2014 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show - FLIBS

In the Builders Tent I was very glad to find Danish Yachts who are perhaps most famous for Moon Goddess Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2011 but there recent foray into what they are calling the Cat-Swath category is what I was most interested in.

So far the best application of a swath design in a yacht has been the A&R SWATH Silver Cloud which really delivers on a smooth ride but at the expense of a minimum draft of 11.5 feet.



Danish yachts has improved on this spec significantly as their 108' version has a min draft of 4.9' and a top end of 23 knots compared to Silver Cloud's 14 knots and it only takes 45 seconds for the Cat-Swath to go from its Swath draft of 10.4' to Cat draft



I am not sure why this design has not caught on sooner but Danish Yachts hopes to change all that by taking off on its success in the Commercial sector where their yachts are used primarily to deliver personal safely and rested to off shore rigs to produce superyacht style and quality vessels for a more upscale market.



With updated designs like this I think they are on to something very exciting.

Here we have a 1956 Trumpy 55 Cockpit Cruiser that was restored at Roscioli Yachting Center in 1997-98 at a cost of $500K which would be substantially more in 2014 dollars.

She accommodates 6 in 3 cabins including two in the forward Crew's Stateroom.



She has several versital spaces to enjoy from the settee bench forward, to the enclosed sky lounge, to the rear cockpit that includes 2 fighting chairs.




The 123' Perseverance II is a wonderful example of an Oceanfast Bannenburg collaboration built in 1996 and then refit in 2012.



She has expansive open areas including the foredeck with huge sun pads and seating groups to her 6 person jacuzzi spa, the exterior deck on the skylounge level boasts a terrific new multi level bar under a unique louvered overhead, which offers protection from the elements or lets the sun shine through, and the large aft deck which provides the ideal spot for al fresco dining, while the wrap around lounge is perfect for relaxing during anytime of the day or night.



Jon Bannenburg is famous for his forward thinking almost futuristic out of the box designs which especially at the time many people thought looked more like space ships or Formula 1 race cars than motor yachts. The yacht's equally innovative interior was been designed by Sam Sorgiovanni Designs another longtime collaborator with Bannenburg and Oceanfast.



Yet today we see many of these design features and innovations on the latest superyachts just leaving the yards!

Wow, talk about spaceships; check out what I think is the absolutely coolest and most futuristic anchor at the show!

It is part of the optional windlass, custom anchor and chain package on Bravo Yacht's new offering their B36.



The next 3 pics are dual anchor installations designed to provide some serious holding power to some heavy duty yachts.


These are a great example of where form following function can and does create a thing of great beauty.





However it seems to me that in some cases in an attempt to create a thing of great beauty you also end up with a situation where the practical takes a back seat and you end up with an undersized anchor system for a 130' 232 ton yacht.

Here are some more examples of awesome anchors that got me hooked at the Show!



Stainless steel anchors with a highly polished finish are the perfect design feature to compliment other stainless components on a yacht such as handrails cleats, mooring bitts, chocks, latches, clips, and the list goes on and on.



Retractable anchor systems are very practical in many situations to keep the anchor out of the way when not in use both physically and visually.

In the Engine Tent I came across the MTU exhibit where they were excitedly debuting their latest and greatest engine their 16V 2000 M96L Type 3 which they claim runs with "no smoke".



Cat Marine was showing several of their engines including the C18 Acert that generates between 930 and 1150 mph.



This big bad boy, the C32 Acert, is no pussy cat as she generates a roaring 1470 to 1925 mhp.




Volvo Penta's 1050/1200 IPS Drive which is almost as tall as a man offers a 40% longer cruising range, a 20% higher top speed, 30% reduced fuel consumption, 30% less CO2 emissions, a 50% lower perceived noise level and joystick docking.

Here is another sci-fi looking piece of yachting equipment the Arneson ASD-8 Surface Piercing Drive which is used on high powered planning yachts made by yards such as Pershing whose 77' model can hit 44 knots with dual Arneson drives.




Yacht props are another example of where form follows function to create a very functional and beautiful piece of equipment as seen below.

Capt J gets Bingo!

This hood ornament belongs to Insatiable, a 100' 1985 rendition that underwent a multi-million dollar refit in 2000.

There were 7 other Browards in the Show ranging from 87' to 118' that were built in the late 80s and 90s.

Awakening from the post dawn shadows is a Leopard 27 Open built in 2007 that tops out at 42 knots and cruises at a leisurely 36 knots that is relatively young having approximately 1,100 hours on her 2 MTU 16V2000 M93s.



Her warm toned transitional contemporary interior will transport 6 guests and 3 crew in the lap of beautifully designed Italian luxury.




Across the dock from the Leopard is another fast mover with an eye catching color scheme, Tereza, a 2007 Lazzara LSX75 with 4, yes count them 4 Volvo Penta IPS 600s that propel this express yacht to a top speed of 31 knots.





It is interesting how the perspective of certain shots say two entirely different things about the same yacht.

Here we see a massive menacing object that means business.



Now Devine seems demure looking as you would expect of a 1998 88' Tarub luxury motor yacht.




Rebuilt in 2005, twin 1,350hp Caterpillar engines offer an impressive cruising speed of 20 knots and a top speed of 23 knots.

She accommodates 9 guests in four en-suite staterooms and crew in a single upper and double lower berth.

At 180' Marie is the second largest sailing yacht in this year's Show!



With her oh so classic style and detailing many will she is the most beautiful girl in the Show.



Created in a collaboration by Vitters Shipyard, Hoek Design and Nigel Ingram old world charm and modern technology come together in Marie making her capable of 17-plus-knot speeds in 20 knots of breeze!



At the 2014 St Barths Bucket Marie was presented with the prestigious “Bucket Trophy” for being the overall Bucket winner out of 38 superyachts.



Her interior is as drop dead gorgeous as her exterior which includes a split-level main salon paneled in buttery anigré and a lower salon that features a Steinway Baby Grand Piano.



The stern portion of the yacht is devoted to the Master Suite that connects to a private indoor salon and a secluded covered deck salon where you currently see all the seat cushions stored.

When the 210' long, 42' wide, 31' deep Felicita West was launched she was the largest and fastest aluminum sailing yacht in the world!



For the best views in the house try her bow seat or the crow’s nest ‘lift’ that ascends 131' up the 197' mast are the places to be.



With her centerboard down to a draft of 31' she is able to achieve her hull speed of 16 knots under sail.



She has 5 en-suite staterooms one being a full beam Master Stateroom and can accommodate 12 guests using pullmans.



As with Marie the proof is in the pudding of the classic design and stunning detailing by Perini Navi, Ron Holland Design, and Nuvolari & Lenard.

One of the stars of this years Show, the oh so classically stylish Felicita West, says, "I'm ready for my close ups Mr. DeMille!"



Having just finished a major refit this year Felicita West is looking her very best!



Now is the time to enjoy the details of this work of sailing art.





Her crow's nest is one of the favorite hang outs where guests can enjoy the spectacular views from 131' high above the deck.

Enjoy some more of Felicita West's details!

Thanks for sharing that wonderful video that was just shot!

The refit was done at Rybovich Shipyard in West Palm Beach.

When she was launched she was the largest aluminum sailing sailing yacht in the world, since 2003 she has slipped to number 10.

For all you helicopter fans here is a shot of a Eurocopter EC120B which is a 5-seat, single-engine, single main rotor, light helicopter jointly designed and developed by Eurocopter, China National Aero-Technology Import & Export Corporation.

She has a cruise speed of 124 mph, a top speed of 174 mph, a range of 478 miles, a wingspan of 33' and a length of 31' on the sky deck of Vango.



Vango is a 164' 2006' Westport who has a maximum speed of 24 knots, a cruise speed of 20 knots, and an economical cruising speed of 12 knots that gives her a transoceanic range of 5,000 nautical miles.



Here interior is a luscious combination of warm rich tones that makes you feel right at home the moment you step inside.



As her name implies she has numerous works by Vincent Van Gogh whose color pallet is reflected in the shades used to decorate the yacht through out.

Read all about her in the review YF did when she was first launched http://www.yachtforums.com/index.php?threads/review-westports-new-164-vango.5319/



Today's pop quiz is to name whose friendly and welcoming visage is pictured in the salon of the Elling 49 http://www.yachtforums.com/index.php?threads/review-elling-49-e4.22489/

The moment you step up onto the rear deck of the Elling 49 you find yourself on a large expanse with a comfortable settee just waiting for you to sit on, relax, and take in the invigorating sea air!



Facing stern you see more comfortable seating including a wide bench with storage underneath, and two jump seats that cleverly disguise fender holders below their thick comfy cushions.



Forward over the main cabin is an inviting king sized sunbead just waiting for bathing beauties.

Notice the relatively high and substantial feeling hand railings that wrap around the entire exterior of the deck.



From the bow you get a look at the runners on the top of the pilot house on which the sun roof glides when opening to give the occupants lots of fresh air and a spectaular view to the sky making navigation by the stars a breeze.



Looking towards the stern you find comparatively wide companion ways and grab rails that make access around the decks during docking maneuvers quite safe and easy.



For those of you who have been waiting to get your own a fresh copy is due in the USA after the first of the year!!

This year she was docked stern towards the 17th Street Causeway Bridge so I was able to take some shots from a different perspective than at the last Show.

You can have two basketball games going on at the same time on decks this large.



The entire deck behind the quadruple glass doors is a massive sky lounge containing a 12 person dining table, full bar, three section circular sofa, gaming table, and enough extra space for a dance floor.




Her mural on the entertainment deck is reminiscent of the one on Cakewalk!



One of her deck hands said they have had as many as 5 boats loaded on her deck and in her garage at one time.



He said her crane can lift 35 tons!

This is the perfect setup for deploying a personal submarine or two or three!!!