We selected for you top 5 yacht stories of the last week at Yacht Harbour.
Iconic Grace Kelly’s restored yacht available for charter
Motor yacht Grace was built in England in 1928 for the Argentinean tycoon Santiago Soulas. In 1938 the yacht was named “Rion” when she was acquired by Sir George Tilley, the chairman of Prudential Insurance Co. Year later the British government enrolled the yacht in the army. In 1940, Rion was given the objective to evacuate the British Expeditionary Force from Dunkirk beaches. She completed this objective two times, before the third time her starboard board was strucked by a bomb, which caused huge hull damage and death of 15 men. After being repaired, Rion captured a German E-boat that same year south of the Isle of Wight.
In 1951 the yacht was acquired by Aristotle Onassis and his ownership is notable that many famous people spent time on board, such as Winston Churchill and Elizabeth Taylor. Nowadays, guests can experience the same level of hospitality, but with every modern convenience. In the indoor or outdoor dining room, guests enjoy meals such as Ecuadorian-style Jipjipapa red crab ceviche and grilled octopus with grated green plantains and coconut rice, along with glasses of Champagne or Argentinian Malbec from the yacht’s deep wine cellar. Guests sunbathe on custom-made sunbeds from Ecuador before taking a dip in the outdoor hot tub.
In the 1956 Aristotle Onassis has gifted the yacht as a wedding present to the royal couple consisting of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier. The couple spent a honeymoon on the yacht, cruising waters near Corsica and Sardinia. In 1958 they decided to part with the vessel.
Now the vessel is cruising the Galapagos Islands, as she was obtained by the Quasar Expeditions, which is a cruising company that restored the yacht and named it Grace. A full refit included expanding of the sun deck, bar renovating and Grace Kelly suite designed by Adriana Hoyos. The 17 square meters cabin, which is the suite in which Kelly honeymooned, is customized with Seike wood furnishings, including a king-size bed with a leather headboard, as well as art deco–inspired mirrors and large rectangular windows on either side.
Fourth Custom Line Navetta 33 unit launched, a magnificent diva of the sea
A new Custom Line masterpiece is ready to light up the world yachting scene with its beauty and appeal.
Last Friday 25 May, the Ancona shipyard launched the fourth unit of the Navetta 33 model, the second superyacht in the new semi displacement series after Navetta 37.
Less than a year since its official debut, the model whose style and commercial success are driving it to become a bestseller in the Custom Line fleet already has nine owners.
The backdrop for the event was provided by the Ferretti Group Superyacht Yard in Ancona. This centre of European yacht building excellence is where steel and aluminium super and mega yachts are built for the CRN, Riva and Pershing brands, together with the entire fiberglass Custom Line fleet.
Monaco Grand Prix 2018, $500 million yacht and celebrities
The Monaco Grand Prix is the one race of the year that every driver dreams of winning. Like the Indy 500 or Le Mans, it stands alone, almost distinct from the sport from which it was born. A combination of precision driving, technical excellence and sheer bravery is required to win in Monte Carlo, facets which highlight the differences between the great and the good in Formula 1.
The Armco barrier-lined circuit leaves no margin for error, demanding more concentration that any other Formula One track. Cars run with maximum downforce and brakes are worked hard. Overtaking is next to impossible so qualifying in Monaco is more critical than at any other Grand Prix.
The Portier corner is key to achieving a good lap time around Monaco. It is preceded by the Loews hairpin, the slowest corner in Formula 1, and followed by the tunnel, one of the few flat-out sections of the track. Some great names have ended their races in the barriers here, most notably Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.
The race has been a regular fixture of the world championship since 1955, but in that time the circuit has changed remarkably little. Slight alterations were made for the 2003 event, in particular a new, gentler entry to the Rascasse corner, with even bigger changes in 2004, with a new pit complex and increased spectator capacity.
Sailing yacht A spotted during Monaco Grand Prix 2018
Andrey Melnichenko’s sailing yacht A drifted along the coast of Monaco on Sunday as Daniel Ricciardo won the crown jewel race on the Formula One schedule. It is the largest sailing yacht in the world, worth of $500 million. The vessel boasts eight floors, a pool and a helipad. It is powered by a ‘hybrid diesel-electric package with controllable pitch propellers’ and is designed to accommodate 20 guests as well as a crew of 54.
Sailing yacht A was built in Kiel, Germany, by Nobiskrug in 2017 for Melnichenko, who controls the Russian fertiliser producer Eurochem. Melnichenko also owns the $300 million motor yacht A, a custom Boeing 737 private jet as well as properties around the world, including a penthouse in New York City and a villa in the French Riviera. He lives a jet-setting lifestyle with his wife Aleksandra, former model and pop star from Serbia. The pair married in an opulent wedding in the south of France in 2005, which featured performances by Whitney Houston and Christina Aguilera.
Antonio Banderas spotted on the 68-metre yacht Lady S
57-year-old Antonio Banderas and his 37-year-old partner Nicole Kimpel were spotted on the 68-metre superyacht Lady S in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat in the South of France. Lady S is available for charter through Burgess starting from $550,000 per week. Antonio Banderas’ net worth is approximately $45 million.
Lady S is a 68-metre superyacht built by Amels in 2006. Lady S offers red-carpet service, five-star cuisine and pure indulgence throughout her five magnificent decks. A stylish, imposing exterior conceals a phenomenally spacious interior, complemented by original Chagall and Frankenthaler artwork, Loro Piana cashmeres and accessories from Hermes, Asprey, Linley, Lalique and Baccarat.
Everything about Lady S is on a grand scale, from the swirl of her chic spiral staircase to her vast master suite with its separate office, walk-in wardrobes, his and her bathrooms and double rainfall shower. The VIP suite is one of the largest in superyachting, and there are three further elegant double guest suites and a twin cabin with pullman, all furnished with Hermes fabrics and exquisite accessories. An elevator connects the main guest entertaining and accommodation levels.
50-metre Benetti FB003 yacht Blake launched
Last Saturday the 26th, in the presence of 300 invited guests, the 50-meter full custom mega yacht Blake has been launched from the slipway at the Viareggio shipyard, ready to set off in comfort and silence on the long cruises she is designed for.
Benetti is proud to announce the eleventh slipway launch since 1999, year of construction of Via Coppino shipyard, in Viareggio. Motor yacht Blake, the longest GRP hull and aluminium superstructure yacht ever build by Benetti, raised her first waves with an impressive dive from the 8%-gradient slipway at the Viareggio production facility. The shipyard is the only one in Italy equipped to handle this particular type of launch ceremony, for superyachts between 40 and 50 meters in length, max draft of 2,6 metres and weighing up to 350 tonnes.
As the Company did back in March 2016, when the 45-meter full custom mega yacht motor yacht Domani dived into the water for the first time from the same slipway, Benetti once again invited over 300 guests to this unusual ceremony, including local authorities, friends and employees, who enjoyed the event together with a large crowd of curious who made their way to the Darsena Italia docks.
