With 300 to upwards of 500 articles published every year, we at MegayachtNews.com certainly provide you with a lot of information from which to choose. And choose you do. Every year for the past 10 years, you’ve never ceased to amaze us with what megayacht features are of most interest. Sometimes, of course, we can predict a particular yacht will attract a lot of curiosity. Other times, however, we’re surprised—pleasantly so, even—by what you click on and share with friends and colleagues.
You might be surprised, too. The following are the megayacht features attracting the most interest dating back to January. While some stories from previous years, dating back as much as three or four years, were also popular, we’ve included just stories published in 2017.
- Port Forum Barcelona fire. The Port Forum marina accommodates 201 yachts in two areas. So, when fires broke out in each area the same day in April, it was tremendous cause for concern. The first fire apparently started on one yacht and quickly spread, taking nearly half a day to extinguish. Just as firefighters wrapped that up, the second fire erupted. In the end, several yachts sank, and many more suffered damage.
- Project Jupiter appears. Typically, megayacht features focusing on new launches attract the most attention year after year. Interestingly, even though this story went live initially in October 2016, the yacht’s sea trials in early 2017 and delivery in August drove views way up. No surprise there. Project Jupiter was the code name for Al Lusail, one of the biggest megayacht deliveries of the year. LOA: 403 feet (123 meters).
- Cloud 9 owners on cloud nine themselves. CRN started the year on a strong foot with the launch of Cloud 9 (above). Perhaps the owners’ previous well-known charter yachts stirred reader interest. Or, perhaps the yacht’s 242’8” (74-meter) LOA was responsible. We suspect it’s a bit of both. Regardless, a story stemming from the launch is hands-down one of our favorites of all time. Rather than slide down the ways to opera music, a tradition at CRN, Cloud 9 slipped into the water to the theme from Star Wars. Fittingly, as we revealed in our onboard tour of Cloud 9, each stateroom bears the name of a Star Wars
- Uniesse back in business. Here’s proof that good business news is of as much interest as bad news when it comes to megayacht features. Uniesse had strong sales in the USA through the 2000s. However, after-sales service was a significant problem. Rare is the occasion when a company’s management goes on record saying that. The new investors do so in their interview with us. They also share their plans for a different approach, along with four new semi-custom megayacht models.
- The launch of Oceanco’s Jubilee. When Jubilee launched in February, she made history. She became not just Oceanco’s biggest build at the time, but also the biggest boat by any Dutch yacht yard. Furthermore, she’s among the five-largest deliveries of the year. If you like laying claim to impressive facts, you can buy her, since she’s still for sale via Burgess.
Honorable mention: Megayacht destinations in the aftermath of hurricane Irma, and how to lend a hand. This year’s hurricane season was unprecedented in the power of the storms and the resulting devastation. With so many Caribbean islands impacted, yacht owners, charterers, and crew, as well as industry reps, all wondered whether the winter season would have any semblance of normalcy. Days after hurricane Irma, we published this island-by-island update to present facts to counter the rampant rumors. Even more important, we linked to several fundraising efforts to help get the islands back on their feet. As several yachting-industry reps and even owners noted, it’s the least we can do for regions we cherish and rely on year after year.
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