Yachting April 2016

THE TIRES ON MY GRANDFATHER’S BLUE, 1970s-era Volaré station wagon rolled over the gravel-strewn road. Tiny slate-toned rocks crackled like Rice Krispies floating in a cereal bowl. The white noise was relaxing during the five-minute jaunt off the blacktop main road — and civilization — to a small slice of southern New Jersey saltwater heaven called grandpa’s house. I always sat in the back, on the white vinyl bench seat, staring out the right-side passenger window. I squinted intently, hoping to catch a glimpse of the water. Life-affirming, salt-scented air passed through the window and filled my lungs, and a smile felt permanently etched on my face. One house removed from the end of this U-shaped street was the quaint, two-bedroom bungalow that grandpa George and grandma Margaret called home.…

NEWS & NOTES FROM AROUND THE YACHTING WORLD A LITTLE MORE THAN 10 YEARS before Annie Haeger was born, Steve Benjamin was on the cover of Yachting. He was with his crew on a 505, pushing the limits of speed. “We were hellbent, go-all-out,” Benjamin recalls, sounding a lot like Haeger talks today. She is training to represent the United States at this year’s Olympic Games in Brazil — playing through the pain of a recent back injury. “Pretty much the hardest thing for me,” she says, “is to take a break.” Benjamin and Haeger have met, but they don’t usually race each other on the water. Their names, however, will be forever intertwined as the 2015 Rolex Yachtsman and Yachtswoman of the Year. The awards come at very different…

PALMER JOHNSON is embracing European style after announcing in September that it was taking over the Holland Jachtbouw yard in the Netherlands. This beauty is called Niniette, designed in cooperation with renowned European brand Bugatti to bring a bit of sports-car styling to the sea. The Niniette line will include three models: 42, 63 and 88 feet. Each combines the Palmer Johnson SuperSport hull shape with design elements from classic Bugatti cars. Carbon fiber will be the primary construction material, with titanium and wood in the mix. The 63 is expected to have a top speed of 38 knots — a bit slower than the 253 mph Bugatti Veyron 16.4 Grand Sport Vitesse, but still a good clip. Entry-level price for the 42 is about $2.2 million. Take the next…

WHEN I FIRST saw the Custom Line 108 resting along the quay in Cannes, France, I was struck by her shadow-inducing size juxtaposed with what was a relatively low profile, enhanced by glass. Lots of it. Glass is used extensively on the 108 to help connect those on board with the salt. For instance, the high-impact-resistant, rectangular hullside ocean-view windows in the four VIP cabins measure about 18 square feet apiece. The main-deck master’s windows have a curious eyebrow look, also providing stunning saltwater vistas. After giving her a good look from the dock, I walked across the passerelle onto a deck of warm, welcoming teak. A bevy of international journalists were mingling, marveling, pointing and staring wide-eyed. This bright-white-hulled Custom Line was contemporary yet cozy; opulent, but not ostentatious;…

TIME FOR SOME honesty. Sometimes we buy boats just to make a statement. But if your 180-foot big boat is anchored far from the yacht club, come cocktail hour, how are you supposed to let people know what you’re working with? That’s where the CC180 comes in. She was built using carbon fiber, accounting for her feathery 2,850-pound dry weight. Happily, the builders left plenty of that telltale carbon-fiber thatch showing, should admirers care to know that your tender was built using the über-strong (and über-expensive) material. Combine that with sleek lines and an optional 295 hp FNM diesel jet that rockets the boat along at 43 knots, and you’ll be making quite the entrance. • WHOM IT’S FOR: Any large-yacht owner looking for a sporty, stylish and customizable tender.…

LIFE IS AT its best when all your choices are good ones, which means life is at its best with the Fairline Targa 53GT. Buyers of this express cruiser are treated to a number of choices, all of which are good. Take, for example, the galley. The standard arrangement has the galley-down in a sunny atrium, but I know at least one wife — mine — who wants the galley-up in the salon. Galley-down gives you great counter space, while galley-up gives you a U-shaped setup tucked behind the helm seats. The trade-off? With up, you get a day-head opposite the portside twin guest cabin, plus a utility area, which means laundry to me. This day-head (with shower) also gives the VIP cabin forward a private en suite head. With…