Top 10 biggest yachting news stories of 2021

Extra, extra, read all about it!

It has been another eventful year for everyone connected with the superyacht industry: Several large superyachts have been delivered, a number of boat shows returned for the first time in two years and Below Deck has continued to make a splash on audiences across the world. Oh, and there’s been the small matter of COVID-19 continuing to have a significant impact on our daily lives!

It’s not been easy to stay up-to-date, so we’ve compiled a list of the top 10 biggest news stories of the year to give you a steer on everything you need to know.

In descending order, based on Yachting Pages viewing figures, here are our top 10 news stories of 2021.

10. First Baltic 68 Café Racer launched

Baltic 68 Café Racer in shipyard

In June, it was announced that the first Baltic 68 Café Racer had launched. The low carbon footprint yacht, developed by Baltic Yachts, was preparing to undertake trials in Finland before heading to the Mediterranean to take part in Les Voiles de St Tropez in September.

“This is a yacht which tackles today’s challenges of sustainability and low carbon targets head on,” Henry Hawkins, executive vice president of Baltic Yachts, noted. “She’s fun and easy to handle, offering a genuinely rewarding sailing experience.”

The topic of sustainability with the yachting sector continues to grow in prominence and this particular yacht launch clearly caught the imagination of readers.

Read the full article.

9. New decrees revealed on anchoring in France around Posidonia seagrass

Fish swimming around Posidonia seagrass underwater

One of our most popular category areas of the year has been the topic of Posidonia and the new French anchoring regulations. It’s little surprise, therefore, to see one of our news stories on the subject appearing in our top 10.

In May, the Maritime Prefecture of the Mediterranean added two new decrees, outlining the anchoring regulations around Posidonia seagrass, to the 12 it had already released earlier in the year. The new decrees included information about where to anchor in Baie de la Ciotat and northern Corsica in the French Riviera.

The penalties for failing to adhere to the regulations are severe – it could result in anything from the imprisonment of the yacht’s captain to fines of up to €150,000 (c. £129,000).

Read the full article.

8. Princess Yachts CEO joins the board of Aston Martin

Princess Yachts CEO Antony Sherriff

In at number eight is the news that Princess Yachts’ CEO, Antony Sheriff, had joined the board of directors at Aston Martin. The news was announced in January.

A statement from the yard read, “On a personal level, we are delighted for Antony and his new appointment. On a professional level, we are truly excited to see where this synergy could take the two complementary prestigious brands.”

Read the full article.

7. Brand new Bering 77 Veronika delivered

Bering 77 Veronika at sea

In August, a Bering 77 explorer superyacht named Veronika was delivered to a “family of intrepid travellers”. The 23.9-metre (78-foot) vessel had departed Bering’s Turkish shipyard and was destined for Australia.

Among the impressive features of the yacht is the fact it has been designed to run non-stop for a total of 22 days. It features a steel hull, three decks and a 7.3-metre beam. Accommodation is for up to six guests.

“This is an important landmark for Bering, after laying the keel at the end of 2020.”

Read the full article.

6. New Mangusta 104 Rev sold and delivered

Aerial shot of Mangusta 104 REV

August saw the luxury yacht brokerage firm Kitson Yachts announce the sale and delivery of the 31.8-metre (104-foot) Mangusta REV yacht to an American client.

The yacht, built by Italian shipyard Overmarine Group, is one of two Mangusta 104 REV models and represents the new era of Mangusta Maxi Open yachts. She features exterior design by Igor Labonov and accommodates up to 10 guests across her four staterooms.

The vessel was due to be displayed at Cannes Yachting Festival before being transported to its new home in Miami Beach.

Read the full article.

5. Saudi Arabia encouraged foreign flag yachts to visit

Superyacht berthed in Saudia Arabia

In July, Saudi Arabia began encouraging foreign-flagged yachts to visit the country and undertake cruises as part of its strategy to expand marine tourism activities.

Reports suggested that entry licences to the country were being provided in as quickly as 30 minutes by the Jeddah-based Red Sea Operations Centre. It was suggested that the multi-agency centre can assist foreign yacht owners or their agents, working in Arabic or English, to receive the licences to enter Saudi waters.

The initiative is said to be “in support of Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman’s plan to reinforce tourism through facilitating entry to the country for marine activity purposes.”

Read the full article.

4. Russian billionaire to build new high-end yachting resort on Greek island

Superyacht cruising around Greek islands

Back in March, it was revealed that construction work had begun on a new yachting resort on the Greek island of Skorpios, led by Russian billionaire Dmitry Rybolovlev.

Authorities in Greece gave the high-end tourist complex the go-ahead in December 2019. It will be known as VIP Exclusive Club.

The private island was previously owned by Greek tycoon Aristotle Onassis. Rybolovlev purchased it from the Onassis’ heiress for $120 million (c. €100 million) in 2013.

The project is expected to be completed in 2024 and Rybolovlev’s intention is for his family to utilise the resort and marina themselves. The complex will be available to rent the rest of the time and, according to a representative of Rybolovlev, the cost will definitely exceed €1 million (c. US$1.1 million) per week.

Read the full article.

3. New requirements for seafarers arriving in countries post-COVID

A COVID-19 test

Earlier in the year, the COVID landscape began to improve and restrictions were gradually eased worldwide. This meant there was a raft of new requirements for seafarers to be aware of as they went about their travels.

The most popular news story on this topic was the requirements for those arriving in the UK back in April. Initially seafarers were made exempt from travel restrictions when returning from ‘red list’ countries, but if they were visiting England for more than two days, they would be required to undertake COVID-19 lateral flow tests on the second, fifth and eight days after arrival.

Of course, the entry requirements changed for most countries numerous times over the course of 2021, but this particular story received a lot of attention at the time.

Read the full article.

2. Kate Powers death

Kate Powers

At the end of August, it was announced that Kate Powers, the popular founder of the iconic Stars’N’Bars in Monaco, had passed away after a short illness.

Powers moved to Monaco from the USA in the 1950s and opened the famous Le Texan restaurant alongside her brother Mike. This was followed up by the creation of Stars’N’Bars on the Port of Monaco with her partner Didier Rubiolo.

Powers was actively involved in a range of ecological and climate change initiatives – including the Eco Angels initiative that ran following the conclusion of Monaco Yacht Show in 2018.

In a short statement, Stars’N’Bars said, “We will never forget her unwavering positivity and desire to help others.”

Read the full article.

1. Below Deck’s staggering production costs revealed

Below Deck promo

Below Deck may have been on our screens for close to a decade now, but that doesn’t stop the hit reality TV show from making headline news.

Audiences around the world search extensively online to obtain as much Below Deck content as possible – and one Yachting Pages news story caught their attention in a very big way this year.

Our most popular news item of 2021 is our article documenting the staggering production costs involved in filming Below Deck. Hannah Ferrier, a Below Deck Mediterranean alum, was quoted as saying it can cost as much as $10 to $12 million to film the show. Yes, really.

Whilst this figure has never been officially confirmed by Bravo, the production company behind the series, there’s no doubting that Ferrier is someone who is likely to have a rough knowledge of the costs involved.

The article also featured quotes from three of the owners who lent their superyachts to the series in the past, including Bobby Genovese who suggested he received $1 million for the loan of M/Y Valor.

Read the full article.

Please note: The sad death of captain Mark Howard, the new details surrounding Below Deck Down Under and the information revealed about Below Deck Adventure also attracted significant attention this year.

What were shipyards interested in reading in 2021?

Another interesting set of 2021 insights can be drawn from the articles the big shipyards have been reading on Yachting Pages throughout the year. What has caught their attention? What have they wanted to learn more about?

Lürssen

Professionals working within the yard of our friends at Lürssen have been enjoying a lot of Yachting Pages content this year. Among them were our Brexit article on how yacht crew around the world could be affected, and a first look at 145m superyacht Solaris ahead of its launch.

Our ever-popular how and where to get your ENG1 medical certificate was also utilised by personnel within Lürssen – presumably by somebody who wanted to keep up to date with what the medicals entail in 2021.

Feadship

Someone working within Feadship took the time to read our news about Ferretti Group’s first sustainability report on corporate operations. The brand’s report introduced various pathways to minimise the environmental impacts of its production processes and yachts, promoting stronger and more wide-ranging corporate social responsibility measures.

Another article that piqued the interest of personnel within Feadship this year is our guide to organising laundry on board. This may have been a stew or stewardess within the yard looking for advice ahead of their next charter – and if that was the case, they came to the right place. The article outlines tips on schedule and rotation, as well as the most effective ways to clean the important laundry on board.

Benetti

One of the key articles utilised within Benetti’s yard in Italy was our guide regarding anchors on superyachts. Outlining everything you need to know about superyacht anchors and accessories, it’s a helpful guide for anybody working in within shipyards or as crew on board.


Got another 5 minutes? Check out our Top 10 largest superyacht deliveries of 2021 or browse our Crew Corner library.

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