Last week the Belfast Telegraph and other sources reported that Bono had bought the 140-foot Cyan yacht. Now it turns out that the purchaser was a different member of U2, The Edge. Edge told the Irish Independent that he bought the £12m luxury yacht and that his wife Morleigh Steinberg has spent the past few months in the south of France redecorating the yacht. He says it was a dream to own a yacht and that he and a few friends chipped in to purchase the Cyan but that Bono doesn't have anything to do with. In fact, he is quoted as saying "Bono doesn't know a thing about boats."

Several sources are reporting that Bono, the charismatic and charity-minded lead singer of U2 has picked up a new toy, the yacht Cyan. The Cyan, formerly known as the Renalo, was built in 1997 by Codecasa yachts and went through a major refit in 1997. The 140-foot yacht has six cabins with room for 12 guests. Other features include an on-deck Jacuzzi, swim platform and a garage full of water toys. The Belfast Telegraph reports that Bono, his wife Ali Hewson, and their children vacationed on the yacht last summer.

The Cyan charters for between €140,000 and €175,000. It was not listed as being for sale but the estimated asking price is expected to be over €15m. Reports in the Italian media say Bono has repainted the yacht in blue and put in a new stereo system. Pictures of the Cyan from her charter listing are in the gallery below.

On Valentine's Day last week the much anticipated (RED) Auction, benefiting The Global Fund in the fight against AIDS, took place at Sotheby's in New York. With U2 lead singer Bono and artist Damien Hirst bringing together one hundred contributing artists to create inspirational works of art for the auction, the feeling of love (for our fellow brothers and sisters fighting HIV/AIDS in Africa) was in the air. The auction raised an incredible $42.5 million and also set record sales for seventeen of the artists who contributed. It was an amazing evening that brought a star-studded crowd together for a noble cause -- now that's doing something beautiful with your money.

Celebrities and their motorcycles have had a long and enduring affair. From before the iconic movie, Easy Rider, celebrities, mostly men, have taken to the open road. Why the link between the famous and the fast? Certainly wherever there is money there are toys to spend it on but could there be more to the lure. I asked Mike Werner, the man behind Bikes in the Fast Lane Motorcycle News for his take on the link between the two. Mike has an interesting theory. He says there are three basic types of celebrity motorcycle riders: the ones who are riding to look cool and may have many bikes but not so many miles on the bikes, the "real biker" celebs who were into biking before they became famous and now have the money and time to indulge their passion and the ones who started off riding as a fashion statement but then found themselves getting really into motorcycles. Mike Werner cited Robert M. Pirsig, the author of the much-loved book Zen And The Art Of Motorcycle Maintenance who said that the allure of riding a motorcycle is that you are one with the road in a way you cannot be in a car, you are exposed to the weather and the air and the smell of the road.

Motorcycles also offer an escape from the world of celebrity, the chance to feel free and slip away from the world. It's no surprise that many of the celebrity motorcycle riders are also pilots. Each offers both the exhilaration of potential danger as well as the feeling of mastery, to be both in control and yet aware that you are not completely in control, that the environment you are in also controls you. I suspect that being famous can be similar in some ways, a odd juxtaposition of power and powerlessness.

Paris Hilton, to my knowledge, has never been seen, outside of the red carpet of course, on the $250,000 custom motorcycle she is shown riding in the picture above. The gallery below includes just some of the celebrities famous for loving and riding (at least to premieres) their motorcycles.

You are probably familiar with (RED) the charity which has raised millions of dollars for HIV/AIDs treatment through a variety of commerce-related tie-ins such as sneakers, watches, clothing and gadgets from retailers that include Armani, the Gap and Motorola. Much of the money from Project (RED) has been given to The Global Fund which saves lives by providing resources for countries struggling against the spread of disease.

The latest (RED) project is designed to tempt well-heeled art collectors. Artist Damien Hirst has put his considerable skills of promotion to good use by inviting more than 100 artists to contribute to an auction to benefit (RED), The auction will be held on Valentine's Day next year in New York. The pieces are inspired by the color red and dedicated to raising awareness of HIV/AIDS. Contributing artists include Jeff Koons, Jasper Johns, Matthew Barney, Georg Baselitz, Cecily Brown, Douglas Gordon and of course Hirst himself who has contributed seven works including a red heart-shaped butterfly painting entitled All You Need is Love.

Money raised by the auction will go directly to The Global Fund. You may not be able to buy a Hirst original but any donation to The Global Fund is worthwhile. The Global Fund has might great strides in the fight against AIDS, tuberculosis and malaria. All of your donation will go to the Global Fund and its programs with no portion being diverted for administrative costs by the United Nations Foundation.

[via AP]

A preview of some of the works was held on December 5. Pictures are below in the gallery.

U2 singer and activist, Bono, is auctioning off his Ducati 916 motorcycle on December 2nd at the International Motorcycle and Scooter Show in Birmingham, UK. This bike was also previously owned by the late INXS singer Michael Hutchence and another U2 member, Adam Clayton. Quite the special ride! The proceeds from this auction will support Riders for Health, a self-funded organization that carries out its healthcare mission in Africa by using motorcycles to reach remote locations. So if you are looking for a new ride that has a celebrity history and connections to a great cause bid on December 2nd at the Black Horse Stage in the Arai Entertainment zone at 12:00. Best of luck!

This new special edition iPod is a tribute to the band U2. The casing is black and it has a black steel back, which is engraved with the signatures of the band members. Differentiating it from other black iPods is the distinctive red click wheel. The iPod has 30GB of storage, with room for up to 7,500 songs, 25,000 photos, or 75 hours of videos. The black U2 iPod is $329. Included with purchase is an exclusive 30-minute U2 video from iTunes.

 

Forget the pink Slvr, Motorola has just announced the red Slvr which is not only attractive, it's part of the Project Red Campaign led by Bono. A percentage of the profits from each red Moto Slvr phone goes to  The Global Fund to help eliminate AIDS in Africa. Also every time you use the phone a portion of your normal charges are also donated. It's available in the U.K. and should come to the States later this year. You can sign up for the wait list here.

[via Esato]

Who else would you pick to advertise a project named red but woman named Scarlett. Scarlett Johansson has been announced as the face of RED, the new multi-brand project that will donate a portion of profits to the Global Fund which fights TB, Aids and malaria in Africa. The project involves brands including American Express, Gap, Converse and Armani. RED will officially launch on Wednesday in Britain.

The Associated Press reports that Bono announced a new program to fight HIV and AIDS in Africa. Products under the Red brand will divert some revenue to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. So far American Express, Converse, Gap and Giorgio Armani have jumped on the Red bandwagon. The red American Express card will launch in Britain next month. Some of the products will be produced in Africa with African materials. It is hoped that the new initiative will raise millions of dollars for the Global Fund.