Megayachts were mega-newsmakers as usual in 2015. The world’s largest sailing superyacht in build caught not just your attention, but that of seemingly the entire world, judging from the coverage by traditional TV stations, newspapers, and magazines. Yachts associated with celebrities were also headline-grabbers. So, too, was legislation set to bring U.S. flagging rules in line with most of the rest of the world.
Here’s a look back at the articles on MegayachtNews.com that drew the most interest from readers like you:
1. Sailing Yacht A (Project White Pearl) Seen at ADM Kiel. Since being published in March, this article has attracted tens of thousands of hits. And it keeps getting traffic nearly every day. No wonder: Sailing Yacht A (above) is a whopping 468’5” (142.81 meters). In build under the guidance of Nobiskrug, she has arguably the most unusual styling you’ll see for a sailing yacht. And yes, Sailing Yacht A is her true name. It helps distinguish her from the similar-sounding A, a motoryacht. Both the sailing yacht and motoryacht are owned by the same person, too: Andrey Melnichenko. Besides being notable for her LOA and her ownership, Sailing Yacht A bears the world’s tallest carbon fiber masts.
2. 5 Biggest Megayacht Deliveries Set for 2015. Published in January, the prognostications were correct save for one yacht, Privilege One. That project (below) started on spec way back in 2009 and continued as such. This, despite some newspaper reports that Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie were the owners. Unfortunately, Privilege One ceased construction within about three years’ time. The yard’s management assured the media in autumn 2014 that she’d been restarted, more than halfway complete. This is why we anticipated she’d been on the water in 2015. However, that didn’t occur. Neither, apparently, did striking workers get reimbursed for unpaid wages. The Italian courts formally declared Privilege Yard bankrupt this past June. One bank is on the hook for a reported 34 million euros. Simultaneously, investigators have been looking into significant charitable donations made by the yard’s ownership. Those investigations are ongoing.
3. Sea Trials for Sailing Yacht A. When she set out for sea trials this fall, Sailing Yacht A gave us all the best glimpses of her profile. Though her three masts had just been stepped prior to the first sea trials, no sails were fitted. They weren’t needed, since Sailing Yacht A is classed as a sail-assisted vessel. She will therefore put her diesel-electric propulsion system to use on most occasions. Cruising speed should come around 16 knots.
4. Oceanco Y711: Yard’s 1st Sailing Yacht to Launch. Most of Oceanco’s projects garner great interest among MegayachtNews.com readers. But its first sailing superyacht has attracted the greatest interest of all. Christened Aquijo, she started under the project name Y711. Oceanco partnered with Vitters Shipyard for her hull construction, due to the latter’s experience with sailing yachts. Sea trials occurred over the summer, in preparation for ‘round-the-world cruising.
5. U.S. Flagging Rules May Finally Get Update. “Finally” is the key word here. U.S. law governing the tonnage of pleasure yachts has not been updated since being penned in 1920. Under it, American-flagged yachts can only be classified as “pleasure yachts” if their tonnage is 300 or lower. At 301 tons plus, they’re considered commercial vessels. It’s akin to categorizing a Jeep Cherokee as a Mack truck simply because the Cherokee has a bigger volume than a Toyota Corolla. Thankfully, the U.S. Coast Guard has formed a working group focused on extending the tonnage to 500.
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