We've seen knife bows on megayachts, but how about on tenders? That's one of the highlights of Elektra, a lovely little launch from Patterson Boatworks in the UK. But a bigger highlight is her status as an electric boat: She runs on a Lithium battery pack.

Why Lithium? Patterson says it weighs one-third that of lead-acid batteries and has a longer lifespan, about 3,000 recharges. The team is apparently still testing the 23-kW Lithium setup, but initial sea trials saw a 15-knot top speed, which they maintained over the course of an hour. Her best cruise from an efficiency standpoint is down around 6.5 knots, which should result in a range of 75 to 100 miles.

Patterson Boatworks was founded to build and restore modern racers as well as traditional and composite boats for yachtsmen who prioritize performance and style. The build team, Simon and Hamish Patterson, embraces both contemporary and classic design and build principles. They'll use the latest technologies in composites, yet marry components made with this method to ones constructed of wood.

That's what they did with Elektra. The carbon fiber and foam hull is married to a decking of English oak, cherrywood, and Douglas fir. The pale-blue paint job does a fine job of making the beautifully crafted wood (check out this wheel) stand out.

To get a better look at her, here's a video clip from her sea trial.

With this being the start of 2009, here's wishing all of you a Happy New Year. Many of you may be glad to put 2008 behind, given the distressed economy and specifically the softening of the charter-yacht market and the overall yacht market. Some builders and designers are still taking orders, thankfully, so here's a toast to 2009: May it mark a positive change for all.

Positive things will certainly be coming to Megayacht News in the new year. I'll be introducing new features, some of which will roll out within the next few weeks. They're part of the overall goal I set in creating Megayacht News in the summer of 2007: to enlighten, educate, and yes, even entertain people like you.

In 2008 alone, there were a dozen "Megayacht News Onboard" features about new deliveries, coverage of The Superyacht Cup races, and even straight-up news about proposed EPA legislation that would require permits to be obtained. Many of you commented either online or via e-mail on these and many other stories, and many of you also took action, whether to place an inquiry with a shipyard or even to fulfill the need for more crewmembers. (That story in particular generated literally hundreds of leads for Ultimate Crew--which, incidentally, is accepting applications for 2009, so spread the word.)

Because of all this, I'd like to ask for your support in the North American Marine Industry Web Award competition. Megayacht News is eligible in the "Best Marine Site - Editorial Content" category, which recognizes sites with content that engages, informs, promotes, and compels action. Click here to fill out the entry form. Voting closes January 15.

Thanks for reading, writing, and encouraging others to do the same. And it bears repeating: Happy New Year.

photo: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

For years yacht-brokerage houses have been offering management services to owners of every megayacht make. The shipyards themselves stayed out of the process, seeming to prefer focusing more on construction and refit--or perhaps just not thinking of yacht management as an opportunity.

Well, that's been changing in recent years. Sunseeker owners are the latest to benefit from a new service division, which will launch at the London International Boat Show in about two weeks.

Called Sunseeker Superyacht Management, the firm, independent of the shipyard, will oversee all maintenance, operation, and administrative tasks of a Sunseeker. Based in Golfe Juan in the South of France, the office will work with owners throughout the Mediterranean and beyond.

Capt. Ben Young, the founder and managing director of Sunseeker Superyacht Management, holds a Class IV, 3,000-ton license, so he knows the complexities of finding and hiring the right captain, one of the handful of services the company will offer. Classification, flag-state paperwork, even compliance with what's commonly called mini-ISM, a safety-management system required by MCA for yachts measuring more than 24 meters up to 500 gross tons.

Besides taking on the operational oversight, Sunseeker Superyacht Management anticipates helping owners preserve their yachts' worth. "It's also no secret that a properly managed and maintained yacht retains a much higher value long-term," Young says. "With our specialist knowledge we can provide exceptional management support--reducing the risk of incidents onboard and making financial savings in the day-to-day running of the vessel."

If you've been following megayachts for a while, no doubt you're familiar with the name John Staluppi. For those of you new to spotting, Staluppi is an ardent yachtsman who has christened many a megayacht in his day, all bearing the names of James Bond flicks: Octopussy, Moonraker, The World Is Not Enough, you name it. His latest delivery, the 163-foot Casino Royale, not only keeps the Bond theme going, but delivers it in spades (no pun intended).

The first hint you're in for a shaken-not-stirred experience lies immediately inside the doors from the main aft deck. Check out the roulette wheel design in the photo above. It's even more impressive close up, with intricate inlays of stainless steel, marble, and other stones as well as wood.

In fact, there's an enormous amount of impressive stonework aboard this Christensen. Instead of carpeting being underfoot throughout the saloon and dining room, the sole is entirely made of marble, and it continues forward through the guest lobby along the starboard side and even into the galley on the port side. (Let's just hope the chef doesn't spill anything wet or otherwise slick underfoot.) Note the intricate rope-like inlays defining the saloon's sole above, much the way a Persian rug or custom carpet would.

Not only does this amount of stone mark a first for Christensen, but it also does for Staluppi. Those of you who know his yachting background probably recall that the luxurious details aboard Octopussy and Moonraker were executed with specialized coring materials to keep weight down, since each boat was intended to be a record-setter in the performance department. (And they were, achieving 52 knots and nearly 67 knots, respectively.) But since Staluppi wanted to emphasize decor over speed with Casino Royale, weight savings wasn't as much of an issue. As a result, the more than 800,000-pound-displacement, all-fiberglass yacht, fitted with twin 12V 4000 Series MTUs, tops at "just" 17 knots.

Speaking of the MTUs, anyone who doesn't ordinarily visit the engine room would be remiss to repeat the behavior aboard Casino Royale. The plethora of chrome here is dazzling, literally and figuratively. Since Staluppi is also a car collector and owned several car dealerships in years past, he knows a thing or two about detailing, and he had a specially selected team work with Christensen's craftsmen to ensure his yacht's engine room would be a showpiece. Though you can't tell in this view, even the fire extinguishers got the polished accents.

But back to the Bond theme. Check out the staircase, located in the central lobby. It's adorned with backlit glass panels that feature the famous gun-barrel spiral seen in every Bond flick, with silhouettes of Bond babes posing inside them. There are similar designs, this time with Bond himself, on the elevator doors, which allow Staluppi, his wife Jeannette, and guests to access all deck levels, including the sundeck. More Casino-esque elements await up there, in the form of two tables faced with the ace of spades and the Jack of spades.

Recognizing that carrying the secret agent theme throughout every room onboard would be overkill, the Staluppis worked closely with Christensen's team to fashion guest-friendly, comfortable spaces. The four guest suites are beautifully appointed with rich fabrics and high-gloss mahogany wood, and the backlit onyx bar in the skylounge is so well executed that it's sure to be a favorite of everyone who boards. Three plasma TVs in the skylounge--one forward, one in each aft corner--keep the emphasis on entertainment.

As I mentioned a few months ago, Staluppi said this project was "the most customer-friendly and enjoyable experience I've ever had." So it probably comes as no surprise that he's going to be a repeat customer of Christensen's, presently planning another build.

Until that one debuts a few years from now, here's more of Casino Royale.