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Which Mega Sailing Yacht Builder Is Your Choice?

Discussion in 'General Sailing Discussion' started by simmikie, Apr 22, 2009.

  1. simmikie

    simmikie New Member

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    as i mentioned in another thread, i have just recently discoverd sailing yachts as a viable option for our retirement lifestyle.

    doing online research, i have stumbled across different buiders from across the world, and have seen some stunning examples of design, engineering, and craftsmanship. such as S/Y Anthena, Maltese Falcon, and my personal favorite, S/Y Selene. now none of these Yachts could i afford even if my retirement package is worth a 100 times more than i am anticipating.

    but the fact is, i began reading the websites of some of these builders, like Perri Navi, Alloy, and Royal Husiman, just to get a feel for how they produced thes mega-wonders, and they all seemed to say the same thing. our yard has the highest quality, the most skilled craftsman, the bightest engineers...etc.

    so i asked myself, if budget were absolutely no consideration, and i could build any mega sailing yacht i wanted, what yard would i commission for the build? so i pose that question here. what mega yacht builder has the capability to produce the highest tech, most well designed, beautifully crafted, most seaworthy sailing yacht? is it even measurable? is it just personal taste? i know how the yacht will be used is a consideration, but after the design brief is established with your Naval Architect, who would you want to build it?

    this is frivilous i know, but i am extremely curious as to who the people in the know consider to be among the best of the best in Yacht building. for me Royal Husiman has built a very compelling case for itself, with among other things, it's use of Alustar.

    what say you? again i know this is frivilous, but hopefully you will share your thoughts with me on this. :)


    Mike
  2. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Royal Husiman is highly rated on my list of blow boat builders but don't overlook Lurssen who did the EOS and Abeking and Rasmussen who have turned out many fine sailing vessels none as big as Athena or EOS but still pretty nice boats.
  3. PropBet

    PropBet Senior Member

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    Their current production line doesn't really put them in the "mega-yacht" line, depending on who you ask and or how you define what a "mega yacht" is, but Oyster is an outstanding boat.

    I'm not sure of their future builds, and or custom build outside of what they have on the engineering tables at this point, but I'd consider them in any boat over 50' for something that (in my opinion) is in a class of its own.

    The 82' is an absolutely spectacular boat. The design and drawings for the 100 and 125 are stunning as well.
  4. simmikie

    simmikie New Member

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    well yes, in fact someone on this forum in another thread turned me on to Oyster. the 55-60 foot range is what is actually on my shopping radar. I also like Discovery, and Nilo just turned me on to several yards, including Contend.

    i suppose i define mega-yacht as a build that pushes the boundries of engineering, like Husimans S/Y Etheral, or sheer project scope like S/Y Anthena. and of course, a just over the top build such as Maltese Falcon.

    if you walked out of your home tommorrow, and outside there where parked 10 Armored cars stuffed to the gills with the largest denomination of your particular currency, and you could use that dough to build the yacht you have always had in your head (well some of you already own those boats ;) ). first of all, who would you want to have your design brief, and then who would you trust to build it?


    Mike
  5. nilo

    nilo Senior Member

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    large oysters

    As to my knowledge the molds of 100 and 125 are completed at RMK yard in Turkey and they will start production soon, if they have not done it already. RMK is also building a 52 meter S&S design sail yacht for their boss in aluminum, which is expected to be completed by this summer (towards the end).

    As to other yacht builders of high pedigree, I would consider Vitters as a serious competitor for the top; they have been building some outstanding yachts in the last 10 years.

    If one considers the composite builders, I think Baltic, Swan and Wally are also quite competent yards.

    Jongert could have been considered as a contender, but the financial difficulties the yard had been facing drastically reduced the quality, because they have been loosing the talent in the yard due to this turbulence.
  6. simmikie

    simmikie New Member

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    well Lurssen is in another league. Peloruis is in my eyes the most stunning modern Yacht i have ever seen, but i did not know Lurssen built, as you term, blow boats.

    once i break the code to their website, i'd like to see what other blow boats they have built.


    Mike
  7. simmikie

    simmikie New Member

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    Wally, really? just my personal opinion based on what i have seen online, i thought there offerings were long on style, but not really serious sailing yachts. i guess 'book by it's cover' applies.

    also Nilo, i wanted to ask you this in the other thread. what about Contender makes it a higher quality offering than Oyster (as i interpreted your comment, forgive me if i am wrong). allow me to rephrase that question. what if anything would make the Contender 55/62 a better buy, than Oysters 56/655, or Discoverys 56 or upcoming 67?


    Mike
  8. PropBet

    PropBet Senior Member

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    Good to know. Thank you for the info.
    I was hoping those would move from the design pages to the production pages.

    I was aware of the 52 meter S&S. And in both sail, and motor, RMK has produced several other noteworthy boats of high regard. I am perhaps biased to them for their Oyster involvement, as well others.
  9. OutMyWindow

    OutMyWindow Senior Member

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    Personal favorate ... Jongert

    Attached Files:

  10. hbyachtboy

    hbyachtboy New Member

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    Favorite Sailboat maker

    My personal favorite is Royal Huisman but I know that Perini make some great boats as well. Both brands make some of the best sailing yachts on the water.
  11. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

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    Definitely Royal Huisman and Perini Navi. Love the "Salute'" and of course Wally is there and they are building larger and larger moulds that are more and more sophisticated in design for example, "Saudade", "Esense". There are a number of smaller yards that do have nice yachts though.
  12. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

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    The 52-meter Sparkman and Stephens you refer to is the "Nazenin V".
  13. Codger

    Codger YF Wisdom Dept.

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    Royal Huisman and Jongert have done some beautiful work
    Vosper Thornycraft deserves a place at the table for MirabellaV
  14. Norseman

    Norseman Senior Member

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    I was just about to suggest an Oyester in the 50 range..Feet, not meters.

    A 55 is just about below the size where ya need a crew if enough of the boat is "powered"..(Sails, roller-furlings, anchor windlass, bow-thruster and all the other boat/sailboat stuff)

    Or push the envelope a bit and look towards the new Tayana 66/70..Great boats and fairly down to earth but at that size and if you and your lady First Mate are up in the years beyond 35 and if a sail gets stuck or if something else go way wrong off-shore..you would be better off with a smaller and simpler boat or a crew consisting of a couple of gorillas.

    Or a Nordhaven trawler in the 47' to 55' range..Go now and go small.
    No extra points for big and complicated..The ocean, the islands and nature is the same, even better without too many cabins, TVs and A/C units.;)
  15. 'RoundTheHorn

    'RoundTheHorn Senior Member

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    Nordhavn 56 Motorsailer

    I know it's not in the superyacht range, but Nordhavn (note spelling :) ) has their new 56 foot motorsailer to fulfull Norseman's wishes!

    http://www.nordhavn.com/56/

    Lots of photos plus background and technical info. Pacific Asian Enterprises (Nordhavn) built plenty of sailboats in their Mason series in the 70s and 80s before they switched over to trawlers.
  16. K1W1

    K1W1 Senior Member

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    Hi,

    Blow boats is a term I grew up with for sailboats.

    There is not much info out there for EOS, here is a little bit.

    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eos_(yacht)
  17. Yacht News

    Yacht News YF News Editor

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  18. simmikie

    simmikie New Member

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    EOS certainly qualifies from a sheer scope of project perspective, and of course of Lurssen has many masterpieces under their belts.

    nice to know i could include them as contenders should those armored cars park themselves in front of my door :D !

    thanks for the links.


    Mike
  19. simmikie

    simmikie New Member

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    just had a chance to look up some of Jongerts offerings on the used market. what a well rounded yard. it seems as though they are capable of classic designs as well as the modern sleek looking sail yachts. very impressive.


    Mike
  20. simmikie

    simmikie New Member

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    hey Norseman. yeah we are/will be up in years. overall though not too beat-up. i have not clued the lady-mate in as too my recent fascination with sailboats, as i have not dialed in exactly what the fascination is.

    one thing i can say, we are fairly private folk, so will prefer not to have crew tagging along. that said, we anticipate enjoying the yacht, not being owned by it. lots to ponder and the next 8 something years will surely fly by.

    thanks for the Nordhaven links. room, space and sails. now that is a concept! one would need to adjust their concept of sleek, wouldn't they?


    Mike