Renowned French champagne house Veuve Clicquot has teamed up with luxury Italian motoryacht maker Riva to produce an amazing new Grande Dame Cruise Collection of coolers and accessories for discerning yachtsmen. It's nothing short of a match made in style heaven of two very chic European marques. The top offering from the collaboration is an $80,000 made-to-order cruising trunk that resembles a small boat in itself and harks back to the golden age of traveling in style which we reminisced about recently. For something done on such a grand scale it's rather refined, a luxurious design without resorting to odious "bling" to attract those with more money than sense.

The trunk comes packed with four bottles (1988) and two magnums (1998) of Clicquot's coveted La Grande Dame champagne, six Riedel crystal champagne flutes and elegant table settings for six people. A smaller limited edition Cruiser Bag comes with a single bottle of Grande Dame and two flutes for more intimate occasions, and a matching ice bucket is crafted with marine flair to spare. All pieces feature the same lacquer work, mahogany inlay, chrome detailing and leather trim found on Riva's beautiful boats.

Riva, which dates from the 1800s, is an icon of the Italian Riviera's Dolce Vita style. The company first captured the attention of movie stars and the international jet set in the '50s. Its classic wooden craft, which inspired the Cruise Collection, have been owned by the likes of Brigitte Bardot, Richard Burton, Sophia Loren, Aristotle Onassis and Prince Ranier of Monaco. Their yachts, including more modern designs, can be seen at the chic European seaside resorts where the bon ton gather, and they have their own line of elegant nautical-inspired clothing as well.

There are many several sites online that help yachts find crewpeople but the latest Hands Om Crew, fills a very specific niche, they find seaworthy yoga teachers and massage therapists. The new company was founded by Denise Dobbs who served for ten years as a stewardess/massage therapist on yachts. The yoga crew agency is building a database of qualified massage therapists and yoga instructors from around the world who are available to serve on charters or private yacht vacations. Each candidate undergoes a three-step interviewing process including giving a massage or yoga class to asses their talents. The company also offers advice on organic/ayurvedic food provisioning for health-minded cruisers.

Yacht owners often are too busy to use their boats for more than a few weeks each year. Another thing to consider, certainly, is the cost of ownership. Yikes. That's the theory behind Luxury Yacht Partners of N.Y. Purchase fractional ownership, rent a yacht for a day or sell part or all of your yacht.

Fractional ownership yachts are a Sunseeker 61' Predator 2003, 25% share, $335,000; or a Burger 81' 1972, 25% share, $195,000, with an optional Robinson R-44 helicopter, 25% share, $45,000. Depending on whether your yacht will stay in the Northeast or be relocated to Florida during the winter, you get 30 - 70 cruising days each year.

All the operational expenses are shared by the up to 4 shareholders, and of course you pay for your own consumables. Operational expenses include docking fees, maintenance, crew payroll, insurance, repairs and a management fee.

Sounds good, and economical, but hold on -- not thrilled about others using "your" yacht? That's why you pay a management fee: A concierge service will ready the yacht for your time at sea, such as stocking your preferred beverage or having available your special sheets. Summer's coming, so buy that share, and get out the sunblock!

Whenever a celebrity tries to sell something expensive on eBay there's always speculation as to motives, but here's a case where it's pretty obvious what the deal is: music producer Scott Storch is short on cash. He's selling his yacht, called "Tiffany," on eBay for well under its $20 million value (per Rolling Stone magazine) because apparently he can't afford to keep it anymore. As of right now it's going for just under $1,000,000. What a deal.

I'm no eBaying expert but I'm not sure it's such a great sales technique to display in big bold letters "THE BOAT IS BEING SOLD UNDER DISTRESS ,OWNER BOUGHT HER AND NOW GOT SHORT ON MONEY." Seems more than a little on the tacky side, and hardly inspires the celebrity "cool" factor that might help it sell for more.

UPDATE: Bidding has ended at $1,000,101, that's a fair amount of cash but not enough to meet the reserve, looks like Storch is going to have to try again.

In the world of megayachts the race to be the biggest is generally defined by one thing, length. While the length of yachts is often disputed (especially right around the time Power Boat & Motor Yacht launches their list of the biggest yachts each year), it is not generally argued that length might be an inaccurate measure of which yachts are biggest. The writers and editors of The Yacht Report have decided that length is a one-dimensional measure of yacht size and that two yachts of equal length might seem quite different in size from the inside. Their measure of size, and the way they have ordered the 2008 Yacht Report, is to list the yachts by gross tonnage. I haven't seen the list yet so I don't know how much this system changes the list of the world's biggest yachts but it certainly is an interesting new twist on the age-old size debate.

Now here's a yacht that will catch an eye or two, plus blow your hair back and give you a thrill. Not to oversimplify things, but it's basically a yacht with a kite instead of a sail. The kite principle takes advantage of the greater and more consistent wind speeds found at higher altitudes, raising the boat to planing speeds and making sailing in the shallows and littorals a realistic option.

And on top of everything else the Kitano Kite Sailing Yacht is environmentally-friendly, so us "greenies" can indulge our love of the water guilt free.


Via Gizmodo

The mysterious Russian businessman who ordered matching yachts is about to get his complete set. A Wisconsin newspaper, The Manitowoc Herald Times Reporter, says that Burger Boats launched the Areti II, the companion to the Areti I, on Saturday. Areti II is a 127-foot, tri-deck yacht and it will join its bookend, Areti I in St. Augustine, Florida after sea trials on Lake Michigan. Areti II will eventually be shipped off to Europe so that the Russian industrialist will have access to a yacht wherever he travels. The pair of yachts are identical except for different artwork in each and each has a cruising range of around 4,000 miles. The article also gives a clue to the reason behind the names. The owner is associated with Itera USA (Ateri is Itera backwards), a company that has interests in energy, timber and real estate. Likely candidates for the mystery owner therefore seem to be the Chairman of the Board, Igor V. Makarov or the President and CEO Raissa M. Frenkel, PhD.

If having a yacht of your own doesn't work for you then chartering one is the next best thing (or maybe it's better? None of the hassles of ownership!) there are lots of choices out there. What amenities are important to you? Where do you want to go? The options are endless, and if money is no object then the luxuries can be too. Ever had the chance to experience any of these megayachts? They're some of the most expensive out there available for charter, and I think they all sound awesome:

• The Christina O $422,000/wk
• The O'Mega $446,080/wk
• The Alysia $912,079/wk
• The Turama $868,644/wk
• The Leander $571,200/wk
• The Lubecker Flender 40 $868,644/wk
• The Princess Mariana $824,840/wk
• The Rm Elegant $618,800/wk
• The Indian Empress $700,000/wk

Another tale of Russian spending for your consumption today. The picture above is from the launch of Areti I, a new 127-foot yacht from Burger. This yacht is the first of two identical tri-deck yachts being built for the same man, a young Russian businessman who has business in two different parts of the world and wants a yacht in both places. His solution was the Areti I and the Areti II, one yacht for the U.S., Bahamas and the Caribbean and one yacht for the Mediterranean, Adriatic and Aegean seas. The interiors are designed with recessed paneled Makoré and fluted column details throughout completing a color scheme of cream, rust and brown. Both yachts have a main deck level master suite and four large guest staterooms below decks. Areti II will launch later this fall.


[via Superyacht Times]

A handcrafted mahogany runabout boat is a classic beauty that never goes out of style. Carlson Boats is a company in Michigan that is creating a new version that has the same visual appeal as the older yachts but with updated design for a sleeker ride. The 25-foot yachts will hit speeds over 50 mph and has hand-polished mahogany,, raw teak decks, and hand sewn leather. The boats seat seven and remind me of the Riva yachts for pure gorgeousness. The first CB25s will be rolled out in 2008 but can be reserved now.

Bradley is the newest catamaran launched by H2X Yachts and Ships. Bradley is an 85-foot yacht which has room for 14 people in five double cabins including a master cabin, with en-suite bathroom and private panoramic terrace. The yacht has a light interior using ceruse oak for the wall partitions and wenge wood for the floor area. The paint work is done in deep blue and silver gray and she has teak decks. The yacht also has a double spa and a well-shaded lounging area. She cruises at 10 knots on two Hamilton hydro-jets powered by twin MAN engines and has a range of more than 1000 nautical miles. A hydraulic lift facilitates the launching of her tender and jet skis. The yacht will be on display at the Festival International de la Plaisance de Cannes 2007 as well as the Monaco Yacht Show. After the jump, Bradley's elegant interior.

[via SYNFO]

From the same publishing company that brought out the massively expensive Pele book comes Superyacht a massive coffee table book devoted to megayachts. The book, which is limited to 1,000 copies includes archive photography and newly commissioned photography of the greatest boats on the water today. The book has 648 full-color pages, gatefolds and is bound in silver Italian silk. Eve more intriguingly, it comes in a clam-shell Lucite case that protects if from water. It sells for $3,950.

Feadship has launched Space, the first in their F45 Vantage semi-custom line. The 146-foot motoryacht is the flagship of the first series of three (the other two are already sold and slated for delivery at the end of 2007 and summer of 2008). The F45 Vantage is designed to be a home away from home and serve as a second home or floating beach house. The designers did with the interior formal dining room and placed the galley on the lower deck to offer more space for guest suites on the main deck. Each F45 Vantage can be customized through four different styles: Miami (classic art deco), Monaco (informal French), Milano (classic modern) and Nautical (distinguished and traditional). The yacht has a speed of 14.5 knots. A second series of three is already in production. The F45s will have four guest cabins (Space has three due to a configuration change). The owner's stateroom has a large glass skylight. Outside the sun deck has a Jacuzzi and sun pads. The lower deck includes the galley, crew mess, captain's cabin and four crew cabins.

A report has reached our friends over at Gadling that Brangelina is buying a ginormous Italian yacht. According to "sources," the couple have ordered a 240 ft yacht from Privilege Yard on the Mediterranean near Rome. Currently, the yard is confirming that a large order has been placed, but isn't saying whether or not it's for the famous couple. The yacht in question features a 6 suites, a swimming pool, and Helipad.

Personally, I doubt the validity of this story. I think that if Brangelina was in the market for a boat, they would be looking at container ships and/or Noah's Ark to fit their ever growing family.