Monte Carlo News

Cruise line Azamara has officially added Azamara Onward vessel to its now four-ship fleet on Tuesday, following a festive naming ceremony in Monte Carlo. The christening ceremony was led by the President of Azamara, Carol Cabezas, and Azamara Onward Godmother, Beth Santos, founder and CEO of global community and lifestyle brand Wanderful."We are thrilled to introduce Azamara Onward and share this special moment with our loyal guests," said Carol Cabezas, President of Azamara.

Prysmian will entrust Sea World Management SAM with the management of the new high-tech flagship that will enter service in the second half of the year.Dubbed Leonardo da Vinci, the cable-laying vessel being built by the Vard shipyard in Brattvåg, Norway, for the Prysmian Group will be managed by Sea World Management of Monte Carlo, which already takes care of the management of the three other cable-laying vessels of the Prysmian Group engaged in different areas of the world.The…

Guests on board the luxury ship EUROPA 2 will to be enchanted by a unique performance that blends breakdancing and classical music. The internationally renowned “Flying Steps” dance group will make their EUROPA 2 debut in July, and will perform their dynamic “Flying Bach” show on a cruise that started yesterday in Monte Carlo, cruising the Mediterranean Sea to Palma de Mallorca. Under the artistic direction of Vartan Bassil, this breakdancing group from Berlin’s Kreuzberg district has become a network of over 30 world-class athletes who have danced their way to international success.

The Danish Acquisition and Logistics Organization (DALO) announced the purchase of a major upgrade of BMT’s SARIS, the search and rescue planning tool that helps save lives, plan searches and minimize danger at sea. The upgrade will consist of a deployment of 20 licenses primarily to Denmark but also including Greenland and the Faroe Islands. A large part of the upgrade will include capacity for ongoing in-house training, with initial training being delivered by BMT. The SARIS technology is designed to help locate targets, whether it be people or objects, lost at sea.

The Volvo Ocean Race has agreed a three-year partnership with the Yacht Racing Forum. "We are delighted to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race as a long-term partner,” said Bernard Schopfer, the event’s CEO. "We have been working hard at developing a new structure for the Forum, with a new team of dedicated people, new partners, a beautiful venue and an exciting programme. Knut Frostad, the outgoing CEO of the Volvo Ocean Race, has been an avid supporter of the Yacht Racing Forum since its debut in Monte Carlo in 2008. He will once again be a speaker at this year's conference, looking back at what he has achieved as Volvo Ocean Race CEO over nearly eight years at the helm. "The Forum is an important event for the international yacht racing community,” he said.

Britain's biggest ever cruise ship, the 141,000-ton Britannia, which was officially named by Her Majesty The Queen in Southampton has set off on its maiden voyage. Thousands of passengers will be among the first to experience the luxury, style and elegance of the largest ship ever built solely for the rapidly growing British market. The 3,600-passenger vessel Britannia left for Gibraltar on Saturday night. The super liner was named by the Queen on Tuesday in Southampton, she was given a traditional send off by the Royal Marines band from Portsmouth and with confetti covering the ship, followed by a big fireworks display. Hundreds of people lined the shore of Southampton Water with many more on small craft following her out into The Solent.

Regent says the luxury ship, Seven Seas Explorer, will have the highest space ratios and one of the highest staff-to-guest ratios in the cruise industry. The 56,000-ton, 750-passenger Seven Seas Explorer, is due to debut in summer 2016. Its wow factor is a spacious two-bedroom suite that comes with a daily price tag of $5,000 per person. The ship is being designed to be "recognized industry-wide as the most luxurious ship ever," Regent President Jason Montague says in a statement. The new luxury suite, called the Regent Suite, covers more than 3,800 square feet and comes with a dining area, its own sauna and steam room, a spa treatment area and a glass-covered veranda with views toward the horizon over the ship's bow, a company statement says.

Shock Mitigation and the RIB & HSC Directory are official sponsors and media partners with the Solar1 event in Monte Carlo. Solar powered boats from all over the world are set to battle it out over two days in the first truly green solar powered boat world championship. From July 10-12, 2014 the historic Yacht Club de Monaco is hosting the Solar1 event, competing for the Monte Carlo Cup. Developed by universities all over the world and driven by young students, this race is destined to be a significant future facing sport.

Simutech Solution Corp. While it’s widely recognized that HTC smartphones, Garmin GPS devices and a sweeping array of big-brand laptops are staples of the Made in Taiwan effort, it’s a lesser-known fact that luxury yachts (those measuring 80 - 120 ft. are a booming business in Taiwan. Producing high-quality boats at comparatively low prices, Taiwan’s luxury yacht industry reached a peak in 1987, exporting 1,755 vessels for an export value of more than $190m. However, rising labor costs and the appreciation of the Taiwanese dollar took its toll over the years…

SP Fire Technology has in a Swedish-Danish consortium developed a detailed process to build environmentally friendly and fire safe island ferries in fiber reinforced polymer composite. Authorities, the public and customers are increasingly demanding sustainable designs. Shipping may be the most environmentally friendly means of transportation but the industry still has great potential to reduce its impact. A lightweight ship construction can generate large ecological and economic benefits as the ship weight is strongly associated with the use of fossil fuels.

A Monaco yacht show dedicated to the Green philosophy through numerous initiatives aimed at boosting environmental awareness in the world of pleasure craft. On Saturday 28 September, aboard the 55-meter Ocean Paradise built by Benetti shipyards, an event was held which left a notable green footprint on the decks of the super yachts: leading classification company RINA Services and the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation joined forces to promote the sustainable use of wood in the yachting industry.

ABS Nautical Systems signed three new contracts for use of its NS5 Enterprise software with Central Mare Inc., Consolidated Marine Management Inc. and C. Transport Maritime S.A.M. Athens-based, Central Mare Inc. plans to utilize the Energy & Environmental Manager, Maintenance Manager and Hull Inspection modules on two of its ABS-classed newbuilds. Consolidated Marine Management Inc., based in Piraeus, will implement the Energy & Environmental Manager and Hull Inspection modules on four of its ABS-classed newbuilds, as well as an additional vessel that transferred its class to ABS. C Transport Maritime S.A.M., based in Monte Carlo, Monaco, will implement the Energy & Environmental Manager and Hull Inspection modules on seven of its ABS-classed newbuilds.

Attendance at the recent Miami Beach Boat Show based on concession sales and number of people using show transportation at the free-to-the-public event, was up more than 7 percent. Most importantly, notably strong sales activity was reported by numerous builders including Fairline, Viking, Ferretti, Hatteras, Westport and Marquis and brokerages including Allied Marine, HMY and Merle Wood, among others. “The show was a tremendous success this year,” said Andrew Doole, senior vice president and COO of Show Management.

QGC, a leading Australian coal seam gas explorer and producer, has selected GL Noble Denton to provide verification services for the development of the Queensland Curtis Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) project, which is expected to supply more than 8.5 million tonnes of LNG per annum through the development of two LNG trains. GL Noble Denton's experts will oversee the pipeline construction portion of the project over a two-year period. The company will supply inspection services for the installation of the 540 kilometre underground line between natural gas fields in Australia's Surat Basin and a natural gas liquefaction plant on Curtis Island near Gladstone on Queensland's coast.

Bulk Carriers 04/15/10              THOR TRANSIT                  23,930                                   87(23)                                   $4.3 04/27/10              RUBIN PEARL                     26,472                                   94(16)                                   $15 04/12/10              BJ QUEEN                            26,587                                   85(25)                                   $7.1 04/12/10              HANJIN PENANG             27,365                                   97(13)                                   $18 04/19/10              ARTEMIS                              28,082                                   84(26)                                   $7 04/27/10              MOON RIVER                     28,494                   

George Economou and broking house Banchero and Costa Spa have both invested in the Green Recycling Initiative launched two weeks ago. The $300m GRI aims to integrate the needs of steel producers to be able to produce ethically sourced steel from traceable scrap and the needs of shipowners to recycle ships in a more environmentally friendly manner. The launch investors were Italy-based Siba Ships and Netherlands-based Seaarland Shipping Management. The Green Recycling Initiative (GRI) is building a fund to buy around 120 obsolete ships during 2009/10. Investors will be drawn from both the shipping and steelmaking industries. It will begin…

Seanergy Maritime Holdings Corp. (NASDAQ: SHIP; SHIP.W) announced that Dimitris Anagnostopoulos has been appointed as member of the Board of Directors and Audit Committee. Anagnostopoulos fills the vacant position of Lambros Papakostantinou following his resignation in March 2009. Anagnostopoulos has over forty years of experience in ship finance. His career began in the 1970s at Athens University of Economics followed by four years with the Onassis Group in Monte Carlo. Anagnostopoulos also held various posts at Continental Illinois National Bank of Chicago, Greyhound Corporation, and with ABN AMRO, where he has spent nearly two decades with the company, holding positions of senior vice-president and head of shipping.

Silversea Cruises' CEO Albert Peter announced the appointment of Barbara Muckermann to the newly created position of vice president, corporate communications. The communications division will now encompass public relations, guest relations and the line's past guest program, the Venetian Society. our already strong presence in the critically important North American market, ensuring the continuity of the Silversea message as we continue to expand our presence worldwide," stated Peter. Muckermann has an extensive background in communications and the international maritime industry in particular. During her career she has worked in France and Italy and handled the public relations activities for several European shipping and consumer accounts such as UMS Generali Marine and RINA.

Italian classification society RINA says the 31,351 dwt tanker Kristal, which sank about 68 miles North of La Corunna off northern Spain in heavy weather yesterday, was fully in class and had no requirements outstanding. It was RINA class and ISM-certified by DNV. The Kristal was on passage from India to Amsterdam with a cargo of about 28,000 tons of molasses. The vessel was built in Italy in 1974 by the shipyard Cantiere Navale Breda Spa. under RINA surveillance. The Kristal was registered in Malta and owned by Escort Shipping Ltd. c/o IC Shipping Monte Carlo. Nicola Squassafichi, CEO of RINA, says, "We deeply regret the loss of lives and sinking of this vessel. This vessel was built and maintained to RINA class since 1974 and embraced within the IACS Enhanced Survey Program (ESP).

Twenty-four prominent shipping industry executives have been elected as new Members of ABS bringing the classification society's worldwide membership to 817. The members, each eminent in their maritime field of endeavor, provide broad governance and oversight of ABS. Members are drawn from various sectors of the marine, offshore and related industries worldwide. Timothy J. Lawrence R. James J. John R. RADM. Robert C. Vittorio Portunato, Managing Director, Portunato & C.S.R.L. John F. Reinhart, CEO, Maersk Line. William J. H. W.

Three Vericor Power Systems' TF50 marine aeroderivative gas turbines have been selected to power the 118 Wallypower high-speed yacht being built by Intermarine Shipyard, Sarzana, Italy for Wally Yacht. This is Wally Yacht's first foray into high-speed power yachts, and the company's initial application of gas turbines. Wally Yacht, based in Monte Carlo, Monaco, is a world-renowned designer of high-speed sailing and power yachts. The 118-ft. yacht will feature three TF50 gas turbines in a Combined Diesel Or Gas (CODOG) turbine configuration. Two TF50s will be used as side or "wing" engines, with one small auxiliary diesel engine connected to each wing engine. The diesels will provide for very slow maneuvering only.

Six of the former Renaissance cruiseships now owned by Cruiseinvest LLC, a Marshall Islands-incorporated company, have been reflagged to the Marshall Islands, Cruiseinvest, and International Registries Inc, the managers of the Marshall Islands maritime and corporate registers, said in a joint announcement on December 5. "We required a register and flag administration known for its integrity to match the quality of our superb new cruiseships and to give us business flexibility, and the Marshall Islands fulfilled these needs," said Dominique Prunier, chief executive of Cruiseinvest Management S.A., a Marshall Islands company which manages the Cruiseinvest fleet and which has an office in Paris to oversee the management of the fleet.

Six of the former Renaissance cruiseships now owned by Cruiseinvest LLC, a Marshall Islands-incorporated company, have been reflagged to the Marshall Islands, Cruiseinvest, and International Registries Inc, the managers of the Marshall Islands maritime and corporate registers, said in a joint announcement today (Wednesday 5 December 2001). "We required a register and flag administration known for its integrity to match the quality of our superb new cruiseships and to give us business flexibility, and the Marshall Islands fulfilled these needs," said Dominique Prunier, chief executive of Cruiseinvest Management S.A., a Marshall Islands company which manages the Cruiseinvest fleet and which has an office in Paris to oversee the management of the fleet.