Hot off the press comes news of the biggest sale so far this year, the 78.6m Princess Mariana, a joint listing between Fernando Nicholson and Rick Morales at Camper & Nicholsons and Merle Wood and Peter Croke at Merle Wood & Associates. Ken Denison at Denison & Daves introduced the buyer, a long-standing American client of his.
Currently 64th in our list of the largest yachts in the world, Princess Mariana was designed by Espen Oeino and built by Royal Denship in 2003. She has a spacious interior by Francois Zuretti and is equipped with every conceivable amenity, including a helipad, a party deck with disco and a cinema. Her stern compartment can be flooded, allowing the tenders to drive out through the transom door. With the tenders removed, the tender bay becomes a huge swimming pool flanked by a shaded beach. She can accommodate 12 guests in a full beam owner’s suite with private terrace, plus two VIPs, two doubles and a twin cabin.
Her final asking price was $98 million. Speaking with Rick, Fernando and Ken, the deal was one of the longest and most elaborate they have worked on and required a huge amount of cooperation between all the brokers to make it happen. And they all agree that the end result is great, not just for those directly involved, but for the industry as a whole - Fernando describes it as a real morale booster after what has been a very tough couple of years. And there are definite signs that things are picking up, particularly in the US market. This is the 80th sale we have reported in 2011, well ahead of last year, and as I write this news of the 81st arrives in my inbox (more on that later). As Ken says, "It's all starting to happen..."
On a final note, Ken also tells me that Denison & Daves has been appointed as charter agent for Princess Mariana, and has a month of bookings lined up already. She is currently undergoing a major refit in Florida to make her 'as new' and will cross over to the Mediterranean in mid-July.