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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
When Sean McMillan established Spirit Yachts a quarter century ago, his philosophy was, “Design and build the most beautiful yacht people have ever seen.” Since that time, its fleet of wooden yachts has expanded into superyacht territory, encompassing power and sail, too. In fact, the Spirit 111 (below), launching next year, is among the largestContinue Reading
UPDATE, FEBRUARY 5, 2019: Sanlorenzo has hired Carla Demaria as CEO of Bluegame, which builds powerboats popular as chase boats, fishing boats, and daycruisers. Sanlorenzo acquired Bluegame last year. Read on for our original story. Beneteau S.A., the parent company of Monte Carlo Yachts, has removed Carla Demaria as the head of the ItalianContinue Reading
Few people launch new businesses nearly halfway through their lives. Dave Christensen did that at age 50, establishing Christensen Shipyards. The founder of one of America’s best-known megayacht builders died last week at age 87 in Washington State, after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. Unlike many in yachting, Christensen wasn’t born into a maritime family.Continue Reading