Table of contents for February 2022 in Yachting

88'11" LENGTH OVERALL 23'6" MAXIMUM BEAM…

90' LENGTH OVERALL 23'2" MAXIMUM BEAM…

INFLATABLE KAYAKS are not a new concept at Hobie, which has been making them for more than a decade. A design breakthrough came in 2014 with Hobie’s first triple-air-chamber stand-up paddleboard. The team then combined that idea with Hobie’s MirageDrive pedal system, which can be used instead of a paddle. ¶ “We launched this boat and found that, because of the triple chambers, the MirageDrive and the seat, the performance was just eye-opening,” says Mark Johnson, senior manager of product development. “This boat was so maneuverable and compact. It was a game-changer, a real ‘aha’ moment for us.” ¶ The model became a bestseller, leading Hobie to develop today’s iTrek series of inflatable pedal kayaks and pedal boards. The five-model series includes the iEclipse stand-up pedal board; the Mirage iTrek…

OFTEN, THE IDEA of visiting a cruising destination that’s only accessible by boat or seaplane becomes an endurance test on many levels. What makes the 100-square-mile Dry Tortugas National Park different is that it lies just 70 miles west of Key West, Florida. The seven small islands are accessible during a long weekend aboard all kinds of boats. ¶ In fact, boats have been coming here for centuries. Explorer Ponce De León visited in 1513, and throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, pirates would hide out here to attack ships in the Gulf of Mexico and Straits of Florida. The US government, wanting to protect ships headed for the Mississippi River basin, began construction in 1846 of Fort Jefferson, which is part of the national park that boaters can tour…

WHY WHY 200? THE ACRONYM STANDS FOR WALLY HYBRID YACHTS, which has nothing to do with hybrid propulsion, but rather a hull designed for a range of displacement and semi-displacement cruising speeds. And the numerals don’t reference length. They reflect the approximate volume (199 gross tons), which is a lot for a yacht with a length overall of just 89 feet. ¶ But length is not what matters these days. Gross tonnage and beam—the feeling of space—are the important metrics. And on this yacht, that most important effect is achieved. ¶ In all, there’s more than 2,150 square feet of indoor living space, including 1,075 square feet on the main-deck level. Wally says the yacht delivers 50 percent more volume, 60 percent more main-deck area and 40 percent more upper-deck…

WHAT ARE THE INGREDIENTS that make a world-class chef? In the case of Puerto Rican celebrity chef Wilo Benet, they start with a diploma from the Culinary Institute of America and classical French training at Le Bernardin, the three-Michelin-starred restaurant in New York City. Add an endearing personality and passion that landed him the chef’s position at the Puerto Rican governor’s mansion as well as guest spots on such American cooking shows as Top Chef Masters. And blend in a heartfelt respect for the traditional dishes and ingredients of his home with the creative talent to take them in unexpected directions, as he did for 28 years at his restaurant Picayo until Hurricane Maria forced its closure in 2018. ¶ His “next thing” is Wilo Eatery & Bar, a venue…

THIS JUST IN With the launch of the 164-foot Benetti Yachts B.Now 50M, the builder adds a fourth—and new entry-level—model to its B.Now lineup, which also includes a 58M, 66M and 72M. The yacht is built in steel and aluminum. It has five guest staterooms, a 387-square-foot beach club and an infinity pool. The yacht’s interior woods include a “silk-colored satin-finish frisé maple” and oak. Power is twin 1,400 hp MANs. Reported top speed: 15 knots. Range at 12 knots: 4,500 nautical miles. 164' LENGTH OVERALL 29' MAXIMUM BEAM READER FEEDBACK Looking for photos and yacht news? Get social with Yachting: visit instagram/@yachtingmagazine, facebook.com/yachtingmagazine By email: letters@yachtingmagazine.com By mail: 480 N. Orlando Ave., Suite 236, Winter Park, FL32789 On the web: yachtingmagazine.com…

154' LENGTH OVERALL 30' MAXIMUM BEAM…

AT 79 FEET, 5 INCHES LENGTH OVERALL, Okean’s 80 Fly is the largest yacht to date from the Brazil-based builder. Okean also offers two other 50-foot flybridge models and a 55-foot express cruiser. ¶ Like its siblings, the 80 Fly has one of the fleet’s most notable features: foldout balconies. The added space extends the boat’s beam by almost 6 feet. In addition to the increased real estate, owners can open the salon’s full-height sliding doors aft and on each side to transform that space into an open-air environment. On each side, at least two chaise longues can be placed on these extended decks. ¶ Okean says most every space aboard the 80 Fly is customizable. For example, furniture, dining arrangements and the galley, which is forward on the main…

Whenever I’m lucky enough to open the throttles on a Pershing, I’m reminded of a scene from The Gumball Rally, a silly road-race movie from the mid-1970s. It’s the bit just before two competitors set off in the Ferrari 365 GTB/4 Spyder, the soft-top version of the iconic Daytona. The Italian driver turns to his copilot. With a gloved finger pointing sagely skyward, the driver declares: “And now, my friend, the first rule of Italian driving.” He then pauses for dramatic effect, rips the rearview mirror from the windshield, and tosses it high over his shoulder. “What’s behind me is not important.” ¶ That scene always pops into my head aboard a Pershing because of the rooster tail that we’re inevitably throwing behind us. I recall a conversation I had…

THE FIRST TIME I RODE IN A CAR WITH 360-DEGREE cameras was also the first time I experienced an acceleration curve that pinned me to my seat. My friend enthusiastically showed off the self-driving capabilities of his Tesla Model S. Mad Max mode was memorable, but I was most fascinated by the car’s external cameras. It was fun to snoop on unwitting drivers, even if the car’s autopilot and self-parking modes were using these external eyes for more-purposeful reasons. ¶ I can imagine that Garmin’s engineers are familiar with go-park-yourself buttons because the company’s Surround View brings 360-degree camera views to select new-build helms. For these boat owners, docking and attaining better situational awareness just got easier. ¶ History poorly recorded the first time a recreational yachtsman docked his steed,…

With the Lagoon 630 Motor Yacht, the French catamaran builder gives owners five interior layout options: two with six staterooms, two with four, and one layout with five staterooms. In two of those setups, the galley is down and located in the portside hull; the three other setups have a central galley with the salon. Headroom throughout the yacht is 6 feet, 9 inches. Nauta Design handled the yacht’s interior look and feel. At press time, there were 13 Lagoon 630 MYs available, ranging from $1,700,000 to $2,474,042. 63'11" LENGTH OVERALL 32'10" MAXIMUM BEAM FROM THE ARCHIVE “The 630 MY marks Lagoon’s return to the motor yacht sector after an absence due to its growing sailing-catamaran business. From the beginning, Lagoon wanted to create an exceptional bluewater passagemaker with accommodations…

BETWEEN THE BOAT-SHOW DEBUTS planned this month and next month in Miami and Palm Beach, Florida, and the European shipyards preparing to launch mega-yachts this spring ahead of the summer cruising season, the waterways from the Mediterranean to the Bahamas are about to become flush with a new crop of head-turning designs. ¶ Perhaps the most noteworthy is Phi, Royal Huisman’s 192-footer (shown above) that is below 500 gross tons, making it by far the longest motoryacht in that category—anywhere in the world. Cor D. Rover designed the yacht, which was delivered to the owner in early December. ¶ Phi will take to the water alongside quite a few other new models in all size ranges and styles. The following pages offer a taste of the lines and features that…

32'7" LENGTH OVERALL 9'11" MAXIMUM BEAM…

RICK AND LESLEY CHANIN had always been sailing people, cruising the Bahamas in the summers on their Lagoon 400 catamaran and their home waters around Key Largo, Florida, on their Nonsuch 36. ¶ But after reading the book The Great Loop Experience—From Concept to Completion, the duo decided to tack. Rick knew just the boat he wanted for this exciting new chapter: Resolute, a Krogen Express 52 he’d been eyeing at the Ocean Reef Yacht Club for two years. In 2019, the Chanins sold their catamaran, purchased Resolute, and pointed its bow north for adventures along the Intracoastal Waterway and Northeast coast—something Rick never thought he’d do. ¶ “To me, a trawler was something that signified you were too old to continue sailing and you needed something simpler,” he says.…

RICK BROWN, WHO IS IN HIS 60S, is old enough to know that you never pet the puppy. The problem is, he got on the bus. And at that point, his fate was sealed. ¶ Brown and his wife, Brenda, had retired to Florida about 14 years ago from their lakeside home in Indianapolis. There, they’d owned a 20-foot pontoon boat for dinner cruises. In the Sunshine State, they focused their leisure time on golf. In 2018, they decided to try some distance cruising while they were still young enough to enjoy it. On the advice of friends and local captains, they bought a Beneteau Swift Trawler 44. ¶ Then came the bus. In 2020, their yacht club in Punta Gorda organized a bus trip to the Miami International Boat…

Cmc marine’s argo is the first integrated control system that leverages a yacht’s stabilizers, trim controls and rudder to yield a smoother, safer and fuel-efficient ride. Argo works with other CMC Marine-built gear, including its Stabilis Electra or Waveless fin-control systems and its Directa steering system. Argo uses its networked sensor to detect vessel motion, which it autonomously balances by actuating as many as eight individual ride-control surfaces. While the system is largely reactionary, its embedded algorithms monitor seaway trends and help Argo anticipate vessel behavior. ¶ Without Argo, a yacht’s trim-control surfaces and rudder often spend their lives fighting each other in a constant war of microcorrections, where one system senses and then corrects for the other’s activities, oftentimes at the expense of course stability and a vessel’s overall…