While the COVID-19 pandemic continues to impact the commercial aviation industry, charter flights provide a convenient alternative to travel, providing customers with the flexibility to choose the departure time, destination and routing. – Alex Featherstone, Vice President Network Planning & Alliances, Etihad Airways. Etihad Airways, the national airline of the United Arab … Read more
Flying Fox has set new standards in the yachting industry.
Lürssen Flying Fox wins World Superyacht Award “Best Displacement Motoryacht 500 GT and Above”
After moving the 2020 World Superyacht Awards ceremony from May to September at first, and then finally to November, the organizers were forced by the pandemic to create a digital event to honour the winners of this year’s Awards. Boat International put together an online ceremony which was attended by hundreds of guests of the luxury and yachting industry.
The judges considered Flying Fox to be an exceptional vessel not only in technical achievement but also for her owner and guest facilities, interior layout and extreme high quality of construction. “It was clear that Lürssen had striven for perfection.” said the judging panel.
“Building Flying Fox was a great challenge and we are very proud of this achievement. Flying Fox has set new standards in the yachting industry,” commented Shipyard Managing Partner Peter Lürssen.
@Lürssen Flying Fox superyacht
The transversal 12m swim pool is a unique feature of Flying Fox vessel and it is the first time this has been realized on a yacht. It required extensive calculations and testing in order to be functional both while under way and at anchor. The pool allows the swimmer an infinity view on the sea over the whole aft end of the ship.
Another highlight on board Flying Fox is the spa area which has a grandeur and an expanse never been seen before on a yacht and offers the owner and guests a truly extraordinary and luxurious experience.
“My gratitude goes to the Owner for entrusting Lürssen to create this wonderful floating work of art as well as to the team of Imperial Yachts and the designers who all did a tremendous job. Without a good team spirit, such a complex project cannot be realized to the satisfaction of the client,” added Lürssen.
According to businessinsider, the world’s largest charter superyacht costs $4 million a week and comes with two helipads plus a cryotherapy sauna.
The world’s largest 2020 boat shows have found innovative ways to adapt, offering video walkthroughs, virtual tours, and custom digital content. Read more.
photo @Dubai Boat Show
The pandemic has forced many of the world’s most significant events to adapt. Despite coronavirus, many 2020 boat shows have forged ahead, finding innovative ways to host shows, whilst still adhering to strict Covid-secure health and safety measures. From virtual showings, to in-person viewings and open houses, here’s how some of the biggest 2020 boat shows adapted and thrived this year.
@Palm Beach International Boat Show
Palm Beach International 2020 Boat Show
The Palm Beach International Boat Show was quick to respond to the current pandemic, hosting its 2020 boat show May 14. An entirely virtual event, the 2020 boat show was held some six weeks after the show was initially scheduled.
Guests were able to enjoy exclusive video walkthroughs, virtual tours, alongside custom digital content, all from the comfort of their home. Yacht brokers and yacht industry professionals were also available to chat virtually via FaceTime.
@Seattle Boats Afloat Show
Seattle Boats Afloat Show
The 2020 boat show Seattle Boats Afloat took place Sept. 18-20, offering a robust digital presence coupled with individual brokers’ open houses.
“Due to Covid-19 we have opted to continue the tradition of the show and transition into individual brokers’ open houses,” a rep for the Northwest Yacht Brokers Association said. “This will allow for social distancing and still provide the same benefits the in-water show has delivered to our attendees for over 40 years.”
The show utilised popular media platforms, including Facetime and Microsoft Teams, to host virtual showings, whilst live showings were held with a limited number of people allowed on each yacht to facilitate social distancing.
Guests could also attend the show virtually, offering the perfect opportunity for attendees to view superyacht sales without having to attend physically. The 2020 boat show also limited the amount of printed materials available, instead making use of QR codes which guests could scan and download information directly to their digital device.
@Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
Fort Lauderdale International 2020 Boat Show
The Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2020 is slated to be held Oct. 28 – Nov. 1. The five-day 2020 boat show is being marketed as the ultimate boat show experience, hosting some 1,000 exhibitors, and more than 1,300 boats on display across more than 90 acres. The boat show will also host several Fort Lauderdale yacht brokers, who will be on hand to showcase some of the world’s most luxurious yachts for sale and charter.
To ensure a safe event, organisers have released a video highlighting some of the key changes and safety measures at this year’s event. These include increased and widened entrances to allow people to enter and exit the boat show whilst maintaining social distancing, a contactless ticketing system, temperature checks at entry, widened docks, hygiene stations throughout the show, and enhanced deep cleaning. Additionally, guests aged two years and older, as well as exhibitors, will be required to wear a face covering.
The 2020 boat show is produced by Informa Markets, the world’s leading yacht show organiser.
An Informa press release said that the changes to FLIBS are “being implemented as a result of the group’s newly adopted All Secure health and safety standards and in coordination with the CDC, local government, and authorities.
The All Secure standards, which were introduced earlier this year, are organised into four key areas: Physical Distancing; Cleaning and Hygiene Countermeasures; Protection and Detection; and Communication.”
@Monaco Yacht Show
2020 boat shows and beyond
Another popular boat show being held this year is the Dubai International Boat Show. The 2020 boat show is scheduled to run from Nov. 24-28 at Dubai Harbour and is set to showcase a plethora of the world’s most exquisite superyachts up to 106-metres. Although organisers have not announced specific Covid secure measures that are in place, face coverings, social distancing, and hand sanitising stations are all the norm across the UAE state.
Other events planning to go ahead next year include the Miami Yacht Show, from Feb. 11-15, the MYBA Show in Barcelona, from April 26-29, and the Monaco Yacht Show, scheduled for Sept. 2021.
Whilst many organisers will be hoping to run next year’s boat shows under normal conditions, no doubt like the 2020 boat shows, they will be able to adapt if need be.
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Pelagic 77 – one of rare breed of sailing yacht designed for navigating in polar seas. Design by Tony Castro for round-the-world racer and polar adventurer Skip Novak, this sailing yacht was conceived and built to specific criteria: enhanced autonomy, ease of handling, simple sail plan, reliable onboard systems, robustness and workshop … Read more
This sensational yacht was built by the Townsend & Downey Shipyard with naval architecture by Theodore Ferris. Shenandoah of Sark was one of Ferris’ crowning achievements and is the only one of his designs still sailing today.
Born in one of the 20th Century’s most glamorous eras, the classic superyacht Shenandoah of Sark (delivered in 1902) embodies the grace and elegance of the Golden Age of Yachting. She has raced across oceans and circumnavigated the globe many times.
In the 1990s, the sailing yacht underwent extensive restoration at McMullen & Wing and was recognized at the 1996 ShowBoats International Awards for Best Classic Yacht Restoration. Over the years, this sailing yacht has welcomed guests ranging from royals and important families to gamblers and smugglers.
The sailing yacht’s interior is striking with white bookshelves filled with well-read books, stunning wooden doors and beds, brass handles and fittings, and carved glass on the light buoys throughout. A grand piano in the main salon reigns supreme in the space. There are also state-of-the-art loudspeakers, TV and communications systems.
This gorgeous three-mast topsail gaff schooner is able to accommodate up to 11 guests, eight adults and three children, in four charming staterooms. Shenandoah of Sark’s master stateroom features a double bed and a single bed, large en-suite bath with his-and-her sinks and a beautiful skylight. The stateroom also has a secret door behind the bookshelf that leads to the navigation station. Additional staterooms aboard this charter yacht include three double-bed staterooms, with one of the staterooms having a detachable single bunk. Her crew, formed by a team of 11 professionals, are eagerly looking forward to taking guests on a unique journey into the waves, lulled by the sounds of the wind and the waves.
The 176-foot (53.73m) Shenandoah of Sark is now for charter with Northrop & Johnson. This gorgeous classic sailing yacht charters in the West and East Mediterranean during the summer season, with charters starting at €110,000 per week, plus expenses. Her top speed is 12.0kn and she boasts a maximum cruising range of 2000.0nm at 10.5kn with power coming from two 470.0hp Lugger L6140A diesel engines. The sailing superyacht is for sale on Fraser Yachts. It is priced at € 9,900,000 (APPROX. $ 11,166,000).
