Class 1 Offshore Power Boats – Italy 2009 Race Videos

If you blink you will miss them thats how fast these boats are, 160 mph class 1 offshore power boating is truly a site to behold and for all of those who are not lucky enough to see these awesome machines in action then dont worry.

Fazza C1 - Class 1 Offshore Power Boats Italy 2009

World Sports Boats brings you the official race action that gave the Victory team the European crown, see all the action in a fantastic 3 part video series at:

www.worldsportsboats.ning.com

Barcelona Boat Show 2009 in full swing

The largest Boat show in Spain kicked of the past week and is open to the public till the 14th November. Its Spain’s largest boat show attracting many of the biggest names in the industry and is in its 48th year of production.

There will be a host of new products on show and some of the big names have chosen Barcelona as a promotional platform for these products,  Sunseeker will be showing their new Predator 54 and Predator 60 launched at Southampton boat show early this year, which we will be reviewing in the coming weeks and their smallest sized vessel in their named “Yacht” range the 80 Yacht.

Monterey will be showing their 275 SCR, Franchini Emozione will be showing  their new 55 open, Austin Parker will be showing their 42 and Scarani will be showing their 35 ft day cruiser.

We would be interested to hear from visitors who’ve attended this year’s Barcelona boat show and look forward to hearing your views at

www.worldsportsboats.ning.com

Azimut 40S launched at Southampton Boat Show

Azimut have adopted techniques seen widely in the motor industry in developing a single one fits all approach. The VW group in the motor industry do this very well with models sharing the same floor plan but having different exterior design and brand badges. The 40s shares its hull and interior plan with its sibling the 38 flybridge that was launched at Southampton boat show in September, however in the technique mentioned early the exterior is redesigned top side to emphasis the S ranges sportier and sleeker styling .

Azimut 40S

Below are pictures of how Azimut adopted the same techniques on the 43S model in the recent past.  The S range concept has given Azimut superb growth with 50 plus orders coming in the first year of the S range launch back in 2003 with the 68S and was a simple yet effective formula of offering the living and comfort of a flybridge boat in a more aggressive sportier looking and performance platform.  The 40S comes with a  luxury fitted twin cabin interior with huge view windows in all parts of this sport cruiser taken from its sibling the 38 flybridge. The 40s benefits from a slightly higher horsepower from its twin Cummins shaft driven engines that produce 480hp giving the 40s a 35 knot plus top speed. A final innovation feature of the 40S  are the two solar panels integrated in the hard top which charge the batteries during day time without the need of an external generator or shore power.

Azimut have produced a successful cost saving innovation in adapting the flybridge and S range hull sharing to their production line that has attracted clients for both options in strong numbers.

Below are pictures of her big sister the 43S:

Azimut 43SAzimut 43SAzimut 43S

43S Saloon43S HelmAzimut 43S Master Cabin

Check out the Azimut Test Videos at:

www.worldsportsboats.ning.com

The largest boat show on earth opens its doors tomorrow for the 50th time in celebration of its Golden Anniversary

The largest boat show on earth opens its doors tomorrow for the 50th time in celebration of its Golden AnniversaryFort Lauderdale Show Management has released the following information: There has never been a better time to enjoy boating. And there has never been a better place to fulfil your marine dreams.

FL2009 

Celebrate the 50th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show®, October 29November 2, 2009, where you will find the world’s finest selection of marine products offered for all budgets. Over $3 billion worth of boats, yachts, super yachts, electronics and accessories will cover more than three million square feet of exhibit space on land and in water throughout six different sites. And you can “test drive” a selection of boats as the show premiers its Demo Docks at Pier 66.

Join us as we navigate the show so that you can plot your own course for the world’s largest boat show.

1)    BAHIA MAR YACHTING CENTER

Super yachts, Cruisers, Sport fishers, Trawlers, Inflatable’s, Electronics, Accessories and Live Entertainment

The Spectacular Super yachts: See the world’s “show stopping” super yachts (yachts 80- feet and over) from the finest builders around the globe at the Bahia Mar Face Dock. Renowned shipyards such as Trinity, Christensen, Abeking & Rasmussen, Delta, Burger and many others will be presenting their very best. This year’s “Queen of the Show” – the 214’ Trident by Feadship – will also be docked at this show site.

The Newly Reconfigured Yacht Builders & Designers Tent – It’s Two Tents In One: You’ll continue to find the industry’s top yacht builders, designers, architects, decorators, engine manufacturers and suppliers of fine yacht accessories under this immense 60,000 sq. ft. air-conditioned tent. To better navigate among the exhibitors, the newly reconfigured YBD tent will be divided into two distinct sections — one dedicated to builders and shipyards; the other dedicated to businesses that support the super yacht industry such as designers, engineers, accessories vendors, electronics and engine manufacturers, and international trade groups. One-third of the tent closest to Face Dock will exclusively feature yacht builders and shipyards together. Here, noted builders Rybovich Spencer, Perini Navi, Heesen Yachts, Oceanco, Benetti, Lurssen, and Feadship among many others will be welcoming newcomers Mondo Marine, Dunya Yachts and Goetz Custom Boats to the block. Pass through the glass door partitions and you’ll encounter the finest in custom super yacht engineering, designing, and decorating, as well as extraordinary displays from residential and resort island destinations. Here you will also find trade groups from the Netherlands,

Australia, France, Great Britain, New Zealand, Germany and latest entry British Columbia (Canada), all of which will be showcasing their country’s top providers and suppliers to the super yacht industry.

The International Yacht Builders Pavilion: The place to see what the rest of the world is building. From necessities to luxuries, the world’s most talented and influential manufacturers and shipyards will be here to show up-to-date and extravagant options and amenities for yacht building inside this 15,000 sq. ft. pavilion.

The Power Centre: Power up at the Bahia Mar site where an impressive selection of the newest engines, generators and air conditioners for small boats, mid-size cruisers and super yachts from every leading manufacturer worldwide will be on full display.

Amazing Array of Accessories: Accessory tents will be fully packed with the newest trends, designs and innovation in electronics. But, there is so much more including fishing equipment, diving gear, information on fabulous resorts, insurance, finance, nautical clothing, jewellery and the list goes on and on.

Boats in Water and On Land: Think big, small and in-between. The Face Dock is lined with extraordinary super yachts from 80 to 200 feet. The North Side Docks feature powerboats, family cruisers, high performance boats, and brokerage boats. The South Side Docks showcase motor yachts, sport fishers, picnic boats, trawlers, express cruisers, and even more brokerage yachts. Move from water to the asphalt, and you’ll find hundreds of trailerable boats, inflatable’s and personal watercraft covering the land area.

Fun in the Sun: Be sure that you and your friends visit the International Food Garden and floating cocktail barges to enjoy delicious food and live musical entertainment.

2)    HALL OF FAME MARINA

Where Sea and Land Combine: Brokerage Boats, Exotic Car Showcase…and a Seaplane

The super yacht showcase continues as you head north from the Bahia Mar Face Dock to the adjacent Hall of Fame Marina. Westport, Moran Yacht & Ship, Northrop & Johnson, and Merle Wood among others will present a stunning array of high-quality, desirable brokerage yachts. From the finest on water, you can get a premier look at the finest in land-based speed and sophistication at the Exotic Car Showcase. Located across from the yachts, this popular exhibit spotlights the latest models in automobile excellence from Aston Martin, Porsche, Ferrari, Maybach, Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Bentley, Rolls Royce, Land Rover, Maserati, Audi and many more.

3)    LAS OLAS MARINA

A Bevy of Brokerage Boats

It’s just a short walk or a quick water shuttle ride from the Hall of Fame Marina to gain access to more of the Show’s brokerage motor yachts.

4)    HYATT REGENCY PIER 66 MARINA

Motor Yachts, Sailing Yachts and NEW Demo Docks

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is proud to be introducing Demo Docks to this year’s event. Here, serious boat buyers will have the unique opportunity to arrange for sea trials during the Show, to help them “seal the deal” on site. The C & D Demo Docks will accommodate up to 40 boats from select exhibitors ranging from centre consoles to 130-ft. motor yachts. Guests must make boat test arrangements at the exhibitor’s main show display location, and all sea trials will head south towards Port Everglades. Brokerage motor yachts and sailing yachts will continue to be on display on Docks a & B.

5)    HILTON FORT LAUDERDALE MARINA

See a bevy of super yachts from a variety of exhibitors including Heesen Yachts’ 161’ Man of Steele and 141’ At Last, both presented by IYC.

6)    GREATER FT. LAUDERDALE/BROWARD COUNTY CONVENTION CENTER

Boats, Accessories and Fishing Fun for the Entire Family

The convention centre will offer a terrific selection of fishing boats, family cruisers, runabouts, flats boats, centre consoles, jet boats, engines, fishing equipment and accessories. Marine seminars and the Kids’ Fishing Clinics will also be located here.

7)    Official Show Transportation Network

There is no better way to navigate the show’s six spectacular sites than by utilizing the Show’s extensive Transportation Network.

Shuttle Buses: Free. Transportation routes between all six show sites, War Memorial Auditorium parking and downtown Riverfront parking.

Riverboat: Free. Avoid the traffic and enjoy the scenery on the New River when you take the 30-minute Riverboat ride to/from Las Olas Riverfront Transportation Centre (downtown) and Bahia Mar Yachting Centre site (only).

Show Water Shuttle*: $10 all-day pass, unlimited usage. Waterfront pick-up points are:

  • • Bahia Mar Yachting Centre
  • • Broward County Convention Centre
  • • Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina
  • • Hyatt Regency Pier 66 Hotel & Marina

* NOTE: This is not the same service as, nor is it affiliated with, Fort Lauderdale’s “Water Taxi”

Shuttle buses, water shuttles and Riverboat run one hour before show opening and one hour after show closing. E-Ticketing Now Available For Advance Purchases & $2-Off

Buy tickets in advance and save $2-off any single-day admission exclusively through E-Ticketing.  Just visit http://www.showmanagement.com, and then click on the “Buy Tickets ONLINE” link box on the main page. E-Ticketing is available right now, and will continue through Monday, November 2, one hour before show closing.

Check out what members will be doing at the show and join in at:

http://worldsportsboats.ning.com/

Introducing the Batman of Superyachts – The Wally 118

Sometimes some things just break the mould, things that people think are just not possible and things people dream of but are not brave enough to turn into reality. However, there is a company that lives on the edge of imagination and makes it a reality. Welcome to the world of Wally!

Although around for a few years now, the Wally 118 is nothing short of sensational, still able to turn heads among super yachts lined up in Monaco. Her design is futuristic and simplistic to the eye but underneath she oozes technological advances that are still not seen on some of today’s newly launched super yachts.

Luca Bassani’s Wally Yachts is not just an exercise in styling, it is in fact driven by some of the most demanding technical challenges ever taken on by a boatbuilder.

Genuinely new and high-tech, from her engine room to her folding radar mast, the Wally power 118 has carbon, glass, and honeycomb construction, a superbly minimalist Euro interior by Lazzarini & Pickering, and a nearly 60-knot top speed. Scale models were tank tested at SSPA in Sweden and in Ferrari’s wind tunnel at Marinello, Italy. Intermarine, the renowned warship builder, built her. As a conscious re-evaluation of what express motor yachts should be like, she’s entitled to look a little out of the ordinary.

The 118 is an express motor yacht with berths for six guests in three en-suite staterooms and six crew, and her accommodations are arranged symmetrically on each side of a straight, central corridor in that unique angular hull. The tender garage—in the bow—is revealed when a triangular section of the foredeck lifts, dead level, on three hydraulic rams. Just forward of the superstructure is an inset seating area, which can be shaded by a bimini top. That mysterious glass-sided deckhouse shelters a capacious saloon aft, with white upholstery, plain wood surfaces, and a seductive, beach-house ambience. The dining table sits amidships, just aft of the helm, made of carbon fibre.

The 118 has a CODOG (combined diesel or gas) propulsion system—jet engines for speed, diesel for everything else—common on small warships, but rare on yachts this gives her the ability to hit that magic 60knot mark with ease.

wallypower-118-luxury-and-fast-yacht-32

While gas turbines offer tremendous power-to-weight benefits (3.6 hp per pound in the TF50s), they do have a downside, as one British Harrier pilot discovered not long ago in 100-plus-degree conditions in the Persian Gulf, when his breathless aircraft landed in the sea beside the carrier. Although the Wally power is unlikely to suffer such drastic consequences, jet-engine output typically declines by about 0.5 per cent for every 1ºF increase in air temperature.

The Wallypower uses three DDC TF50s (maritime cousins of the Chinook helicopter engine) driving three KaMeWa waterjets. Their 5,600 hp is calibrated at a lab temperature of 59°F—a little different from an August afternoon in Florida. However hot it gets, though, the 118 should always be able to cruise at 40 knots without effort. Not many 100-footers can make that claim.

There is a more conventional engine option as well: twin 3,650-hp MTU 4000 V16 diesel, which Bassani claims will give the boat a 45-knot top speed and around a 40-knot cruise speed. Go for these, and you’ll also save about $8 million on the asking price (which is $16.55 million when the yacht is equipped with twin diesels, $24.83 million as tested above, with triple gas turbines).

It seems though that Wally only ever produced one fully operational 118, there is speculation that they produced another 2 hulls in preparation for orders for the yacht, however to date, they don’t seem to have happened.

If you know of more than one Wally 118 out there please let us know.

Visit Wally Yachts

New Sunseeker 48 Portofino due for launch at London International Boat Show 2010

Sunseeker will be launching the New Portofino 48 at the London International Boat Show in January 2010, it will replace the current 47 Portofino, and with the 43 Superhawk production stopped, this will become the British, Poole based boat builder’s entry level model.

The Portofino 48 offers a remarkably large interior plan for her size, the centre piece of the 48 Portofino is a full-beam owner’s aft suite with huge windows to either side. Forward, there’s a clever new VIP suite in which the double bed cunningly swings apart in a scissors’ movement to create twin single berths in seconds if required.

Staying below, the Portofino offers a large saloon area that consists of a plentiful curved C-shaped seating and is equiped with all the usual amenities you would expect from a cruiser of this size, Sunseeker offer a mix of grain, bold lacquers and deep glass options to semi customise your boat to your individual taste. 

On top , the Portofino has a sleek design incorporating a long stretched foredeck fitted with cantilevering sunpads. The cockpit screen is neatly engineered and runs aft in a smooth well designed manner, behind which is a helm station with pilot seating, wetbar and full dining arrangement in a large 2 sided L-shaped seating layout.

Sunseeker offer the Portofino 48 in an open and hard top version and keeping with tradition the customer has a choice of propulsion systems between the in line shafts with tunnel drives, or the latest easy to use pod drives. Performance comes in the choice of twin engines up to a total of 1150hp, producing speeds of around of 30 knots.

Check out Portofino videos and pictures at :

www.worldsportsboats.ning.com

Chris Craft Silver Bullet

The Silver Bullet made its debut at this year’s London Boat Show and turned quite a few heads.

From its sleek lines to the beautifully crafted cockpit the Silver Bullet is ever bit the run-about tender to your superyacht or simply a sports boat to cruise about in on a Sunday afternoon.

She has an impressive array of equipment as standard with additional options for the lucky 150 worldwide owners of this limited edition model. Her specs stack up well also:

  • Engine Tested: Volvo 5.7 GXi
  • Top Speed: 57.7 MPH @ 4,900 RPM (50.1knots @ 4,900RPM)
  • Cruise Speed: 24.4 MPH @ 2,500 RPM (21.2 knots @ 2,500RPM)
  • Range @ Cruise: 113 Miles

Her beautiful lines coupled with the elegant silver and teak build ensures a luxury and unique feel both inside and outside of this compact sports boat a certain winner from Chris-Craft.

See the Chris Craft Silver Bullet in fantastic video action below:

Share your views, videos and pictures at www.worldsportsboats.ning.com