We’re never short of news in our world, where easy-access luxury yachting is the name of the game thanks to an innovative, affordable way to enjoy life at sea. Here’s what’s been going on.
The Atina burns and sinks
August 10th saw the magnificent Atina, a 46.7m luxury yacht worth a reported £14 million, catch fire off the Italian coast at Olbia and then sink. She was a 2008 model built by Heesen Yachts, sold on to a new owner in 2021 then refitted and offered for charter. Video footage reveals the vessel completely engulfed in flames, belching out black smoke.
The fire’s cause is being investigated but some say it may have been down to a problem in the engine room. She was at almost full capacity when the fire started, with sixteen on board, anchored near a scenic beach in shallow water in a place nicknamed ‘billionaires’ playground’.
The passengers either jumped overboard or sailed landwards in a dinghy and thankfully nobody was hurt. Sometimes a sunken yacht can be recovered but in this case, she’s been declared a total loss.
When Venus crashed into Lady Moura
Also in Italy but this time in the bay of Naples, two luxury yachts came a cropper when they collided. One belonged to Apple’s Steve Jobs, now the property of his widow Laurene Powell Jobs, and the other to the Mexican trading billionaire Ricardo Salinas Pliego.
The Venus features special reflective exterior panelling, huge wooden surfaces and a unique style of hull, designed by Philippe Starck with the help of Jobs himself. Built by the Dutch firm Feadship and costing an eye-watering 95 million Euros in 2012, she wasn’t completed until a year after Jobs died.
Apparently Powell Jobs wasn’t on board at the time, but the vessel was crewed. The cause of the collision is still a mystery and there were no injuries.
Fire at Greek Marina Zeas
A dramatic fire engulfed yachts at the Greek Marina Zeas near Athens in early August, starting on board a Maltese-flagged vessel and then spreading to several yachts including one British-flagged boat. The British-flagged yacht’s stern was badly damaged but it managed to move to safety. The other three were so badly damaged that they sank.
All of these stories highlight the importance of yacht insurance, something we provide as standard with the yachts we offer for syndication. And that means you’re always properly covered, perfect for your financial peace of mind.
Celebrities spotted on board
Kevin Costner has been spotted lounging on board a sleek vessel built by the prestigious Italian company Pardo Yachts, while promoting his new movie in Europe. He’s joined by US TV personality and businesswoman Kylie Jenner, celebrating her 27th birthday in style on another luxury yacht with some friends.
American singer, songwriter, dancer, actress, and television personality Nicole Scherzinger, an ex-member of the Pussycat Dolls, has been sunning herself on board a stunning craft off the coast of Portugal. And football genius David Beckham has been yachting off the coast of Italy at Positano, he and Posh Spice having spent the summer in Europe and sailing the Italian coast.
Lisa from the South Korean girl group Blackpink has been sailing the seas with her other half Frédéric Arnault and his family, also off the Italian coast. And the conman Sukesh Chandrashekhar, at the moment in jail in Delhi, has given the actress Jacqueline Fernandez a yacht named in her honour for her birthday. The boat is called Lady Jacqueline, and it’ll be delivered to her this month.
Three Beverly Hills ‘real housewives’ from the TV series have been sunning themselves on a yacht off St Lucia, attracting all manner of media attention, and last but not least U2 band-mates Bono and The Edge were joined by Bruce Springsteen on board Steven Spielberg’s luxury yacht in Saint-Jean-Cap-Ferrat, France.
Join the celebs and fall in love with life on your own syndicated vessel, based in a selection of stunning destinations where the yachting is world-class. It’s such a great way to enjoy the best of life on the ocean wave without any of the usual hassle.
The worldwide Pickleball craze takes to the water
Pickleball is a new global sensation, a simple racquet sport people of every age can play more or less anywhere. It blends the most-fun parts of badminton, tennis, and table tennis, and the court required is tiny.
Now the yacht Aretha has taken the craze out onto the water with an innovative floating pickleball court moored next to the boat. The business whose idea it is, Via Croatia, says the court is perfectly safe and once assembled can stay on the water, floating merrily for as long as two days.
The world’s 14th-longest yacht docks at Palma’s Club de Mar
Mallorca is one of the most popular destinations for yachting, frequently visited by some seriously lavish, costly craft. We have several yachts for syndication there, at the famously stylish marina Puerto Portals, and our clients love the place.
The latest notable craft to arrive there is the world’s 14th longest private yacht, the 141m long megayacht SWIFT 141 or YAS, owned by Abu Dhabi royal family member Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed al Nahyan. She’s an amazing-looking beast with her steel hull inspired by old Royal Dutch Navy frigates, futuristic design, narrow beam, awesome propulsive power, and sumptuous interior and exterior by Paris’ Pierrejean Design Studio.
While we don’t have anything quite that big on our books, you can syndicate a stunning slice of sleek seagoing luxury through us and fall in love with life on the ocean for yourself.
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