YachtPlus – Fractional Ownership of a Norman Foster designed Super Yacht

If you have ever owned a yacht or thought about it you will no doubt have come face to face with the realities of owning a yacht that you will probably only use for a few weeks in the year. The excitement of yacht ownership can sometimes be superseded by the expense and attention required to keep it running. However, the bright sparks at YachtPlus have come up with the perfect solution; taking the proven concept of fractional ownership and applying this to a fleet of private luxury contemporary motor-yachts you can now own a yacht without the side-effects. The yachts have been exclusively designed and built by Lord Norman Foster the acclaimed architect of Wembley Stadium, the Sage in Gateshead and the new Beijing Airport.

image of Yachtplus yachtThe 40 SIGNATURE SERIES designed by Lord Foster and his team are luxury super-yachts with emphasis given to quality and quantity of space, outdoor terraces, light and views offering more deck space and interior comfort than any equivalent yacht. YachtPlus take the hassle out of Yacht ownership by managing, maintaining, crewing and repositioning the fleet on behalf of the Owners ensuring that the yachts are kept in pristine condition. The fractional ownership programme guarantees you an agreed number of weeks cruising each year and if you don't want to use all of them you can also receive revenue from chartering the yacht in those weeks. The fleet is expected to spend the summer in the Mediterranean and the winter in the Caribbean.

Upon the owners discretion, these yachts will also be available for charter during weeks when the owner won't be using their allocated slots. Click here if you are interested in chartering a YachtPlus yacht.

YachtPlus “ A New Concept in Luxury Super-Yacht Ownership

Posted on by

America's Cup stunt with a Motorbike!

A motorcycle daredevil from the Kiwi Crusty Demons yesterday backflipped over an America's Cup yacht in Auckland. Luke Smith became the first person in the world to perform this crazy stunt, falling the equivalent of 4 storeys once he had cleared the yacht.  When asked what was going on in his mind before going 'head over wheels' Luke admitted he was nervous and said:

“I wasn't sure how I was gonna end up you know. I wasn't sure if I was gonna over-rotate, or wMotorcyclist stuntas gonna be able to kick the bike away, but yeah, no it worked out great, there was nothing to worry about.”

Luke will continue to perform with the Crusty Demons in Auckland, though his motorbike, unfortunately, won't.  The America's Cup yacht belonging to the New Zealand team was not damaged in the stunt and awaits the onset of the New Louis Vuitton Cup Regatta to come to Auckland in next spring (see previous blog).

Information courtesy of 3news.co.nz

Posted on by

Car Manufacturers getting involved in Yachting; this time it’s BMW and Audi

Following on from the announcement of the Porsche Design collaboration with the Singapore based yacht builder Royal Falcon Fleet (see the blog dated September 12th) a further two German Automobile Companies have inspired sea worthy vessels; Audi and BMW. Audi R8 inspired power cat
The Swedish company Vizualtech were inspired by the Audi R8 and have designed a power catamaran in its image for a Dubai race boat company. It is 8.8m (29ft) in length, has two gullwing doors and uses either a modified biodiesel V10 engine or two smaller 320hp V8 engines taking the vessel to a top speed of 110 mph.

BMW yachtBMW Designworks USA meanwhile, has teamed up with Belgian yacht builder Zeydon to create the Performance Cruiser Z60 sailing yacht and enter a completely new yacht market; performance-oriented luxury sailing yachts.  The boat can reach downwind speeds of 23 knots under sail power alone or 10-13 knots using the yacht’s engines.

Will this trend from the automobile world to the yachting world continue?  Watch this space to find out.
Information and images courtesy of WorldCarFans.com and MarineBusinessNews.com

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Monaco Yacht Show Top Yachts: MARTHA ANN

At 70m (230ft) MARTHA ANN is an impressive navy hulled luxury motor yacht built by Lürssen.  She was the talk of the Monaco Yacht Show this year boasting six decks, a 1,400 square foot master suite, numerous guest rooms, a glass elevator in the lobby, a huge sports bar and gym and a large Jacuzzi enclosed in her voluminous body created by her 12.8m beam.

Her proportions make her ideal for entertaining with spacious and private areas for guests both inside and out, including a large pool with an incorporated bar! MARTHA ANN possesses two 1500kW CAT engines that allow her a top speed of over 15knots, perfect for cruising the waters of the Mediterranean and the Caribbean where she will now join the league of super and mega yacht charters.

Posted on by — No Comments ↓

Sailing yachts more prominent at the Monaco Yacht Show this year

The number of sailing yachts on display at the Monaco Yacht Show this year was suprisingly increased from previous years.  There were a number of these beauties from Perini Navis, Alloys Yachts International and Dubois Yachts at the show all of which sat comfortably and elegantly next image of sailing yachtto the large and imposing Mega Yachts who usually dominate at Monaco.  The charms and advantages of sailing yachts may be the reason behind the increased interest in these types of yachts; with the increase in fuel prices and the move towards greener yachting practices sailing yachts are the obvious option if you still want to enjoy yourself on the ocean and use the wind as your friend instead of pure engine power.

This increased interest will mean that there will probably be more large and high end sailing yacht options available in the Caribbean this winter than previously, so take the opportunity to have a look at the way travelling the oceans was intended and experience the thrill of sailing yourself.

Posted on by — No Comments ↓