Podcasts

BOAT Briefing: Tommy Hilfiger's love of the ocean, looking back at Cannes and what's got us excited for Monaco

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Stewart and Katia look back at the Cannes Yachting Festival and preview some of the exciting new yachts being exhibited at the Monaco Yacht Show next week. They also discuss fashion legend Tommy Hilfiger's love of the sea, and Feadships, revealed in an exclusive interview with BOAT. There's no shortage of business news this week, with companies across the sector revealing results and new investment, and a very exciting new launch is previewed: the extraordinary catamaran This is It, built by The Italian Sea Group.

BOAT Briefing: Maneskin in Monaco, farewell to Jimmy Buffet and the most exciting Cannes debuts

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Stewart is joined by Katia (aka @theyachtwriter) for a musical tribute to Jimmy Buffet, and to discuss all the most exciting yachts making their debuts at the Cannes Yachting Festival. The pair also look ahead to a spectacular performance by music megastars Maneskin in Monaco and examine a trio of sustainability-focussed news stories: Sunreef's Zero Cat; the hull turning of Vitters' Project 3094; and Lurssen's fuel-cell powered Project Cosmos. The data story this week, as ever brought to you by market intelligence platform BOATPro, digs into the numbers behind the boats on display at Cannes.

BOAT Briefing: superyachts in the Northwest Passage, rapid brokerage deals and the quirkiest yachts on the market

In this week’s episode of BOAT Briefing Stewart and Sophia discuss the superyachts that have taken on the Northwest Passage this season. They also chat about the speedy sale of 89-metre Here Comes the Sun and some of the quirkiest yachts on the brokerage market. The news this week covers the launches of Feadship’s Project 822, Echo Yachts’ Charley 2, and the ninth unit of Numarine’s 37XP series, as well as an update on Wider Yachts’ Moonflower 72. The podcast concludes with the announcement that Sophia is setting sail in a new direction.

BOAT Briefing: the biggest yachts under construction, the challenge for crew influencers, and whisky without water

In this episode of the BOAT Briefing Stewart is back in the studio after a “tough” couple of weeks hosting a select group of owners at The Macallan Estate in Scotland and enjoying a taste of the superyacht lifestyle with his family in Turkey. Aside from his travels, Sophia and Stewart continue the Hot Yachts MIami debate and discuss how the role of crew and social media is evolving. In the news this week is Bilgin’s Kaşif, the futuristic  Baltic 111 Raven and Heesen’s Sparta. The data story, meanwhile, focuses on the largest yachts currently under construction, including some super secretive Lürssen projects.

BOAT Briefing: reality TV heaven and hell, Malcolm Forbes’s legendary party boat and Med charter in numbers

In this week’s BOAT Briefing Caroline and Cecile get to grips with new broker-focussed reality show Hot Yachts Miami, plus scandal on Below Deck Down Under. They follow up with some jaw-dropping anecdotes from our upcoming feature on Malcolm Forbes’s famous party boat The Highlander, and the recent sinking of Cujo, once owned by Adnan Khashoggi and which famously hosted Princess Diana. In the news this week is the launch of Lürssen's 122-metre JAG, the delivery of Abeking’s 118.2m flagship Liva and Sanlorenzo’s first 57Steel. Data this week looks at the Med’s booming summer charter season.

The Big BOAT Interview: Hollywood legend James Cameron on the deep ocean, his enduring obsession with Titanic and buying into Triton Submarines

In this week's Big BOAT Interview, Stewart sits down with Canadian filmmaker James Cameron, the director of three of the highest-grossing films of all time: Titanic, Avatar and Avatar: The Way of Water. The pair discuss Cameron's love of exploration, why he decided to put his money where his mouth is by investing in Triton Submarines alongside hedge fund billionaire Ray Dalio, and what it was like to see the wreck of the Titanic looming out of the deep for the very first time. In 2012, Cameron became the first person to make a solo dive to Challenger Deep, the deepest point in any ocean, and talks about what it was like to be more distant from the rest of humanity than anyone else on earth. The filmmaker has lots more to discover in the deep sea, especially around hydrothermal vents, which he says is like "going to another planet".

The Big BOAT Interview: Heesen's Chief Commercial Officer, Mark Cavendish

In this week's Big BOAT Interview, Stewart sits down with Mark Cavendish, CCO of Heesen Yachts. The pair discuss the recent launch of the yard's largest steel boat to date, 67m Sparta, and look back at some of the most famous ever Heesen boats, including 50-knot Octopussy. Mark also shares his reflections on the nascent superyacht industry he joined back in the 1980s (including communicating via Telex!), and how much the whole business has changed in the following four decades. Don't miss this wide-ranging discussion with one of the superyacht industry's best-known players.

The Big BOAT Interview: three owners discuss the unexpected joys of crossing the Atlantic

In this week's Big BOAT Interview, Caroline White speaks to three owners about their extraordinary experiences crossing the Atlantic: Nina Vibe Peterson, owner of 54-metre Perini Navi Parsifal Ill and 52m Alloy Q; as well as Ilia Riga and her daughter Nepheli, who own the 50-metre Perini Navi Almyra II. They explain why they did it, what they got out of it and what lessons they learned about how to do it right.

Big BOAT Interview Special: understanding the OceanGate submersible tragedy

In his first public comments since the OceanGate sub implosion, which saw five people lose their lives on the descent to the Titanic, Patrick Lahey, co-founder of Triton Submarines, reflects on what went wrong – and why he saw it coming. He is joined in the interview by Rob McCallum, co-founder of EYOS Expeditions, who spoke directly to Stockton Rush, CEO of OceanGate, about the dangers of diving in his Titan submersible. The pair remember their friend Paul-Henri Nargeolet, who lost his life in the incident, and discuss why the OceanGate submersible was an accident waiting to happen. Patrick and Rob also stress the importance of third-party certification, and why, when done right, exploring the deep sea is far safer than getting in your car each morning.

The Big BOAT Interview: Bobby Genovese

In this week’s Big BOAT Interview, Lucy Dunn sits down with Bobby Genovese and his fiancée Dee Dee Taylor Eustace. Bobby and Dee Dee are both successful businesspeople in their own right: Bobby, a venture capitalist and Dee Dee, a trained architect and interior designer. Where they come together is their love of yacht design - which takes the form of the classic 48m Feadship BG Charade and 3 other boats in Bobby’s portfolio. But for a serial yacht owner passionate about the ocean are three yachts ever enough? We discuss what’s next on the shopping list for this ocean-loving power couple.

📷: Michael Price

Big BOAT Interview: DKT’s co-founders on humble beginnings, twisting staircases and becoming an EOT

In this exclusive interview with BOAT International’s Sophia Wilson, which is available to be listened to in full through Apple podcasts and Spotify, Trowbridge and Keeling talk through their path to success and growth in the superyacht industry.

In this exclusive interview with BOAT International’s Sophia Wilson, which is available to be listened to in full through Apple podcasts and Spotify, DKT’s Artwork's co-founders Sean Trowbridge and Steve Keeling talk through their path to success and growth in the superyacht industry. They also reveal why they have made the decision to transform the company into an Employee Ownership Trust.

BOAT Briefing: superyachts that need saving, an Alfa Nero update and winding the clock back 40 years

On this week's BOAT Briefing, Stewart is joined by online editor Holly Overton (reigning BOAT International table tennis champion). The pair look at the best travelled superyachts so far in 2023, five classics that are in dire need of rescue and why all aspiring yacht designers should take part in the Young Designer of the Year competition. In the news is the launch of 50-metre Danzante Bay, the new flagship from Crescent Custom Yachts, the latest in the ongoing Alfa Nero sale saga, and the delivery of 109-metre Oceanco Seven Seas. In our data story, and in honour of BOAT's 40th birthday, we wind the clock back and compare superyachts delivered in 1983 with those coming out of shipyards today.

BOAT Briefing: surf n' turf on The World, the OceanGate sub disaster and Instagram fame

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Stewart is joined by Katia Damborsky, aka theyachtwriter, to discuss residential ship The World, the impact of the OceanGate disaster on the world of deep sea exploration, and the miraculous rescue of a man lost at sea by the Feadship W. In the news is the launch of the 47.5 metre Sanlorenzo Para Bellum, the sea trials of Feadship's 84.2 metre Obsidian and the new fastest superyacht in the world, the Bolide 80. The Bolide also inspires our data section, where we look at the speediest superyachts on the waves.

BOAT Briefing: Benetti’s birthday bash, Bermuda and a pink catamaran

In this week’s podcast Stewart has returned victorious from the inaugural Bermuda Captains’ Golf Retreat. He also talks with Sophia about his weekend celebrating Azimut-Benetti’s 150th birthday in Viareggio, which included an opera singer on an elevator and 150 identically-sized waiters. The pair discuss the auction of “abandoned” Alfa Nero, which saw the 81.3-metre Oceanco sell to Eric Schmidt for the curious asking price of $67,000,677. In news this week are updates on Amels’ future flagship, Heesen’s Sparta and TISG’s 73-metre Admiral GC-Force and Vision F’s eye-catching pink catamaran.

BOAT Briefing: Superyacht spotting in London, Ocean Talks and the sailing yacht market

With Stewart away in Bermuda, Caroline and Sophia take the helm of this week’s podcast. They talk about their highlights from last week’s Ocean Talks and announce the preliminary line up for this year’s Explorer Yacht Summit. In the news this week is the Rossinavi explorer Akula, Oceanco’s 111 metre Y722 and the sale of Benetti’s flagship B.NOW model. The data meanwhile looks at the sailing yacht sector, and whether there is an increased demand for sailing yachts with Koru leading the trend for a younger generation of owners.

Boat Briefing: Venice Boat Show, the best classic Feadships on the market and a record month of brokerage sales

In this week’s podcast Stewart and Sophia are back from respective trips to Italy. Stewart recounts his first experience of the Venice Boat Show, while Sophia talks about her trip to Tuscany with Heesen and Luca Dini. They also look at some of the best classic Feadships on the market, and the value that they offer based on the gross tonnage. In the news this week is a Sunreef launch, two new custom projects from Van der Valk and a €20 million price drop on Kismet. They also look at the monthly brokerage figures for May, where the sale of Ahpo has resulted in a record month.

BOAT Briefing: The World Superyacht Awards winners, a trio of superyacht sales, and a Dunkirk Little Ship in need of rescue

This week’s podcast is a World Superyacht Awards bonanza. Stewart and Sophia are fresh back from the celebrations in Istanbul and reveal who picked up this year’s prestigious Neptune trophies. They also discuss highlights from the weekend, including boat tours on the Bosphorus and an after-after-after party. They also find time to discuss the sale of three new-build Admiral 70-metre superyachts by IYC and an 84-year-old yacht that faces being scrapped in France. In the news this week is the sale of Tankoa Yacht’s first TX450 explorer and a trio of launches – Golden Yachts’ 78-metre O'Rea, Arksen’s Project Pelagos, Vanquish Yachts’ flagship VQ115 Veloce.

BOAT Briefing: looking ahead to the World Superyacht Awards, the arrest of Phi and the biggest brokerage deals of 2023

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Caroline and Stewart look ahead to the World Superyacht Awards (and pick a few favourites) and examine the latest legal battle around the detention of the 58 metre Royal Huisman superyacht Phi in London. The pair also discuss some of the winners of this year's Ocean Awards, some Q1 financial results from two of Italy's biggest shipyards and pick a couple of beauties in this week's brokerage showdown. In the news is Feadship's Project 823, which is undergoing sea trials in the North Sea, a construction update on CRN's Project 143, and the launch of a new shipyard in Holland called Leapher Yachts. Our data story, meanwhile, concerns the biggest brokerage deals so far in 2023.

BOAT Briefing: Classic Kalizma under fire, the Greek charter fleet, and one of the biggest brokerage deals in history

Stewart and Sophia return to the podcast this week after respective trips to the Miami Formula One Owner’s Club event and the Spring Cluster Monaco Open Day. The pair discuss the sale of Ahpo, which was asking €330M and has been sold by Moran after less than three months on the market, and the shooting incident involving classic superyacht Kalizma. In news this week is the sportsfisher Catch, Oceanco’s H3 and Heesen’s Project Serena. The data this week celebrates the Mediterranean Boat Show in Nafplio and looks at the stellar fleet that attended the show.

The Big BOAT Interview: Cristina Mittermeier

In this week’s Big BOAT Interview, Lucy Dunn sits down with Cristina Mittermeier, one of the world’s most influential marine conservation photographers. Cristina is passionate about the urgent need to protect our ocean, travelling the world on her catamaran and broadcasting her emotive pictures. On dry land, her foundation, SeaLegacy, shines a global spotlight on the small conservation projects doing vital work. One of its most recent successes includes working with organisations in Panama, Costa Rica, Columbia and Ecuador to create a “migratory corridor” for marine life, an initiative Cristina is now hoping to repeat in Australia and Indonesia.

BOAT Briefing: Q1 brokerage numbers, a stellar week for German shipyards and an unBelizeable FAM trip

In this week’s episode of BOAT Briefing Stewart and Sophia are back together after respective trips to Salone del Mobile Milano and Belize. They discuss some recent negative press surrounding superyachts and how the industry can safeguard its reputation for the future. Brokerage picks this week include the largest wooden superyacht ever built and Lord Sugar’s recently refitted Lady A. News this week covers big launches for Feadship and Lürssen, the return of the Monaco Yacht Show and the Princess Yachts acquisition. Data this week reveals the Q1 numbers for brokerage, with the market showing a dramatic slowdown after the highs of the post-covid brokerage bubble.

BOAT Briefing: Jeff Bezos’s 127m sailer Koru delivered, the history of Saddam Hussein’s 121m yacht, and the Saudi sovereign wealth fund buys into Azimut-Benetti

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Caroline and Cecile kick off with news that 127m Koru has been delivered – and consider whether a sailing superyacht can truly be called a sailing yacht. They delve into the fascinating story of Saddam Hussein’s 121-metre Al-Mansur – bombed by fighter jets – and touch on other dictators’ yachting histories. Cecile’s brokerage pick is the historied 42m Abeking Sea Class, asking $5,900,000 with Denison, while Caroline chooses the 54m Baltic sailer Pink Gin VI, which is asking €25,500,000 with Edmiston after the second of two €2m price drops. In the news is the launch of the Italian Sea Group’s 55m Silver Star, the first Damen Explorer 58 on sea trials, the Saudi Arabian sovereign wealth fund buying into the Azimut-Benetti Group and Burger Boat Company lifting the lid on its largest yacht to date. Our data story, meanwhile, focusses on superyachts built in Spain.

BOAT Briefing: a dramatic rescue in the Caribbean, the trailer park superyacht and the auction of Alfa Nero

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Sophia previews an upcoming trip to Belize while Stewart looks ahead to the May issues of BOAT International and BOAT Ineternational US Edition. The team also digs into the harrowing details of 37-metre sailing yacht Genevieve's rescue of 16 people in a major search and rescue operation in the Caribbean. As well as bringing you the story, we also hear some words of wisdom from Genevieve's captain, Thomas Auckland. Sophia's brokerage pick is the 62-metre Feadship Sea Owl, and Stewart picks the 34m sloop Silvertip (but not before going down another classic-yacht-that-needs-rescuing rabbit hole). In the news is the upcoming auction of 81.3-metre Alfa Nero and further details about Royal Huisman's 81-metre Sea Eagle II. Our data story, meanwhile, concerns superyacht constructed in Turkey.

The Big BOAT Interview: Captain Glenn Shephard

In this week’s Big BOAT Interview, Katia catches up Below Deck Sailing Yacht's Captain Glenn Shephard and finds out that Below Deck is much more "fly on the wall" than we might expect.  Glenn explains why he doesn't get self-conscious about being a reality TV show star and delves into whether he thinks Below Deck shines a negative spotlight on yachting. Plus, he shares his take on the sailing yacht resurgence and sings the praises for the newly-relaunched Perini Navi.

BOAT Briefing: Stewart’s grand Caribbean tour, mega price drops and charter machines

In this week’s podcast, sponsored by KVH, Stewart is back from a long trip attending Between the Bays, St Barth’s Bucket and Palm Beach. As well has his tour across the Atlantic, Sophia and Stewart also chat about corporate consolidations going on across the industry and whether the brokerage market is showing signs of a cool-off period. In the news this week is a construction milestone for Royal Huisman’s Aquarius II, the sale of a 66-metre ISA custom build and a salvage operation to save superyacht 007. The data focus looks at how many yachts were spotted in the Caribbean this season.

BOAT Briefing: World Superyacht Awards nominees revealed, action from the St Barth’s Bucket and last-minute surprises at the Palm Beach boat show

In this week’s podcast Sophia and Caroline kick off with highlights from the St Barth’s Bucket: the coolest rides and the fastest hulls. They also talk through their top picks from the just-announced nominees for the World Superyacht Awards, plus some exciting last-minute additions to the superyacht line-up at Palm Beach International Boat Show. In the news this week is Lürssen’s angular 90-metre Project 1601, illustrious 92.4m superyacht Tatoosh joining the charter market and the Ferretti Group’s €80 million expansion. The data this week compares Palm Beach with Florida’s other major superyacht shows.

BOAT Briefing: Lürssen’s 114m Cosmos Launched, fun from Between the Bays, plus the latest data on big sailing yachts

In this week’s podcast Caroline and Cecile discuss treasure hunts at BOAT International’s Between the Bays event in Anguilla and St Martin. They also speculate on design features aboard Lürssen’s first methanol superyacht. In the news this week is the 112m Freire designed by Bannenberg & Rowell, and the saving of VivieRae after a propeller problem. The data this week focuses on sailing superyachts over 60m.

The Big BOAT Interview: Anthony Hsieh

In this week’s Big BOAT Interview, Katia catches up with mortgage tycoon and serial yacht owner Anthony Hsieh to find out how he came to own a fleet of 10 yachts. Known as the Bad Company fleet, the line-up includes a 44-metre Trinity sportfisher, a 46-metre Damen Yachting support yacht and 28-metre motor yacht, and the soon Anthony will have a brand new 53-metre Damen Yachting in the mix as well. The pair discuss how he uses his fleet for fishing, whether he enjoys the "luxury" aspect of superyachting and what draws him to the Damen Yachting models.

BOAT Briefing: Alfa Nero for auction, classic Feadships for sale, and surviving at sea on condiments

In this week’s podcast Stewart and Sophia start by discussing the remarkable story of the fisherman who spent 24 days adrift at sea and survived by eating ketchup. They also chat about the High Seas Treaty, the news that Alfa Nero is set to be auctioned and pick three Classic Feadships that are searching for new owners. In the news this week is the launch of the third Amels 60, the sale of the Riva 54 Metri flagship and the delivery of 146m Lürssen superyacht Opera. The data this week focuses on the superyachts in the Gulf following the Dubai International Boat Show.

BOAT Briefing: the boats racing in St Barths, Ace's interior and why Corinthian is king

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Stewart and Caroline look back on a wonderful few days in Bermuda for the judging of the World Superyacht Awards, and look forward to two very exciting events in March - Between the Bays and the St Barths Bucket. Caroline goes for a little ship, Lacroma, for her brokerage pick, while Stewart plumps for Pink Gin. In the news this week is Holterman's new X-Treme 78 Sport model, The Italian Sea Group's latest sale and more details on the Four Seasons Yacht in build at Fincantieri. The data story this week takes a deep dive into Tim Heywood's back catalogue, and we also welcome a new sponsor to the podcast – KVH, a global leader in connectivity.

BOAT Briefing: Giorgio Armani goes yachting, Koru's mystery chair and judging of the World Superyacht Awards

In this week’s podcast Stewart and Sophia are back in the office an reminisce on “the best ever” Superyacht Design Festival. They also discuss Sophia’s star-studded evening at TISG for the unveiling of Admiral’s 72-metre collaboration with Giorgio Armani, a mysterious chair on the bowsprit of Koru, and industry leaders’ predictions for the brokerage market in 2023. Stewart also lifts the curtain on the judging process for the World Superyacht Awards, which will take place in Bermuda this weekend. In the news this week is the delivery of the second 60-metre Limited Edition by Amels, the launch of Baglietto’s superyacht custom yacht Francesca II and the sad news that Eleonora E is set to be scrapped following a collision last year. The data this week looks at the classic yacht fleet and which golden oldies are currently on the market.

BOAT Briefing: Miami Boat Show in focus while Lürssen giants hit the water

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Caroline and Cecile discuss their highlights from the Superyacht Design festival in Cortina, as well as the most exciting debuts – and useful statistics – at this year’s Miami Boat Show. In the news this week are two huge launches by Lürssen: 145m Luminance and 90m Project 1601. Finally, the team picks their favourite superyachts new to the brokerage market – see which yachts should be on your wish list.

The Big BOAT Interview: Ian Flanagan, CEO of Voly

In this week’s Big BOAT Interview, Sophia sits down with Ian Flanagan, the straight-talking co-founder of Voly, a yacht and multi-asset financial management solution. Having started his career as a professional tennis player Ian is far from a traditional fintech CEO. The pair discuss the path that led him to founding Voly, the challenge of breaking into the superyacht industry and the financial management challenges faced by captains. With Voly now also offering its services to the music industry Ian also shares the strategy behind the move and reveals his vision for the future of the Voly platform.

BOAT Briefing: a new green fuel, the Holy Grail for designers and the dominance of semi-custom production

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Caroline and Stewart discuss the benefits of designing across the yachting size range, investigate a trial of a new hydrotreated vegetable oil in 44m Sanlorenzo Lammouche and dig into the data around semi-custom superyacht building. In the news this week is Benetti's launch of project FB283, Damen's latest SeaXplorer and the "Burnham Titanic", which has been raised and is on its way to a full restoration. Meanwhile, we launch a new section of the podcast: top brokerage picks. See which yachts Caroline and Stewart singled out this week.

BOAT Briefing: Belize, the National Flagship and Sunseeker's big reveal

After London-based design studio Vitruvius Yachts was the first to reveal previously confidential renderings of its submission for the British National Flagship project, Stewart and Sophia look at details of the concept and discuss some of the other superyacht names that were in the running. Sophia also discusses her trip to the undiscovered cursing grounds of Belize and Stewart covers the latest news from boot Düsseldorf, including the grand reveal of the Sunseeker Superhawk 55. In the news is Rolls-Royce’s testing of a pure hydrogen-powered engine, the christening of the first Sanlorenzo 57Steel Alma, and the sale of the second Sunreef 43M Eco. The data this week looks at the explorer yacht market and the strength of the 24-40 metre sector.

BOAT Briefing: Starlink, boat collisions and the world's most adventurous yachts

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Caroline and Stewart ring in BOAT International's 40th year by looking back at the first ever issue of the magazine published in 1983. They also go down a Starlink rabbit hole and discuss why so many superyachts are adopting the system, they analyse the report into the collision between Utopia IV and the tanker Tropic Breeze in 2021, and look into the recent spate of boat fires and ask: are portable batteries to blame? In the data section, we look at which superyachts travelled the furthest in 2022.

BOAT Briefing: the best value superyachts on the market

In the first podcast in 2023 Stewart reports back from a trip to Wrexham to see Silverlining, and Sophia looks ahead to a visit to Belize. The pair also discuss a busy start to the year for the brokerage market and make their predictions for what is in store for 2023. Stewart also highlights some of the best bargains available on the market using price per gross tonne calculation. In the news this week is Oceanco completing the rebuild of project 1050H, Abeking & Rasmussen’s new flagship, and 110m Radiant arriving for refit at Blohm+Voss. The story, meanwhile, focuses on Germany’s super-sized fleet ahead of boot Düsseldorf.

BOAT Briefing: the big review of 2022, and looking ahead to next year

In this week's podcast, the team wrap up what has been another extraordinary year, and also reveal the winner of this year's big brokerage guessing game. We look back on some of the key event highlights, and examine the stories that you most engaged with in 2022. The team also pick their dream destinations for a superyacht Christmas... 

BOAT Briefing: Design & Innovation Awards finalists announced!

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Stewart is back from his travels in Australia and New Zealand and ready to go full goblin mode, while Sophia imagines cocooning at a private island in Indonesia. The pair discuss the finalists for our BOAT Design & Innovation Awards, which have just been announced, and preview some of the contents of the January issue – out this week – which includes the annual Global Order Book, the 60m Heesen Lusine, new ClubSwan 80 My Song and 43 metre Acala from Cantiere delle Marche. In the news is Project Icecap, which is undertaking sea trials now, 88 metre Maltese Falcon, which is at Lusben for a comprehensive refit, and 92.5 metre Royal Romance, which is set to be auctioned.

The Big BOAT Interview: Pamela and Jaime Ellerston, owners of the yacht Calliope and founders of the Blue Trident charitable Foundation

For today’s BIG BOAT Interview, BOAT US Editor Cecile Gauert spoke with Pamela and Jaime Ellerston, owners of the yacht Calliope and founders of the Blue Trident charitable Foundation.

Last summer around Cape Cod, they took on a group of scientists from the Beneath the Waves Conservation NGO, introduced by the International Seakeepers Society, for one of the very first studies conducted on a large and very little-known fish called mola mola, or ocean sunfish, in its environment. They joined us from their Alpaca farm in Vermont on Thanksgiving eve to talk about their experience with Calliope’s first scientific mission, and what they plan to do next. Find out what happened when they opened their boat to the scientists, helped look for the elusive mola mola, what they found out about the fish, and if there will be a next time.

BOAT Briefing: What’s the Environmental Transparency Index (YETI) and why does it matter?

While Stewart is in Auckland for the Superyacht Gathering and Sophia is recovering from a bug, Caroline and Cecile tackle this week’s news, including their own upcoming trips: Caroline’s quick expedition to Art Basel Miami Beach – the 20th edition and biggest yet – and Cecile’s jaunt to Gdansk to visit the Conrad Shipyard and tour their new yacht Ace. They chat about the yachting industry’s move to a more sustainable future with the Water Revolution’s first Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI 1.0) and Feadship’s move towards a “fuel-agnostic” engine room. They move on to Below Deck Mediterranean star, Captain Sandy Yawn, and her upcoming book, “Be the calm or be the Storm: Leadership Lessons from a Woman at the Helm,” and one of the BOAT’s team own publishing success, Emma Bamford’s best seller Deep Water. And of course, they go over the week’s boat news, including the refit of 63.2m Athos and Perini Navi Isali II, Nobiskrug’s 70m Miza starting sea trials, the sad story of 23m classic Bougie going up in flames in New Orleans, the launch of a new landing craft concept by ROAM and Mondomarine Tribu’s arrival on the brokerage market, a special explorer originally built for Luciano Benetton. Finally, they preview the January issue, and its Top 101 yachts feature by looking at the largest superyacht in the world owned by Americans.

BOAT Briefing: Do the Dutch build the best superyachts?

In this week’s episode of BOAT Briefing, ahead of the start of METS, Charlotte and Sophia take an in-depth look at the current Dutch fleet. They also discuss the December issue, where the cover boat is the Amels 60 Come Together, as well as the launch of the 74m Amels Limited Editions 242. Away from Holland, they report on strong Q3 financial figures for both The Italian Sea Group and Sanlorenzo.

BOAT Briefing: The story behind the abandoned British royal flagship

In this week’s episode, Cecile and Charlotte share news of some major sales in the yachting world – from the iconic 92m Tatoosh, to explorer Victor Vescovo’s 68m Pressure Drop and the accompanying submersible Limiting Factor. They also discuss the UK’s recently scrapped 250m flagship yacht under new prime minister Rishi Sunak, and a growing trend for boats with radically different layouts.
In the headlines there’s a new partnership between Perini Navi and Malcolm McKeon Yacht Design, starting with a 56m ketch; a first look at Permare’s 35.54m Neva; and details of Giorgio Cassetta’s new 35m for Ocean Alexander, a vessel designed to be as reliable as it is stylish. The data story, meanwhile, focuses on this year’s new explorer yachts - including which nations are buying them – while shining a spotlight on a few of the most remarkable ones to check out.

BOAT Briefing: The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show debrief

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing Stewart and Sophia share their thoughts and insights from FLIBS 2022, including the superyachts that caught their eye, the strength of the American market and joy of crab Scoobies. They also pay their respects to two stalwarts of the superyacht world, Henk Wiekens and Peter de Savary, who have sadly passed away in the past couple of weeks. In the news we cover Heesen’s new 50m Steel series, the acquisition of Cantiere delle Marche and the delivery of 85.3 metre Project Globalfast.

BOAT Briefing: must-see superyachts at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, the team discusses the most exciting boats at America’s most important superyacht show, including Sanlorenzo’s hydrojet-powered SP110 and Heesen’s sinuous 50m Project Aura. We preview the upcoming Explorer Yacht Summit in Monaco, including headline speaker and marine adventurer Victor Vescovo, while news covers a brand new 50m Tankoa and a devastating fire in Australia. Our dive into the data looks at the numbers behind the major yacht shows at Cannes, Monaco and Fort Lauderdale, highlighting differences between the kinds of boats we find at each event.

BOAT Briefing: hot charter yachts and brokerage bargains

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, the team discuss Kismet's visit to London and all the other superyachts hovering in British waters, including Northland, Slipstream – and even the research vessel Petrel, which discovered the USS Indianapolis, discussion of which leads to a terrible impression of the character Quint from Steven Spielberg classic Jaws. We talk Below Deck and the boat featuring in Season 10 of the show, and look at the most expensive charter yachts available in the Caribbean this season and the biggest bargains on the brokerage market. Sophia, meanwhile, looks ahead to her first ever Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show and some of the boats she's most excited about seeing.

BOAT Briefing: a closer look at the support boat market

In this week's podcast, Stewart and Sophia reflect on the Monaco Yacht Show and pick out some news stories from the event you might have missed. The brokerage market goes under the microscope as it's revealed that this year trails 2021 by 30% in sales. Sophia highlights a few new boats joining the brokerage fleet, and discusses the findings of a recent survey, which shows just how long people tend to stay in the superyacht industry. Our data story, meanwhile, concerns support vessels: how many are there, who owns them, and what projects you should be looking out for.

BOAT Briefing: The greatest hits from the Monaco Yacht Show 2022

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Charlotte and Caroline take a detailed look at the most spectacular yachts to appear at this year's Monaco Yacht Show, as well as the most exciting stories to emerge from this major superyachting event. In this week’s news, we cover Feadship’s 85m concept Slice, with its bow-to-stern “slice” of glazing; Sunseeker’s volume-packed tri-deck Ocean 460; and Benetti’s 85m custom Project Oro and its 400-square-metre sundeck. In our data story we look at brokerage sales of yachts over 70m.

The Big BOAT Interview: exclusive interview with Carl Allen, superyacht owner and treasure hunter

In this week’s BOAT Briefing, we sit down with superyacht owner Carl Allen, who has discovered one of the richest treasure ships in history, which sunk in stormy weather in the 17th century. Carl discusses his obsession with finding the motherlode, the establishment of a brand new museum in the Bahamas to house it all and his continuing rehabilitation of sportfishing mecca Walker’s Cay.

BOAT Briefing: which boats will steal the show in Monaco this year?

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Stewart and Sophia look ahead to one of the busiest periods of the year for the superyacht industry, and discuss the standout yachts appearing at this year's Monaco Yacht Show. The pair reflect on the impact the 86 metre Nabila (now Kingdon 5KR) had on the superyacht industry, setting whole careers in motion. In the news this week is Lurssen's launch of the massive 146 metre Project Opera, a new 83 metre contract for German shipyard Nobiskrug and the launch by Turquoise of the 53 metre superyacht Jewels. In our data story we look at the numbers behind Monaco – and dig through some of the 5,339 metres of yacht that will be in the show.