First Steel-Hull Megayacht from Taiwan

Jade Yachts Shipbuilding Corp. is set to deliver the first made-in-Taiwan steel super yacht, a milestone in the nation's shipbuilding sector. "We hope to take the shipbuilding industry in Taiwan to a higher level in terms of quantity and quality," Jade Yachts chairman Han Pi-hsiang said while scrutinizing the 86-ft. yacht Bandido during its first sea trial in Kaohsiung Harbor, according to a report on www.taipeitimes.com. Han is also the chairman of Jong Shyn Shipbuilding Co, the parent company of Jade Yachts and the nation's largest private shipbuilder. Bandido is the first yacht with a steel and aluminum hull ever made by a Taiwanese company. "When we undertook the project, many said that it was `mission impossible,'" said Luke Huang, an assistant to the chairman and the project manager of the Bandido. The super yacht was built for Drettmann GmbH, a Germany-based boat agent. The Bandido prototype will be showcased at the 38th International Boat Show in Dusseldorf, Germany, from Jan. 20 to Jan. 28.

(Source: www.taipeitimes.com)