Yachting April 2023

I AM INCREDIBLY CLUMSY. I blame it on the fact that I’m cross-dominant, soIuse my left hand and foot for some tasks, and my right hand and foot for others. ¶ Case in point: Last summer, I was cooking and dropped a Pyrex measuring cup while retrieving it from a kitchen cabinet. The cup smashed onto the countertop and ricocheted off the backsplash, and a piece of glass lodged in my hand. I went to my closet, took out my first-aid kit and went to work. I removed the glass, cleaned the wound and added some butterfly stitches until I could get to urgent care to have it stitched properly. ¶ In another instance a few years back, I was fishing 100 miles from nowhere in the middle of the…

IN LATE DECEMBER, the National Transportation Safety Board issued its findings about a collision that occurred a year earlier about 20 miles northwest of Nassau, Bahamas, between a 206-foot superyacht and a 159-foot commercial tanker. The probable cause of the collision, according to the NTSB, was that neither vessel maintained a proper lookout. ¶ The findings served as a reminder to boaters on all kinds of vessels that maintaining a proper lookout is a mandatory part of basic seamanship, and that major damage and injuries can result from a failure to keep watch. The NTSB estimated the financial cost of the Bahamas incident at $7.9 million, including the sinking of the tanker and its cargo. In addition to that, three of the superyacht’s 12 crewmembers sustained minor injuries. ¶ According…

27'11" LENGTH OVERALL 8'2" MAXIMUM BEAMS SWEDISH BOATBUILDER Candela announced in January that it had achieved an expected 65-mile range with its C-8, a nearly 28-foot-long carbon-fiber foiling powerboat that runs on electric power. ¶ The technological advancement in extending the boat’s range—a task that has long bedeviled makers of electric boats worldwide—was achieved in collaboration with the Swedish company Polestar, which is Volvo’s electric-vehicle subsidiary. Candela and Polestar first announced their collaboration this past August. According to Candela, the 65-mile range announced less than six months later makes the C-8 the world’s longest-range electric boat available today. ¶ The Candela C-8 will use the same 69 kWh battery pack and DC charging technology as the Polestar 2, a vehicle that has a reported 300-mile range on the roadways. The…

SILENT-YACHTS UPPED THE ANTE on submersible tech for superyachts in January when it announced that the new Silent 120 Explorer will have solar power to recharge a U-Boat Worx Nemo sub, along with an Xcraft XP4 aircraft—what the builder calls “two of the latest must-have toys for remote voyaging.” ¶ The first Silent 120 Explorer is under construction now, with delivery expected in 2024. “We build catamarans, which means more beam and more space,” says company founder and CEO Michael Köhler. “We also build our boats with solar power and electric propulsion, and that means we don’t have to give a lot of space to an engine room, which means we gain room for things like a gym or extra tender storage.” ¶ News of the Silent 120 Explorer comes…

42'11" LENGTH OVERALL 13'6" MAXIMUM BEAM THE PIRELLI 42 IS THE first model in a new line of walkaround RIBs. It’s equally suited to be a large-yacht tender, a beefy chase boat or a stand-alone day cruiser, thanks to its bold design, its high-level performance and its sizable number of amenities. ¶ SACS TecnoRib produces the Pirelli 42 in design collaboration with the Swedish firm Mannerfelt Design Team. Mannerfelt also has a background in designing fast, luxurious automobiles, which is evident in the Pirelli 42’s style. It has a chic, aggressive exterior. The raked windshield integrates into the RIB’s hardtop, supported by twin sculpted pillars for a screaming-fast look. ¶ Side plexiglass windscreens protect the helm’s occupants from the elements. The boat’s beefy, 13-foot-6-inch beam makes it feel larger than…

LIFE RAFTS ARE MISSION-SPECIFIC safety gear. If you’re planning to stick to coastal cruising without ever heading offshore, then you might consider one type of raft instead of another. Ditto for cruisers headed to warmer climates as opposed to colder locations. Owner-operators who always cruise alone may be fine with a smaller raft, compared with a family of four, who would need a larger version. ¶ All of which is why Jacksonville, Florida-based Revere makes a variety of life rafts for these purposes and more, with recreational and commercial versions in various sizes and styles. “We have been around since 1936. We have many different product lines,” says John Tuerk, senior sales manager. ¶ The Regatta model shown here is built for offshore cruisers, which is indicated by its ISO…