The second half of the year saw some exciting new yachts revealed and important events on the superyacht calendar (click here for Part One of our round-up of the superyacht year)
July
Two important yachts hit the headlines in July. Viareggio Superyachts (VSY) unveiled the yard’s most important yacht to date, the 72-metre flagship Stella Maris. When the yacht debuted out at anchor at the Monaco Yacht Show in September, its inventiveness was breathtaking: double hot-tubs and a live winter garden that stretched up all decks are just two stand-out aspects.
At the same time, the Amels Ilona returned to the water after her refit, which included a new helipad and large swimming pool with moving floor.
August
In the UK, the 2012 London Olympics brought visitors from all over the world to the capital, and some arrived by superyacht, making the Thames a spectacle in its own right. One of the first to arrive was Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s 126-metre Lürssen Octopus. Ilona was also berthed in Canary Wharf, and another Amels, the 52-metre Limited Editions 171 Deniki, was there too, as were the 65-metre Benetti Seanna and the Feadship F45 Harle. Other yachts were berthed at the Royal Docks by the ExCeL Olympic site.
Also in this month, the nearly completed Aquos Yachts Star Fish caught fire, putting her construction back months. She is now for sale.
September
The lucky crew of sailing yacht Regina hosted the cast and production staff of ‘Skyfall’, when the yacht appeared in the much-anticipated Bond film. The cabins were used as dressing rooms and backstage areas for the cast, and the sundeck and a bathroom appeared in the film in early scenes featuring Daniel Craig and Bérénice Marlohe. The scenes were filmed off the Turkish coast.
Also in September was the most important superyacht show of the year, Monaco. One undisputed star and largest in show was the 85.5-metre Oceanco Nirvana – you can read a full report on this incredible yacht, whose interior was designed around the owner’s brief for a reptile vivarium, in our next issue.
October
No one knew what to expect from the late Steve Jobs’ Feadship, the 78-metre Venus, but when it was unveiled a year after his death it surprised everyone. Typically different, it was designed by Philippe Starck, who worked closely with the Apple CEO at each stage.
“The idea for the boat was very simple and mainly philosophical,” Starck told the BBC. “Steve and I shared the same idea about the elegance of the minimal, the elegance of work well done.”
November
The weather at the Fort Lauderdale show is never dependable, but this year it was made worse by catching the beginning of tropical storm Sandy. The 54-metre tallship Bounty sank off the coast of North Carolina, and Captain Robin Walbridge and a crew member Claudene Christian died. The hurricane affected superyachts along the East Coast: Newport Shipyards posted this dramatic photo of the 38-metre Perini Navi P2, when the wind speed raged to 71.8 knots.
