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Events
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Written by Diane M. Byrne
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Monday, 03 November 2008 07:00 |
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Put a few hundred people into a large ballroom for a long evening's event, and chances are at least a few dozen of them will end up talking through the presentations on stage. Now gather those people during a boat show, where everyone in the room has spent the past 12 hours or so meeting with potential and current clients, and the attention span is harder to keep focused, mostly because they're tired.
But last Thursday evening, during the annual International Superyacht Society awards gala, everyone in the room snapped to attention--and many even rose to a standing ovation--when Alice Huisman, managing director of Royal Huisman, received the Society's Leadership Award.
The Superyacht Society bestows the award on an individual (sometimes a company) who has helped grow the megayacht community worldwide through distinctive work and commitment to the industry overall. Alice (pictured, with Eric van Hulst, the yard's technical director, at left and Bert Loof, the yard's finance director, at right) has certainly done that. The fourth generation of Huismans to run the yard, Alice not only has kept it competitive and steadily grown it as one of the most well respected megayacht builders, but she's also done so in just four years as the managing director.
From the restoration of the famed J Class yacht Endeavor to the construction of famed sailing yachts like Juliet and Hyperion, Royal Huisman made a name for itself building some of the finest superyachts around. Alice's father Wolter, the grandson of the yard's founder, was largely responsible for this, growing the yard from a staff of a few dozen to a staff of a few hundred and additionally growing its expertise into Alustar (a lightweight aluminum) and advanced composites.
When Wolter retired in 2004, Alice became managing director. She'd spent 24 years at the yard, and because it was a family-run business, she was a natural choice. Still, there was some concern when Wolter died a year later: What would happen to the venerable Royal Huisman?
Alice was more than up to the challenge of quelling any fears. Besides the years she put in, she knew the yacht world inside and out. This was a person, after all, whose normal family dinners included the likes of famed designer Olin Stephens.
Since becoming managing director, Alice has overseen some 29 yacht projects, including the completion of the 295-foot schooner Athena and the 118-foot classic motoryacht Arcadia. "Wolter's spirit prevails through Alice and her team," George Nicholson, the founder of Camper & Nicholson who received last year's Leadership Award, said in a statement that was read during the presentation.
When Alice approached the podium to accept her award and speak, it was clear even from the back of the ballroom that she was moved. "I'm stunned, I'm thrilled, I'm excited," she said, with a bit of a tremble in her voice. "With the list of people who've won this award, I'm honored." She thanked the yard's craftsmen and clients like Jim Clark, the owner of the 295-foot schooner Athena and 155-foot Hyperion before that, for believing in her.
And we all have Alice to thank for believing in herself. This is a well-deserved award.
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Written by Diane M. Byrne
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Wednesday, 29 October 2008 07:20 |
I'm in Fort Lauderdale today for the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, a.k.a. FLIBS, which starts tomorrow. There's a multitude of megayachts on my must-see list: Trinity's Destination Fox Harb'r Too and Norwegian Queen, Christensen's Casino Royale, the new Vripack-designed Doggersbank Beothuk, and plenty more.
I have some meetings today and hope to get a sneak peek at the goings-on around the docks later, so that I can post a photo or two as the day goes on. Of course, Thursday and Friday I'll have more news here on the blog, but I'll also be sending information out via Twitter throughout both days. You can get those straight to your inbox by signing up here.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 29 October 2008 16:02 )
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Written by Diane M. Byrne
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Monday, 13 October 2008 06:06 |
Late last Friday I received word that Super Yacht Bowl, which I detailed here (and which inspired TheBoaters.tv vidcast today), has been cancelled. It's unfortunately a casualty of the difficult (to say the least) economic times we're in.
The organizers aren't the only ones feeling the risk is too great to ignore: Apparently some NFL sponsors have scaled back or withdrawn financial support for events that weekend.
Any owners who reserved slips for Super Yacht Bowl will receive a refund. Of course, if you'd still like to take your boat to St. Petersburg for the big game, the Vinoy Renaissance marina is still open for business, as are the two city marinas. Super Yacht Bowl's organizers are continuing to direct inquiries to the dockmasters, in fact.
In the meantime, let's hope the current economic climate stabilizes soon, even ever so slightly, for all our sakes. There's too much fear and uncertainty, and it's not doing anybody any good, no matter what their station in life.
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Last Updated ( Wednesday, 15 October 2008 12:42 )
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Written by Diane M. Byrne
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Monday, 06 October 2008 06:06 |
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If you can't make it to the Super Bowl, then let Super Yacht Bowl bring the festivities to you.
From January 30 to February 2, 2009, yachts and megayachts from 50 feet on up to more than 100 feet will be gathering in St. Petersburg, Florida, the next-door neighbor of Super Bowl XLIII host city Tampa, for events celebrating the best of onshore and on-the-water luxury. Specifically, Super Yacht Bowl will include a yacht hop and a yacht christening, a dinner dance with NFL alumni, and of course, on Super Bowl Sunday itself, either transportation to and from the big game (if you have tickets) or a private viewing of it on a giant screen, in a tent on the terrace of the Renaissance Vinoy Resort.
In fact, the Vinoy is serving as headquarters for Super Yacht Bowl, providing dockage for 50- to 70-footers, and it's extending special guest-privileges packages to those megayacht owners and their friends who'll be docked at Port St. Pete (100- to 400-footers) or St. Pete Municipal Marina (75- to 99-footers). (See map illustration below.) Privileges include golf as well as use of the spa and fitness facilities. The two St. Pete city marinas will offer full service for a three-day Super Yacht Bowl price. Chauffeured transportation will be available to ensure owners and their guests at the city marinas don't miss out on the yacht hop and other festivities, too. All told, Super Yacht Bowl anticipates accommodating upwards of 100 yachts.
The organizer of Super Yacht Bowl is Les Abberley, former publisher of Showboats magazine and currently the owner of Blue Highway, an events-promotion and marketing company. Among his notable events: the Acura Yacht Club, held during the Honda Grand Prix in St. Petersburg. In fact, Abberley's experience with setting up the docks next to the race route got him thinking more about "bringing yachts to a great event onshore," he tells me. "Super Bowl seemed a natural," he explains. "It's the biggest sporting event in America." And, he adds, because "there are people who no matter what the economy will still go boating," what better way to encourage them to enjoy "the luxury of being on their own yacht in the ambiance of Super Bowl with their family and friends."
Among the yachts that will be attending Super Yacht Bowl: Lazzara's new 92 LSX and the 101'6" Burger Tò-Kalòn, one of which is expected to be christened that weekend. Word is that Tatoosh or her big sister Octopus may also make an appearance in the area. It wouldn't be surprising, considering owner Paul Allen also has a stake in the Seattle Seahawks. Other NFL team owners, including those for the New Orleans Saints, Miami Dolphins, and Washington Redskins, have also reportedly inquired about yacht reservations. (Those of you who follow both football and the sport of yacht-watching will know that the Dolphins and Saints owners each have a history of megayacht ownership.)
To reserve your spot at the Super Yacht Bowl Marina, the collective name for all three marinas, visit the Super Yacht Bowl Web site.
In addition, I'm pleased to announce that Megayacht News is one of the media sponsors of the event. I'll be reporting each day about the previous day's and night's activities. And of course, in the weeks leading up to Super Bowl, I'll post updates accordingly.
While the NFL says 7.5 million parties are held each year during Super Bowl, it's safe to say none have ever been like this.
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Written by Diane M. Byrne
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Wednesday, 01 October 2008 06:06 |
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Few things can stop the action at the Monaco Yacht Show, or really any boat show that attracts determined buyers. But last Thursday, for about half an hour, everyone along the docks in Monaco had their necks craned toward the sky. If the show above hadn't been so amazing, the sight on the ground would have been comical: Picture hundreds of people lined several deep along the quay at Port Hercule, paying absolutely no attention to the megayachts on display. And yes, I was among the people standing gape-mouthed.
The Red Arrows, a.k.a. the British Royal Air Force Aerobatic Team, swooped and dove to the delight of the crowd, with streams of colored smoke trailing behind. The performance was sponsored by several British companies, to celebrate their country's superyacht services.
Here are two clips from the performance; at times you can hear a representative of the Red Arrows describing the formations the planes are making.
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