NAVIS Feb/Mar'23

Digitalization has profoundly impacted the superyacht industry, and yacht builders such as Lurssen have been at the forefront of implementing new technology in their production lines. The use of digital tools and software has allowed yacht builders like German-based Lurssen to streamline their processes, increase efficiency, and produce some of the highest-quality yachts in the world. Committed to new developments and sustainable yachting, Lurssen’s dedication to building environmentally responsible yachts is apparent. With state-of-the-art production facilities, the family’s own yard is capable of handling multiple yacht builds and refits at once. 

One of the key areas where digitalization has had the biggest impact is in the production of intricate pipework aboard high-end superyachts. In the past, this was a time-consuming and complex process that relied heavily on manual labor and a high skill level from the workers. However, with the use of advanced digital tools and software, Lurssen has been able to significantly reduce the time and cost associated with this process. With a large investment into a laser-marking device, a data matrix code connects all data and determines the exact placement of each section of pipe.

Imagine you are a lean, mean, powerful King Cobra measuring nearly five-and-a-half meters in length. You are highly respected in the animal kingdom for your prowess, enhanced by the fast-acting neurotoxins you produce that make it easier to bring down your prey. Few dare challenge you. One animal, however, emerges victorious when matched against you. Gifted with speed, agility, and intelligence, this animal produces a unique glycoprotein that protects it from your venom, rendering your toxins useless. This sleek, stealthy creature can take you on like no others, and emerge victorious.

Now imagine it is 1985. You are Giuseppe Balducci, an Italian boatbuilder preparing to launch a stunning new line of fast, open designs. Your major competition is a successful line of fast opens bearing the name Cobra. What moniker do you choose for your groundbreaking new line? Mangusta, of course. Italian for mongoose, it is that formidable match of Kingdom Animalia capable of defeating the mightiest Cobra. It also marked the beginning of the Mangusta legacy that continues today through yachts like the long range tri-deck Mangusta Oceano 50 and its sister ships.

Excellence. Precision. Commitment.

On a nearly perfect day, dawning in heavy fog but clearing to what many sailors would describe as ideal conditions, 109 boats eyed the start line at the Rolex Sydney to Hobart Race in the quest for the Tattersall Cup. At race time, as the warning signal sounded, it was a sunny 28 degrees with northerly winds at 15 knots, an outgoing tide in Sydney Harbor, and an easterly swell just under one meter.

The Cruising Yacht Club of Australia threw down the gauntlet for the 77th time on Boxing Day, 2022, inviting the world to watch, or to sail, this grueling 628 nautical mile challenge. From fast new Maxi 100s to small, cherished, 90-year-old wooden craft, sailors of all flags joined this fleet to test their mettle.

Lurssen MY Octopus: Inspiring Adventure, Encouraging Joy

Since her 2003 launch, Lürssen’s luxury explorer yacht Octopus has quietly completed a nearly continuous calendar of itineraries while maintaining a very private profile. That is a long time for any superstar to run silent. A recent change in status has made her a hot talking point, entertaining a high level of interest as she enters the charter market for the first time.

Emerging from a 20-year cocoon of privacy, the 126-meter Octopus is now splashing her fabulous interiors across screen and page, setting a high bar for comparison with any other yacht of her size, new or old, as well as in her category as an explorer vessel. She is capable, luxurious, spacious, and fitted to supply extraordinary needs for the adventurer, researcher, scientist, and leisure traveler alike.

NAVIS had first explored the many charms of western Ireland’s Wild Atlantic Way back in our August/September 2016 issue. We couldn’t fail to be charmed by the beauty and majesty of pristine coastline, lush green fields, remote moors, lakes, and soaring mountains beyond. Ireland itself is a romantic destination, but the beauty of its coastal areas, particularly the sheltered Kenmare coastline.

Kenmare, surrounded by mountains to one side and the picturesque Kenmare Bay on the other, utterly enchants. Renowned as one of a few Heritage Towns in Ireland, a much-coveted annual award by picturesque villages like Kenmare. With a population of just under 2,400 (in 2016), it retains the ‘village’ feel that it’s had since it was established as Ireland’s first ‘planned’ town back in 1670. It’s Ireland, so yes, it rains, but its protected position and proximity to the Gulf Stream mean that the climate here is mild.

“The electric car is perfectly noiseless and clean. There is no smell or vibration. They should become very useful when fixed charging stations can be arranged.” -- The Hon. Charles Stewart Rolls, 1900.

Enigmatic History

What was once a fantastically imaginative musing over a century ago by the co-founder of the eminent luxury automotive brand has achieved reality in 2023. Rolls-Royce is currently taking commissions for delivery of this new model in late 2023. Spectre heralds not just the first fully electric model for the brand, after years of strategic development, but the ultimate evolution of an ultra-luxury marque whose goal has always been providing demanding clients with a magic carpet ride.

Bon vivants will agree that the bustling boulevards, picturesque cobblestoned streets, and jaw-droppingly exquisite architecture of Paris are nothing short of paradise. Gourmands undoubtedly second that enthusiastically. Connoisseurs of both sweet and savory pleasures can follow their sharp olfactory receptors to find an artisanal haven within the city’s 11th arrondissement. Tucked away in an ancient courtyard of the rue de la Roquette is la Manufacture of Alain Ducasse. Since 2013, Ducasse and his expert chocolatier team have been re-inventing chocolate’s glorious promise of the aroma and taste of paradise into a strong pillar of the Ducasse gastronomic empire.

This empire of Ducasse has graced many pages of NAVIS issues over the years. La Manufacture is a chocolate factory, equipped with vintage machinery, working madly during the day in full view of an entranced clientele, standing behind vintage glass-covered displays sitting alluringly in the shop. By opening a place to explore aromas, tastes, and fantasies, Alain Ducasse has created a haven of pure bliss.

An accomplished underwater videographer, Didier Noirot has a noteworthy CV detailing 44 years behind the lens. Didier has worked with Jacques Cousteau, National Geographic, Disney Nature, John Jackson (La Bête du Natal), and Jacques Perrin (Ocean), among others, earning Emmy Awards for the BBC favorite, Blue Planet, and the documentary One Life. Passionate about the ocean and the marine life it supports, Didier dedicates his time and expertise as President and co-founder of the philanthropic ocean education organization, The Balthazar Project.

On October 18, 2006, the Astrolabe, an iconic 72-meter French icebreaker yacht, left the protected Tasmanian port of Hobart. It was a warm spring day in southeastern Australia. The destination for this important transport vessel was the French polar station of Dumont d’Urville in Terre Adélie located on the coastline of the Southern Ocean in Antarctica. Astrolabe carries up to 1,200 tons of cargo with accommodations for 60 personnel, regularly delivering supplies in spring and summer from Tasmania. That year, I embarked with three other companions for a three-month stay on the ice. The 1300-mile journey due south had just begun.