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Blanche Cook, whose business acumen and personal passion for yacht restoration made her a fixture in the superyacht scene, died following a battle with cancer on March 28. She was 58 years old. A native of Auckland, New Zealand, Blanche founded Yachting Developments shipyard there with her husband, Ian Cook. They did so about threeContinue Reading
To better reach clients throughout North and South America, Lürssen has a new office in Fort Lauderdale. Located at Pier Sixty-Six Hotel & Marina, Lürssen Americas is also assisting the German shipyard in better communicating its capabilities, particularly megayachts from 164 to 246 feet (50 to 75 meters). Heading the office is Timothy Hamilton (above),Continue Reading
Robert Braithwaite, who left school in England at the age of 15 and went on to establish a British boatbuilder that became the world-renowned Sunseeker, has died. While he successfully battled cancer in recent years, he succumbed to Alzheimer’s. He was 75 years old. Braithwaite got his start in the boating industry in the earlyContinue Reading
Michael Koppstein, a longtime captain and U.S. representative for European superyacht builders, most recently Lürssen, died over the weekend, of a heart attack. He was 65 years old. Born in December 1953 in Australia, Koppstein grew up sailing, enjoying the pastime on weekends. While he pursued a higher-education degree in engineering design and construction, heContinue Reading
During the global recession, some shipyards took on investors. Sanlorenzo was one such builder, selling a percentage of ownership to a foreign company. Massimo “Max” Perotti (pictured), the yard’s chairman and CEO, recently bought back those shares. As a result, he and his family currently own all but 4 percent of Sanlorenzo’s shares. In 2013,Continue Reading
In seafaring tradition, the ringing of eight bells pays respect to a deceased sailor. It signifies that his or her “watch” is over. Several watches in the yachting industry ended this year—far too soon, at that. Indeed, while many a person’s passing leaves colleagues and admirers at a loss for words, 2018 seemed to hitContinue Reading