Switzerland Brief

Switzerland Luxury Yacht Charter & Superyacht News

Yello in partnership with the 35m catamaran yacht MS Tûranor PlanetSolar

February 24, 2012

While the 35m catamaran yacht MS Tûranor PlanetSolar is currently cruising the Red Sea, as a part of her first expedition around the world, there is a new and popular artistic leading light: Yello, the renowned Swiss electronica band, becoming her project partner. Yello will be the MS Tûranor PlanetSolar yacht´s both sponsor and Official Sound Partner.

The 35m catamaran yacht MS Tûranor PlanetSolar

The 35m catamaran yacht MS Tûranor PlanetSolar

Yello is a Swiss band consisting of Dieter Meier and Boris Blank which has been internationally known for 30 years already. They successfully managed their way to the top of the music charts in the entire world thanks to their hit “Oh Yeah”. After revolutionising electronic music through innovative sounds and futurist melodies, Yello has rocked a generation with more than 20 studio albums. The mythical band of the 80′s is now coming back on stage as sponsor and official composer of the PlanetSolar yacht soundtrack.

Partnership promoting sustainable mobility
Willing to get involved in favour of a vision with alternative energy, Dieter Meier and Boris Blank are joining the solar adventure in order to pass on their message to the whole world. “Music is an excellent tool for delivering a positive message. We share PlanetSolar values and spirit; hence, it comes as very normal to us to join this project that is part of a sustainable approach”, the two Swiss musicians declared during a press conference in Zürich.

The 35m yacht PlanetSolar

The 35m yacht PlanetSolar

Two original compositions called Blue Horizon AM & Blue Horizon PM have been created to accompany the highlights of PlanetSolar, until the expected arrival in Monaco in May. The band will also be there to celebrate the success of this unique project. From now on, the new soundtracks dedicated to the PlanetSolar yacht will be part of all multimedia communications and project events. This makes Raphaël Domjan, project originator and Yello fan, particularly happy.

“Enjoying the support and aura of Yello is a great honour for us!” he says. “Their original and innovative vision of music is in line with our frame of mind. We are proud to be accompanied by those talented musicians for the last part of our adventure.”

The partnership between Yello and the catamaran yacht PlanetSolar is supported by Couleur 3, which is exclusively broadcasting the two unreleased compositions. The third radio channel of the Radio Télévision Suisse has always supported Yello. While celebrating its 30th birthday, Couleur 3 seizes the opportunity offered by this original partnership to introduce its audience to the new compositions of the mythical duet.

The PlanetSolar Yacht Interior

The PlanetSolar Yacht Interior

About PlanetSolar
The PlanetSolar yacht was initiated by the Swiss Raphaël Domjan and has its headquarters in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland. The MS Tûranor PlanetSolar, built in Kiel, Germany, is a catamaran powered exclusively by solar energy. It is covered with 537 m2 of photovoltaic panels. After two years of design and construction, PlanetSolar is behind many technological advances, especially in the field of composite manufacturing and storage of solar energy.

The catamaran yacht PlanetSolar is primarily funded by private partners, the Swiss watchmaker Candino and German specialist in energy management Immosolar, but also by public institutions, including the Swiss Confederation, with “Presence Suisse”. Moreover, PlanetSolar uses weather forecasts offered by MeteoFrance. An innovative software has been developed specifically for this expedition with the support of the HEIG-VD in Yverdon.

Features of the catamaran yacht MS Tûranor PlanetSolar

Length: 35 m / Width: 23 m
Height: 6.10 m / Weight: 95 t
Solar Panels: 38’000 with 22,6% yield
Maximum engine power: 120 kW
Average Engine: 20 kW (26.8 HP)
Crew: min 4 people

Thierry Martinez wins Yacht Racing Image of the Year 2011, presented by Mirabaud

December 15, 2011

The annual award for the best yacht racing photograph was presented to French photographer Thierry Martinez today at the World Yacht Racing Forum, the annual meeting place for yachting professionals, held in Estoril, Portugal from 13 to 14 December.

Yacht Racing Image of the Year 2011 by Thierry Martinez - Copyright Thierry Martinez

Yacht Racing Image of the Year 2011 by Thierry Martinez - Copyright Thierry Martinez

Forty photographers competed for the title of “Yacht Racing Image of the Year, presented by Mirabaud”, among them some of the best yachting photographers in the world. The images were viewed by over 25,000 people over a period of two weeks and judged by 2,500 who cast their vote via the World Yacht Racing Forum website and the event’s Facebook page. World Yacht Racing Forum guests also voted and the decision was unanimous.

The spectacular award-winning photograph features Nathan Outridge, Moth and 49er world champion, racing the Moth world championships in Belmont, Australia in January 2011.

Thierry Martinez has been photographing yachts since 1987 and has covered almost every sailing discipline over the years from dinghies to the Volvo Ocean Race and the America’s Cup. This is the second year running that the 56 year old has won the award.

“I am very happy to win this award again,” he said. “It is the only award dedicated to our sport and I consider it a great honour. It is the reward for one photograph, which I humbly accept, but it also symbolises my passion for yacht racing and marine photography which have been at the heart of my life for 25 years.”

“We are delighted to award this title to the photographer Thierry Martinez,” said Antonio Palma, CEO and partner of Mirabaud, private bankers. “All of the photographs submitted to the competition were of a very high standard and the choice was a difficult one. The public chose an image that reflects the current trends – spectacular, daring and dynamic.”

“Yacht Racing Image of the Year, presented by Mirabaud” results:

Thierry Martinez

Carlo Borlenghi

Daniel Forster

39m Nedship 650 Quadro yacht design

October 31, 2011

Nedship Group presents its new 39m motor yacht 650 Quadro, developed by the Nedship in-house designers, in partnership with yacht owners and crews. This is what makes the Nedship 650 Quadro superyacht so innovative and exciting.

Super yacht 650 Quadro by Nedship

Super yacht 650 Quadro by Nedship

The task was to get a yacht under 40m which has a fast hull combined with a stable and very quite handling and which should have functions of a 45m yacht or even bigger. Also the focus was taken on the range of the yacht in the combination of a very economical use. Therefore for the luxury yacht 650 Quadro, Nedship will use carbon re-inforced glass-epoxy composite or for the absolute performance in full Carbon-Epoxy Composite to keep the weight as low as possible. Weight saving is the first and most important and efficient step for an economical use of a yacht. This allows by the chosen engine configuration an economical use as well as a very good performance.

Nedship motor yacht 650 Quadro

Nedship motor yacht 650 Quadro

One of the major interior changes is the separation of the decks. There will be the complete crew and service located on the lower deck. That gives the crew more living space and also direct access to the technical areas as the garage, engine room, laundry and galley. The captain himself will be located near the pilot house. This system was mainly used only in much bigger yachts before.

For the guests the main deck offers full beam and more quietness than on the lower deck. Here different variations can be done: 3, 4 or 5 cabins or also the possibility to go with a master deck suite on the upper deck including a private sun deck area for the owner and a Gym / Cinema on the main deck forward.

650 Quadro superyacht by Nedship Group

650 Quadro superyacht by Nedship Group

As the lower deck hosts a full beam garage with side openings, long yacht tenders and a lot of water toys can be stored there to keep the decks clean. Also 1 or 2 balconies in extension of the main deck salon offers a very airy feeling.

The variations on the propulsion starting from 2 x 1920 MTU with standard shafts (gives +21 kn) up to 3 x 2600 hp MTU with KaMeWa Jet drive (gives +38kn) and a range extender engine package to go up to 3000 nm on cursing speed of 11 kn with the same fuel tank.

39m luxury yacht 650 Quadro

39m luxury yacht 650 Quadro

650 Quadro superyacht is representing 650 sqm of usable space and 4 deck levels.

Building time will depend on the final specification between 18-24 months and the base price will start 9.8 M€.

Swiss Catamaran Concept S2C 55 Catamaran at the Boot Dusseldorf 2011

January 19, 2011

Swiss Catamaran Concept produces offshore cruising catamarans for the most discerning of clients, and the S2C 55 catamaran has been specifically designed with blue-water cruising in mind. The S2C 55 is a cat with exceptional boat-handling and the standard package comes with a comprehensive range of extras required for long passages. Our aim is to provide a top of the range product with no hidden costs for the buyer; the S2C 55 is ready for ocean-sailing as soon as she leaves our yard.

Swiss Catamaran Concept S2C 55 Catamaran at the Boot Dusseldorf 2011

Swiss Catamaran Concept S2C 55 Catamaran at the Boot Dusseldorf 2011

 

An intense programme

The S2C 55 catamaran will be showcased on many occasions over the following year:

During the Düsseldorf Boat Show, from the 22nd to the 30th January, a model of the new concept will be on display at our stand (no. 15B 25). Our experienced staff will also be on hand to answer any questions you may have.

In the meantime, the catamaran ‘Swisscat’, the second of two S2C 55 catamarans already built, will be delivered to the South of France (from the yard in Turkey where the boat was built and wintered). ‘Swisscat’ will be presented to the French public for the first time at the Salon Nautique du Multicoque de la Grande Motte (from the14th to the 17th April).

Swiss Catamaran - S2C 55 - Photo Philippe Echelle Swiss Catamaran

Swiss Catamaran - S2C 55 - Photo Philippe Echelle Swiss Catamaran

‘Swisscat’ will then sail to the Balearic Islands, where she will be showcased during Palma’s International Boat Show (April 24th to May 2nd).

Finally, the S2C 55 will be presented in Cannes during the International Boat and Yacht Show (7th to 12th September).

The S2C 55 ‘Swisscat’ will be available for visits during all of these boat shows. If you are interested, you can also make an appointment to test-sail the boat and discover her sensational handling under sail.

New projects

Following on from the success of the S2C 55, designer Sébastien Schmidt and Swiss Catamaran are currently working on several draft projects based on the same philosophy: high level, ready-to-sail and with no hidden costs.

In response to demands from clients who love the Swiss Catamarans concept but who would ideally like a smaller yacht, we are currently developing the S2C 45. This more compact version of the original will be less than eight metres wide, enabling her to fit into most European locks and making her easier to moor in port. Like her big sister, she is fully equipped with a carbon mast and top of the range fittings. She should come with a price tag of less than €850,000.

At the same time, we have started preliminary studies for the S2C 75: a futuristic project featuring a hybrid propulsion system. We’ll have more information on this innovative project soon!   A key word: flexibility

The S2C 55 is a custom built yacht and can be personalised by her owner. The basic structure including the hull design, deck layout and carbon spars are fixed, but the fit out, colour and choice of wood for the interior can be adapted according to the client’s wishes.

World Match Racing Forum to close 2010 Racing Series

December 08, 2010

Leaders of international yacht racing industry will gather to Estoril, Portugal, 14-15 December, for third edition of World Yacht Racing Forum, Yacht Racing Design and Technology Symposium and second International Superyacht Coatings Conference.

WYRF 2010

WYRF 2010

The tradition is now well established: the World Yacht Racing Forum, co-located with the Yacht Racing Design and Technology Symposium and the International Superyacht Coatings Conference will, once again, conclude the 2010 yacht racing season.

Following the success of the first two editions of the event, over 300 delegates and 50 speakers will head to Estoril, Portugal, on December 14-15. Leading industry figures, media and sailing personalities who make international yacht racing, the athletes, event organisers, venues, sponsor and many more will gather and spend two days discussing the current issues affecting the sport, debate solutions and exchange ideas.

Estoril Congress Centre, Venue of the World Yacht Racing Forum 2010

Estoril Congress Centre, Venue of the World Yacht Racing Forum 2010

As explains Loïck Peyron, the keynote speaker of day two: “The sport of sailing is very broad; the World Yacht Racing Forum has become the place where all the different sides of it are represented and debated.”

The event will start informally on Monday 13 December with a cocktail reception at the Palacio hotel; one of the most charming and historic 5 star hotels within the region. The debates will begin on Tuesday 14 with a keynote address by America’s Cup winner James Spithill, followed by eight plenary sessions split in two days.

This year’s Forum opens up to a number of speakers and panellists from outside of the sport, who will help the audience understand what sailing and yacht racing can learn from other disciplines. As a result, 80 % of the speakers are new. The event also introduces new topics such as sustainability and respect of the environment, brand management and sailing’s future in the Olympic Games; mainly topics that have been chosen by the World Yacht Racing Forum advisory board and delegates from the previous edition of the Forum.

World Yacht Racing Forum 2009

World Yacht Racing Forum 2009

The World Yacht Racing Forum offers unparalleled networking opportunities amongst which a lunch offered on Tuesday by Multi One Design. Some new features have also been added, including the inaugural Informa Yacht Group Golf Classic, a cocktail reception hosted by Turismo de Estoril and Hotel Palacio and the Yacht Racing Images Exhibition 2010 presented by financial group Mirabaud and supported by Canon.

WYRF 2010: The third edition of the World Yacht Racing Forum will take place in Estoril, Portugal, on December 14-15, 2010. The event will be co-located with the Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium on the same dates. The purpose of the Forum is to create a global platform for sailing events, racing teams, builders, designers, suppliers, sponsors, pro sailors, race managers and sailing venues – the whole industry from all over the world. It allows delegates to debate the latest issues critical to the future of yacht racing.

North Sails to make sails for the MOD 70 series

December 06, 2010

Multi One Design S.A. and North Sails are pleased to announce the beginning of a unique collaboration in offshore racing: an exclusive partnership over the 2011-2014 period. North Sails will supply the entire MOD 70 fleet for the Multi One Championship. A unique challenge for a unique multihull!

Multi One Design

Multi One Design

Multi One Design has chosen North Sails and its 3DL technology to guarantee sport’s equity, mainstay of the MOD 70 concept: on equal terms on the Ocean Planet! The 12 MOD 70 will be equipped with one-design 3DL sails, a reliable and high performance technology which showed all its potential in the America’s Cup and in the mythical transoceanic multihull and monohull races.

Performance, reliability and one-design concept: a reality as of March 2011
The “Multi One Attitude” MOD 70 Nr 1 (named after the foundation, dedicated to water protection), carrying the Swiss flag, will be launched in March 2011 in Lorient. The MOD 70 nr 1 will be a test platform for the prototype sails which will then be used by the entire fleet. Multi One Design has chosen the 3DL. Two phases of testing are programmed in 2011: the first will validate the shape and the design of the MOD 70 Nr 1 sails, and the second phase will be the reproduction on the same mould of the sails of the whole fleet. Tests will be carried out with sensors and photographs. These data will be analysed by data-processing programs developed specifically for the MOD 70 class, inorder to validate a strict one-design concept.

North Sails, world leader, supplier of the best
North Sails is the world leading sailmaker, with sail lofts in 29 countries. Since its creation in 1957 by Lowell North in a garage in San Diego, the success of North has been built on the search of performance, research, quality and service. Main supplier of the America’s Cup since 1992, North Sails has also equipped all the boats of the two last editions of the Volvo Ocean Race. Lastly, North Sails is Nr 1 in one-design and in the Olympic Games. An experience and an expertise that Multi One Design is pleased to associate to a project requiring the highest technology.

A pool of MOD 70 “Official Suppliers”
With the announcement of its official sailmaker, Multi One Design S.A. finalizes a pool of high performance technical suppliers, recognized at the highest technological and sport level:

North Sails, sailmaker
Harken, fittings
B&G, electronics
Maffioli, running and standing rigging
Navtec and Sonafi, hydraulics
Volvo, engine
Facnor, mast fittings

“We are pleased to be surrounded by a group of professionals whose competences and experience, shared with the best sailors in the world, will further ensure the reliability and the solidity of the one-design concept of the championship” explains Stève Ravussin, Technical Director.

Dates to remember: 2011 / 2012

March 2011:
Launch of the MOD nr 1 (Lorient) May to October 2011 :
Delivery of the MOD nr 2 to nr 4 October or November 2011 :
Test-Match (exhibition race with 4 MOD 70’) January to May 2012 :
Delivery of the MOD nr 5 and nr 6 Race Programme: 2012 / 2014

July 2012:
Ocean Race September 2012 :
European Tour June 2013 :
European Tour November 2013 – April 2014:
Ocean World Tour (6 stopovers, 5 oceans, 12 racing teams) July or September 2014 :
Ocean Race

World Yacht Racing Forum partners with Corum

November 24, 2010

The famous Swiss watchmaker joins the World Yacht Racing Forum as Gold partner. Corum will also organize a virtual regatta during the Forum whilst a limited edition watch will be drawn between the participants.

The World Yacht Racing Forum today announces its partnership with Corum. Founded in 1955 in La-Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, Corum is known as one of the most spirited and innovative watchmakers in the world.

Corum Logo

Corum Logo

Corum has always been very active in the sailing world. This special link is symbolized by the Admiral’s Cup line, created in 1960 and named after the legendary sailing race. Furthermore, Corum counts on two exceptional sailors as part of its ambassador’s family: triple gold and silver Olympic medalist Ben Ainslie and veteran global ocean racer & multihull skipper Loick Peyron. By upholding the brand’s core value of quality and creativity for 55 years, Corum put constant effort in its upmarket move, recapturing its historical standing while significantly reinforcing its watchmaking substance. The result is a brand entirely in tune with its genetic heritage.

Limited Edition, Bol d’Or Mirabaud will then be drawn between the participants of the Virtual Corum Regatta

Limited Edition, Bol d’Or Mirabaud will then be drawn between the participants of the Virtual Corum Regatta

The Virtual Corum Regatta will also take place for the first time, in exclusivity, during the Forum. Jointly created by Corum and Virtual Regatta, this game will be officially launched in 2011. However, delegates from the World Yacht Racing Forum and Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium will have the opportunity to discover it ahead of its official launch, and to play in the lounge area. A Corum Admiral’s Cup Chronograph (limited edition, Bol d’Or Mirabaud) will then be drawn between the participants whilst Loïck Peyron – who will also be a keynote speaker on the Forum’s second day – will compete in an exhibition match against a top skipper.

The World Yacht Racing Forum 2010 will take place on 14-15 December in Estoril, Portugal. The event is twinned with two other important marine conferences, the Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium and the International Superyacht Coatings Conference.

WYRF 2010: The third edition of the World Yacht Racing Forum will take place in Estoril, Portugal, on December 14-15, 2010. The event will be co-located with the Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium on the same dates. The purpose of the Forum is to create a global platform for sailing events, racing teams, builders, designers, suppliers, sponsors, pro sailors, race managers and sailing venues – the whole industry from all over the world. It allows delegates to debate the latest issues critical to the future of yacht racing.

About Informa Yacht Group

The Informa Yacht Group: Global Leaders in Yachting Events

The Informa Yacht Group (IYG) is part of Informa Plc, and encompasses all of the events owned by the company in the marine leisure sector. Informa is one of the world’s leading providers of information and knowledge via a wide range of media, and is also the largest publicly-owned organiser of exhibitions and conferences, with some 10,000 events held annually in 46 countries world-wide.

IYG is the world’s leading organiser of Business-to-Business yachting events and offers a unique marketing platform, through a global portfolio of exhibitions, conferences, regattas and other properties, to clients interested in reaching the luxury yachting and lifestyle sectors.

IYG portfolio of events:
•             The Monaco Yacht Show
•             The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show
•             The Singapore Yacht Show
•             The Superyacht Cup, Palma & Antigua
•             The Superyacht Cup Special Edition, Cowes 2012
•             The Phuket International Boat Show
•             The World Yacht Racing Forum
•             The Yacht Racing Design & Technology Symposium
•             International Superyacht Coatings Conference
•             Asia Superyacht Conference
•             ICOMIA World Marinas Conference