Yachting May 2018

I SMELLED SOMETHING BURNING. SOMETHING ELECTRICAL. A nanosecond later, the new 41-foot convertible’s starboard diesel shut down. The port motor switched into get-home mode. We were making about 6 knots. The power-assist, hydraulic steering was gone. Alarms blared. Helm displays flashed. There was smoke. We were 10 miles off the East Coast, cruising from Manhattan to southern New Jersey. I called our pan-pan on the VHF radio and kept a communication schedule with the U.S. Coast Guard. The delivery four weeks earlier on the same boat from Florida to New York had been flawless. I ran the convertible from North Carolina to the Chesapeake Bay without issue. She cruised at 28 knots when conditions allowed. Aside from a crab-pot slalom course on Pamlico Sound in blinding sun, the late-spring trip…

Yachting’s social media followers have spent more than 30 hours watching our video tour of the Sanlorenzo SX88. Stop by Yachting’s Facebook page at facebook.com/yachtingmagazine and look in our videos album to find out why. CORRECTIONS In our 2018 marine electronics annual, the prices of three products were listed incorrectly. The correct prices are: Mazu SkyMate M2500, $995; Simrad RS20 VHF radio, $279; and JL Audio MediaMaster MM100s-BE, $549. We regret the errors. READER FEEDBACK Looking for photos and yacht news? Get social with Yachting: Visit facebook.com/yachtingmagazine By Email: letters@yachtingmagazine.com By Mail: 460 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 200, Winter Park, FL32789 On the Web: yachtingmagazine.com…

Topsail island, as islands go, is not a bad place to have boat trouble. The 26-mile-long barrier island is just off North Carolina’s coast with boat-rental companies and put-in ramps for the Intracoastal Waterway. Generally speaking, other boaters are around, and when things go wrong, the U.S. Coast Guard stations in the region can respond to a Mayday call pretty fast. ¶ Then again, “pretty fast” depends on just how quickly a boat is taking on water — and whether that boat has enough life jackets for everybody aboard. ¶ Five people who were stranded 8 miles off Topsail Island learned this lesson last July, when their boat took on water, capsized and landed them all in the drink. Only three of them were wearing life jackets; the other two…

Contrast. It’s the word that came to mind when I looked at the Azimut 55’s profile, with its aggressive bow design and fine entry. Linear. Purposeful. The near-razor-straight bow rails enhanced this first impression. ¶ That is, until my eyes scrolled over the yacht’s foredeck sun pad for four and moved on to the raked windshield. Here, the 55 revealed a more gentle nature with a sweptback superstructure and glass insets to port and starboard shaped like the white patch over an orca’s eyes. These striking exterior aesthetics, penned by Stefano Righini, also brought natural light into the salon from all angles, including aft, where sliding doors and the galley window open to the cockpit. ¶ The 55’s Achille Salvagni interior design provides a chic counterpoint to the yacht’s profile,…

The engraved rolex timepieces on Peter Duncan’s and Erika Reineke’s wrists follow an accomplished year in sailing. Among several notable victories that each had, the 2017 Rolex Yachtsman of the Year won the 161-boat Audi J/70 World Championship, while the Yachtswoman of the Year took home the gold in the Laser Radial at Enoshima Olympic Week. ¶ “I just felt so lucky to be there at the Olympic venue for the first time,” says Reineke, a Fort Lauderdale native. ¶ While pursuing her sailing dreams, Reineke earned her degree in environmental geosciences from Boston College. Now the US Sailing team member can focus on her sport full-time. Up next is the 2018 ISAF Sailing World Championships at Aarhus, Denmark, the first chance for sailors to qualify for the 2020 Olympic…

IF YOU THINK YOU DON’T know the work of German car company Brabus, think again. It optimizes luxury cars, including those built by Mercedes-Benz. When Axopar, the boatbuilder in Finland known for aggressively styled center consoles and walkarounds, wanted to soup up its 36-foot Shadow 800, it chose Brabus to help. Axopar also added a carbon-fiber dashboard, titanium-finished hinges, and powerful, twin 400 hp Mercury Verado 400Rs that hang off the transom like trophies. • Whom It’s For: The Shadow 800 is for the owner who wants a 50-plus-knot tender with a seaworthy hull and super-sharp styling that’s reminiscent of supercars. • Picture This: You’re in a crowded harbor that’s buzzing with luxury tenders. Everyone’s head is on a swivel checking out the other guy’s ride — that is, everyone…