, which allow for a more comfortable position with better support for the back in particular.”

To simplify how it works and to optimise its use the majority of the work centred on the transmission ratios. “The bike has two chains,” Édouard says. “The first works with a box that allows you to shift gears “even when you do not pedal.”

On land, you can use the movement of the bike to change the chainring or gear.

On the boat, the setting is fixed but you still have to adapt the transmission ratio to the effort required for a certain sail or raising a foil. This box, connected to a single chainring, replaces the cogs and allows you to change gears while pedalling on the spot. Then the second chain uses the force of inertia, which adds efficiency to the movement. It will be like being on a spinning bike in the gym, but on the Rhum, the session could last more than a week!”

Azimut Indonesian Partnership

AMWRT/onEDITION

O

ver 30 match racing teams will go head to head during the season in their bid to be crowned Alpari World Match Racing Tour and ISAF World Match Racing Champion, together with a share in over US$1.4m prize money. Sanctioned by the International Sailing Federation as one of only four ‘ISAF Special Events’, the Alpari World Match Racing Tour is one of the most challenging and hard fought world championships in sailing.

The 2014 Alpari World Match Racing Tour will kick off over 5-9 June with Match Race Germany, held on the shores of Lake Constance in southern Germany.

The teams will then head for the Stena Match Cup. Held off the picture postcard island of Marstrand on the west coast of Sweden. This hugely popular spectator event celebrates its 20th year. A new event on the Alpari Tour for 2014, Sopot Match Race, will take place in Juky off the city of Sopot, in Poland. Located on the Baltic Sea between Gdansk and Gdynia, the racing takes place metres from the shore in front of Europe’s longest Molo pier (550m) attracting tens of thousands of visitors daily during the summer.

In September, the Tour crosses the Atlantic to the heart of America’s Windy City, Chicago. Staged off the end of the City’s impressive Navy Pier, the Chicago Match Cup will see the teams compete in nimble Tom 28 boats providing close action for spectators. Next up is the Argo Group Gold Cup, held in Bermuda in October, on the mid-Atlantic island’s historic Hamilton Harbour. Here the teams will compete for the world’s oldest match racing trophy for one-design boats, the King Edward VII Gold Cup. The 2014 Tour season finale, the Monsoon Cup in Malaysia, will be held in late November featuring the highest prize purse on the Tour at US$450,000. Absent from the 2014 schedule is the Korea Match Cup, which will return to the Tour in 2015.

Once again central to the teams competing on the 2014 Alpari World Match Racing Tour will be the eight ‘Tour Card Holder’ skippers. One team guaranteed a Tour card slot for 2014 and eager to defend its 2013 Championship Title is the US one Match Racing Team, skippered by Taylor Canfield.

www.wmrt.com

A new company of ten top Indonesian entrepreneurs, led by Hengky Setiawan, owner of the biggest telecommunication company in Indonesia, have entered into agreement with Azimut Yachts, as exclusive dealer for Indonesia. Azimut signed the dealership contract with the group, whose members are active in the industrial and manufacturing sectors, such as luxury car distribution and real property development. H Marine International will act as the exclusive dealer in the region.

An Azimut Yachts permanent show-room will open soon in a prestigious area in North Jakarta and there will be a number of yachts available at the Grand Opening event to be held in May 2014.

Mr. Marco Valle, Azimut Yachts Sales Director said, “The agreement has taken some months to be finalized but it represents a great result and it is part of Azimut’s development strategy, aimed at reinforcing the world’s largest distributor network. With our wide range of models, the strength of the Azimut brand together with the cooperation of such a strong partner, we are confident that it will be a great success”.

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32 LOGBOOK NEWS

Team SCA

Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre

RICK TOMLINSON/TEAM SCA

D

ee Caffari, the Briton who has made a career of setting new standards in female offshore sailing, has been recruited by Team SCA for their Volvo Ocean Race 2014-15 challenge.

The 41-year-old from Watford has been named alongside Sara Hastreiter (USA) and ElodieJane Mettraux (SUI) as the latest squad members in the first all-women’s team to compete in offshore sailing’s premier professional test since 2001-02. Caffari brings a wealth of experience to the campaign. She has competed in the Vendée Globe, the Global Challenge, the Barcelona World Race and four transatlantic races. She is the only woman to have sailed solo around the world in both directions as well as being the only female to have sailed around the world non-stop three times. “I am most looking forward to being back on the race track around the world. The best part of this project is working with a great bunch of girls and all working together towards the same goal,” she said.

Caffari, Hastreiter and Mettraux, whose sister Justine had already been recruited, bring the total of SCA crew members to 12 following an 18-month selection process. The others are Sally Barkow (USA), Carolijn Brouwer (NED), Sophie Ciszek (AUS), Sam Davies (GBR), Abby Ehler (GBR), Stacey Jackson (AUS), Annie Lush (GBR), Justine Mettraux (SUI) and Liz Wardley (AUS). Only 11 can sail with the other staying on shore as reserve. Mettraux, 29, who won the amateur ranking in the 2012 Tour de France a la Voile, is one of four under-30 members of the squad. Hastreiter, also 29, brings a wealth of offshore experience into the SCA line-up too, having sailed over 40,000 nautical miles during her career and many leading events in the States and the Caribbean.

The team is based in Lanzarote and is due to complete two transatlantic passages in May as they ramp up their training before the start of the Volvo Ocean Race on October 4 this year with the Alicante in-port race. The teams leave for the first leg destination of Cape Town on October 11.

www.volvooceanrace.com

Perini Navi in Hong Kong

On the occasion of “Primavera”, the Asia Society Hong Kong Center (sic) Spring Dinner, six original photo prints featuring Perini Navi and Picchiotti yachts were included in the Silent Auction sponsored by Perini Navi Group and Cypress Group. The highest bidders were rewarded with original prints of yachts portrayed by famous yachting photographers Carlo Borlenghi, Onne Van der Wal and Giuliano Sargentini. The pictures featured the Perini Navi Sailing Yachts - Baracuda, Salute and the iconic The Maltese Falcon along with images of the Picchiotti Motor Yachts Exuma, Galileo G and Grace E. The “Primavera” Spring Dinner saluted 500 years of Italian presence in this part of the world with an exquisite menu of Italian culinary delights, and a cultural presentation featuring special appearances by world renowned tenor Warren Mok and soprano Joyce Wah-Sheung Wong.

Guests also had the opportunity to visit the exhibition “Light and Shadows – Caravaggio The Italian Baroque Master” and view one of Michelangelo Merisi da Caravaggio’s most important works, Supper at Emmaus.

T

he Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy (WPNSA) has announced a prestigious new collaboration with the ‘Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation’ (ASSF). The ASSF founded by the Academy’s Director, Sir Ben Ainslie, Iain Percy OBE and Andrew’s wife Leah to honour his life and legacy, will be opening the ‘Andrew Simpson Sailing Centre’ at the same venue where Andrew ‘Bart’ Simpson competed during the Olympic Games.

The Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy, based in Andrew’s home county of Dorset, will act as a hub for all of the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation’s activities, helping the Foundation fulfil its charitable objectives. The Royal Yachting Association accredited Centre will open in May 2014 offering a range of sailing courses for young people, community organisations and adults; including programmes for schools, as well as club sailors.

Peter Allam, Chief Executive at the Weymouth and Portland National Sailing Academy explains the relevance to the local community; ’the ASSF has agreed to work closely with the Academy and the Chesil Trust to deliver the ‘Rod Shipley Sail for a Fiver’ scheme which has to date assisted 12,000 local children to experience sailing on the waters of Portland Harbour. The scheme has run successfully for 10 years and currently introduces 1,500 children to water sports annually. The Academy is committed long term to inspiring the next generation through sailing. Working hand in hand with the ASSF, this relationship will make a significant contribution to the ongoing development of the Olympic and Paralympic sailing legacy here at the WPNSA’.

Amanda Simpson, Andrew’s sister and a Trustee of the Andrew Simpson Sailing Foundation as well as being an accomplished sailor in her own right commented, ‘this is a fantastic opportunity for ASSF to engage with grass roots sailing in a place where Andrew spent much of his youth and adult sailing life. We look forward to working with local and national communities to make this venture at the WPNSA a huge success’.

DID YOU KNOW? Women competed along side men in Olympic sailing events from 1900. It was only in 1988 that there were separate women's events.

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34 LOGBOOK AWARDS ASIAN MARINE AND BOATING AWARDS

5TH ANNUAL ASIAN MARINE & BOATING AWARDS The China (Shanghai) International Boat Show is the largest boat show in Asia, and remains a show that focuses on the Chinese market.

With that in mind, the Asian Marine & Boating Awards are designed to acknowledge the growth and developmment in the industry both at home or abroad.The Asian Marine & Boating Awards are run in conjunction with the China (Shanghai) International Boat Show.

TEXT BY AL SKINNER

ASIAN REGATTA OF THE YEAR Nominations: Top of the Gulf; Royal Langkawi International Regatta; Round Hainan Regatta; China Coast Regatta and China Cup International Regatta.

Winner: Top of the Gulf With 250 boats across 12 classes the Thai Regatta is moving from strength to strength, and is now in its 10th year.

Yang Xin Fa (President of Shanghai Association of Shipbuilding Industry)

VIPs attending the Award Ceremony

ASIAN BOATING CAPITAL OF THE YEAR Nominations: Langkawi, Singapore, Sanya and Qingdao.

Winner: Singapore Singapore is setting the pace with a couple of International events including stadium racing and a global race stopover and a strong youth sailing programme that is producing world champions.

BEST SAILING YACHT OVER 45’ Nominations: Gunfleet 58; Premier 45; Beneteau Sense 46; Jeanneau 57 and Hanse 575.

Winner: Hanse 575 A clever modular way of designing and building various internal mouldings brings a semi-custom fit out at a production yacht price.

ASIAN BOATING PERSONALITY OF THE YEAR Nominations: Frank Pong, Marc Turner, Syd Fischer, Wang Jian Lin, and Vicky Song.

Winner: Wang Jian Lin, Chairman of the Wanda Group Like a few before him ‘he liked the product so much he bought the company’. Not happy with owning just one Sunseeker our winner guided his company to the purchase of the whole thing, in the process helping to preserve an iconic boating brand.

MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANY Nominations: Volvo for their Glass Cockpit, Frasier distributor Port Supply for the Monolite; Karver for their new Rope Jammer and Garmin for their Quatix Watch.

Winner: Volvo Penta for their Glass Cockpit concept This company should almost have innovation built into their name, propellers facing the wrong way, duo props, the outdrive, purchase of the world’s premier ocean race and most recently the glass cockpit concept.

MOST ECO-FRIENDLY MARINE BUSINESS Nominations: Torqueedo Electric Outboards, Ultrasonic Antifouling System, Mercury’s 370 Horse Power diesel and New Wave Design (natural fabrics with a low environmental impact).

Winner: Mercury’s new lightweight 370HP Diesel When an engine manufacturer produces a diesel engine that is the same weight as a petrol equivalent of the same power the fuel savings and the carbon footprint reduction is considerable.

BEST SAILING YACHT UNDER 45’ Nominations: MC-38; Beneteau Oceanis 38; Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200; Bavaria Cruiser 37 and XP-44.

Winner: The Jeanneau Sun Fast 3200 Two rudders and unusually two tillers along with two double cabins, this boat is built to be, and is, fun with an attractive price tag as well.

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36 LOGBOOK AWARDS ASIAN MARINE AND BOATING AWARDS

BEST MOTOR YACHT FROM 40’ to 75’ Nominations: Fairline Squadron 48, Pershing 62, Jeanneau Velasco 43 and Monte Carlo Yachts 65.

Winner: Monte Carlo Yachts 65 This yacht has a powerful purposeful look and its three cabin accommodation is top notch. Even the engine-room glistens and with joystick controls she is so easy to drive that the 2 berth crew cabin right aft is almost superfluous.

ASIAN YACHT CLUB OF THE YEAR Nominations: Royal Langkawi Yacht Club, Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club, Longcheer Yacht Club, Nansha Marina Club and Wuxi Taihu Shanshui Club & Marina.

Winner: Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club With a history of over 160 years, it is Asia’s only club to be recognized by the Royal Ocean Racing Club and runs the ‘blue water’ classic, the Rolex China Sea Race.

MEDIA SPECIAL AWARDS The media have decided to make three special awards to long-standing companies in the China yacht building industry: Sunbird, Double Happiness and Sea Stella.

BEST MOTOR YACHT UNDER 40’ Nominations: Chris Craft 36 Launch, Regal 35 Coupe, Sea Ray 265 Sundancer and the Azimut Atlantis 34.

Winner: Regal 35 Coupe A combination of performance, practicality, safety and a choice of engines from economic 440 horse power diesels to 760 horse power V8 petrol engines with everything down to the kitchen crockery, this is a very complete package.

BEST DAYBOAT/DINGHY Nominees: J-70; RS Venture keel; J-80; Bavaria B-One; Beneteau First 20.

Winner: The J-80 With large fleets at many regattas in the Asian Region, the J80 was again selected as the keelboat for the Asian Games in Korea.

BEST BRAND PENETRATION Nominations: Jeanneau, Far East, Sunseeker, Ferretti and Beneteau.

Winner: Ferretti Group A group of brands have penetrated the Asian market much better than the most of the others but when you manage to sell not just several yachts but a whole company encompassing many iconic brands, now that surely is penetrating a market.

BEST MOTOR YACHT OVER 75’ Nominations: Ferretti 960; Pearl 75; Princess 78 and Sunseeker 108.

Winner: Sunseeker Predator 108 You could say it is the James Bond influence or the fact that the yard is now Asian-owned but it’s more likely the grace and power, and let’s not forget the stunning good looks.

BEST SPORTS BOAT Nominations: Agapi 750 RIB; Chris Craft Corsair 32 and Crownline 264 CR. Winner: Chris Craft Corsair 32 Christopher Smith built his first boat in 1874, 140 years ago, and the company that bears his name, Chris Craft, is still producing quality work to this day.

BEST SPORTS FISHING BOAT Nominations: Hatteras GT54; Jeanneau Merry Fisher 855 Marlin; Catalina 23 and Boston Whaler 370 Outrage.

Winner: Hatteras GT54 Serious sports fishermen need a serious boat to get them out to where the big fish are and at the end of the day get them home safely and comfortably.

BEST YACHT DESIGNER Nominations: Bruce Farr; Ed Dubois; Cor D. Rover; Jason Ker and Bill Dickson.

Winner: Cor D. Rover This Dutch designer has a portfolio almost staggering in its variety but in Asia he is best known for his work with Azimut.

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38 LOGBOOK CALENDAR ASIAN REGATTAS

REGATTA CALENDAR 2014

GREAT Nations’ Cup 2014

by Guy Nowell

JANUARY

08-11 Jan Phuket Boat Show (PIMEX) www.phuketboatshow.com 14-18 Jan Royal Langkawi International Regatta www.langkawiregatta.com 14-18 Jan Singapore Straits Regatta www.straitsregatta.com 18-19 Jan ABC Four Peaks www.abclubhk.com

FEBRUARY

02-08 Feb Neptune Regatta www.neptune-regatta.com 08-09 Feb RHKYC Class Regatta www.rhkyc.org.hk 12-16 Feb Phang Nga Bay Regatta www.bayregatta.com 13-17 Feb Miami International Boat Show www.miamiboatshow.com 23 Feb-01 Mar Philippine Hobie Challenge www.phinsailing.com

MARCH

PHOTO: GUY NOWELL

01 Mar Subic-Boracay Race www.lighthousesubic.com/sailing.php 01 Mar RHKYC Tomes Cup www.rhkyc.org.hk 04-08 Mar Boracay Cup Regatta www.lighthousesubic.com/sailing.php 08 Mar RHKYC Nations’ Cup www.rhkyc.org.hk 15-16 Mar Hong Kong Interschools Sailing Festival www.rhkyc.org.hk 20-28 Mar Around Hainan Race www.hnoceanrace.com 22-23 Mar Pedro Blanco Race www.rhkyc.org.hk

APRIL

05-06 Apr Middle Island Regatta www.rhkyc.org.hk 08-09 Apr Singapore Superyacht Conference 10-13 Apr Singapore Yacht Show www.singaporeyachtshow.com 10-13 Apr China (Shanghai) International Boat Show www.boatshowchina.com 16 Apr Rolex China Sea Race www.rhkyc.org.hk 17-21 Apr Hong Kong Race Week www.rhkyc.org.hk 22-26 Apr Commodore’s Cup, Subic Bay www.lighthousesubic.com/sailing.php

MAY

02-05 May Top of the Gulf Regatta www.topofthegulfregatta.com 03 May HKRNVR Memorial Vase www.rhkyc.org.hk 08-11 May Taiwan International Boat Show www.boatshow.tw 09-11 May Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show www.hongkonggoldcoastboatshow.com 10-11 May RHKYC Spring Regatta www.rhkyc.org.hk 17-18 May ABC Classic Yacht Rally www.abclubhk.com

T

he RHKYC’s annual Nations’ Cup gets billed as “the Rugby 7s – gone to sea” and this, the third running of the event, carried on what is fast becoming a well-supported tradition. Even drizzle and fog soupy enough to obscure Central from Causeway Bay just 2,000m away was not enough to deter 74 boats from turning out to parade their national colours – and yes, there was a race too!

This year’s event was sponsored by GREAT, the UK Trade and Investment’s promotional campaign, hence the ‘GREAT Nation’s Cup’. This is a pursuit race (see story: Tomes Cup) and the winning crew gets to hang their national flag in the Main Bar at the RHKYC for the next year. Bragging rights indeed. Qualification to represent any given nation is based upon birth, passport, domicile, language, or ability to sing the national anthem of a country (in the native tongue). Would-be competitors were advised, inter alia, that “the Isle of Wight is not a country, it is a holiday brochure; Cornwall is not a Country, it is a Duchy; the People’s Republic of Cork is not a Country, it is a Paradise; and Tasmania is a State, and does not qualify as “God’s Own Country”, at least for the purposes of this race.” Any questions?

A course starting at Hung Hom and rounding Shek O Rock before returning to the RHKYC Clubhouse was set

by Race Officer Sofia Mascia.

First around the Rock was a small herd of Impalas, but at the finish line, and by less than a squeak and only 16 seconds, they were pipped by the New Zealand entry, Etchells Dream On helmed by Greg Farrell.

Hong Kong finished as second nation, followed by England, Scotland, the Netherlands and Singapore in sixth.

After a cold, wet afternoon on the water, the prizegiving took place as quickly as possible after the final finish, with places six to two being presented by the British Consul General to Hong Kong and Macau, Ms Caroline Wilson. To rapturous applause, first prize and the Vic Locke Memorial Trophy were presented to New Zealand by Sir Robin Knox Johnston and Ms Pixie Thomas.

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Specialist Yacht Team: LONDON, HONG KONG, NEW YORK, ROTTERDAM

_-it__ AREA:

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40 LOGBOOK CALENDAR ASIAN REGATTAS

REGATTA CALENDAR 2014

Zerorh+ Tomes Cup 2014

by Guy Nowell

22-25 May Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show 24-25 May RHKYC Summer Cup www.rhkyc.org.hk 25-30 May Koh Samui Regatta www.samuiregatta.com

JUNE

08 Jun-23 Aug HHYC Typhoon Series www.hhyc.org.hk 12-15 Jun Korea International Boat Show www.koreaboatshow.org 14-21 Jun Borneo International Challenge Regatta www.borneorace.com

JULY

16-20 Jul Cape Panwa Hotel Phuket Raceweek www.phuketraceweek.com 26 Jul Sail Indonesia www.sailindonesia.net 31 Jul – 04 Aug Sydney International Boat Show www.sydneyboatshow.com

AUGUST

16, 17, 23 Aug SMU Western Circuit Regatta www.westerncircuit.com

SEPTEMBER

12-21 Sep Southampton Boat Show www.southamptonboatshow.com 24-27 Sep Monaco Yacht Show www.monacoyachtshow.com 25-28 Sep Auckland On Water Boat Show www.auckland-boatshow.com 28-29 Sep RHKYC Autumn Regatta www.rhkyc.org.hk

NOVEMBER

07-10 Nov China (Xiamen) International Boat Show www.xmboatshow.com 08 Nov Lipton Trophy www.rhkyc.org.hk 09 Nov Around the Island Race www.rhkyc.org.hk 14-22 Nov Raja Muda Selangor International Regatta www.rmsir.com 25-29 Nov WMRT Monsoon Cup www.wmrt.com 29 Nov-06 Dec Phuket King’s Cup www.kingscup.com

DECEMBER

16-18 Dec Asia Superyacht Rendezvous www.asia-superyacht-rendezvous.com

PHOTO: GUY NOWELL

OCTOBER

02-07 Oct Genoa Boat Show www.genoaboatshow.com 09-19 Oct Hong Kong Kettle www.rhkyc.org.hk 16-19 Oct Yacht CN (Nansha Boat Show) www.yachtcn.net 23-26 Oct China (Shenzhen) International Boat Show www.sibex.net.cn 24-27 Oct China Cup International Regatta www.chncup.com 30 Oct-03 Nov Ft Lauderdale Boat Show www.showmanagement.com/fort_lauderdale

T

he official press release described it as “a sedate affair” which was a very polite way of describing a hungover grey day with soft and flukey breeze that did nobody any favours except the winners – but you just can’t change the weather, sad to say.

Presented by Zerorh+ and their natty sunglasses, the Tomes Cup pursuit race was conducted in a 5-6kts southeasterly, with 58 boats taking to the water in pursuit of one of RHKYC’s oldest perpetual trophies, engraved as the ‘Sugar Refiners’ Cup’ and first presented in 1880.

Pursuit races work the other way round to ‘normal’ yacht races. Instead of everyone starting together and finishing at different times, and then having their elapsed time ‘corrected’ to allow for the fact that big boats move faster than small boats, in a pursuit race the smaller boats start first and the bigger ones later. In theory, everyone should finish together but of course some sailors are better at the game than others.

Race Officer Gareth Williams sent the fleet off from a staggered start on a trip to Tai Koo Shing and back to Dock Buoy, and then round a series of short triangles to take them towards the target finish time of 1630hrs.

On the final leg to the finish, the little Pandora, Solstice, hung on to the slimmest of leads, only to be overtaken within metres of the line by Nick Bryan’s Buster, and the sportsboat Chrisargo rolling home in third place.

The ‘softly, softly’ conditions did not suit the big boats, with Drew Taylor’s Ambush finishing a full six minutes off the pace in 13th place.

Sailors well know that you can’t win ‘em all, but they also know that there’s always a party to look forward to afterwards and, with Veuve Cliquot and Stella Artois heading the bill, a good time was had by all on The Lawn back at the RHKYC clubhouse.

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42 LOGBOOK BOATSHOW REVIEW SINGAPORE

Singapore Yacht Show 2014

DID YOU KNOW? Singapore Yacht Show has announced the date for next year's show which will be held on the 23-26 April 2015.

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fter only four iterations, the Singapore Yacht Show has established itself as the premier consumer boat show in Asia, catering to buyers of anything afloat from 22 to 220 feet, charterers and charter brokers, dealers, builders, sailing yachts and motor yachts. In short, something for everyone, from superyachts to speedboats, and from chart plotters to marine fabrics.

The SYS has had the good sense to understand that the marine leisure industry in this part of the world is not yet big enough to stand alone in a consumer event, and that including supercars, fine art, private jet charter, fine wine and fashion into the event not only rounds out but also actively supports what is effectively a lifestyle event. “Come for the cars, stay for the boats”, sort of thing. The toppest of the top end boats – Vertigo, Exuma, Cloud 9, Kerry Lee – were there ready to “intrigue and inspire a brand new audience, and encourage them to embrace the yachting lifestyle” as Andy Treadwell, MD of Singapore Yacht Events, put it.

And it works the other way round too: seasoned owners and charterers need to be introduced to Asia, increasingly touted as ‘the Third Destination’ after the Med and the Caribbean. Asia has cruising grounds aplenty, but a paucity of facilities. More visitors will encourage infrastructure development, more marinas will encourage more visiting boats.

A boat show is not just – well, a boat show. Treadwell points out that “Today a boat show is all about facilitating sales. It is a marketing business for the yachting industry, not just a platform provider.” Hence the ancillary activities, and a lot of hard work to

get feet through the door. “There are plenty of people in Asia,” says Treadwell, “with the sort of disposable wealth that goes with luxury yachting. They just haven’t discovered boats yet, and I see it as our job to open their eyes to the possibilities of boating as a leisure activity, and then introduce them to the people with the hardware… the builders and so on. We are not after attracting numbers for the sake of numbers. We want quality, boating, numbers coming to the show. Achieving that is a marketing operation in its own right.”

SYS recorded over 14,000 people attending the show over four days, and brokers and dealers reported on-the-spot sales as well as a strong level of genuine inquiries.

Grand Banks CEO Peter Poli said that he was “immensely impressed with the SYS. The quality of the enquiries was even higher than some of the Australian boat shows. “It looks like a real boat show,” said Poli, “not just a collection of boats that the dealers happen to have in stock. I hope that the industry will continue and grow and continue support for this event – it deserves it.”

The SYS was also notable for providing “room and opportunity” for B2B networking in the form of a Captain’s Lounge. And that’s before we even mention the Asia Pacific Yacht Conference that preceded the show, and all the cocktail parties that took place during. To reiterate the CEO of Grand Banks, “It looks like a real boat show”. We agree, and are already looking forward to the next Singapore Yacht Show – 23-26 April at ONE˚15 Marina, Sentosa Cove.

:1 )

J

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Big yachts line up; multihulls were popular with the visitors; carnival atmosphere; luxury pavillion; Alice Huisman and Bart Kimman present Royal Huisman; Vertigo from Alloy Yachts makes a splash; Lurseen presents its latest; Luuk van Zanten and Susan Mackintosh from Curvelle; Dornier S-RAY 007; and Royal Albatross had guests climbing the rigging

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44 LOGBOOK BOATSHOW REVIEW CHINA

China (Shanghai) International Boat Show

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ctually known, despite revisionist efforts, as the Shanghai Boat Show, this continues to grow, and is slowly turning into a real boat show, with actual boats, on land and in the water. It has been taken seriously for some time by those in the business, as a means of reaching China’s boat-building industry, but is now presenting its credentials as a forum for selling the products of this industry, and of foreign boat-yards, to China’s nascent market.

Attendance figures were well up on the year before, with one chandlery exhibitor observing “we had double the footfall of last year, in the same position, and a significant increase in serious visitors”.

A ten per cent increase in exhibitor numbers, an on-water facility (about time - it’s meant to be a boat show), and 55 boats making their Asian debut. Other boat-related activities were on offer to get the crowds in: a Regatta, a Try-A-Boat Day, the Asian Marine & Boating Awards, a Marine Photography competition, summits, forums, a conference. They say they haven’t got time for “the padding of parties and pretty girls”.

Shanghai is said by the organisers to have 132,000 millionaires of its own and they’ve certainly got access to some considerable amounts of water at the heart of the Yangtse River delta. Assuming that these wellto-do people want to buy a boat, however, presupposes that they can get somewhere to park it, have an inclination to use it, the ability to use it, and permission to use it. Having said that, the fishing equipment stands were perpetually mobbed, so at one level at least progress is being made.

The Show has been going for 19 years, and has clearly benefited from being held at the old Expo site in Pudong for the last few years. The old Stalinist Shanghai Exhibition Hall being quite the wrong place for holding frankly neo-capitalist exhibitions, not to mention being nowhere near the water, and the doors being too small to get in a decent sized motor boat, let alone a sailing yacht.

This year saw, finally, a sharp reduction of official speechifying at the opening ceremony, to which only a small number of people were actually subject. The Boat Show has at last been listening to the feedback and have decided to move forward. When the crowds were let through there was enough energy left in them for a distinct rush. A veteran observer of the show said, “The show on day one was busy; many longserving exhibitors seemed to be growing along with the show and taking greater care with their stands, which have ceased to be just rows of product. A good deal of thought gone into their layouts compared to previous years.”

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46 LOGBOOK BOATSHOW REVIEW TAIWAN

Taiwan International Boat Show 2014

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verything is shipshape in the run up to Taiwan’s first dedicated boat show, organised by the Bureau of Foreign Trade, MOEA and Kaohsiung City Government, implemented by Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TAITRA) and supported by Taiwan Yacht Industry Association (TYIA). Between 8-11 May 2014 more than 40 magnificent yachts will be on display at the Kaohsiung Exhibition Centre.

Taiwan’s strength in the boat construction market will be on display – 22 Taiwanese shipyards will be exhibiting at the show, constituting fully 80% of the show exhibitors. 45 yachts of different sizes, including motor yachts, sailing yachts and powerboats from 15 to 110 feet (5m 33m) will be on display indoors, with nearby pavilions being dedicated to suppliers of yacht parts and equipment.

A special exhibition, The Maritime Knowledge Box, will trace the growth of the boat building industry in Taiwan, and provide an introduction to yachting basics, marinerelated leisure activities and relevant laws and regulations. Liu Ning-sheng - the first Taiwanese to circumnavigate the globe - will share with visitors the appeal of sailing, and introductory sailing lessons will be available for anyone interested. After being out on the water, visitors will be able to test themselves

against a quiz session at the Maritime Knowledge Box. Alongside the on-water activities, a number of professional forums and seminars will be held to address Taiwan-specific yachting laws and regulations, yacht safety, yachting practice and fishing port revitalisation. The Taiwanese yacht industry has long been acclaimed and recognized all around the world. Taiwan has been a builder, but not a consumer of the boats that it builds.

The Taiwan International Boat Show will incorporate the 3rd Annual Yacht Design Competition and an International Students’ Handmade Model Ship Contest to encourage and improve creative domestic yacht designs and aesthetics. Prize winning entries from these competitions will be on display during the boat show.

Over the last 60 years, Taiwanese yards have filled orders for superyachts totalling 5,656 feet. According to ShowBoats International, this makes Taiwan the sixth-biggest and Asia’s No. 1 yacht builder. The Taiwan Boat Show will be partnered by property developer Greatsun Architecture Co and also by Modena Motori, Maserati dealer for Taiwan.

Taiwan has grown, changed and prospered with the sea. Taiwanese yacht building is a world-acclaimed industry. All this and more will be on display 8-11 May 2014.

Boat Show Calendar 2014 May.08-11

May.09-11

May.22-25

Jun.07-08

Taiwan International Boat Show

Gold Coast Boat Show

Santuary Cove International Boat Show

2nd Indonesia Yacht Show

VENUE: Queensland, Australia www.sanctuarycove.com

VENUE: Jakarta, Indonesia www.yachtsexpoasia.com

VENUE: Kaohsiung, Taiwan www.boatshow.tw

Hong Kong www.hongkonggoldcoastboatshow.com VENUE:

Jun.12-15

Jul.03-06

Jul.31-Aug 04

Sep.12-21

Korea International Boat Show

So! Dailan

Sydney International Boat Show

PSP Southampton Boat Show

VENUE:

Dalian, China www.sodalian.com

Sep.24-27 Monaco Yacht Show

Goyang, Korea www.koreaboatshow.org

VENUE:

Sydney, Australia www.sydneyboatshow.com.au

Southampton, UK www.southamptonboatshow.com

VENUE:

VENUE:

Sep.25-28

Oct.02-07

Nov.07-10

VENUE: Monaco

Auckland On Water Boat Show

Genoa Boat Show

www.monacoyachtshow.com

VENUE:

China (Xiamen) International Boat Show

Auckland, New Zealand www.auckland-boatshow.com

Genoa, Italy www.genoaboatshow.com

VENUE:

Xiamen, China www.xmboatshow.com

VENUE:

Yacht CN 2014

Nansha Bay International Boat Show and China Yachting Conference

N ansha 路 Guangzhou 路 China

16th-19th October, 2014

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48 LOGBOOK PARTIES SINGAPORE YACHT SHOW WELCOME PARTY

Superyacht Socials If you thought superyachts and superyacht socials were confined to the Med and the Caribbean - think again. It was all glam and glitz as the Singapore Yacht Show cast off with a Gala Cocktail at the W Hotel at Sentosa Cove. Caviar, champagne, saucy cocktails and a whole host of interesting people were on the bill. It was “the place to be” in April, with exhibitors, brokers, dealers and VIPs turning up the temperature for a great social event that preceded a hugely successful show.

PHOTOS: GUY NOWELL

Clockwise from top left: Show Opening Party at the W Hotel in Singapore; Robert Fisch, Andreas Arnold, Andy Treadwell and Arthur Tay; Caviar and Vodka shots; Sophie and Andy Treadwell, Kirsten and Tony Hambrook

Clockwise from top left: Show Director Andy Treadwell; Stuart Haley, Philippa Derry and Capt Mark Rothwell; Kristian R채me, Oriel Marshall and Phil Blake; the string quartet; Y P Loke and Robert Drontmann; Philippe Briand, Veerie Battiau and Evert van Dishoeck; Dr Andrew Lim

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50 LOGBOOK PARTIES ASIA PACIFIC YACHTING CONFERENCE/ROLEX CHINA SEA RACE

All at Sea

The Asia Pacific Marine Conference that preceded the Singapore Yacht Show was an opportunity for social networking as well as some serious conference time. At the end of two days of high-powered information exchange, it was time to compare notes down at the floating Boaters’ Bar at One 15 Marina on Sentosa Island in Singapore. Even a class-A tropical downpour and thunderstorm was not enough to dampen spirits. If socialising is as important to a conference as listening to presentations, then the Asia Pacific Marine Conference scored on all points and gets a 5-star rating. Cheers!

PHOTOS: GUY NOWELL

Clockwise from top left: Conference Welcome Party at the floating Boaters’ Bar; AIMEX supporters; Stephen Corbett and Jamie Boag; Elena Pariarca, Maarten Janssen and Merijn de Waard; guest and Marieke Derks; Bert van Muylwijk, guest and Rudy Puystjens; Janet Xanthopoulo; Vincent Tabuteau; Caroline Payen and Sophie Holmes

Clockwise from above: Simon Powell (Regatta Chairman); Geoff Hill and Ragamuffin crew; Adrienne Cahalan, Nick Moloney and Nicola Evans; Olivier Decamps; Arnie Lunty, Tim Yourieff, and Marty Kaye; the crew of Lucky; Neil Pryde and Sam Chan; father and daughter sailors David Ross and Mairead Ross

China Sea Welcome The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club welcomed Rolex China Sea Race competitors with a cocktail party. CSR veterans renewed old friendships, newcomers enjoyed the hospitality of Asiaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s premier yacht club, and absolutely everyone had a good time before setting off on the 565nm race to Subic Bay in the Philippines.

PHOTOS BY GUY NOWELL

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52 LOGBOOK PARTIES LYSA (LUXURY YACHT SHARE ASIA) COCKTAIL PARTY

Nautical Sharing LYSA (Luxury Yacht Share Asia) threw a party to introduce the highly practical notion of fractional ownership of luxury boats. Why buy a boat that you’ can only use once in a while? Why not share it with some friends, and why not charter it out on weekdays? An ‘On Water Open Days’ programme invited interested parties to experience the luxurious ambience of life afloat, and was followed up by a cocktail reception at Auto Italia’s Maserati and Ferrari showrooms at Repulse Bay. PHOTOS : GUY NOWELL

Clockwise from above: LYSA Cocktail Party; Suzy Rayment, Richard Lee, Fred and Emmy Shum, Katharine and Joseph Chan; Victoria Chin and guest; Eric Noyel and Richard Lee

Clockwise from top left: Rowena and Francesco Guidicelli, Wellington Soong, Camilla Guidicelli; Marie TraversoNg, Gianluca Traverso, Andre Merkel; Marcus Chow, Harmen and Sasha Overdijk; Mr White and guest; Yumiko Honda, Eric Noyel, Michael Ng and guest; Inez Chow, Eric Noyel, Donna Nguyen and Michael Bugel

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54 L OGBOOK PEOPLE CARLA DEMARIA

ITALIAN PASSION Carla Demaria has 20 years of experience in the boating sector and is now at the helm of Monte Carlo Yachts, a new line of luxury motoryachts produced by the Beneteau Group.

WORDS BY SUZY RAYMENT PORTRAIT BY GUY NOWELL

ABOVE LEFT TO RIGHT: Carlo Nuvolari; Fabrizio Larrera; Mme Annette Roux; Carla Demaria and Dan Lenard OPPOSITE: Carla Demaria, President of Monte Carlo Yachts

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orn in Turin, Carla’s first job was in her father’s company. “It was a company that specialized in industrial soundproofing and it was a great training ground”, says Carla, “but the company was sold after my father’s death, and I felt I needed to move on. I wanted to prove myself in the business world, and I wanted to test myself in a more dynamic field.”

A meeting with Paolo Vitelli resulted in a career change and for the next 20 years she worked with him to build the Azimut brand. Carla’s career flourished and she climbed the corporate ladder, becoming President and Managing Director of the Atlantis brand under the Azimut umbrella. “I was lucky enough that my professional path mirrored the success of the boating industry during the ’80s and ’90s and the dramatic growth of the Azimut brand saw some heady days.”

But it was in Carla’s destiny to work with Beneteau. She relates that when she started working with Paolo Vitelli in 1986, he was the Italian dealer for Beneteau. “Just after I started working with him, he split with Beneteau and instead focused

on developing Azimut. Now over 30 years later, I have come full circle and I am back with the Beneteau Group.” In 2011 Carla was appointed a member of Beneteau Management Board and three months later she was appointed a General Manger.

Asked if it is difficult to be a woman in such a maledominated profession, Carla comments that she has never felt disadvantaged by her sex. “Women need to reach out more and be convinced that they can do the job.” She does recall one incident though, when a client asked to see the boss and was not very happy when he found out that she was the boss!

Carla believes that attitude is changing and she believes it is important to be out there and leading the way for other women. To this end she has been a director and vice chairman (in 2008) of UCINA, the Italian marine industry association.

It has been the Beneteau connection that has sparked the new direction in Carla’s career. She got to know the matriarch of the Beneteau Group, Madame Roux, when they were brought together by a media group who proposed getting five of the boating industry’s most powerful women for a feature story. Carla, representing Azimut and Madame Roux, Head of Beneteau, were joined by the CEO of Sessa, the Marketing

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56 LOGBOOK PEOPLE CARLA DEMARIA

ABOVE: Presenting the MC 86 in Monte Carlo in 2013 RIGHT: Mike Simpson, Simpson Marine; Carla Demaria; Paul Whelan, Simpson Marine

Manager of Azimut and the top French chandlery owner. The women were cloistered together for four days to discuss the boating world from a woman’s perspective. The five women not only discussed business but also shared details of their personal lives to such an extent that the feature story was never to come to light; the experience established a strong relationship between Carla and Madame Roux and the pair continued to keep in touch.

Not long afterwards Carla was approached by a group of fund managers to head up a new boating operation and though she was looking for a new challenge she was not sure it was the right challenge. “I contacted Madame Roux for advice and she was surprised that I was ready to leave Azimut, as I had had such a long and strong connection to the brand. She said that if I was ready to leave Azimut then she had a project for me that would be better suited to my talents. She said that the Beneteau Group had decided that they wanted to enter the bigger powerboat market and that is what I had decided I wanted to do.” But I said “I am Italian: I want to build yachts in Italy. She said ‘Me too.’ It was a perfect match and soon after Monte Carlo Yachts was created.”

So in 2008 Carla left Azimut and joined the Beneteau Group. “I love working with Madame Roux as she is such visionary,” says Carla. “When you talk to her you feel the strength of the 130 years of history of Beneteau and you know there is stability and a strong vision in the company. She herself is a very cool, calm and collected businesswoman, and

as she says, the company has survived two world wars so if there are problems they are only short-term, when you look at the longer term picture.”

Carla sees that many companies lack this long-term strategic approach and are often forced to adopt short term solutions, essentially compromises, that are not in the best interests of the company in the long term. “One of the reasons for joining Beneteau and working with Madame Roux is that the company is able to give me the support and security to develop a unique brand and utilise more effective business practices.

What excites her most is Monte Carlo’s patented fast-track building methodology, where the hull and the interiors are built in parallel as separate units. When both are complete, the interiors are lifted as a piece, placed in the hull and glued in place. The whole process takes minutes instead of hours.

This means there is a substantial saving in time and cost, not just because the two major activities can be conducted at once, but also because the interiors can be built to finer tolerances, by fewer workers, who have access to the work both from inside it (as if it were being constructed in the traditional space-constricted way), but also from the outside.

The result is a better-fitting interiors-hull connection, a stiffer finished boat, with less vibration and noise, and a considerable saving on cost while sacrificing nothing from the design drawings by compromising this or that part of the job to cope with minor variances in already-built prior work.

The improved access also permits stage-by-stage quality control, the QA inspectors working right behind the artificers.

Tolerances of several inches that were once the norm can now be reduced to a matter of millimetres, and the upshot is a better, tighter, less expensive boat.

“It is very satisfying to develop a beautiful object from scratch and I get pleasure from seeing our clients enjoying their yachts. For me the client is always the centre of the process. I have put a lot of pressure on myself to get the process right and the product correct.” Carla’s vision seems to be meeting with the approval of the boating community.

The first unit launched by Monte Carlo in July 2010 was the MCY 76 and that has proved to be extremely successful and established itself as being an award-winning yacht in the pleasure cruising sector. Carla’s energy and passion are going to make Monte Carlo Yachts a leader in the field.

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58 LOGBOOK PEOPLE PHILIPPE BRIAND

AMAZING GRACE Philippe Briand designs world-beating award-winning graceful yachts that delight the eye and the senses.

P

TEXT BY NIC BOYDE PHOTOS COURTESY OF PHILIPPE BRIAND AND VITRUVIUS YACHTS LTD

hilippe Briand’s father represented France in the 1968 Mexico Olympics; Philippe himself was sailing at the age of nine, designed his first boat at 16, and first approached boat-builders Jeanneau at the age of 22. Turned away, he went off to win an Admiral’s Cup, and went back to Jeanneau six months later to be asked to turn a racing hull design into a mass-production cruising boat. The 32ft Symphonie design sold 300 boats and Briand has been a fixture at Jeanneau ever since.

Briand has designed over 100 boats, most of them for Jeanneau. Their joint design principles are clear: the boats might be racers, but they have to be used, by all sorts of guests in safety and comfort, whether racing or on a cruising holiday. Comfort, elegance, generous cockpit space and ease of manoeuvering must be combined with easy access to and from the water, simple sail handling and above all, functionality. Single-handed sailing is an absolute requirement.

All this is easier said than done, and to deliver these criteria without compromise is a challenge most other manufacturers and designers often fail to meet. How to have both a large cockpit and simple single-handing?

How to have a serious galley and a serious racing boat? How to have any comfort at all, and still be light enough to race? “Comfort” in the tropics means air-conditioning; heating, in non-tropical climes. Cruising

sailors want to get close into the beach where deep racing keels draw too much water. The success of the Jeanneau line of yachts clearly shows how innovative Briand and his colleagues at Jeanneau have been in overcoming these very real conflicts in design.

As a highly competitive and successful sailor in his own right, Briand’s move to become a naval architect was perhaps natural, although few bother to do so, let alone qualify, and still fewer design - as Briand has done - no fewer than eight America’s Cup yachts.

In 2003 a Briand monohull, Mari-Cha IV, broke the trans-Atlantic record, crossing in 6 days, 17 hours and 52 minutes, an astounding success that has led to iconic status for Briand and his design, which has become an acknowledged benchmark for other serious yachts.

We met up with Briand at the Singapore Yacht Show, and asked him for a quote. He happily obliged: “This is the most exciting job in the world and I travel to lots of interesting places!” Gross understatement, we think.

He certainly does travel: in Singapore, next to where he sat, were three very different Briand designs: a French Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 44DS, the extraordinary Picchiotti explorer-superyacht Exuma, and the New Zealandbuilt Alloy Yachts Vertigo, a 220-foot sailing boat. All in Singapore with the man who designed them.

Exuma is worth a look, and a second look. It’s not just another tripledecker cigarette boat with acres of teak and sun-pads, mega-master-cabins where the “owner” can hide from his “guests” before descending regally to honour them with his presence for cocktails before dinner. The master

suite on Exuma is no bigger than a normal good-sized double bedroom, and is not even amidships at the bow or the stern; it’s off to one side and faces outboard. All the space Briand could save by limiting cabin sizes to something more practical than the general run has been given over to more and yet more garage space. Exuma is not just a superyacht, she’s a super-exploreryacht and carries a huge array of “toys”, many of which are nothing of the kind, but serious exploration kit like hovercraft and an amphibious jeep. Space has also been sacrificed to the shallow draft, meaning closer inshore work and more adventure.

The hull, as Briand says, is super fine, “the bow is as thin as a knife”. This gives Exuma a “dynamic aspect”, or in English, a slightly predatory military air, with her low superstructure, extensive foredeck and total absence of sundecks.

Vertigo, even bigger, especially upwards, is a superperformance sailing superyacht, and took a long time to get from the design board to launch-pad. She’s 68m high, limited by the height of a bridge somewhere on the Panama Canal, and 68m long, which in real money is 220 feet. There’s no heaving on the sheets on this boat: sail area in excess of 5,000 sqm means that halyards and sheets are 1 to 2 inches thick, and are hauled and tightened by large windlasses controlled by joysticks from the bridge.

Much of Vertigo’s space is outdoors, so this boat is designed

for the tropical waters she is based in for much of the year. Low, sleek, light-coloured superstructure floats above the contrasting dark-coloured hull delivering a streamlined aerodynamic appearance. Despite the size, the keel, where virtually all the ballast is, normally draws only 5m. This is supplemented by a dagger board that can be extended down through the keel to project a further 4m downwards.

While all the sailing is done by Vertigo’s experienced crew, trained to manage the electronics that move the sails up and down and sideways, and the boat is designed to be sailed anywhere, she’s big, and she isn’t going to feel like a racing runabout where the risk of a broach adds a certain something to the experience. Nevertheless, she’s a true sailor. No spinnakers for this lady, she tacks downwind as well as up, carries two foresails, staysails, mizzen staysails and main and mizzen, as required, and according to an Alloy Yachts spokesman on board during her commissioning, will sail to the wind.

Briand began work on Vertigo in 2004, and 800,000 manhours of work later, she was launched in 2011, his biggest project up to that time. Vertigo was conceived to combine safety (even for families with young children), with luxury and serious performance, and the long series of awards that Vertigo’s design has earned is testament to how successfully Briand has achieved this. “Exciting job” indeed!

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Vertigo designed by Briand and built by Alloy Yachts; Exuma designed by Briand and build by Perini Navi; Philippe Briand; a winner at the World Superyachts Awards

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60 L OGBOOK PEOPLE IAIN MURRAY

THE BIG FELLA

From Flying Ants to the Olympics, Iain Murray - aka the Big Fella - has all the t-shirts. Now he’s running Team Australia in another tilt at the America’s Cup

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TEXT BY SUZY RAYMENT PORTRAIT BY GILLES MARTIN-RAGET

ABOVE: Murray with Andrew Palfrey in the Star class, 2008 Olympics OPPOSITE: Regatta Director of the 34th America’s Cup

ain Murray grew up sailing. “I used to sail with one of the Oatley kids when I was young, and that was 45 years ago. I’ve been friends with the family every since,” says Murray. He has logged 18 Sydney-Hobart Races, including three overall victories. With Bob Oatley on his supermaxi Wild Oats XI, he helped to chalk up seven Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race Line Honours wins, and a couple of handicap wins along the way, culminating in breaking Wild Oats’ own race record in 2012.

This close connection to the Oatley family has also led to his new role as CEO of the Hamilton Island Yacht Club’s (HIYC) America’s Cup Challenge. Having recently held the dual role of Chief Executive Officer and Regatta Director of the 34th America’s Cup, Murray is one of the most lauded men in the sailing world and his appointment is a major coup for Team Australia.

Murray has been recognized for his contribution to Australian sailing, having been awarded in 1992 the Order

of Australia (AM), an order of chivalry established by Elizabeth II, Queen of Australia, in 1975.

He recalls when he learned sail at the age of nine. “I started sailing on the advice of my rugby coach. I started in a Flying Ant and then moved on to a Cherub, a two-man high performance planing dinghy, winning my first major event, the Australian Cherub Championship title, in 1973.”

But it was his success in the iconic 18ft skiff class that really put Murray on the sailing map. A self-confessed fan of fast sailing boats, Murray designed, built and sailed Color 7 to win a record six consecutive championships from 1977 to 1982. “Sailing 18ft skiffs back in the 80s in Australia was an awesome experience”, recalls Murray.

“Twenty thousand people would be out on the weekend, on the water in Sydney Harbour watching the racing, with the bookmakers running tabs on who would win. It was a real spectator sport, a bit like the Extreme Sailing Series.”

Murray’s success in the 18ft skiffs led Syd Fischer to make him helmsman of Advance in the 1983 America’s Cup challenger series. Murray’s next crack at the America’s Cup

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62 LOGBOOK PEOPLE IAIN MURRAY

ABOVE AND RIGHT: From tactics to trad to tech, Murray has covered pretty much all the bases during a long and welldecorated sailing career

came in 1987 when he joined Kevin Parry’s Kookaburra defender syndicate, and helmed Kookaburra III, winning the challenger selection but losing the Cup itself to Dennis Conner on Stars and Stripes, 4-0. Murray also led the Spirit of Australia challenge for the 1992 AC Challenger Series, and in 1995 was a member of the oneAustralia syndicate, which saw their IACC boat fracture and sink whilst racing against the winning New Zealand yacht.

After that unscheduled soaking Murray took a break from the America’s Cup sailing scene, and as he says, “returned to the real world of business.” Although it may not seem that property development, houses and boats have a lot in common, for this Australian Olympic sailor they seem to have gone hand in hand since his youth. Murray’s interest in real estate was inspired by his grandfather who started a real estate agency in Manly in 1911. Murlan was established in 2003, in order to consolidate Murray’s various personal business interests including property development, project management and property and asset management. In property circles, people associate Murray with various highprofile residential projects in and around Sydney, along with the Dee Why Grand on Sydney’s Northern Beaches. Other projects that the company has been involved with include the Hamilton Island Yacht Club, and a high-end retirement apartment project called Waterbrook, at Greenwich.

All through this, Murray has never been far from the water. He has enjoyed a tremendous career as an offshore sailor, winning many of the world’s classic events, and sailing on the winning Australian team at the very last Champagne Mumm Admiral’s Cup. Also a successful one-design sailor, Murray ranks his Etchells World Championship win in 1984 as one of his most satisfying victories. Other world championships include match racing, Maxi, and 12 Metre Class wins.

Another box Murray has ticked was sailing in the

Olympics, where he represented Australia in the Star Class in the Beijing Olympics in 2008. “I chose the Star not because they are particularly fast boats, but because the Star Class is considered the most competitive of all the Olympic fleets,” says Murray. Expecting to have to sail in light winds, at the age of 50 Murray took up the challenge and shed 20kg in the lead-up to the games. “Andrew Palfrey and I had hoped we would come in the top five but it was windier than we expected and we ended up breaking a mast.”

Philosophical about their performance, Murray says that the conditions were the same for everyone and so he offers no excuses and only has admiration for the teams that did well. With a combined age of 91, Murray and Palfrey were the oldest crew on the course. He jokes, “they say the midage crisis affects men in many different ways - I guess mine was a desire to be an Olympian. Every year crews get better and better, and so does the technology too. But Australian sailing can hold its head high as we are among some of the very best sailors in the world.”

Being responsible for Team Australia is Murray’s new role, and over the last few months he has been focused on negotiating the protocol for the 35th America’s Cup Challenge. This comes as part of the responsibilities of the Challenger of Record along with production of the AC 62 Class rule. “At this stage, with the Protocol,” says Murray, “we are digging down into the detail and making it the best we can, given the constraints around what everyone wants to do.” Oatley, who filed the challenge on behalf of the HIYC believes that Murray is not only the best, but the only, man for the job.

Having competed in three America’s Cup tournaments Murray knows just what is required to get the job done. He is The Big Fella, and has a good pair of shoulders. Which is just as well as there’s going to be a lot riding on them for the next couple of years.

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MARKETING FEATURE

TWIN MASTERY

You can’t have too many accurately-adjusted chronometers on board, whether it’s at the start of the Rolex Fastnet, or a midnight landfall in the Rolex Sydney Hobart.

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OPPOSITE: The Rolex Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master, based on a self-winding automatic movement designed and made by Rolex themselves.

The 40mm chronometer in its oyster case is waterproof to a depth of 100m ABOVE: The fleet head out of Sydney Heads at the start of the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race; and race winners Bob Oatley (WILD OATS XI owner) and Skipper Mark Richards are presented with the Rolex watch by Patrick Boutellier (Rolex Australia)

he essential sailing watch since 1992, the Rolex Oyster Perpetual YachtMaster has undergone an extensive renovation, benefiting from the latest Rolex innovations in ergonomics, comfort and reliability of the bracelet, clasp and bezel. All have been improved in design changes informed by Rolex’s privileged links with the world of sailing through their extensive programme of sponsorship of the world’s greatest yacht races, not the least of which is Hong Kong’s own Rolex China Sea Race.

Any yachtsman participating in such a race needs robustness of watch and bracelet, reliability in all conditions, resistance to magnetism, waterproofness, accuracy to the second, and to be able to read the watch-dial in the dark and in other adverse lighting conditions.

The Yacht-Master fulfills all these requirements.

The bi-directional bezel, made entirely of platinum, can be set to 120 positions and to time an interval of up to 60 minutes. The large Chromalight hour markers in white gold and the blue-glow luminescent hands also in white gold offer exceptional legibility in the dark. The prominent red seconds hand is easy to keep track of when heading up to the start. The power reserve is approximately 48 hours, not that any active yachtsman will ever have to worry about this.

The 40mm Rolex Oyster monobloc case with

its screw-down back and Triplock winding crown is waterproof to 100m, and is crafted from a solid block of an exceptionally corrosion-resistant 950 platinum/904L stainless steel super-alloy, Rolesium, providing optimal protection for the 3135 calibre chronometer self-winding automatic mechanical movement. A superlative chronometer, certified by official Swiss tests, the movement, designed and manufactured entirely in-house by Rolex, Calibre 3135 is insensitive to magnetic fields and temperature variations, important to tropical blue-water yachtsmen. The heart of this movement is the Parachrom hairspring which offers great temperature-change stability and up to ten times the precision of a normal hairspring when it comes to shocks, and shocks and knocks there are a-plenty when heading offshore.

The bracelet, fitted with an adjustable-length solid-link Oyster bracelet in 904L stainless steel with a new generation Oysterlock safety clasp, is both easy to open and has a system to prevent accidental opening. Designed and patented by Rolex, the elegant bracelet is comfortable and easy to use. It also features the Easylink rapid extension system, allowing the wearer to quickly increase the bracelet circumference by up to 5mm, for additional comfort.

Sleek, sporty and distinguished, the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master continues to lead the yachting world.

MARKETING FEATURE

CARLO BORLENGHI

Baselworld, the world-famous watch show held every Spring in the Swiss city of Basel, is always eagerly anticipated by the industry: many watch makers launch new models and new versions of tried and trusted models, at Baselworld.

2013 saw the introduction of a new version of the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master II, Rolex’s pioneering and revolutionary regatta chronometer chronograph. This edition is in 904L corrosion-resistant steel with a blue Cerachrom bezel insert.

The bi-directional bezel is a command-input device unique to Rolex: the Ring Command. A technically complex development by Rolex’s engineers, this is actually very simple to operate, and it is used to set the countdown timer of up to 10 minutes on the Yacht-Master II. Once launched, it can be synchronised on the fly, adjusted to the official regatta countdown, and is ideal for the precise timing needed during the crucial starting sequence of a race.

Whether the race is a quick sprint around the cans in the harbour, or the 3-day Rolex China Sea Race, or the Rolex Sydney Hobart, every skipper takes the starting sequence very seriously. Seconds at the line can translate into hours at the finish, and every yacht race begins with the boats jostling for position and jockeying for the line at the precise moment the gun is due to sound.

Even in these days of split-second satellite signal synchronised electronic navigational aids, every yacht navigator also takes the view that it is essential to have another chronometer on board that is not going to fail when a fuse blows. Accurate marine navigation is why the chronometer was invented.

The Yacht-Master II is a high-performance precision timekeeping instrument designed for professional skippers and yachting enthusiasts. It is a

certified chronometer - Rolex make more certified chronometers than any other watchmaker - and is a combination of time-honoured tradition and state of the art technology.

The Yacht-Master II has a 44mm Oyster case, guaranteed waterproof to a depth of 100m, and combines robustness with elegance and proportion. The case is crafted from a solid block of especially corrosion-resistant 904L stainless steel superalloy, topped with virtually scratch-proof sapphire, and the fluted case back is hermetically screwed down. The winding crown is fitted with the patented Triplock triple waterproofness system and screws down securely to the side of the case. It is protected against knocks by a crown guard that is integral to the case itself.

The movement was designed and developed by Rolex. Calibre 4161 is a perpetual self-winding mechanical chronograph movement, and like all of Rolex’s Perpetual movements, is a certified chronometer, having passed the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute tests. The oscillator, a paramagnetic blue Parachrom hairspring, beats at 4Hz, with a large variable-inertia balance wheel, and a 72 hour power reserve for those short spells on dry land.

The dial is white with blue lacquer seconds counters, bordered in 18 ct white gold. The square and highly-visible hour markers are raised longlasting luminescent Chromalight appliques in 18 ct white gold with blue PVD coating. The hour and minute hands are of gold, the seconds and countdown hands are red.

The solid-link Oyster bracelet is also in 904L steel, and has the Oysterlock safety clasp that prevents accidental opening, and the patented Easylink rapid extension system that allows the wearer to adjust the strap for a perfect fit.

OPPOSITE: The Rolex Perpetual Yacht-Master II is a self-winding automatic mechanical movement chronometer that incorporates a unique feature - a bezel that sets a race-start countdown indicator, programmable from 1 to 10 minutes ABOVE: Wild Oats XI on her way to Hobart; Overall Handicap winner VICTOIRE with Patrick Boutellier (Rolex Australia)

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ASIA’S LUXURY MARKET HAS NEVER LOOKED SO GOOD SSI INNG AC GAAPPO ORREE YYA CH HTT SSHHOOW W 220011 45

BE PART OF IT

TING ORA LASSIC P R INCO PORE C A SING R SHOW THE CA

10-13 23-26 APRIL 2014 2015 ONE°15 MARINA CLUB, SENTOSA COVE, SINGAPORE

www.singaporeyachtshow.com Held in:

Supported by:

Venue Host:

Supporting Association:

The Rolex China Sea Race was an AN EPIC BATTLE P.070 and four of the Superyachts in the Singapore Yacht Show are displayed EXTRA LARGE P.076

JEFF BROWN

FEATURES

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BATTLE HARD-FOUGHT RACING AND AN IMPROBABLY TIGHT FINISH FOR THE TOP PERFORMANCE BOATS HAS ONCE AGAIN ENDORSED THE CLAIM OF THE ROLEX CHINA SEA RACE TO BE A TRUE BLUE WATER CLASSIC. GUY NOWELL SURVEYS THE AFTERMATH OF AN EPIC BATTLE. TEXT BY GUY NOWELL PHOTOGRAPHS BY ROLEX/KURT ARRIGO AND GUY NOWELL

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The biennial Rolex China Sea Race from Hong Kong to Subic Bay, Philippines, 2014 attracted an entry of 34 boats â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the biggest fleet on the start line of a Hong Kong offshore race since 2000.

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The biennial Rolex China Sea Race from Hong Kong to Subic Bay, Philippines, this year attracted an entry of 34 boats – the biggest fleet on the start line of a Hong Kong offshore race since 2000.

Quantity was well-matched by quality, with entries sailing in from Singapore (defending champions, Zanzibar; KukuKERchu, David Ross), the USA (Lucky, Bryon Ehrhart), Philippines (Standard Insurance Centennial, Judes Echauz), Australia (Ragamuffin 90, Syd Fischer; Australian Maid, John Wardill) and the first-ever fullon China entry, Y Y Fan’s A40 Sea Wolf.

Backing up the international visitors were the usual Hong Kong culprits including Antipodes (Geoff Hill), FreeFire (Sam Chan), Hi Fi (Neil Pryde) and Ambush (Joachim Isler/Drew Taylor). Without any doubt this was the best Asian offshore race fleet assembled for many a long year.

Bryon Ehrhart has been campaigning his TP52, Lucky, all over.

“We made a list of the top dozen races in the world, and we have been ticking them off,” he said. Ehrhart and the crew of Lucky won the Hong Kong-Vietnam Race 2013, and rated that grade A1, so a repeat visit to Hong Kong was not a hard decision. “We heard about the Rolex China Sea Race from so many different quarters that we had come and check it out.”

This was a first time visit to Hong Kong for Lucky’s navigator, the celebrated Adrienne Cahalan. Adrienne’s portfolio of sailing achievements is nothing short of spectacular, including navigating Cheyenne to a world record circumnavigation time in 2004 and multiple Rolex Sydney-Hobart Race line honours/overall wins on Bob Oatley’s Wild Oats. “Preparing for a race you’ve never done before is not so very different from winding up for one that you already know. You can pore over as many grib files as you like, but there is no substitute for sticking your head out of the hatch. You can only ever sail a race from where you are, and the trick is to make the most of where you are and what you’ve got to play with.”

Pre-race favourite for line honours was always Syd Fischer’s Ragamuffin 90 – the newly-modified Genuine Risk that took line honours in 2012 – but with three TP52s (FreeFire, Lucky, Standard Insurance Centennial), the 2012 winner (Zanzibar) and a feisty and all-conquering A35 (Red Kite 2) the book for the handicap win was wide open.

Starting ‘under the skyscrapers’ in front of the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club and right in the middle of Hong Kong’s

PREVIOUS PAGE: The fleet starts from the Club line in front of RHKYC, in Victoria Harbour OPPOSITE TOP: FreeFire and Standard Insurance Centennial, both TP52s OPPOSITE BELOW: KukuKERchu, visiting from Singapore THIS PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Skippers’ briefing; Red Kite 2; Moonblue 2; EFG Bank Mandrake; Lucky, with owner Bryon Ehrhart (left) and Adrienne Cahalan

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spectacular Victoria Harbour, it was Ragamuffin 90 first out of the traps, first out of the harbour at Lei Yue Mun, and then first all the way across the China Sea to claim Line Honours in Subic Bay some 57h 31m 18s and 565nm later. Fischer said afterwards that “the modifications we have done on the boat have helped a lot. Our boat speed was always above the wind speed, and that’s good.” Boat Captain David Witt paid tribute to his 87-year old skipper. “He’s amazing, isn’t he? I can think of a few 22-year olds who could take a leaf from his book!”.

For the next few boats down the track it was a nip-and-tuck affair as they approached the finish line. Very light airs had FreeFire, HiFi and Lucky duking it out on the water in slomo, each one looking for the tiniest edge with which to launch themselves at the finish line, mere miles away. The three boats sailed within sight of each other for the entire race: stressful to say the least, but a sure fire recipe for extracting 110% concentration and effort from all the crews, all the time.

Second across the line almost exactly 12 hours later was Bryon Ehrhart’s Lucky, just two minutes ahead of Hi Fi on the water but two minutes behind on handicap, handing Neil Pryde and his well-seasoned China Sea campaigners the China Sea Race Trophy (and a Rolex Yachtmaster for the skipper) for the Handicap Win. “It was incredibly close racing,” reported Pryde.

“To be just metres apart after so many miles is amazing.” During the final miles set against the mountainous, sunbaked and scenic approach to Subic Bay, almost nothing separated the boats.

“It had already been a really good race, not particularly strong breeze, but at just the right angle. We were power reaching under spinnakers all the way. And then it got better.” With the boats all ‘reading’ the same weather, the three crews were all looking for the winning tactical decision. Pryde said, “Lucky went around the rocks while we took the inside track at the last headland.” They found a little more breeze, but not enough to make a difference to the handicap result.

In spite of finishing as bridesmaid, Bryon Ehrhart was very upbeat about the race. “It was the Classic we were promised. It was a great, tight, competition. I have never raced so far with and so close to my immediate competitors, and that made this China Sea Race something very, very unique”.

Neil Pryde won the China Sea Race in 1988 with his Castro 36, Sunstreaker. 22 years later he did it again with the Welbourne 52, HiFi, and now he has written himself into the history books with an unprecedented third win. “It was a truly excellent race,” he said, “quite possibly the best we’ve ever had. It ranks as one of the more memorable victories we’ve claimed – and we’ve won a lot of races.”

After the hurly-burly of the fast boats’ edgy finish, the rest of the Rolex China Sea Race ran more to the usual programme. The next tranche of finishers were never in a position to challenge HiFi’s corrected time win, so it was all about the divisional placings among the rest of the fleet. Once again the Rolex China Sea Race has served up a ‘classic’ event, even if that description is open to a good deal of discussion. What it proves is that although the fleets may not be as big as the major UK, USA, European and Australian events, the quality of the racing is second to none.

It is worth remembering that Asia regularly lays on some of the best regattas and races on the planet, from the Rolex China Sea Race to the Raja Muda International Regatta and the Phuket King’s Cup. The common factor that keeps them from growing is merely geography – here in Asia we are a long way from the big population centres of sailing, and the distances between events are considerable, but none of those considerations diminish the quality of the racing.

Let’s hope that the long distance visitors such as Lucky and Ragamuffin 90 go home and spread the good news about what Asia has to offer (they will, for sure). Now let’s get on with the rest of the Asian circuit, from the Hong Kong Kettle to the Vietnam Race, and from the Top of the Gulf to Koh Samui. This year’s Rolex China Sea Race has raised a flag that is being seen all around the sailing world.

OPPOSITE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: HiFi nears the finish; EFG Bank Mandrake, sunset cruise; Antipodes; Sea Wolf; Lucky rolls home with a dolphin for company ABOVE LEFT: Ragamuffin 90 and a delighted Syd Fischer (second from right); A record third win for Neil Pryde (HiFi)

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EXTRA DO SOMETHING EXTRAORDINARY AND CHARTER YOUR OWN SUPERYACHT IN ASIA AND ENJOY A SUBLIME SUMMER ON THE WATER. TEXT BY NIC BOYDE

Eight Tips to Consider when Chartering a Superyacht • Setting your budget

• Deciding on cabin configuration

• Deciding on the destination

•C hoosing your type of yacht (motor, sail, monohull or catamaran)

• Finalizing the number of guests • P rioritising on facilities and preferences

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• Considering the need of the children • Crew requirements

C Chartering a superyacht is the ultimate luxury experience.

Like intricate watches or the finest sports cars, these yachts are a remarkable blend of engineering and vision. The sheer luxury of these vessels has to be experienced to be believed and once the delights of this unique from of transportation have been tasted there is no turning back.

A superyacht can take you any where in the world and in the greatest comfort with the greatest freedom and each day is an extrodinary time with the people you choose to be with. A good yacht broker will help you to find the right yacht in the right place with the right facilities and at the right price. The large brokerage houses include: Burgess, Edmiston, Fraser Yachts, Northrop and Johnson, Merle Wood & Associates and Y.CO and all have experts who can give you advice and lead you through the process.

The yacht broker helps you to understand the different elements of the charter trip from start to finish and will be looking after your interests by providing the multi-national and multi-lingual services required. All brokers working for the international brands have specialist training in the field and can help the novice charterer navigate these unfamiliar waters.

Many charter-yachts are designed with the whole family in mind. There are no age restrictions and babies through to grandparents can be catered for while on board. All manner of sporting activities are available and charters can opt for a range of â&#x20AC;&#x153;toysâ&#x20AC;? onboard, a term which includes scuba diving gear, sailing boats, jet skis and even sometimes a hovercraft.

Charters can be busy or relaxed depending on the needs of the group but the decision is ultimately with the people who are the guests onboard, and that is what makes superyacht chartering the ultimate indulgence.

Yachtstyle looks at four of the luxury superyachts that were on show at the Singapore Yacht Show: Vertigo, Exuma, Cloud 9 and Keri Lee III.

PREVIOUS PAGE: m/y Exuma, the revolutionary 50m superyacht built by Perini Navi THIS PAGE CLOCKWISE: m/y Exuma; s/y Vertigo; m/y Keri Lee III and m/y Cloud 9

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VERTIGO Winner of multiple awards, Vertigo is 67m long and was custom built by Alloy Yachts in 2011. This a sailing yacht, a very big sailing yacht. Her interior was designed by Christian Liaigre and her exterior styling is by Philippe Briand. Timeless styling, beautiful furnishings and sumptuous seating feature throughout her living areas to create an elegant and comfortable atmosphere. The yacht sleeps up to 12 guests in four double staterooms, all with ensuites, and one twin cabin with two pullman beds also with an ensuite. She is also capable of carrying up to 11 crew to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht experience. In 2014 Vertigo will be based in Singapore, Vietnam, Burma and Thailand before heading off to the Mediterranean in March 2015 via cruises in the Maldives and the Red Sea.

Length: 220ft Beam: 41ft Speed: Cruise @ 13kts Builder: Alloy Yachts, 2011 Guests: 12 Crew: 12

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Charter starts at EUR225,000 Charter Broker: Y.CO www.Y.CO

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EXUMA This revolutionary 50m superyacht was built by Perini Navi and was designed and built specifically for exploration and discovery.

Her shallow draft affords her greater opportunities to explore coastal areas and her amazing array of water toys, including an amphibious jeep, means that she is ideal for adventures both at sea and ashore. The yacht has a master suite, one single cabin, two doubles and one twin and can accommodate nine guests and has a crew of seven. The superyacht is currently on a world tour and will be available for charter in Raja Ampat and Komodo this summer and then the Seychelles and Tanzania from October 2014. Special equipment includes a Jacuzzi, gym, zero speed stablisers, WiFi and an amphibious jeep.

Length: 163ft Beam: 31ft Speed: Cruise @ 14kts Builder: Perini Navi, 2010 Guests: 9 Crew: 7

Charter starts at EUR189,000 Charter: Fraser Yachts www.fraseryachts.com

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CLOUD 9 Another new face at the Singapore Yacht Show, Cloud 9 is currently in the Mediterranean for the summer but hopes to return to South East Asia next winter. Built in 2009, and just re-decorated throughout, she was constructed by CMN Shipyards in France, all 197 feet of her. 15 crew look after up to 12 guests over five Andrew Winch-designed superbly-detailed decks. The decks are connected by a spiral staircase. Uniquely deep in the water, she has exceptional stability and with a range of 5,000nm is a real world cruiser. An enormous array of water toys complements the fabulous and spacious interiors, and the enormous entertaining spaces mean that when in port you can throw a serious party.

Length: 197ft Beam: 11.3ft Speed: Cruise @ 15kts Builder: CMN, 2009 Guests: 12 Crew: 15

Charter starts at EUR315,000 Charter Broker: Burgess www.burgessyachts.com

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KERI LEE III The Keri Lee normally winters in the Caribbean and spends her summers in the Med, so it was interesting to see her turn up in April in Singapore for the Yacht Show. The big news is sheâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s going to be spending summer 2014 in South East Asian waters.

Built in 2001 by Trinity Yachts in New Orleans and refitted in 2010 and 2012, her interiors were designed by Keri Craig-Lee. She accommodates 12 guests in six double cabins, all with ensuites.

The superyacht has four decks in her 177-foot length, and carries a crew of 12, including a masseuse and a dive-master. She has a cruising-range of up to 4,200 nautical miles, so she can take you anywhere if youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ve got the time, the inclination and the money.

Length: 177ft Beam: 31ft Speed: Cruise @ 14.5kts Builder: Trinity Yachts, 2001 Guests: 12 Crew 12

Charter starts at USD275,000 Charter Broker: Kurt Bosshardt, of Merle Wood & Associates www.merlewood.com

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GUYS &

“THE EXTREME “THE EXTREME 40 WAS CREATED WITH TWO 40 WAS THINGS IN MIND. ACTION AND ADRENALINE!” CREATED WITH IT’S A FAIRLY BOLD STATEMENT, ESPECIALLY TWO THINGS WHEN STRAPPED ACROSS THE“THE TOP EXTREME OF THE IN MIND. EXTREME SAILING SERIES WEBSITE, BUT FOR 40 WAS THE PAST SEVEN YEARS IT IS ACREATED BOAST THAT WITH THE BOATS, THE SAILORS ANDTWO OC SPORT THINGS MANAGEMENT HAVE FULFILLED. IN MIND. TEXT BY GUY NOWELL PHOTOS BY LLOYD IMAGES AND GUY NOWEL

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The curtainraiser for the Extreme Sailing Series 2014 took place in Singapore, with eleven teams on the entry list skippered and crewed by the likes of Sir Ben Ainslie, Dean Barker and Franck Cammas.

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E EXTREME SAILING SERIES

The organization is a little like the F1 Grand Prix racing circuit.

Participating teams move from venue to venue around the world, scoring points on a league table, looking for a regatta wins as well as an overall season victory. Extreme 40 catamarans are designed super-light and super-fast. The requirement is that they perform well (meaning fast) in almost any conditions, and just a little breeze is enough to turn then into high octane waterborne mean machines.

Instead of conducting the racing a long way from shore, it takes place right in front of the crowds – Extreme Sailing Series call it ‘stadium racing’. The races themselves – maybe eight or nine in an afternoon - are short, dramatic, and extremely unforgiving for those caught napping anywhere on the course.

Extreme 40s have raced in the canals of Amsterdam, along the Lido in Venice, in Cardiff Docks and in the Qingdao Olympic Marina. They have faced off in Hong Kong harbour, in the middle of London and on Marina Bay in Singapore. And they have attracted some of the very best sailors in the world, from Olympic medallists to World Champions to America’s Cup sailors and around-the-world yachtsmen. It is testing, seat-of-the-pants stuff, even for the spectators!

The curtain-raiser for the Extreme Sailing Series 2014 took place in Singapore, with eleven teams on the entry list skippered and crewed by the likes of Sir Ben Ainslie, Dean Barker and Franck Cammas. In fact, the ESS 2014 fleet counts among its competitors no less than 19 America’s Cup veterans, 16 Olympic medal winners and 10 regular competitors on the World Match Race Tour circuit.

In a year when there is no Olympics or America’s Cup, there is a surplus of spectacular sailing talent out there just dying to get to grips with a high performance multihull.

The ESS Singapore event can only be described as a consummate success. Five days of more than enough breeze kept the sailors on their toes and the spectators glued to the rail around Marina Bay. In the Race Village, the VIP visitors in the hospitality suites put down their drinks and crowded out onto the viewing balcony to catch some of the non-stop action. Puffy and gusty breeze popping and squeezing through between the skyscrapers surrounding the Bay made for a tactical minefield that tested tacticians to the absolute limit. This was Snakes & Ladders on steroids. Opportunism reigned as short-lived gusts momentarily moved that advantage to the other side of the race course, leaving leaders floundering and elevating others from zero to hero. It’s brutal stuff if you’re a sailor, but it makes for fabulous spectator sport. And on the very last day, veteran EX40 sailor Nick Moloney picked up an unexpected puff almost on the finish line and instantly parked his Aberdeen Asset Management boat right on top of Franck Cammas’ Groupama.The determined efforts of the shore crews had the boats back out on the water the next day for the final day of racing but it was Morgan Larson and his Swiss team Alinghi sailed a faultless regatta at Act 2 of the Extreme Sailing Series to claim overall victory in this truly spectacular Asian city.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Fleet racing in Marina Bay; Aberdeen Asset Management over takes Groupama literally; the winning Alinghi team; Alinghi crew in action

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ACHTSTARS — THE GUY

SIR BEN AINSLIE (GBR) Probably someone who needs no introduction at all. Four golds and a silver medal make him the most successful Olympic sailor ever. And then he turned his attention to the America’s Cup, ending up sailing with USA Team Oracle as they clawed back from an 8-race deficit to win the 34th edition of sailing’s Holy Grail, 9-8. Ainslie now has his sights set on a British entry for the next America’s Cup, which he fully intends to win with a GBR team. “No, I am not even thinking about a ‘practice run’ of any sort. Life’s too short. As soon as there is a realistic protocol in place, we can activate our sponsors and get on the programme. And for sure that will involve some of the people I have with me now – this is a different type of racing, but ultimately it calls upon the same skill sets.

DEAN BARKER (NZL) Cruelly, Barker is best-known for losing the America’s Cup in 2003 and then not winning it back for New Zealand in 2007 and 2013.

And ironically Sir Ben Ainslie was tactician on board USA Team Oracle that came back from an eight-race deficit to defend the Cup in 2013. Barker may be down, but he is not out. Emirates Team New Zealand is very much alive and kicking and, like Ainslie, waiting for a protocol to be announced for the next AC match. Meanwhile, and to help ‘keep the eye in’ on super-quick multihulls (and for sure the next America’s Cup will involve fast foiling multihulls – you can’t get the genie back in the bottle), Barker leads a team of young New Zealanders that includes Peter Burling and Blair Tuke (Olympic silver, London, 2012) on the Extreme Sailing Series. What do Olympic medallists and America’s Cup skippers do on their days off?

They sail Extreme 40s!

FRANCK CAMMAS (FRA) Cammas skippered the VO70 Groupama to a straight-out-of-the-box victory in the last Volvo Ocean Race, but not before winning umpteen single and double handed transoceanic races, as well as the Jules Verne Trophy (fastest circumnavigation).

Cammas has unfinished business here – he finished 4th in the ESS 2009 and 5th in 2010. The trophy cabinet may be full to bursting, but there’s still room in there for the silverware from an Extreme Sailing Series. Cammas has proved himself on both multihulls and monohulls, and brings a 100% French team to the ESS, including Sophie de Turckheim – who will partner Cammas on a Nacra 17 at the next Olympics - calling tactics.

SEVE JARVIN (AUS)

NICK MOLONEY (AUS) Moloney is one of the veterans of the Extreme 40 circuit, with a total of five years racing experience in these machines. “They are such powerful boats that even some of the very best sailors in the world struggle to keep them under control.” This year in Singapore, Moloney is ‘guesting’ on board sponsor Aberdeen Asset Management’s boat, mentoring two young Singaporeans. “Anything to encourage young people to go further in in sailing. Absolutely anything,” he says. “In Australia there are kids queueing up to sail anything from a bathtub to an 18-ft skiff. In Asia the attitude towards sports and whole culture of sport is different – there’s a challenge here, and my job is to encourage.” Moloney is no stranger to stiff challenges – he has participated in two America’s Cup campaigns, raced across the Atlantic 20 times, won the Route de Rhum, raced the Vendee Globe, completed a Volvo Ocean Race, set a Jules Verne Trophy record, and is the only person to have windsurfed across the Bass Strait. Extreme 40s? “Love ‘em. I wish everyone cold have a chance to do this.”

Five times J J Giltinan 18ft skiff champion, Seve Jarvin is no stranger to fast boats. Now a member of Team Australia, the ‘young fellas’ being sniffed over by the Australia Challenger of Record for the 35th Americas Cup, Jarvin says he “thought (he) had this catamaran thing sorted until yesterday when I got hit by a big gust… I think I sailed a bit more conservatively today. Nobody told me you need seatbelts on these boats. I think they’d probably be illegal in Australia!” Jarvin regrets that the tightly packed race programme leaves no time for after-race analysis. “We are learning so much, and so fast, that we probably need a bit more time to digest it all. But the bottom line is we are here to make as good a showing as we can, get as many young Australian sailors into the Team Australia programme, and yes we are definitely having fun – already.”

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ACHTSTARS — THE DOLL

HAYLEY OUTTERIDGE (AUS)

“I grew up sailing with my parents and my brothers, and we raced the junior classes all around Australia. And now this. Wow!” Outteridge sailed Moths and 29ers before moving in to a 49er FX, the new high performance skiff for ladies picked for the Rio Olympics. “All of a sudden I am sailing mostly in Europe, and I really love the FX – the performance is electric!” Almost as heart-stopping as an Extreme 40, but the most important thing right now is “to be a sponge, listen to the decisionmaking going on around me. I am learning minute by minute.” Hayley says that Australia reacted enthusiastically to the news that there is now an Aussie team challenging for the next America’s Cup. “It’s given sailing an instant boost back home, and there are more girls joining in every day, and there are five girls sailing in the Extreme Sailing Series – exciting times! I can’t wait to get back out on the water!”

SARAH AYTON (GBR) In 2000 it was famously the ‘Three Blondes in a Boat’ that claimed gold in Athens – Sarah Ayton, Pippa Wilson and Shirley Robertson. Both Ayton and Wilson are now sailing in the Extreme Sailing Series 2014, and Robertson was there before them (2008 and 2009). Ayton is sailing with The Wave, Muscat, team. “I’ve been out of the sailing scene for a couple of years, and it is fantastic to be back. The transition from sailing an Yngling (slow, dumpy, 640kg, monohull) to an Extreme 40 catamaran is pretty awesome.

It’s like switching from a Morris Minor to a Ferrari, but the skills you need to have are just the same – getting around the race track as fast as you can and making the fewest possible mistakes. I loved my Olympic campaigns [gold in Athens, gold in Qingdao], but this is just a pure adrenalin rush.” Ayton is enjoying getting to grips with being in a mixed crew. “No doubt about it, boys and girls communicate decisions differently. It’s part of a learning curve that I am really enjoying.”

PIPPA WILSON (GBR)

ALEX SOUTH (AUS) The only female 18’ skiff helm in Australia ended up in the Extreme Sailing Series and Team Australia almost by accident. “I was in the boat park at Double Bay, and Seve Jarvin asked me how much I weigh… and now I’m here. I think I tick all the boxes – amateur, light, under 23, and a girl!” South is sailing with a seriously young team – “hey, there’s usually someone on the boat who could be my Dad, but not this time!”

– and is aware that Laser Radial followed by 18’ skiffs and then an Extreme 40 is “a weird path in sailing.” The most important thing she has learned on a crash course in catamaran racing is to listen. Alex believes that time sailing Extreme 40s will be valuable as Team Australia develops. “It’s time to bring the America’s Cup home. Here I am surrounded by legends – Ben, Pippa, Sarah, Franck… and I just want to get out there ard race them and beat them.”

Another member of the gold medal winning Yngling crews at Athens and Qingdao, Pippa started sailing at the age of eight and “immediately fell in love it, the racing, the whole ambience of the sport.” Now planning a Nacra 17 campaign for Rio 2016, the high speeds of the Extreme 40 catamaran and sailing in a mixed crew have not come as a complete shock. “It’s been a baptism of fire here, to be sure, but it’s more of a progression than a complete new tack (excuse the pun!). The boats are so fast that you have to think that much faster as well as actually operate more quickly. I am in a support role on the boat, which gives me the opportunity to get my head out of the boat – which really is an additional element of the support.” Wilson is very happy to see a high performance girls’ boat in the Olympics (the 49er FX), a mixed boat (Nacra 17), and an all-female team in the next Volvo Ocean Race. “There are more avenues opening up for women in sailing, and that can only be a good thing.

SOPHIE DE TURCKHEIM (FRA) Yet another lady joining the elite of the professional sailing world, Sophie de Turckheim is part of the breaking down of the demarcation lines betwem men and women in sailing. A former French National Champion, World Junior Champion and Olympic contender (2008 and 2012) in the Laser Radial, Sophie joined Franck Cammas’s Groupama Sailing Team in late 2012 and is presently preparing, with Cammas, for an assault on Rio 2016 in the mixed Nacra 17 catamaran. No surprise, then, that she is on the Groupama Extreme 40 in the ‘sweeper’ role and as one French press release puts it, “surveying the racing zone”.

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HALLM FAIRLINE BOATS ARE AS BRITISH AS ROAST BEEF. GUY NOWELL TALKS TO A BOAT BUILDER THAT TAKES THEMSELVES, THEIR PRODUCT, AND THEIR CUSTOMERS VERY SERIOUSLY INDEED. TEXT BY GUY NOWELL PHOTOS COURTESY OF FAIRLINE

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At the London Boat Show in January 2014 Fairline were displaying – along with ten other impressive motor yachts – their 100th build of the Fairline 78 Custom. “That’s a remarkable achievement in its own right”, says Kevin Gaskell, Fairline’s CEO. “We are building a 10-year old design that is so timeless and so elegant that it is still in demand – and we have built 100 of them!” Fairline are not in the flash-in-the-pan fashion business. Think shoes by John Lobb, or a Savile Row suit: think boats by Fairline.

The company was founded a full 47 years ago when Jack Newington launched the first Fairline 19’ river cruiser at his gravel-pit marina in Oundle in the English Midlands. Today, production facilities in Corby, Weldon and the Nene Valley (Oundle) are still a long way from the sea, and after launching more than 12,000 boats, the biggest boat in the Fairline range is a 75-footer – the size of Fairline boats is not limited by know-how or indeed enthusiasm, but by the road bridges that need to be negotiated between the factory and the sea!

True quality is something we all recognise at a glance even if we can’t actually put the proverbial finger on it. With Fairline boats it’s not so hard: there is no problem in quantifying the qualities that of a company that likes to refer to itself as ‘Quintessentially British’. Quality amounts to almost an obsession at Fairline, from the eight-coat UV-dried lacquer finish on the cabinetry to the pretested electrical loom that shunts power and control around the boat. The engineering of the hulls and superstructures is second to none, and every last functional detail receives the same level of scrutiny in both design and manufacture. Lars Peterson, Managing Director of Fairline’s Hong Kong agent, Jebsen Marine, says “I

wish that I could bring every one of my prospective customers to the Fairline factory to see the level of attention and skill that goes into the construction of each and every boat – and then they would understand in a heartbeat just why a Fairline costs a little bit more than some of the competing brands.”

The Fairline range boasts a range of 13 models from 38 to 78 feet in length, with every single one built with the care and attention to detail and engineering that you would expect from a worldclass product. A boat such as the top-of-the-line 78 Custom takes upwards of 20,000 man-hours to build – say, 30 staff working for six months - but even a model at the other end of the range will consume 3,000 hours of building time (and 20% of a boat’s selling price is labour alone). So there are no corners being cut here: do it properly the first time, and build the Fairline DNA into the boats from the very first moment.

The most recent innovation in Fairline’s production is the adoption of resin-infusion in the building process. Where once every hull was ‘laid up’ by hand, with resin being laboriously (and carefully) worked into layer upon layer of glass fibre, now a measured amount of resin is simply infused into the fibreglass mat. It is a precision process, and brings a number of benefits. First, speed of production.

A 48’ hull can now be moulded every three days. Second, strength – along with the hull, all the strengthening ribs and bearers are moulded in one piece, making the whole cohesive unit even stronger than was possible before. And third, weight. The ‘infused’ hull of a Fairline 48 weighs 40% less than a laid-up hull, making for a superior and more sparkling performance.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Cutting a dash with a Fairline Squadron 78 ANTI-CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: An elegant entrance to Fairline’s headquarters; immaculate Targa 62GT; Squadron 42 in build on a squeaky clean factory floor; and the same boat, in her element

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At the same time, Fairline have borrowed a production technique from the automotive industry. “Just as car manufacturers put different bodywork onto the same chassis, so we are putting alternative superstructures onto the same hull.” Thus the Fairline 48’ comes in three different versions – the Squadron 48 flybridge edition, the Targa 48GT with retractable hard top, and the Targa 48 soft-top sports boat. Commercial Director Stuart McCulloch is happy to point out that “this is a truly world-class series of boats. All of our production schedule is booked for the next 12 months, but a boat ordered today can be delivered in 9 months. We (Fairline), the boating press, and (evidently) our customers think that our 48 range is the very best in this sector of the market.”

So, apart from a flair for producing good looks and an ability to build performance, what is the DNA that sets a Fairline apart? “It is craftsmanship,” says CEO Gaskell, “and a passion for perfection.

Lift the hatches, look in the lockers, and get underneath the skin.

In a Fairline you will find that integrity is ‘infused’ into the boat along with the resin that creates the hull. We have competitors that produce a more extravagant, more sporty product than us. Others make boats that are superficially similar, but… nobody else creates boats that are simultaneously a great product and a great brand, and deliver a great boating experience.”

Introducing a new model into the market takes the dedicated team at Fairline at least 2½ years. In the luxury boating market decisions need to be very carefully considered, and neither production nor policy is changed on a whim. Design and drawing of a new boat will take more than six months, as will the creation of

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the moulds and tooling. Lastly, a ‘first-off’ boat may take over a year to build, to get absolutely right. ‘Design’ goes into the production process just as much as it goes into the curve of the hull or the shape of the windows. Properly done, as of course it is at Fairline, the design and then construction and assembly of structural components can be executed so accurately that everything becomes part of the same structure – when the whole becomes greater than the sum of the parts in all but weight.

Precision design leads to a precision end product, and it’s the job of Martyn Hicks, Fairline’s Test Facility Foreman, to make sure that it’s working just the way that was intended. When a new boat is launched at Ipswich on the east coast of England, Harris and his team will put it through all its performance paces from acceleration rates to heel angles. “All the performance figures we quote are worst-case scenarios – we fully load the boat with fuel and water, and even add sandbags to represent the passengers. And then we throw it around. If it is a new model we’ll be checking off the projected performance figures against reality – once upon a time that was quite an interesting exercise, but computer assisted design is now so good and so accurate that performance is strictly predictable. Almost always, everything works as it is meant to, straight out of the box.” As long as you build it right, that is.

In 2009 Fairline opened a new corporate office in Singapore to support the development of the brand throughout Australasia, with a definite emphasis on ‘Asia’. In Hong Kong and China, Fairline are represented by the Jebsen Group, with Jebsen Marine headed up

by General Manager Lars Petersen. In the last three years Jebsens

have sold over 20 Fairlines into the region, right across the range from the Targa 38 to the Squadron 78. “China and Hong Kong are very important to us”, says Petersen, “and we are expanding our network of representatives and dealerships even as we speak. The Chinese are very receptive to British goods, recognising the quality that the marque offers. Jebsen’s long experience in China tells us that our prospective clients expect quality and a ‘whole brand’ experience in which the right product is supported by impeccable service, and at the right price. We can deliver to the Chinese owner a very exciting boating experience.” Crucially, Jebsen Marine also has a 3,000sqm service facility in Aberdeen. Fairline acknowledge that they are a relatively small company compared to the giants of the luxury powerboat world. But, Kevin Gaskell will point out, “that makes us agile. We can move quickly and respond to new demands from the market or to the demands of a new market – including China , where we believe that our flexibility is going to stand us in good stead. What the customer wants, we can deliver.”

If you are still not sure why a Fairline Squadron 65 or a Targa 48GT offers the most on-water style and the best value for money afloat, then you’ll have to visit the factories at Corby and Oundle.

Only there will you see the whole mesmerising puzzle being fitted together by perfectionist British craftsmen. Only there will you see the painstaking care with which function is married to form, engineering is bonded to performance, and style is partnered with elegance. Only there will you see – truly see – under the skin of a British classic, and understand why there are no short cuts when it comes to producing true, hallmarked, quality.

ANTI-CLOCKWISE FROM ABOVE: Winding down at the end of the day; elegance and space in a Squadron 78; form, function and style come together in the galley of a Squadron 78; master suite on a Squadron 62

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ON BOARD Luxury Yacht Share Asia is opening up a new YACHTING SOCIETY P.104 and NEW BOATS IN ASIA P.108 features the Ferretti Altura 840 and the Lagoon 560 S2

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104 ON BOARD BOAT OWNERSHIP LUXURY YACHT SHARE ASIA

YACHTING SOCIETY

Hong Kong’s new fractional yacht ownership programme TEXT BY SUZY RAYMENT PHOTOGRAPHY BY GUY NOWELL

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Numarine 78; Eric Noyel; visitors enjoy the onboard experience; raftingup in Repulse Bay; VIP guests; Julien Angevin takes guest to the boat; OnWater Open Day welcome; time out on the bow

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uxury Yacht Share Asia is the realisation of a dream for Entrepreneur Eric Noyel. As the warm weather approaches, so do thoughts of being out on the water. After a successful charter season last year Eric came to realise just how many people wanted to enjoy the boating lifestyle but were not in a position to buy a yacht outright.

This gave birth to the concept of Luxury Yacht Share Asia (LYSA): fractional ownership.

The innovative LYSA fractional programme allows four buyers to purchase a quarter share of a luxury yacht, allowing each buyer to enjoy the pride of ownership and up to 46 days of quality time out on the water via a seamless concierge booking service for a fraction of the cost of traditional ownership. When the boat is otherwise not being used, it may be chartered-out in order to provide income for the owners.

Although new to Hong Kong, managed fractional ownership has fast grown in popularity in Australasia, North America and Europe, proving to be a successful formula for providing an excellent boating experience with none of the time-consuming concerns.

According to Eric, “LYSA’s fractional program is not only simple, it also makes sense. The ownership of a luxury vessel is equally shared among four shareholders and the acquisition cost is leveraged through a loan provided by the yacht supplier.

Owners will receive charter income out of unused time and everyone is happy.”

Offering owners all the enjoyment of owning a yacht with none of the usual responsibilities (such as crew recruitment, boat maintenance, scheduling, mooring, booking etc.), LYSA creates an all-inclusive, turnkey experience that takes the hassle out of the joy of owning and cruising a luxury yacht.

“We take care of everything”, says Eric, “and will provide all the owners with a transparent monthly statement summary: that details yacht owner usage during the month; charter income received during the month and operating costs per month.”

Monthly outgoings can be divided into three areas and included

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106 ON BOARD BOAT OWNERSHIP LUXURY YACHT SHARE ASIA

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variable costs (maintenance and repairs), fixed costs (crewing/ mooring/insurance) and individual costs (F&B and individual owner fuel consumption).

Each quarter-share owner is offered up to 46 days of usage per year, and when you compare this with the average usage of a yacht owner in Hong Kong of just six days per year it is a good deal. Each owner enjoys eight times more time on the yacht while spending a fourth of the cost.

To introduce this concept to potential boat-owners – and, indeed, any interested party – LYSA held On Water Open Days over the weekend 26/27 April 2014. VIPs and guests were welcomed to the lounge at the Auto Italia showrooms at Repulse Bay where information concerning the scheme was readily available. A short walk from the showrooms to the pier allowed access to twelve yachts that were rafted up in Repulse Bay. Guests were able to inspect the yachts ranging in size from 40 to 88 feet, and included day runabouts to serious weekending (or much, much longer) luxury vessels. Hospitality on board added an extra high note to the experience – and provided guests with a unique and engaging on-the-water experience. so much more interesting than seeing a boat parked at the marina dock at a boat show!

LYSA hosted a cocktail party at the showrooms of Auto Italia on Saturday evening, where a lively crowd enjoyed drinks and canapés and an had an opportunity to meet the co-sponsors of the event. These included Auto Italia Hong Kong and their Maserati collection and who offered the guests test drive opportunities, Credit Agricole Private Banking; Super Complication De Bethune & Hautlence, the Swiss manufacture of precision watches, and Van Eyck fine Jewelry, Champagne Mumm, and Royal Dragon Vodka who provided the signature cocktail for the event.

Eric was delighted to be able to present the fractional ownership scheme to so many people over the course of the weekend, and to be provide potential boat owners with the opportunity to experience boats in their proper element. It may only have been a 12-boat show, but this event made a splash out of all proportion to its size.

CLOCKWISE, FROM OPPOSITE PAGE TOP LEFT: Raft-up; on the beach; Eric and guests; Captain welcome guests aboard; easy to drive; mean machines; Michel Moren and Eric Noyel; talking turkey; room for all the family

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N BOARD NEW BOATS IN ASIA ALTURA 840/GRAND BANKS HERITAGE 43EU 108 O

The Ferretti Altura 840 has been redesigned for regional tastes with a Karaoke/ Cinema room, ornate woodwork, and more living space

ALTURA 840 TAI HE BAN Ferretti’s 840 redesigned T eak-floored throughout, the cockpit is panelled in teak, with a large rectangular teak table (which with a bench seat and three armchairs, can seat 8). The cockpit opens into the light-filled salon, the interiors again with teak panelling, the ornate carved panelling popular in pre-Revolutionary France called boiserie.

Upper wall sections are fabric-finished. The light comes from the large rectangular windows which flood the relaxation-cum-living area which takes up three quarters of the main cabin. Forward, up a few steps, is the raised helm position, to one side of which is a sofa for people wanting to keep the helmsman company.

Fore and aft of the main cabin are steps to the accommodation below, which comprises, rear of the engine compartment, a huge room, fitted out as a karaoke room or mini-cinema. Forward of the engine room, amid-ships, is the galley and the dining area with its circular 8-seat table. The sleeping accommodation sleeps 10 in five cabins, two doubles, 1 twin, and two doublebunk. The master double is in the bow. Designed for 8 plus 2 crew, she can take up to 20 for a day cruise.

The flybridge, accessed from the cockpit, has the rib, and its hoist, a sunning area, lots of sofa space, sideboards, an 8-setting rectangular dining table and the upper helm station, which over-

looks the fore half of the main deck which has yet more sofa/ dining seating and sunbeds.

85 feet long, (67 at the water line), she carries twin 1,920 bhp diesels to drive the 20ft beam along at 28 knots cruising, and up to 31.5 knots at a sprint. Her 7,000l fuel tanks give a range of 340 nm. www.ferrettigroup.com

GRAND BANKS HERITAGE 43EU Solid and Seaworthy F or many serious motor-cruising sailors, you just can’t better the stocky seaworthy Grand Banks line of modern trawler motor yachts. The Heritage 43EU, successor to the critically-acclaimed 41EU has a larger cockpit, bigger cabins and a second head.

With precision joystick control, top speeds of over 25 knots and solid fuel economy for displacement-speed cruising, the new 43EU offers greater space, better performance and more miles of on-thewater enjoyment than any yacht in her class.

EU stands for “Europa”, and European-style cruising in relatively benign waters. One of the great features of this yacht is the ability to open wide the aft door and make one large indoor/outdoor living space from the salon to the cockpit. Now there’s even more space to enjoy the great outdoors aboard the 43EU, with a cockpit 30% larger than the earlier 41EU model.

There are several interior layout options to choose from. The Cruising package option includes a freezer, washer/dryer and added storage in utility room; twin guest berths convert easily to one large berth; a teak swim platform, and an optional davit for the flybridge.

In the salon, a settee surrounds a teak dining table, with another providing additional seating to starboard. The galley sits to port of the helm station.

The forward master cabin features an island queen berth and

lots of storage, while the guest cabin offers a pair of twin berths (which easily convert to a double berth) and its own hanging locker as well as en-suite “wet” head. Perhaps most notable is the utility and storage room, accessed through a large hatch in the galley floor. It sits aft of the forward accommodations, ready to hold a workbench, spare parts, watersports gear, and plenty of stores for long-range cruising. www.grandbanks.com

European style cruising in a Europeanstyle boat.

Interiors open up to exteriors for more interaction between indoors and outdoors, and a larger cockpit.

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N BOARD NEW BOATS IN ASIA LAGOON 560 S2/LEOPARD 51PC 110 O

Designed for the local market, with a smaller, hidden galley and service space, there is far more space for relaxation and living for owner and guests and hospitable cruising

LAGOON 560 S2 Luxury Sailing Catamaran L agoon, part of the Beneteau group, are bringing their new Lagoon 560 S2 to Hong Kong soon. Presented for the first time at the Hainan RDV this year, they specifically designed this model for the local regional market, with the galley placed below decks, and dedicated service space set apart from the owner’s quarters and guest areas.

The Lagoon 560 as originally built combined the talents of architectural firm VPLP and design consultants Nauta. The same team designed the S2 version with an additional choice of luxury layouts, unequalled for this size of sailing catamaran. There are up to 5 fully independent cabins and the choice between a galley in the port hull or as a centre island. The 560 S2 is designed for hospitable cruising, and offers a layout option, ideal for accommodating a skipper with his own private quarters.

With 17m overall length and a maximum beam of 9.4m, she draws 1.5m and displaces 30 tons. She can fly a 220sqm spinnaker downwind, and 207sqm of main and jib upwind on a 28.7m mast. She is certainly capable of making 8-9 knots sailing full and in a strong breeze. There are two 75hp engines (or 2 x 110hp as an option), and twin 650 litre fuel tanks, for days when the wind drops away.

At 56 feet long and 33 feet wide, there’s lots of room, and a

flybridge to boot, with the kind of space that only 80-foot plus multi-million dollar motor yachts can provide. The flybridge is partially-shaded (above the high-visibility helm station) with a bimini, and the full-width cockpit is fully-shaded from sun and spray. The cockpit opens into the main saloon. Broad side-gangways lead forward to the substantial fore deck. www.beneteau.cn

LEOPARD 51 PC Powerful Power Catamaran S outh African Leopard have delivered their first two 51ft power cats to Asia, with more on order. Waiting lists are now running at 12-14 months, even with 3 to 4 boats coming off the production line every week, and increasingly customers are personal owners, not charter-boat firms.

At 51ft long, and flush-decked throughout, which is a rare achievement, the space is seemingly endless, and Leopard’s unique fore-deck cockpit offers privacy when stern-moored to the berth, and an alternative sitting-out area at all times.

The port hull has two double cabins ensuite, one forward and one aft, while the starboard hull has the master double aft, a narrow private sitting area amidships and the bathroom in the forepeak. The starboard hull can also be configured to have two double cabins like the port hull, and each forepeak can be configured to have a single crew/kid berth, so all up this boat can sleep 10.

With a generous 7m beam, there’s lots of space, including outside gangways, which with the walk-through feature of the Leopard saloon, means that there is plenty of circulation space.

On the foredeck are two substantial storage lockers and the anchor/windlass locker. In addition to the saloon (with its seating, dining, galley and desk spaces), there is the flybridge with the helm station, and lots more space, including sunbeds, fridge, ice-maker and, of course, the barbecue.

Popular Leopard catamarans deliver fore and aft shaded cockpits and a flush deck throughout, and space, speed and manoeuverability worthy of a much larger boat

The twin 370hp diesels give plenty of speed: 20 kts cruising, or 25 in a sprint, and despite the breadth of the beam, it is manoeuvrable; while bow-thrusters are offered as an option, most owners don’t bother, and use the two engines to spin the boat on its axis.

As befits a boat designed for high-maintenance charter fleets, all services are easily accessible via a variety of hatches and doors, a boon for the owner-operator too. www.leopardcatamarans.com

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N BOARD NEW BOATS IN ASIA MONTE CARLO 65/U-BOAT 112 O

A quality marriage of refinement and workmanship, of lightweight components and a tight, stiff hull makes this spacious and powerful 65-footer a joy to use

MONTE CARLO 65 Refined Efficiency T here’s something of the rakish, military look about the Monte Carlo 65. Perhaps it’s the flush-topped flared bow, the angle of the shearwater, something naval anyhow. Might be the navy blue of the boat Yachtstyle saw at the Singapore Yacht show, in the company of Carla Demaria, no less.

Carla is Chairman of Monte Carlo Yachts, a member of parent company Beneteau’s management board, and had lots to say about many things, covered elsewhere in this issue. It was her insight into this junior member of the Monte Carlo string of large power yachts that we were after. How many variants on the basic theme can you have?

Her view was that this was deliberately not a glamour boat, nor a cut-down cheap-looking minimalist look either, but a quality marriage of fine workmanship and fine finishes, packed into an efficient 20m hull. Depending on the engine package chosen, it can shift at 31 knots, and cruise at a high 30. The designers have been employing carbon fibre and Kevlar to cut weight, particularly the top, which can be lifted by two persons. Cutting superstructure weight has to be a good thing.

There is nothing extreme about this boat, no trying to be something it isn’t. The decor is refined, restrained, but not missing, with walnut and grey the predominant touches for the woodwork, and brown and grey leather to continue the theme.

There’s plenty of headroom, conveying a generous sense of

space, and a clear view from cockpit to bow through saloon and bridge further enhances the feeling of room.

Indeed, accommodation-wise, two large double cabins and a twin-berth cabin amidships mean there’s ample room, all en-suite, and there’s a comfortable twin-berth crew cabin behind the engine room that will serve for kids or adult guests if required.

The engine-room with its 5’8” headroom, has lots of space despite the two colossal engines and is light and easy to keep clean. Looks like it belongs on a much bigger boat. www.montecarloyachts.it

U-BOAT PERSONAL SUBMERSIBLE Underwater Cruising F rom U-Boat Worx in the Netherlands comes this writer’s vote for the ultimate superyacht toy.

A series of highly-professional mini submarines, from 2 seaters to a five seater, and covering operation depth limits from 100m to a staggering 1000m, deeper than the published rated depth of modern US Navy submarines “deeper than 800 feet”.

There are two basic model shapes, one like a flying saucer with a transparent dome, the other a transparent sphere, in a framework like structure, allowing the mounting of lights, cameras and articulated robot arms and the like. The transparent sphere version also make it possible to look down, as well as up and all round.

Propulsion is powered by lithium-ion batteries. Internal atmospheric pressure is limited to 1 bar, and supplied by oxygen tanks with CO2 scrubbers. Operational autonomy is 8 hours, and for some models can be extended to 16 hours - more than enough for a quick mooch around underneath the yacht.

Meant as much for professional utility work as for sight-seeing, the superb vision and manoeuverability, makes these machines the ultimate in Superyacht joyrides. Elaborate and sophisticated safety and emergency systems, include separate propulsion and “house” power supplies, fall-back CO2 scrubbers, communications and emergency communication telephony and signalling, release buoys, pingers, and

oxygen-rebreather autonomous air-supply. All designed to provide life support for 96 hours in the event of a total failure. There’s even an external inlet for a diver-carried rescue air-tank.

Priced beyond the means of the boy-racer, the smallest 2-man version comes at EUR1.3m, and over EUR2.5m for the 5-seat versions. You’ll pay more for access to extreme depth for those models that can go very deep, but no matter what depth limits you choose, you’ll keep dry and not have to worry about decompressing as you head back to the surface. www.uboatworx.com

Finally, the ultimate Superyacht Toy. Safe,1atmosphere, nodecompression, submarines for 2-5 passengers. Easy to drive. Stacks of safety fall-back equipment. Serious exploration tool as well as ultimate anchorage sightseeing

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114 ON BOARD BOAT TIPS SHIPPING

BOATS ON BOATS

Transporting a superyacht around the world may not seem an obvious thing to do, and it’s certainly not as simple as you might think, but there is good reason for the‘ship-shipping’ business.

TEXT BY MICHAEL AUMOCK PHOTOGRAPH BY AURORA GLOBAL LOGISTICS

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s Asia continues to expand its global yachting appeal, more and more yacht owners are adding new Asian destinations to their traditional annual harbours.

Monaco and St Barths are making way for places like Hong Kong, Langkawi and Phuket.

While most destinations are thrilled by the attention and tourist dollars that yachts bring in, the logistics of moving and housing these beautiful floating palaces is another issue altogether.

The casual observer might think that boats would just sail or motor wherever they want… but the truth is very different. Most yachts under 30 meters aren’t even designed for the open seas. Realistically, since they are mostly “pleasure craft” they are built for the owner’s enjoyment and comfort. There is nothing enjoyable or comfortable about being 600 miles from land in waves as big as your boat.

And yet - the boat has to be where the next great party is, or the F-1 race, or the yacht show. So the obvious question is how do you get your big boat from Monaco to Singapore, without crossing the open ocean?

To quote Martin Brody in Jaws, “You’re gonna need a bigger boat”. That doesn’t mean buying a bigger boat - it means a bigger boat to put your boat ON, and to transport your yacht across the ocean. Since the early 1980s, yacht owners have been using ocean freighters to move their boats around the world, saving them time, fuel, and wear and tear on very expensive engines. It also helps them arrive at their destination needing much less attention than a vessel that has been at sea for weeks, while giving most of the crew time for a little R&R. Since the early days, shipbuilders and freight carriers have built ships especially for yacht transport, including several “semisubmersible” freighters, which take on water as ballast, allowing the load master to float the boats on to the freighter in a pre-determined order, and position them on specially-crafted stands to secure them once the water is pumped-out and the ship gets un-

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116 ON BOARD BOAT TIPS SHIPPING

The Asian market created a bit of a conundrum for the major yacht transport companies in that Asia does not yet have the critical mass of custom to justify set routes or dedicated freighters.

derway. This isn’t just for smaller yachts, either… such transport freighters can carry boats over 100m.

In addition to the “float on, float off” method, there is the “cargo” method. The yachts are cleaned, sanitized, shrink-wrapped, battened down and buttoned up, put aboard transport ships by giant cranes, and secured in a specially-made cradle on deck. Dozens can be puzzle-pieced together, allowing for maximum deck usage and a secure and safe passage. When the ship arrives at its destination, the yachts are offloaded with a similar crane, met by their Captains and crews, and cleaned up for the owners, ready for sea or the next big soiree.

The Asian market created a bit of a conundrum for the major yacht transport companies in that Asia does not yet have the critical mass of custom to justify set routes or dedicated freighters.

Most major companies have offices listed on their websites, but as of today there are no clear leaders in the yacht transport business in Asia.

That may be about to change. According to YK Chan from Cobo Ship and Yacht Ltd, “this year is on pace to see a 10-15% increase in volume of business over last year.”

Almost all of the major yacht transport companies are from the West, either the US or Europe. Being based in Asia, we can see the growing need and the expanding market. However, without knowing Asian culture – specifically, the culture of wealthy Asians and the way they use their yachts - most western companies will find it

very difficult to tap into the market.

But as there isn’t any substantial local competition, and western companies have the lion’s share of expertise in the yacht-moving business, they will have time to adapt to Asian preferences and learn the market as it grows. The intention is certainly there, since almost all of the major yacht movers have opened or added an office to the ASEAN region.

Now the biggest challenge is in deciding routes and making set schedules. Without a clearly defined season like most of the yachting world, it’s difficult for these companies to set a proper ‘Asia schedule’ and control costs. How much does it cost to ship a yacht?

While there is no such thing as a “typical trip”, the price range for a 20m yacht is probably US$60-90k, with the average being US$75k for the Monaco to HK run. It would be a mistake to assume that “money no object” is the call of most of these owners. Being thoroughly competitive is the only way that the yacht transport companies will stay in business.

In the near future, expect to see some consolidation of companies as the bigger players buy some of the smaller ones. Recently Sevenstar Yacht Transport beefed up its fleet by buying Dockwise.

The benefit of this is primarily reduction in redundant personnel, since most of the smaller companies are using the same transport ships as the bigger companies by buying space on vessels owned or operated by another company. It streamlines the process. There is no such thing as a “boutique” yacht transport company. Networks

of ships and volume are the industry drivers, and will be the elements that forge the way in Asian yacht transport.

Most companies are vying for business from the shipbuilders, too. According to Alexis Bizalion at Peters & May, retail delivery can account for more than 50% of any company’s business, as they carry new yachts to customers around Asia. When I asked some of the bigger players to enumerate the biggest challenges of the business, I heard some interesting answers. The most common was about how difficult it is to deal in “absolutes”.

When an owner is shipping a $10 million yacht around the world, they want facts. That’s the hard part. There will be a ship.

There will be a departure date. There will be an arrival date. Beyond that, trying to get the boat prepped and shipped on time and turning that into a cost to a client is a more than challenging – it’s worse than herding cats. To begin with, there are many moving parts, each part worth significant money and requiring delicate handling.

Then, add an interesting assortment of different languages, countries, harbourmasters and customs. And now predict the weather!

When you stop and think about it, it’s quite easy to see how scheduling a ship carrying 20 different yachts from four different places to another four different places could make the algorithms that put a man on the moon seem like primary school arithmetic.

Another thing that seemed to ring throughout all my conversations was how much more expensive it is to ship a yacht than a similar sized container. The fact is, that while a yacht may be

about the same weight and size as two or three containers, between the rigging, the cradle, safety margin, and the fact that you can’t stack anything on top of it (or too close to it, for that matter), it ends up taking up space equal to 12 or 18 containers, not two or three as it might appear at first glance. Naturally the cost will reflect this.

And then there is prep. Getting a yacht ready to ship is not fun. Not for you, not for your crew, not for anyone. Transport companies offer prepping servies. However, how well your yacht is prepped will bear a direct correlation to how well it travels, how safe it is, and how easy it is to get it back into ship shape on arrival at its final destination. Proper preparation for a motor yacht would include draining all the tanks including bilge and fuel, removing and wrapping and stowing any electronics, cleaning and stowing anything that is portable and movable, taping the cabinets shut and finishing that box of chocolate Digestives in the pantry.

Between loading and timetables, ship schedules and port availability, and weather and tides, about 30 or 40 days after a boat gets picked up in Monaco, she arrives safely in Asia for the Singapore Yacht Show. She gets cleaned and prepped, gussied and primped, and made ready for the masses who will ooh and ahh over her lines and beautiful style and take copious amounts of pictures to post on Facebook. She’ll spend the next few months in Asia, until the high season comes, and it’s time to pack up and do it all over again - in the opposite direction.

PREVIOUS PAGE: A superyacht being craned onto the ship OPPOSITE PAGE: Power and sailing yachts strapped for shipping ABOVE FROM FROM TOP LEFT: A ship-load of yachts; yachts being transported by Dockwise shipping; loading a superyacht on board

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MAIN SPONSOR

STYLE Singapore's new Marina Bay area is alive with boating activity in LION CITY P.120 and our film critic picks his top 10 movies with a boating theme in HOLLYWOOD ALL AT SEA P.128

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120 STYLE DESTINATION MARINA BAY, SINGAPORE

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Sea City

The recent redevelopment of Singaporeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Marina Bay is giving new life to a historic waterfront.

TEXT BY SUZY RAYMENT PHOTOS COURTESY OF FULLERTON HERITAGE

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122 STYLE DESTINATION MARINA BAY, SINGAPORE

J

oseph Conrad’s novel, Lord Jim, captures the romance of the Singapore waterfront in 1899.

“Jim looked every day over the thickets of gardens, beyond the roofs of the town over the fronds of palms growing on the shore, at that roadstead which is a thoroughfare to the east - at the roadstead dotted by garlanded islets, lighted by festal sunshine, its ships like toys, its brilliant activity resembling a holiday pageant, with the eternal serenity of the eastern sky overhead and the smiling peace of the eastern seas possessing the space as far as the horizon.”

Singapore has always had a romantic streak, inspiring the colourful imagination of writers such as Conrad, Kipling and Maugham.

But it was trade that was at the heart of Singapore’s development in those early years, and it was the port of Singapore that saw all the action.

Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles is known as the founder of the city.

He named it Singapore from the Malay word ‘Singapura’ which means ‘Lion City’. Raffles travelled to the Far East with the British East India Company in Penang, and was then tasked with finding and establishing a new British settlement to replace Malacca, which had given back to the Dutch as part of the Anglo-Dutch treaty. The aim of the British at that time was to destroy the Dutch monopoly in the East and create a gateway to trade with China and Japan.

Raffles recognized the potential of this tiny blip of an island, shrouded in jungle and swamp and occupied at the time by a few Malay families and Chinese traders. He ordered the land cleared, and embarked on an ambitious construction campaign and welcomed workers and merchants from all over Southeast Asia to come and settle in this new colony.

PREVIOUS PAGE: Marina Bay at night FROM OPPOSITE TOP LEFT: Marina Bay from the air. The Fullerton Bay Hotel; The Fullerton Hotel; SIngapore river in days gone by; “On This Spot...”

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124 STYLE DESTINATION MARINA BAY, SINGAPORE

Many of the new immigrants were Chinese from the mainland, arriving to work as labourers loading and unloading cargo from the trading ships. ‘Coolies’, as they were known, by 1827 had become the largest ethnic group in Singapore, and their numbers continued to swell as people escaped from the turmoil caused by the Opium Wars. These early residents of Singapore, along with the trading Hongs and the Government Officials, made up Singapore’s multicultural community - Stamford Raffles’ free-trade policies helped to turn the fledging trading port into a thriving and successful city.

The waterfront in those early years was a hive of frenetic activity, packed with tall shops’ captains, seamen, adventurers and peddlers, tycoons and money lenders, rogues and rascals, and packed shoulder to shoulder along the quays, piers and jetties.

Fast-forward to modern times and again the waterfront is the centre of attention, but this time it is bankers and fund managers, financiers and accountants, forex traders and brokers who are housed in the high-rise offices that surround Marina Bay, enjoying the unique and exciting ‘live-work-play’ area that is environmentally friendly and effortlessly mixes business and pleasure.

Fullerton Heritage, a dining and hospitality group run by Sino Land, has played an important part in the Marina Bay redevelopment. With the The Fullerton Hotel, The Fullerton Bay Hotel, The Fullerton Waterboat House, One Fullerton, Clifford Pier and Customs House, Sino are responsible for the renovation and recreation of a number of both modern and historical buildings that give Marina Bay its unique style and character.

The Fullerton Hotel, previously the Fullerton Building, was first

conceived back in 1919, when Governor Sir Laurence Guillemard announced that the colony should have ‘a monument worthy of the city’. The Grand Palladian style building was constructed on the site of the old Fullerton Fort, which gave the building its name, and - with its fluted Doric colonnades and elaborate ornamentation - it is one of Singapore’s most eye-catching buildings. When opened in 1928 it was not only the General Post Office but also The Exchange, and the prestigious Singapore Club – all of which played a pivotal role in Singapore’s history.

The building’s transformation into a five-star 400-room hotel was completed in 2001, and the past has been preserved and adapted in special ways, with the old Post Office Hall now the Post Bar, the massive atrium turned into an open lobby lounge, and the hallowed Singapore Club become the Executive Straits Club where champagne breakfasts are served to the residents. Even the old lighthouse at the top of the building has been converted into an intimate Italian restaurant.

Across the road from the Fullerton Hotel and connected by an underground tunnel is Clifford Pier. Built in 1933, it was first port of call for every new immigrant and the traders arriving in this far flung Eastern seaport. Named after the former Governor of Singapore, it gained the nickname of the Red Lamp Pier because of the red oil lamps that were hung from the pier to guide the seafarers.

This elegant Art Deco column-free building is currently undergoing renovations and will become a spacious function area for the Fullerton Bay Hotel, which is located next door.

The Fullerton Bay Hotel is the new boy on the block, and the six-storey contemporary hotel is located right on the Marina Bay

OPPOSITE PAGE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Clifford Pier and Fullerton Bay Hotel; the Lobby of the Fullerton Hotel; the ballroom of the Fullerton Hotel; the Governor Suite ABOVE, CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Interior view of Clifford Pier; the Fullerton Waterboat House; historic shots of the Singapore river; historic images of the early immigrants; historic shots of Clifford Pier

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126 STYLE DESTINATION MARINA BAY, SINGAPORE

Last on the list of historic features to be visited along the waterfront is the whimsical Merlion statue with its lion head and fishy body

waterfront. The building’s architecture is reminiscent of the passenger ships that brought new residents and tourists to Singapore after World War 2, and each of the 100 rooms has a private balcony.

The rooftop bar is the perfect place to enjoy a evening cocktail and soak up the ambiance of this tropical city.

The Fullerton Waterboat House used to be the Office of the Master Attendant in the 19th century. This is where river traffic used to collect fresh water, and these days it is a combination of restaurants and bars (and a great location to watch the Singapore Grand Prix. The rejuvenated Customs House completes the historic set of building along the waterfront, now housing ‘signature’ restaurants, each specialising in different cuisines and offering panoramic views of the Bay. Last on the list of historic features to be visited along the waterfront is the whimsical Merlion statue with its lion head and fishy body. A great favourite with overseas visitors, the statue became the emblem of the Singapore Tourist Board in 1964.

On the other side of the Bay from the Fullerton Heritage stands the new Marina Bay Sands. This integrated resort (read: ‘casino’) with its spectacular and iconic design has transformed Singapore’s skyline. Including a hotel, convention and exhibition facilities, theatres, entertainment venues, retailers and restaurants, it is in almost a city in its own right.

Marina Bay is cut off from the sea these days, but its architecture and history are still strongly connected to its history as a port, and in this modern ‘Marina Bay’ era, it is the Extreme 40 catamarans competing in the Extreme Sailing Series that spectators stop to watch, rather than waiting for the tall ships to arrive with the mail.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: River side seat at the Town Restaurant at the Fullerton Hotel; the iconic Merlion; Extreme Sailing Series in Marina Bay; Louis Vuitton at Marina Bay Sands; the Fullerton Heritage Gallery; roof Sunset view from the roof-top bar at the Fullerton Hotel

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128 STYLE LITERATURE TOP TEN SAILING MOVIES

Hollywood all at Sea Film Critic Ben Dillon picks ten classics, old and modern, to put in your DVD library before your next offshore cruise. Guaranteed to have you gripping the edge of your bunk, the selection includes a couple of mutinies, some high-seas hijackings, and a love-story or two. And a fish...

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ith stories of adventure and danger on the high seas, the subject of sailing and boating has often been an effective literary motif, but the vessel of the ocean has also made many appearances in the world of film, most recently in the form of All Is Lost about a lone sailor struggling against the harsh elements to keep his spirits high and his boat from sinking.

Due to the odd nature of the film’s reception – with critics praising the movie for its lack of dialogue and experienced sailors panning the movie for its gross lack of realism – I’ve decided to come up with a list of my favourite sailing/boating movies for all those who would only like to watch ten sailing/boating movies.

My selection criterion is based on two factors: First, a boat (or scene on a boat) must be essential to the plot; second, the film itself must be a well-made and watchable film. I’m afraid I’m not enough of a sailor to grade these films on how accurate they are about yachting details.

With that in mind, I’ll get started with the most obvious film on the list – Titanic. But get ready to light your torches and sharpen your pitchforks, folks because I don’t like this film. I thought the script was awful, I didn’t buy into the love story at all and I thought that despite the exhausting amount of runtime the film spends on the two leads, the characterization was really quite dull. However, given the historical research, technical skill and maddening effort that went into making this movie, I think it’s definitely worth watching at least once.

Next on the list is something non-controversial – Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse

of the Black Pearl. There’s something alluring about romanticized depictions of Eighteenth Century pirates, and this film embodies that essence perfectly. The plot may be a little to over-complicated, but the great action scenes, along with the brilliant lines and, of course, Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow make this swashbuckler a modern classic.

Next up, is Sergei Eisenstein’s Battleship Potemkin from 1925. Based on the infamous mutiny in 1905 instigated by sailors who could no longer tolerate their officers feeding them maggot-infested meat. This film is essentially about the exploited standing up against their abusers on both land and sea, but with groundbreaking editing techniques like creating a sequence by cutting related clips together (a technique called montage) challenged the long, unbroken takes that were prevalent in Hollywood at the time and action cinema has not been the same since then. This film is so essential to the history of cinema that I had no choice but to include it on this list.

On the subject of classics, how can you go wrong with Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn?

How can you go wrong with The African Queen?

Following the adventures of an alcoholic riverboat-owner and a God-bothering snob as they journey through a large river in East Africa and take on the Germans in the First World War, this film is nothing but great fun. It also earns extra Brownie points for shooting on location in both Uganda and the Congo.

Here’s another Bogart classic; The Caine Mutiny, based on the book

by Herman Wouk. Bogart (wielding his ball bearings) gives a fantastic performance as a troubled & unstable Captain and the dialogue is just as thrilling as the boating action on the stormy seas. However, it also earns its place in history for being the film that Sir Michael Caine named himself after.

While it might be a very recent addition, Captain Phillips is a very welcome addition to the list. Based on the true story of the 2009 hijacking of the MV Maersk Alabama by Somali pirates, this film is more than just Oscar-bait about one man surviving against the odds. Because the characters, especially the Somali pirate leader, Muse (newcomer Barkhad Abdi is astonishing), are so well developed & performed, the moral complexity makes the situations more tense.

The ideal of sailing speaks of freedom, excitement, adventure and an

escape from the horror of real life. Not in Dead Calm! This film is all about the horror of isolation, fragile marriages, and murder all on a boat in the open ocean. Your yacht becomes a death trap in this low-budget thriller from Australia and the minimal setting works towards the build-up of tension - the intensity suspense will have you shredding the arms of your sofa to bits.

Get ready for yet another mutiny film – the 1935 Mutiny on the Bounty film. This gem from Hollywood’s golden age is a must for anyone who loves a good old-fashioned adventure film.

Yes, this film is not at all historically accurate, but hey! We all love a story about rising up against our horrible bosses. Captain Bligh as the tyrannical sadist is a joy to watch and as played

by Charles Laughton, not part of scenery is left unchewed.

If you want a film with historical accuracy, Master and Commander: The Far Side of the World is the film for you. This stellar adaptation of the Patrick O’Brian novel is often overlooked due to the fact that it came out the same year as the third Lord of the Rings movie, but seek this film out and you will be rewarded with a great Russell Crowe performance, a wonderful story, outstanding production design and moving character development.

Now for my number-one favourite – Jaws. Yes, this counts and yes, this is my favourite boating film. The true heart of this movie is the third act when three different personalities – a shy, thalassophobic cop; a wealthy elasmobranchologist; and an angry, working-class fisherman – are out in the open ocean, struggling to cope with one another while trying to hunt an unstoppable predator: there’s no one around to help, they can’t stop arguing with each other and the enormous Great White is slowly sinking the boat. That is the stuff that makes classic entertainment, for while the poster might tell you otherwise, the shark is not the star of the show; it’s the human characters.

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130 STYLE CONNOISSEUR COLOURED DIAMONDS

FINANCIALLY

In the Pink “I’m just an old-fashioned girl Diamonds are for me Have them made in violets By the man at Tiffany…”

TEXT BY NIC BOYDE

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artha Kitt, huntress of millionaires, was aware that to get violets you needed coloured diamonds, and it is this that requires the pre-acquired ‘old-fashioned millionaire’. Any reasonably successful singer could afford the usual white, or colourless, diamonds. To get pink or violet ones needed real money.

All that has changed since the ‘50s is that coloured diamonds are even rarer and even more expensive. Are diamonds therefore an investment class?

Diamonds are a strange investment – they are both the hardest natural substance, yet fragile if struck along a fault line.

They are graded by colour – with the most colourless being the most valuable, unless the colour is very strong, in which case

the reverse applies, and values shoot off the scale. They are portable, marketable, yet sometimes their true value is in their provenance, supported by the right pieces of paper. They are a commodity, yet scarce, even rare. They are sold by the pound and by the microgram. They don’t pay cash dividends any more than gold does.

They go up and down in value, except strongly-coloured diamonds which seem only to have ever gone up.

While the world’s diamond markets are controlled by a small number of firms, the de Beers’ cartel is a thing of the past. New sources of supply from Canada, Russia, Australia, and non-de Beers Africa have changed the supply and demand dynamic once so carefully controlled. Diamond prices are more market-

OPPOSITE AND ABOVE: Blue diamonds

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STYLE CONNOISSEUR COLOURED DIAMONDS

Buyers of fancy coloured diamonds, particularly pink diamonds, on the other hand, have seen values relentlessly rise.

driven and fluctuate with the economic cycle, and anybody investing in regular diamonds over the last fifteen years will have seen his portfolio reduce in value slightly.

Buyers of fancy coloured diamonds, particularly pink diamonds, on the other hand, have seen values relentlessly rise.

Trade sources claim that these have doubled in value every five-six years over the last 25 years. These stones are so incredibly rare, especially the large stones, that the firm that produces the bulk of them has been able to raise their prices every year since mining commenced. 95% of the world’s production comes from one mine in Western Australia. This 95% represents only 0.1% of all the diamonds produced at the mine.

A famed pink diamond specialist in Sydney, Michael Neuman, told me: “Other coloured diamonds owe their colour to atoms of other minerals incorporated into the diamond crystal – blue comes from boron, yellow from nitrogen. But no-one seems to know why pink diamonds are pink. The best guess is some form of molecular distortion, but no-one really knows.”

Worldwide, for every 10,000 carats of diamonds mined, only one carat will be fancy coloured and less than one carat in a million are pink. Prices for high quality natural coloured diamonds have risen by an average of 10 to 15% per annum (since the early 1970s when formal records started to be kept). The rarer colours, higher grades and larger sizes have enjoyed the greatest increase in value.

In 2005, the coloured diamond market was particularly buoyant. “The market for natural coloured diamonds is very strong at the moment and prices have risen by 25% within the last year,” said Andrew Coxon, vice president of De Beers in London, quoted by Steven Herschoff of Pastor-Genève. In 2011, while the market for colourless diamonds fell, coloured stones held their own.

The very best stones, over one carat and with intense colour, sell for fabulous sums. Buyers at Sotheby’s and Christie’s in London are from the Gulf, India and Russia and diamonds are changing hands at over USD1m per carat. Earlier this year a huge 59-carat pink diamond changed hands at Sotheby’s at

a valuation of USD72m. That’s USD1.2m per carat. Fifteen years ago at a Christie’s auction in New York a 3.14 carat Argyle pink diamond sold for USD1.5million. The current price for a flawless 1-carat white diamond is in the order of USD10k.

New pink stones brought to the market by Rio Tinto’s Argyle mine are sold by tender, and the USA, Asia and Europe are the largest markets, with prices reaching USD100k per carat, and over a million for the occasional very large stones. There is no escaping the facts – pent-up demand or new demand it is demand, and it is driving values ever higher.

The pressure from demand is supplemented by the downward pressure on supply: the Argyle mine’s production of pinks is decreasing, and a decision to move away from alluvial deposits and focus on underground mining is believed by industry observers to herald a further reduction in supply, especially of the finer and larger stones. Industry sources expect Rio Tinto to continue to increase their prices.

Short-to medium-term prospects for the value of stones seem good but money in diamonds should only be a small part of a balanced portfolio: this is essentially a speculative investment and should only be entered into by those with the appropriate knowledge and advice. Nor is the market liquid: unlike shares in major companies that trade every minute of the day, it may take time for a trader to get a buyer for a particular stone at the right price.

There are other ways to go: invest in Tiffany’s (NYSE:TIF).

Their shares have doubled in 10 years, and paid solid dividends along the way. There’s definitely more money in selling diamonds than holding them - coloured stones perhaps apart.

You will look in vain for coloured diamonds on the Tiffany web site. They have some, but they are strictly not for sale. Rio Tinto (LSE:RIO) sell their pinks by sealed tender once or twice a year.

Their shares have done well too. From a practical point of view, you can spread your risk across a lot of shares in diamond-seller stocks for the cost of a 3-carat pink. I’ll stay with the shares: just don’t tell the wife.

ABOVE CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Coloured diamond and gemstone rings from the Van Eyck Bird of Paradise collection; Pear shaped pink diamond (10.94ct); coloured diamonds and traditional ring settings

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134 STYLE WATCHES BASELWORLD

The Best of Baselworld 2014

144 new watches to choose from. Nic Boyde exercises his eclecticism.

VICTORINOX Victorinox Dive Master 500.

Chunkier and now in titanium, and water-resistant to 500m. Don’t worry, you’ll have to be inside the sub at those depths, but the watch will be fine on the outside. Luminescent hands and markers make visibility at depth improved, a featured repeated on the bezel, but in blue. There’s even a helium valve. The watch incorporates a mechanical automatic chronograph, the bezel is uni-directional, and the dial has chronograph counters, and time and date indicators. Strap and body are sandblasted matt grey titanium, no mistaking this for a mere stainless steel watch. Only 500 made.

ANONIMO Anonimo Militare Dual Time. Italian-made, in Florence, the firm is now Swiss-owned, but keeps its distinctive Italian style. A rounded square, the tough, water-resistant to 120m, Dual Time watch has no less than 2 mechanical automatic movements and two dials, showing two times, and two dates. For the frequent flyer, stunned by jet-lag, this can be a very handy keep-track-of-home-time device, and anyone having to cope with confusing half-hour timezone differences will also appreciate being able to just read it off. One could also set the dials for wife-time and husband-time, but Iâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll let you decide for yourself which one is forward, and which one late.

TUDOR Tudor Heritage Black Bay. A deliberate review of all the divers watches made by Tudor since 1954, this revival also includes the most modern touches to ensure modern utility. An automatic self-winder with 38 hours of power within a 41mm steel case, itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s water-resistant to 200m. The bezel is uni-rotational, so even if it is knocked, the diver is not going to get into danger. Dial and bezel are black, and hands and numerals white, so the greatest-possible contrast and visibility. The strap can be in blue leather, fabric or steel.

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136 STYLE WATCHES BASELWORLD

COVER Cover Palatine XL. A refreshing change - the main scale of this watch is the minutes and seconds not the hours, so the chronograph is eminently readable for once. A very wellproportioned large 45mm case in plated stainless steel, and high visibility white numerals on the black background of case and dial, it has the usual counters and a date display over the quartz movement. It’ll keep water out down to 100m, but is more a driving watch than a diving watch, with a tachymeter scale on the inside bezel. Red or orange accents help visibility, and a black leather strap with the same accents completes the ensemble.

RADO Rado Esenza Ceramic Touch. One for the ladies. A black or white injection-moulded monobloc ceramic case, the dial can be white or black lacquer. A sapphire crystal and steel back keep out the water down to 30m deep. The watch face is 42mm high, and only 33mm wide, so visible yet feminine in its proportions. The bracelet can be ceramic, again black or white, black satin or white leather. Very much a ladies watch, there’s no winding/adjustment crown to snag on blouse sleeves or break a nail. Instead, the hands are adjusted by stroking the sides.

Left for hours, right for minutes. Sensual control.

MIDO Mido Multifort Two Crowns. With an automatic mechanical movement with anti-shock systems, this is a diving watch good for 200m of depth.

One of the two crowns controls the internal bezel (internal, so it can’t be knocked out of position when underwater). The other crown handles conventional hand adjustment and winding. A 42mm stainless steel case incorporates an anthracite-black dial and highcontrast white and orange numerals and markers. The stainless steel strap has a “diver extension”. Other dial and strap options are available, including pink or black PVD case-plating. A day-date indicator completes the display.

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138 STYLE CONNOISSEUR NEW ZEALAND WINES

Island Ambition

Catapulted into the front ranks of wine producing regions only 20 years ago, New Zealand already has some acknowledged front-runners and some very promising start-ups are looking to share that early success. Nic Boyde tastes a very small sample of what New Zealand has to offer.

CLOCKWISE FROM TOP LEFT: Upper Brancott Valley, home to Greywacke; Tironui overlooking Mission Estate, Hawkes Bay; Cloudy Bay; Tironui’s Richard Brown inspects the vines

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ettlers in New Zealand were growing grapes and making wine as early as the 1830s; the oldest surviving being an 1856 vineyard established by missionaries in Hawkes Bay. For a variety of reasons, local wine-making didn’t take off: local tastes were broadly for beer and spirits, the deluded temperance movement built momentum, and New Zealand’s special agricultural trade with Britain meant that farmers focussed on growing products the British wanted to buy.

The final dismantling of the excesses of the prohibition laws in ’67, followed by a refocussing of agriculture towards higher-return products following Britain’s abandonment of NZ when the UK joined the Common Market in ’73 meant that some dry, low-fertility pastures, (marginal for grazing but ideal for grapes), could be converted into vineyards, and the remarkably short journey to prominence began.

It is now sometimes difficult for your correspondent to remember that Kiwi wine hasn’t always been there, and it wasn’t until my 4th or 5th visit in 1993 that bottle shops seemed to have lots of wine, and mostly New Zealand wine at that, and lots of variety in the restaurants. Visits in the 1980s included breakfast without bacon (steak-and-eggs and lamb sausages), lamb, lamb, lamb, hogget, and lamb for dinner, and the world’s finest and cheapest fish and chips. All washed down with excellent, if frozen, beer. No wine.

So it was outside an Auckland waterfront restaurant in 1993 that I first got a crack at arguably the world’s finest Sauvignon Blanc wine made in the Loire style: Cloudy Bay, from Marlborough.

“Revelation” doesn’t quite do it justice, but you must remember that I am an old fan of Sancerre, Muscadet and Pouilly Fume, and here was this local upstart, eagerly offered to me by local friends with a knowing look, that just blew all my preconceptions away.

Thunderous. That night, I called my UK wine merchants (who’d never heard of it either), and at 5 quid a bottle, I filled my boots.

Back in Hong Kong I took steps to ensure a local supply too, and it wasn’t before long that the word was out, and prices started to rise, eventually stabilising about GBP25 in Britain and now less than HKD300 in HK. Other critics note a “dilution” in character since the vineyard’s takeover in 2003 by Veuve Clicquot (part of LVMH), but in my view the wine still has what it takes if it is not always as good as it once was. It’s hard to get to the top, but harder to stay there.

Cloudy Bay started producing in 1985, and by 1995 had stormed the world, so it’s all new. As are the hundreds of new competitors, growing a variety of grapes, as region after region of New Zealand proves that it can produce stellar wines where once sheep barely thrived.

Kevin Judd was the founding wine-maker at Cloudy Bay. He is at once an Englishman, an Australian and the proto-typical laconic New Zealander; a first-class photographer and a very canny maker of wines. He left Cloudy Bay in 2009, and established his own label, “Greywacke”, named for the hard, dark sandstone that is the bedrock of New Zealand. He is already receiving plaudits for his wines, made from grapes sourced from the Marlborough region at the North-East tip of South Island. Even more to the point, he is already getting very good prices. He focusses on Pinot Noir, and Sauvignon Blanc made in two styles. One is made in modern stainless steel tanks using cultured yeast, another in old French barriques and allowed to use the natural yeasts on the fruit to ferment.

This one’s the ‘wild child’ and sells for quite a bit more than its

more-controlled sibling. Judd’s Pinot Noir reds are seriously worth exploring: fruity, spicy and complex. A sensible collector will also want to look at the Riesling, the Pinot Gris and the late harvest Riesling too, as well as the Chardonnay. Greywacke wines are very hard to beat indeed and are available in Hong Kong.

Further north, on North Island, is a brand new boutique vineyard in Hawkes Bay: Tironui. They made their first wine in 2006 and as at the time of writing have just hand-picked the harvest for 2014. Located next to New Zealand’s oldest vineyard, Mission Estate, it shares a similar terrain and climate. Their singular rose, first made in 2012, is 66% Malbec and 34% Merlot. Both fruity and refreshing and a “vibrant” pink, it’s the perfect warm-weather lunchtime wine. Their two available reds, 2007 and 2008, are Malbecdominated, about 35% Merlot and 10% CabSav. Luscious, dense with dark blackberry, plums and spice. Nicely complex. Fermented in two and three year-old French oak barrels for 10 months before bottling. These are still a little young perhaps, but worth drinking now if you’ve got some spares and are good for 10-15 years in the cellar. Tironui wines aren’t available in Hong Kong yet, so contact the vineyard direct. Richard Brown is your man and they will ship.

Tironui only have five acres under vines, and pick only three tons of grapes, so don’t delay.

Three vineyards of the hundreds now in existence doesn’t do the subject justice, but on another occasion I am going to do a serious review of the Central Otago region, at the southern end of South Island and a concentration of Pinot Noir excellence that is receiving serious attention around the world. Meanwhile explore for yourself. Mine’s a Captain’s Glass.

Cloudy Bay

Greywacke

Tironui

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140 STYLE POSH ACCESSORIES

Travelling Man Luxury is an essential element in every day life for the well travelled young man.

FRANCK MULLER Roman Numerals express the graphic nature of the Infinity Ronde collection THOM BROWNE A touch of the nautical in this New York Designer’s new season jacket ZACAPA XO Meticulously crafted under the watchful gaze of Master Blender Lorena Vasquez this Guatemalan distillery produces the ultimate rum SAINT LAURENT Saint Laurent has the famous “Y” popping back into its monogrammed travel collection.

ERMENEGILDO ZEGNA A pair of croc-skin loafers from Ermenegildo Zegna are great for any occasion BERLUTI Duffle bags are the modern hold-alls for the ultimate mini vacation break

Flower Power Spring is in the air, and blossoms capture the imagination...

CARTIER Amulette de Cartier large pendant in rose gold VAN CLEEF & ARPELS With the subtle angle of their four distinctive heartshaped petals, Cosmos creations are inspired by an iconic Van Cleef & Arpels flower dating from the 1950s ROGER VIVIER Classic French styling for the spring season with this brightly coloured handbag CHANTECLER Straight from the sea off the Island of Capri, the Marinelle jellyfish inspired cocktail ring by Cantecler FREYA ROSE Using the finest materials, the detail on each Freya Rose shoe is finely hand embroidered ensuring each pair is truly unique

Ys | SPRING 2014 | 141

MARKETING FEATURE

THE MACALLAN’S SPIRITUAL HOME

The Macallan announces the 5th in their series of Lalique crystal decanters, each filled with an incredibly rare and precious The Macallan Single Malt.

ABOVE MAIN: Lalique craftsmen check a just-created The Spiritual Home Decanter ABOVE: David Cox, Director of Fine & Rare Whiskies, introduces The Macallan’s latest limited-run Lalique decanter, “The Spiritual Home”

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or some years now, The Macallan have released, almost every two years, a special crystal decanter, made by Lalique, filled with a special release of an unusual and unique Macallan single malt.

This year sees the fifth in the series - The Macallan Lalique The Spiritual Home Decanter - filled with a 62 year-old Macallan single malt - the second oldest whisky ever bottled.

(The oldest, at 64, was a Macallan Lalique Cire Perdue Decanter fill, too, in 2010). Not much of a whisky of

this age survives its aging in cask the angels’ share is large - and only 400 decanters could be filled with this spirit distilled in November 1950.

The distillate was originally filled into American Oak casks, previously seasoned with Oloroso Sherry. Each decanter will cost USD25,000, and collectors are advised to get in early if they want to secure one.

David Cox, Director of Fine & Rare Whiskies, presented the latest decanter, fifth in a series of six, each representing one of the Six Pillars of The Macallan, at a reception in the

Hong Kong Art Centre. He said, “The inspiration for this decanter is one of The Macallan’s Six Pillars - our Spiritual Home, Easter Elchies House, was built in 1700, and has been the home of The Macallan since its foundation in 1824.”

Easter Elchies House is a Jacobean manor house, and like other houses in the area, the red sandstone walls are harled - covered with a protective coating of lime and pebbles or stone chips giving a rough texture. The gable edges are crow-stepped, also typical of

other manor houses in the area, and the front gable bears the datestone - which includes the year, 1700, the house was built and the initials of the Captain John Grant -JEG- who had the house constructed.

These distinctive features are incorporated into the six-sided crystal decanter designed by Lalique. Six sides for the 6 pillars, the neck crowstepped like the gables edges, leading to the chimney-pot-like stopper, and the harling of the walls represented by the frosted surface texture of three sides of the decanter. The

initials JEG are reproduced on the main face of the decanter.

The different surfaces and textures of the Lalique crystal reflect and refract light in multifold and varied ways, accentuating and enhancing the natural deep cherry colour of this venerable spirit. Should you have the nerve to actually drink any of this single malt, it is said to have a distinct smoky overtone, reminiscent of modern Islay malts, with rich and aromatic citrus, vanilla, toffee and old oak. Tasted: dried fruit, particularly raisin with layers of ginger

fig and cigar leaf, with a long, highly complex finish.

The Macallan’s Six Pillars are Easter Elchies House - the spiritual home of the distillery; The Macallan’s unusual “curiously small stills”; the fineness of the cut - only 16% of the distillate is filled into casks; the casks themselves - The Macallan take exceptional pains to secure exceptional maturation casks; the natural colour of the spirit; finally the “peerless spirit”, a yardstick against which all other single malt whiskies must be judged.

ABOVE MAIN: Presentation case of The Macallan Spiritual Home Lalique Decanter with accompanying booklet ABOVE FROM LEFT: The blown crystal decanter, hot from the mould; “Signing” the base of the decanter; the decanter and the iconic “chimney-pot” crystal stopper

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THE LAST WORD 145

PLAIN SAILING? Confessions of a trainee skipper

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BY IAN LANG

Dr Ian Lang is an Australian documentary maker, China e-learning specialist, and trainee commercial skipper.

hat could be easier?

Share a passion for sailing with a few paying guests, and keep the bank manager beaming at the same time.

At least that’s what I thought until the realities of commercial skipper training hit. After three months in the classroom - and with at least 120 days of sea-time to go - I’ve started to understand why some of those folk on ship’s bridges wear funny hats.

They’ve earned them.

And with recent sinkings of commercial passenger vessels in the news in Hong Kong, South Korea and Italy with the now infamous Costa Concordia, maritime agencies have every reason to demand the highest skills in crew training.

It’s a world where salts old and young describe boats by the ton not the foot, and where five degrees of rudder takes five minutes to turn.

When even the smallest parking skirmish of a 300,000t tanker brings squads of emergency services and lawyers in equal measure, you quickly appreciate the 38 Rules and various Annexes that professional sailors around the world live and die by: the International Regulations For Preventing Collisions at Sea. The Rules have one inescapably sobering conclusion: whatever happens, you are accountable.

In Skipper School, this is drummed in with a sort of bad-cop worse-cop routine.

If your instruction to ship’s master comes with a merchant marine twist, this accountability is reinforced with mindsnapping calculations of metacentric gravity and the increasing destabilization of emptying tanks underway. You learn why a load of whale-watching passengers all moving over to one side of the fly-bridge in a rolling seaway may not be good for repeat business.

We are trained in a state-of-the-art Sydney simulator. After successfully navigating your simulated 100 foot patrol boat into a simulated lighthouse (rather than the appointed harbour), your basically good-humoured former merchant navy instructor will shower you with profanities only just strong enough to make a wharfie or longshoreman blush and sufficiently salty to take the barnacles off the harbour buoy. Your former real navy instructor shows no such restraint.

My final test after almost three months in the simulator was to command a bridge crew of three through an innocuous passage to Auckland’s commercial wharves. My Navy instructor, (who in radar class baptised any blip other than one’s own as “Enemy Vessel”) decided to make things interesting from the control booth.

Voyage start time changed to 0100h, no moon. Very clever, these computers. Thick fog was called in, hiding a tanker aground

three miles ahead on the starboard bow. Ready for wheel-over on your second planned waypoint in the narrow channel, when a passing vessel radios to report a crewmember falling off your deck into the drink. Ever helpful, the lookout reports those ten floating shipping containers you thought you’d left behind forever in your last watch have now miraculously resurfaced between you and the unfortunate swimmer. And the Navy feller wants to know your reciprocal bearing for pick up. Right now.

Somewhere in the pitch black bank of monitors around the bridge a little flashing light from the MOB life-jacket strobe insisted that I NOT give into the perfectly rational thought: “don’t worry, he’ll swim to shore. Press on”.

So I executed a Williamson Turn ordering the wheel hard around to the side the simulated wretch had fallen overboard on, and at about 60 to 70 degrees off the original course guessed the reciprocal heading and took it at 15 knots. No strobe anywhere.

Throttling back to dead slow, the tiny white light re-appeared, and my career, according to a classmate who had crept into the control room, was saved by the skin of my teeth. Lovely place New Zealand, but I may well go elsewhere for the next century or so.

As a prospective Master 5, I will be qualified to helm a commercial vessel up to 24m long, up to 100nm offshore, in Australian waters.

After completing three months of class room theory, leavened with sometimes overly exciting training extinguishing petrol and gas fires, and diving into pools fully clothed to right upside-down life rafts, I am now ready to do my sea hours.

So what’s a recreational skipper to make of all this training that commercial skippers must endure?

Regardless of what license you hold (or don’t, depending on country) in your own private boat, there’s a few things I’ve learned, thanks to naval “persuasion”, that even I will always remember.

Here’s a couple for you: your boat can turn from a $100m asset into a $100 salvage in the slip of a line if you don’t know your knots, the proper use of knots and how to teach them to your crew. Look at any dockside and count the boats who land crewmen to make fast ashore. Much safer to lasso the cleat with a looped-end line and make fast aboard with an easy-to-release and perfectly secure bollard-hitch. If your vessel is heavy, practice using a forward spring, and then slow the boat with figures of eights wrapped around the bitts on deck, making sure you never stand directly in the line of the pull in case the line gives way.

And a courtesy on berthing. When sharing a dock bollard, always ‘dip the eye’ of your own line through the eyes of other’s existing mooring lines. This way they’ll be able to cast off without bothering you.

Lastly, join a yacht club or training group where you can learn how to enjoy your boating with greater self-confidence, by learning the rules of the road with a new group of people who will become firm friends both on and off the water. You don’t need to become a commercial skipper to know that the sea’s big enough for everyone if we’re courteous to other sailors.

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146 THE LAST SHOT QUEEN MARY 2

A BOAT WITH A VIEW CAPT KEVIN OPREY IS MORE USED TO LOOKING DOWN FROM THE BRIDGE, BUT TO MARK THE 10TH BIRTHDAY OF THE QUEEN MARY 2, CUNARD COMMISSIONED PHOTOGRAPHER JAMES MORGAN TO SHOOT HER CAPTAIN STANDING ON THE BOW BULB OF THE SHIP. “SHE IS A PERSON, A REAL HUMAN BEING,” HE SAID. “WHEN I WAS THERE ALONE, THERE WAS AN EERIE SILENCE. IT IS A MOMENT THAT I SHALL LOOK BACK ON WITH GREAT PRIDE.” AT 345M LONG AND DISPLACING 76,000 TONS, THE QM2 IS NOT ONLY THE WORLD’S BIGGEST OCEAN LINER, BUT ALSO THE BIGGEST LINER EVER BUILT. DON’T LOOK NOW, CAPT OPREY, BUT THERE’S SOMETHING VERY LARGE RIGHT BEHIND YOU.

PHOTO ©James Morgan

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