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."

The commencement of construction for any yacht is exciting, but Hull 508 for Burger Boat Company is particularly noteworthy. A 140-foot trideck that is just a few weeks into production (see the aluminum plates being grinded above), she's being built using modular construction techniques.

What's modular construction? As the name suggests, the yacht is divided into modules, or sections, that can be built independently, allowing the craftsmen to start some sections far earlier than they would be able to if the hull's and superstructure's components were each built the traditional way, as single pieces. The modules can also be built with piping and/or wiring spaces already measured out and cut. All of this, in turn, permits a shorter build time and should increase efficiency. And not just for Hull 508, but for future megayachts in this size range, too, since Burger could apply one or more of the modules to similar-size projects it signs in the coming months and years.

Though modular construction is not a new process in vessel construction, as commercial builders have been doing it for some time, it's still relatively new to megayacht construction, with Icon Yachts among the few yards embracing it.

Set for launch in spring 2010, Hull 508 will accommodate 10 in the owner's party between traditional staterooms on the lower deck and a full-beam (29-foot), main-deck master suite. The owner will also benefit from an office aft of the wheelhouse, should he or she need to conduct business while onboard. For fun, Hull 508 will feature the usual indoor and on-deck lounging areas as well as a hot tub with sunpads on the sundeck and a glass-enclosed gym. The latter will be accessible from a glass-enclosed elevator connecting all of the decks.

Azimut is known mostly for its small and midsize production boats, but with the addition of a new model in its Flybridge series as well as the creation of an entirely new series, the Italian yard is reaching more toward and into the megayacht market. It's all part of a plan to present 14 new boats of various sizes within the next 14 months.

The first of the new Flybridge yachts is the Azimut 82, seen above. While she made her world premiere at the Genoa Boat Show in October, she'll hit American shores in February 2009, at the Miami boat show. She features a sporty hardtop with a sliding sunshade in the middle, bow seating and sunpads, a good-size L-shape seating/dining spot next to the interior helm and beneath the expansive windshield, and wood soles on the main deck.

As for the new series, it's called Magellano. The first model will measure 72 feet, just shy of the megayacht mark, but word is that Azimut plans larger craft in the coming years. It's aimed at owners who have a Flybridge or similar-style yacht and want to cruise more often, over longer distances. Azimut says the 72, set for debut in 2010, should be capable of cruising at more than 20 knots and see a 1,500-nautical-mile range. In addition, as Azimut puts it, "Magellano will be focused on those who have an authentic passion for the sea...and aren't afraid of adverse weather conditions but nevertheless want to surround themselves with fine details and luxurious finishings." While no sketches have been released, the series is from the drawing boards of Ken Freivokh.

Since Azimut estimates these and the other new models will double its production, it recently acquired a new facility in Sardinia as well as one in Savona. These will complement existing production facilities in Avigliana and Viareggio.

And in yet other Azimut news, the company announced an extended partnership with MarineMax in the United States. MarineMax will now serve as its exclusive dealer for Florida, on top of being the exclusive Northeast dealer. Sales networks in existence elsewhere will also sell the new models.

Back in September I got an overview of Feadship's newest concept project, C-Stream, thanks to Royal De Vries' chief Henk De Vries. I was impressed with the various features. There's the Wave Deck, an aft-deck space that can host intimate receptions, alfresco dining, or even huge parties (complete with a band) thanks to tables and other sections that pop up from the sole or even detach. As to the latter, an area called the Float does just that. Then there's the Shoot and the Split, with the Shoot being an inside-the-yacht slide, and the Split being a separate section at its bottom end containing a Jacuzzi and a big picture window. Since the Jacuzzi straddles the waterline, the window provides cool views above and below the waves.

At the time, images were not available, so I couldn't truly convey how creative this family-oriented superyacht was. At long last, however, I can show you some of the highlights. Enjoy the slide show.

Just a few weeks after Palmer Johnson received approval to build a new yacht facility in Southampton, England, it's looking for even more new places to build, this time a little closer to home.

According to an article in the Green Bay Press Gazette, Mike Kelsey, the yard's president, says the existing facility in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin, is at capacity, despite recent expansions of both yacht-construction and paint buildings there. In fact, he told the paper that Palmer Johnson has quadrupled production within the past three years. Despite the increase in business, the yard cannot find enough highly skilled craftspeople to continue to expand in Sturgeon Bay--but pools of workers experienced in welding aluminum, pipe fitting, and marine electrical systems exist in other areas of Wisconsin and neighboring Michigan.

Building hulls and/or superstructures as well as other select parts in these regions won't pose a problem for Palmer Johnson. "We have also invested significantly in designing and engineering a new production methodology based on a modular concept, which allows us to build large components of a yacht off-site," Kelsey was quoted as saying.

The paper didn't mention specific towns, but it did state that once the new facilities are up and running, the Sturgeon Bay yard will be used mostly for assembly and finishing.

Last night I attended the premiere party for Lazzara’s new LSX 92. The sleek superyacht shares some features with her smaller sister, the LSX 75, such as an atrium-like galley and an articulating helm. She has plenty of other high-tech features, which I’ll share in a full “Megayacht News Onboard” story in the coming weeks, but for now, I’d like to focus on another incredible craft from Lazzara. While some people are calling it the “boat show barge,” since it’s the platform the yard is using to welcome visitors to its display, Dick Lazzara, who with his brother Brad run the Florida-based yard, calls it a sales showcase. I call it a great idea.

Why? It’s hard to tell in the photo above, which I took last evening, but the building behind the 92 is actually a 90-foot by 40-foot, self-sufficient craft, equipped with engines, gensets, even a galley and two staterooms, all below deck, with a reception area on the main deck and private offices one level up. Dick designed it, the Lazzara team built it; it even meets the hurricane codes that state glass should withstand 150-mph winds. The Lazzara team literally drove it from the Gulf Coast, where the yard is located, across the state to Fort Lauderdale at a 4-knot pace over the past few days. The idea is to use it for each local boat show, even the annual Lazzara rendezvous, and eventually build a fleet of “baby brothers,” as Dick phrased it, to introduce clients to Lazzara’s yachts and philosophy.