2014 Palm Beach International Boat Show

Today was the kick off for the 29th annual Palm Beach International Boat Show which runs through March 23rd.

This was my first time attending and boy was I impressed with the layout on land which follows a park like setting along the bulkhead and with the variety of boats large and small both in and out of the water.

When I started to attack the floating docks I saw one tall mast in the distance which turned out to be one of my favorite motor sailors Montigne.



She was built by Aegean Yachts in 2009 and is 187' long.



She is most striking and recognizable due to the dragon figures on her bow and stern.



These celestial dragons symbolize the power of the yacht and at the same time protect her from evil spirits.



This theme is carried on in the salon where there is a magnificent sculpture of the legendary dragon boat



For those of you lucky enough to attend the Show and enjoy our almost summer like weather please add your pictures and comments!

Oh, and did I mention that there are toys at the Show!!!

My favorite and a must have for every mega yacht is the Quadski by Gibbs.



Yes ladies and gents for a mere $40K you can have a jet ski that converts James Bond like into a 4 wheeler for the beach when you tire of wake boarding.



The real beauty of this beast is the mechanics that allows the wheels to retract up into the body of the craft when pretending to be a jet ski hauling arse at 45 mph across the bay.




The intricate design of the shaft, struts, and independent suspension are the stuff an industrial engineer dreams are made of. There really is something to be said for the old adage form follows function! Not a wasted nut or bolt in this rig!!



And you guessed it she even comes with a remote control!!!

And what boat show of any worth would be complete without having at least one guppy on display.

My tongue in cheek reference to the iconic Lazzara refers to one of the most recognizable brands America has to offer.

It is hard to tell from the angle but this one looks like she might be their 68' model http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/lazzara-yacht/2058-new-lazzara-68-yacht-spyshot.html#post6700



Sitting next to the Lazzara is Scout from Rye, NH whose clean graceful classic lines and subtle use of wood work immediately caught my eye!



The appropriate use of the minimal amount of wood in just the right places really sets off the beautiful lines of this gentleman's yacht.



The cockpit is highlighted with beautiful and functional wooden handrail.



Especially note worthy is the hand made and immaculately maintained antenna arch that tops it all off as one sweet package.

After a mid day libation as I stumbled off of the Cocktail Barge and got my bearings I found myself standing before this this European beauty!



From the front, side, or stern you cannot but help appreciate the attention to detail that went into each and every fitting and piece of equipment on this yacht.



Take a look at the passerelle for instance and you immediately see that nothing was skimped on and if anything is over engineered to compensate for the rough conditions that this vessel is designed to take in stride.



This is the same yacht that Judy reviewed http://www.yachtforums.com/forums/general-trawler-discussion/22489-review-elling-49-e4.html that goes into great detail about such features.



I was lucky enough to meet the company's chief cook and bottle washer Anton van de Bos who shared with me a video of the roll over demonstration that he did to prove the seaworthness of the yacht.

I could not believe my eyes as the crane straps slowly but surely rolled the boat onto its side, on to its top at which time gravity took over and the yacht completed the roll ending right side up completely in tact with nothing broken or compromised.



Anton asked me to pass along his personal invitation to the next roll over demonstration which will be taking place March 29, 2014 at the shipyard in Nederland. There is a rumor that YF will have a "spy" on location to bring us all the action!!

Nothing But Class

Every once and a while you run into that which exudes nothing but class and the picture says it all!

As I was deciding on the next photos to post, comparing one to another, narrowing things down to the sexiest and best looking of the bunch I suddenly realized they all happen to be Italian!

Shalimar by Benetti has been one of my favorites for a long time, partly because of her name and partly because of her very successful mixture of different shapes and forms, some curvacious, some straight, some horizontal, and some vertical.



They all come together to create one of the most interesting compositions afloat!



And talk about curvacious, Sealyon is a serious and very successful study of sexy Italian curves.



It is because of her round and voluptuous hull, window casings, and radar arch that the ISA 120 series has been so admired and successful.



You cannot get any more Italian that an 80' speedster designed by naval architect Fulvio De Simoni and built by Pershing of the Ferretti Group.



Where is Sophia Loren when you need her??