Yacht Club News

The Golden Gate Yacht Club (GGYC) represented by BMW Oracle Racing and the Société Nautique de Genève (SNG), the Americas Cup defending champion, represented by Team Alinghi were entwined in a 2.5-year legal battle over multiple court cases, including hearings in the New York Supreme Court and the Appellate Division of the New York Supreme Court, prior to the 33rd edition of the race, due to take place in 2010.The parties disagreed about the location, format, and restrictions on boat design, all of which were changed by the courts prior to the race.

Kongsberg Maritime said Friday it had completed a live trial of autonomous shipping technology in Bornem, Belgium, demonstrating the company's progress in fully autonomous systems.The test vessel, Zulu 4, an inland waterway barge owned by Blue Line Logistics NV, is equipped for remote-operated and autonomous transport demonstrations for the AUTOSHIP project, which is part of Horizon 2020, an EU research program.As part of the test, Zulu 4 maneuvered and navigated on unrestricted waterways, and it demonstrated berthing and unberthing capability.

Bellingham, Wash. shipbuilder All American Marine (AAM) announced it has appointed Daniel Zech as the organization’s business development manager.Zech, originally a Bellingham local, sailed on vessels from French Polynesia to the Caribbean for over a decade. His maritime career took him to the Charter House Yacht Club in the U.S. Virgin Islands, where he managed day-to-day operations for a charter fleet of 28 catamarans and monohulls for multiple years. In addition, his experience…

North Star’s new UK-built hybrid-powered daughter craft, specifically designed for the offshore wind market, has been launched at a naming ceremony held at the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht club in Lowestoft, adjacent to the firm’s regional operations hub. The vessel was christened ‘Grace Darling’ in honor of a famous lighthouse keeper’s daughter from the North East of England who risked her life in 1838 to save the stranded survivors of a wrecked merchant ship traveling from Hull to Dundee.

The Coast Guard Foundation announced that its annual Tribute to the U.S. Coast Guard in Washington, D.C., will take place on June 7,2022, at the historic National Building Museum in Washington.The event celebrates the Coast Guard and raises funds for Coast Guard Foundation programs that support service members and their families when and where they are most in need.“We look forward to coming together with policymakers, industry leaders and government officials to highlight the heroism of the U.S.

Portugal’s Navalrocha Shipyard reports that it is continuing its robust performance through the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic with a steady pipeline of work through to 2024, with the first six months of 2021 including a series ofdrydock projects involving general cargo vessels, tugs, passenger ferries, bunker tankers, Ro-Ro Pax vessels, LPG carriers and cruise vessels.According to Navalrocha commercial director Sergio Rodrigues, order volumes are running ahead of each of the last three years…

California-based boatbuilder Moose Boats has delivered a new fireboat to the Rochester, N.Y. Fire Department. The M2-38, dubbed Marine 1, is the first Moose in the Great Lakes. With a roof monitor, a cockpit monitor, a 5” large diameter hose Storz discharge, and the ability to pump over 1,500 gallons per minute, this boat will offer greatly increased capabilities to the city and its surrounding communities, the builder said.Rochester Fire Department's new boat has an extended walk-around cabin configured with three shock-mitigating crew seats…

Norwegian-owned cruiseship operator SeaDream Yacht Club has cancelled all sailing for the remainder of 2020 after positive COVID-19 test results onboard one of its cruises, it said on Tuesday, dealing a fresh blow to the cruise industry.The decision follows an outbreak of the novel coronavirus aboard a voyage of its SeaDream I vessel in the Caribbean last week.“7 guests and 2 crew members have tested positive for Covid-19 by Barbados health authorities,” SeaDream said in a statement.Requirements for multiple negative PCR tests from guests before boarding had not been sufficient to prevent COVID-19 onboard, it said.“The company will now spend time to evaluate and see if it is possible to operate and have a high degree of certainty of not getting COVID…

SeaDream Yacht Club has halted a cruise in the Caribbean following several positive coronavirus tests among passengers, the company said on Friday.The SeaDream I vessel has returned to port in Barbados and all passengers are currently being re-tested, the privately owned company said in a statement.“The ship’s medical staff has tested all crew members and all tests have come back negative,” SeaDream said.Cruise ships were home to the some of the earliest clusters of COVID-19 as the pandemic spread globally early this year…

George Raymond Duclos, age 86, died peacefully on February 15, 2020 surrounded by his family. The son of the late Raymond and Albertine (Bertha Chenard) Duclos. Born in 1933 in Fall River, MA, George spent most of his life in Westport, MA spending summers on the Watuppa Pond and moving to the Pond permanently in the 1960's.George is survived by his wife and life-long partner in adventure, Pauline D. (Duperre) Duclos, and his four children: John (Kimberly), Peter (Kimberly), Carol Hegarty (Steven) of Westport…

A traditional maritime coin ceremony  took place at the Fincantieri shipyard in Monfalcone, Italy, when the keel was laid for MSC Seashore. At the milestone event, MSC Cruises revealed details of the significantly transformed overall design and new features of the ship.MSC Seashore will be the Company’s longest ship – 339 meters – when she enters service in June 2021, the first of two enriched “Seaside Evo” Class ships with the latest available environmental technology, extended public spaces, more cabins and the highest ratio of outdoor space per guest of any ship in the company’s fleet.

Kongsberg has just signed a contract with Damen Shipyards in the Netherlands for the delivery of a fully integrated Kongsberg Maritime solution to the SeaDream Yacht Club cruise line.Valued at more than $21.5 million, Kongsberg’s most extensive ‘Full Picture’ delivery for an expedition cruise ship, Innovation, also encompasses the supply and integration of propulsion equipment including the new ELegance azimuth pod system, Bergen engines, stabilizers, bridge and automation systems, accompanied by a comprehensive electrical, navigation and hybrid technology package.

ALMACO will deliver complete cabin and catering areas on SeaDream Yacht Club’s 155m ultra-luxury expedition vessel that will be built by Damen.SeaDream's new ultra-luxury mega yacht, SeaDream Innovation, is the first new ship added to the fleet since 2001 and introduces the concept of “Global Yachting”, operating around the world including remote destinations in polar areas with its ice class credentials, as well as in tropical ports. ALMACO has been supporting Damen Shipyards…

Panos Kirnidis, CEO of Palau International Ship Registry (PISR) was one of the first speakers to welcome shortsea shipping experts, owners, charters and sector professionals to the 2019 Shortsea Shipping Day at the Piraeus Yacht Club in Greece on Thursday 14 June.As the lead sponsor for the event, organised with among others the European Shortsea Network and the Hellenic Short Sea Shipowners Association (HSSA), Panos Kirnidis stressed the importance of short sea shipping to the industry and the significant role it plays in the development of European economies.“This has been a significant week for Palau International Ship Registry as in London on Monday at the IMO Executive Committee we were proud and honoured to be recognised as White List members of the Standards of Training…

Norway-based private cruise line SeaDream Yacht Club has released new details on its upcoming cruise ship, the SeaDream Innovation, which will incorporate a number of environmentally friendly design features.The company claims that  SeaDream Innovation  is the world’s most advanced hybrid ship being built today that will sail to all seven continents.SeaDream has received a grant for USD $1.8 million for the creation of the revolutionary vessel from Enova, an organization owned by the Norwegian Ministry of Climate and Environment that is responsible for the promotion of environmentally friendly production and consumption of energy."Enova strongly supports SeaDream and this new mega-yacht given its creative and sustainability-focused approach to energy and climate technology…

Moose Boats, a boat designer and manufacturer in the San Francisco Bay Area, was awarded a contract from the City of Rochester, New York Fire Department for the construction of the first M2-38 Fire Rescue Catamaran to be delivered to the Great Lakes. Twin Cummins 425hp turbo diesel propulsion engines, Twin Disc transmissions and Hamilton water-jets will power the M2-38 aluminum catamaran. Rochester Fire's new Moose Boat will be equipped with a fire pump system flowing over 1,500…

The world's largest privately held cruise company MSC Cruises has today announced a new partnership with renowned German chef Harald Wohlfahrt.Voted one of the Top 10 Chefs in the World, and the only German chef to hold a three Michelin Star rating for 25 years in a row, Chef Wohlfahrt represents the best of Germany’s cuisine and embodies MSC Cruises’ commitment to offering new and exciting food options for its guests. Gianni Onorato, MSC Cruises Chief Executive Officer, commented: “The world-class expertise of Chef Wohlfahrt brings an exciting new chapter to our onboard dining experience. Working with partners who embody excellence and innovation…

M Subs Ltd has announced it has installed a ‘game changing’ sensor system with connected artificial intelligence (AI) machine-learning technology around Plymouth Sound as part of the vision to turn the city into a center of excellence in maritime autonomy and unmanned vehicles.Plymouth-based M Subs  will operate a secure network of cameras, radars, and other sensors which will provide situational awareness and communications with the unmanned vehicles operating out of the city’s harbor.The system will also provide the command & control of unmanned vehicles using the nearby ranges at sea.

Cruise liner MSC Cruises has reached an agreement for an EUR 1.5 billion (USD 1.74 billion) financing for two new Seaside EVO class cruise ships.BNP Paribas, Unicredit and Cassa Depositi e Prestiti will provide EUR 1.5bn in financing for two Seaside EVO class passengerships. The financing syndicate of lenders also include SACE SIMEST, the Italian ECA, fully backing the credit line and stabilising the interest rate.The first ship is expected to be delivered in May 2021 and the second in February 2023. With the addition of these new ships, MSC Cruises now has plans in place for up to ten new ships to be built by 2026.The 339m long vessels…

Damen Shipyards Group has announced the recent signing of a contract with Oslo, Norway-based SeaDream Yacht Club. The contract marks a historic moment, being Damen’s first for a cruise ship. SeaDream will operate the 155-m Mega Yacht on luxury voyages all over the world.The Mega Yacht, a purpose-built ship, will be prepared to operate in destinations, including polar and tropical, around the world. As such, the vessel will boast ice class Polar Code 6 credentials.The international shipyards group launched its new venture, Damen Cruise, in 2018.

MSC Cruises and Italian shipbuilder Fincantieri  signed the final contracts for the construction of four luxury cruise ships.The announcement follows the initial signing of a memorandum of agreement between the two parties in October 2018. The contracts, subject to shipowner financing, have a total value exceeding $2.2 billion.As per the terms of the agreement, the first of the four ships will be delivered by Spring 2023. The remaining three will come into service one per year over the following three years through 2026.Pierfrancesco Vago, Executive Chairman of MSC’s Cruises Division, said: “With this now firm order, MSC is entering a new segment that bears significant potential globally.

Italy and Malta are refusing to allow charity ships in ports; governments say charity ships help people smugglers. Charities counter that policy will cause more deaths at sea. For the second time in a week, Malta on Monday detained a humanitarian vessel that normally rescues boat migrants off the coast of Libya, where two shipwrecks have claimed the lives of as many as 200 people in recent days. The Sea Watch 3 vessel, operated by a German charity, requested to leave port after undergoing maintenance and the port authority refused, a Sea Watch spokeswoman said. The port authorities said only that the vessel's status was under review.

Geneva headquartered MSC Cruises announced plans to enter the ultra-luxury cruise segment with a memorandum of agreement (MOA) for the construction of four new vessels from Italian builder Fincantieri. The four cruise ships have a total value in excess of €2 billion and bring the number of MSC Cruises ships to be built by Fincantieri to eight.The first ultra-luxury ship is scheduled for delivery in Spring 2023, followed by one vessel per year thereafter.Pierfrancesco Vago, MSC Cruises’ Executive Chairman…