The three boats that once belonged to Bernie Madoff generated more than a million dollars for victims of his $65 billion Ponzi scheme on Tuesday. Seventy bidders registered with National Liquidators to chase after the boats, along with a Mercedes and another yacht owned by Madoff's CFO, Frak DiPascali.

"Bull," which was Madoff's 55-foot yacht, sold for $700,000, with the 38-foot "Sitting Bull" following at $320,000 and the 24-foot "Little Bull" fetching a mere $21,000. His 1999 Mercedes Benz CLK 320 convertible was good for $30,000, despite the fact that it has only 12,827 miles on it. The top seller was DiPasclai's 61-foot 2003 Viking sport fishing yacht, which sold for $950,000 at the auction.

The sales were helped along by the fact that Madoff took excellent care of his yachts. Bob Toney, president of National Liquidators, told Bloomberg News, "Mr. Madoff has taken better care of his yachts than anyone else I know," continuing, "they were crew-maintained all the time."

The latest "Bull" from Bernie Madoff is about to be unloaded. His yacht, which bears that name, will join two others under the gavel, and the action before the sale is already impressive. So far, 29 people have thrown down the $100,000 deposit needed to gain a ticket to the party, and the U.S. Marshals Service expects more registrations to come.

There's a theme in the both names. His largest yacht, a 55-foot 1969 Rybovitch sportfisher is called "Bull," and the other two, a 38-footer and a 24-footer, are named "Sitting Bull" and "Little Bull," respectively. Also, Frank DiPascali's 61-foot Viking fishing yacht will be auctioned off on Tuesday. DiPascali was Madoff's CFO.

Non-maritime lots to wind up on the block include a 1999 Mercedes-Benz CLK 320 convertible, with only 12,800 miles on it.

The auction has not been given a presale estimate, figuring that the Madoff name can push prices higher. This is exactly what happened over the weekend, when an auction of the felon's personal effects brought in north of $1 million.

Says Jennifer Crane of the asset forfeiture division of the U.S. Marshals Service, "You can't really put a price on this."

One of New Zealand's richest men, John Spencer, has put his yacht up for sale. The 49-meter (160-foot) superyacht T6 took nearly eight years to build and the interior was only finished a couple of years ago. Spencer made his money from Caxton paper mills and was worth an estimated $265 million when he commissioned the yacht. It was designed by Pieter Beeldsnijder and built by Flyghtship in New Zealand. It is said to be New Zealand's only non-military vessel that can refuel a helicopter at sea. It has five cabins and room for ten crew. The asking price is 39.5 million euros.

The newest price cut in the yacht world is Azimut's spicy 101-foot Paprika. The yacht was built last year and has three cabins. The customized version of the Azimut 103S model has had a variety of changes and upgrades customized for the owner who took possession but then rather quickly had to sell. It includes a below deck media room so that you can watch a movie without being disturbed by on-deck noise. Paprika zips along at a cruising speed of 30 knots. The yacht was originally listed at 8.1 million euros but is now listed at 6.75 million euros.

[via Boat International]

I showed you Lucky Seven last week now here's another "seven" yacht and another deep price cut. Oceanfast's 174-foot Ocean Seven was built in 1994 and designed by Jon Bannenberg, but had a refit last year. The yacht has room for 12 guests in six cabins. The refit included adding a second bonus hot tub on deck in a new deck lounging area forward of the mast and refurbishment of the sundeck and bridge deck areas. The yacht has teak decking, those two spa hot tubs and a deck shower and mister. Inside the large salon is decorated in a sophisticated style and has wood floors. The full-beam owner's suite has a private lounge and his and hers marble lined bathrooms. This yacht was listed at 19 million euros but can now be yours for just 15.5 million euros.

[via Boat International]

Yacht lovers are finding that this is definitely the season to buy. The deals just keep coming. The latest is a $2 million price cut on the 123-foot Muse. Muse is the second in the 123 sports Flybridge series from Palmer Johnson and was built in 2006. The yacht accommodates eight guests overnight in a master suite plus three double cabins and cruises along at 14 knots with speeds up to 23 knots.

The elegant interior is ornamented with hardwood details in a large open area that includes the salon and main dining area. The sycamore dining table offers seating for eight guests and there is is a relaxed cluster of sofas and cozy arm chairs. Dining and cocktailing options also abound outdoors on the main deck where there is an outdoor bar and additional seating. The sundeck includes another table for eight, a webar, barbecue and fridge as well as a Jacuzzi and ample lounging areas.

The master cabin on the main deck has his and hers cedar wood closets, a sofa, writing desk and en suite bathroom and the VIP suite, on the lower deck offers a similar retreat. Muse chartered for as much as $98,000 a week last year during July and August (the charter site features more photos). This yacht is now listed at $11.9 million.

[via Boat International's Brokerage News]

She's been a popular yacht on the charter scene since her launch in 2006 but now Talisman C is for sale. The 178-foot yacht built by Turkey's Proteksan Turquoise can accommodate 12 guests in a master suite, three double and two twin cabins with room for a crew of ten. The yacht has a formal dining room, gymnasium, sundeck with a Jacuzzi and a nightclub-like bar area. She cruises at 14 knots. This yacht is listed at 27 million euros.

The Silver Angel yacht launched earlier this year and is already for sale through Camper & Nicholsons. The beautiful black, white and gray Art Deco interior was designed by Argent Design of London in conjunction with Stefano Natucci. The 211-foot Benetti yacht has accommodation for 12 guests in seven cabins, with a full-width owner's suite and gymnasium with sauna on the main deck. There are two large formal saloons, a formal dining saloon and two dining areas on deck. It also has a fully enclosed sun deck lounge with open areas fore and aft that include a mosaic plunge pool and Jacuzzi, full bar, BBQ and a professional golf tee. This yacht has one of the most exquisite interiors around and an equally phenomenal price, Macolm McLean reports that the asking is 68.5 million euros.

Some of the world's most beautiful yachts are having a tough time selling right now. Mariu is a stunning 163-foot yacht that has berths for 12 guests that was originally built for Giorgio Armani and has an interior done in Armani's sleek minimalist style. The yacht was built by Codecasa in 2003 and was available for charter for a time. The yacht is for sale with Large Yacht Solutions and Malcolm MacLean reports that she has had a price reduction from €23.8 million to €19.95 million. Check out the yacht website here.

Meanwhile, Armani has moved on to a new larger yacht from Codescasa, the military-green Main which he was spotted on last summer.

What happens to dream deferred? Sometimes it ends up for sale. De Valk International has announced a listing for the sale of the partly finished 150-foot displacement motoryacht, "Dream" from the Aarhus Shipyard in Denmark. Shipyard Aarhus had already completed the steel hull and the aluminum superstructure except for the sundeck roof and the yacht wears a coat of primer. Both the interior design and layout of the yacht can be customized for the new owner. It is being sold "as is, where is" for 2.9 million euros. The yacht can be finished within a year which offers a significant time jump versus starting from scratch.

[via Superyacht Times]

If you like your yachts modern let me introduce you to Panther, a 136-foot yacht from Mondomarine with a blue hull and a contemporary interior. The yacht was launched last year and the interior is the understated yet elegant work of Luca Dini Design. The yacht includes a deck Jacuzzi pool and has an aluminum superstructure with teak laid decks. This sleek beauty cruises at 17 knots and can hold 12 guests in six cabins. The owner has already taken delivery of the sister ship, Panther II, which is available for charter. Panther is listed at € 10,900,000 (around $14 million).

[via Superyacht Times]

At least one millionaire is still ready to upgrade to a larger yacht but can he sell the old one first? Irish packing tycoon Michael Smurfit has put his 165-foot yacht, the Lady Ann Magee up for sale for 16.5 million euros. The Herald reports he bought it eight years ago for more than 40 million euros. The yacht has six cabins and has been in charter service for years for around 200,000 euros a week. Rod Stewart hired the yacht after his wedding to Penny Lancaster in 2007. The luxury yacht has a swimming pool, jacuzzi and water toys including a sailboat. The yacht was launched by the Italian shipyard, Codecasa in 2001 and has a cruising speed of 16 knots. The listing says that the owner has a 65 meter (213 foot) yacht launching in 2009 and that the yacht has been "seriously priced to sell in the current market."

Last year, cosmetics tycoon Ron Perelman used his yacht Ultima III to entertain beautiful women. This year, he's hoping Ultima III attracts cold hard cash instead. As The Guardian reports, the billionaire has put the 188-foot yacht on the market for over €50 million euros. The yacht has eight staterooms and an on deck Jacuzzi. She was built in 1998 and has a maximum speed of 16 knots. Perelman and his yacht have been spotted around the globe including in St. Barts and in Cannes for the film festival. The yacht is listed through Edmiston.

When a $1.5 million dollar reduction in price barely makes a dent you know you are talking about one expensive yacht. Perla Blu is a 157-foot yacht which was launched in 2005. The yacht accommodates 10 guests in five cabins and has a glossy, modern interior designed by Patrick Knowles Design. There is external dining areas on all decks, a Jacuzzi and a huge swim platform. The yacht is now listed at $28 million, down from $29.5 million.

[via Superyacht Times]

The Sunseeker 90 Yacht, "Miss Sophie" is a lovely 90-foot yacht that is currently lying in Monaco . She has been pofessionally maintained to the highest level, with an extensive extras package that includes a full hydraulics package, stabilizers, Trac-vision Sat/Phone system, a Bang & Olufsen audio and visual package and extensive navigation systems. The yacht has had a single owner. It is listed at £3.45 million. Check out the gallery below for beautiful shots of Miss Sophie at play.


For more info contact:

Sunseeker London LTD
Harry Bristow-Holmes
Harry@sunseekerlondon.com
+44 7595 002 698