BOAT Briefing

What happens when a superyacht owner opens his vessel to marine researchers on the wild coast of Iceland? In this Big BOAT Interview, online editor Holly Margerrison sits down with Scintilla Maris owner Erik Vonk, who transformed a 1989 fishing trawler into a go-anywhere expedition yacht – and then welcomed scientists on board through the Yachts for Science initiative. Speaking shortly the voya...

In this week’s BOAT Briefing, Online Editor Holly Margerrison and Travel & Charter Editor Georgia Boscawen preview the standout yachts expected to make an appearance at the Cannes Yachting Festival, where the 50-metre-plus segment makes its long-awaited return. They unpack the latest boat show data, before Holly quizzes Georgia on her top travel tips for Cannes. The conversation then turns to t...

As autumn and the boat show season approach, we examine some of the big superyacht stories that have been making headlines this summer, from Oceanco's sale to Gabe Newell and the new America's Cup protocol to Phi's continuing incarceration in London and the US Coast Guard report into the Titan submersible disaster. Georgia also looks ahead to winter season, after interrogating the charter commu...

What happens when a seasoned sailor with Parkinson’s, his daughter and a plucky 24-metre yacht set off across the Atlantic? In this Big BOAT Interview, we follow Joe and Amy Leitch aboard On Liberty - the first Outer Reef to cross the Atlantic on its own bottom - as they journey from the U.S. to Sweden via ice fields, open seas and long stretches of remote coastline. But this isn’t just a story...

Laurens Last bought Heesen Yachts with his eyes wide open to the challenges ahead. As the owner of a superyacht built by another Dutch brand, he understands the ins and outs of an industry that can leave many outsiders scratching their heads – for instance, how most shipyards can survive only making a sliver of profit on each build. Last wants to change that and secure Heesen's future by introd...

Two hours from LA, down the legendary Highway 1, there's a place where the mountains kiss the turquoise sea where property developer Owen Perry says “Palm Springs meets the Pacific.” A Rhode Island native turned real estate maven, Perry stumbled onto a piece of huge tract of uninhabited land on the Sea of Cortez during a cruise on his yacht around 16 years ago and saw something no one else did....

Heesen Yachts CEO Niels Vaasen and US sales director Thom Conboy share candid stories and behind-the-scenes insights — from the legendary founder Frans Heesen to the company’s exciting new Dutch shareholder. Thom vividly recalls the electric moment 30 years ago when the 35-meter Tropic Sea (now Sea Axis) stole the spotlight at Bahia Mar — a defining memory for Frans, who felt “like King Kong.”...

After four decades, Henk de Vries has stepped down from his day-to-day duties as a director of Feadship and CEO of De Vries. In this interview, he charts his rise to the top of the world of superyachting, and how and why he has decided now to take on a more supporting role at the company. Henk has seen some extreme highs and lows in his 40-year boatbuilding career, many of which he discusses in...

In the third of our three-part series celebrating Ocean Talks 2025 on 12 June, Lucy Dunn sits down with speaker Dr Camilla Floros, a marine scientist with over 20 years of experience in marine conservation across the Western Indian Ocean. In a case of her career coming full circle, Floros is now working in the same place she visited as a child  - which means she is in the best place to understa...

Continuing our three-part series celebrating Ocean Talks 2025 on 12 June, Caroline White sits down with Nicolas Rochat, CEO of Mover, the world’s first one hundred per cent plastic free sportswear brand. The pair discuss the environmental problems caused by synthetic apparel, the company’s high-tech approach to natural fabrics that is changing the game, plus a recent collaboration with Sail GP,...

To kick off our three-part series celebrating Ocean Talks 2025 on 12 June, Lucy Dunn sits down with keynote speaker, conservationist and producer Colin Butfield to discuss his latest film project, Ocean with David Attenborough and companion book, Ocean: Earth’s Last Wilderness. The two discuss Attenborough's handwritten archives, octopus gardens and the ocean’s remarkable propensity to bounce b...

In this week's episode, we dig into the recently published Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB) interim report into the sinking of the 56-metre superyacht Bayesian in August last year, resulting in the loss of seven lives. For the first time, the narrative of what happened that night can be disclosed, and we also review the MAIB's comments on the weather conditions that fateful evening a...

In this interview, Stewart sits down with Bruce Brakenhoff, executive director at Edmiston, in the cockpit of 56-metre Rosehearty, to talk about his long career in superyachting. After starting out working for his father, Bruce joined Perini Navi and went on to sell some of the best known sailing yachts in the world. He joined Edmiston as few years ago and continues to be involved in some of th...

After a spectacular ceremony in Venice, let us take you through all the winners from this year's World Superyacht Awards. Caroline and Stewart discuss each winner and bring you the judges' comments about each one. BOAT Pro: https://boatint.com/zg Subscribe: https://boatint.com/zh Contact us: podcast@boatinternationalmedia.com (mailto:podcast@boatinternationalmedia.com)

Jeff Summers, senior designer for Scout Boats in South Carolina, walks us through the story of building the American boat builder’s flagship, the LXS 670 670, a $6.8 million, five-outboard powered, 60mph, 20.35 metre yacht, created with superyacht designers Harrison Eidsgaard. Summers, a graduate of a car design school, interned with Heesen Yachts where he got an understanding for superyacht de...

This week, we remember two legends of the superyacht industry – Frans Heesen and Eddie Jordan. Heesen has also been in the news due to a recent change of ownership and the release of some very positive financial results. We dig into both stories in the podcast. Our travel editor, Georgia, meanwhile, tells us why Nova Scotia is one of the most exciting new destinations for food, drink and supery...

In his 30 years of cruising the world in his 51-metre Feadship Double Haven, there aren't many places Merle Hinrich hasn't been. He has circled the globe three times in his yacht, which was built as one of the original explorers (complete with bullet proof windows). Double Haven was commissioned for adventure, and Merle and his family have seen plenty of that. Don't miss this rare opportunity t...

This week we catch up with Christian Truter (CT), captain of the groundbreaking 106.7m DynaRig sailing yacht Black Pearl. The yacht was in St Barths for the Bucket, where we caught up with CT to discuss Black Pearl's extraordinarily ornate interiors, why the spirit of her owner lives on, and what the future holds for one of the most technically advanced boats ever built. BOAT Pro: https://boat...

In this episode of BOAT Briefing, Caroline sits down with BOAT’s business editor Gabrielle Lazaridis to discuss the fate of sanctioned superyacht Amadea, after a US judge dismissed an attempt to halt the vessel’s forfeiture to the US Justice Department. They also touch on Trump’s recently enacted steel and aluminium tariffs, and how this is expected to disrupt the yachting industry, along with ...

In this episode of BOAT Briefing, Stewart and Caroline discuss the latter’s recent visit to Norway to explore the 194.9-metre research vessel-cum-superyacht REV Ocean. They reveal the latest news and mind-blowing facilities of this historic project, as well as serving up the inside scoop on its mysterious two-year hiatus. The team also dive into the rollicking history of the upcoming St Barths ...

In this week’s episode of BOAT Briefing, Charlotte catches up with Tobias Reichmuth, owner of the 45m yacht Prometej. On March 1st, Tobias will embark on a journey around the world, stopping in everywhere from Greece to Costa Rica and Japan, all in a quest to discover the secret to a longer life. Those onboard won’t be charter guests, but people he’s invited specifically because they share his ...

Charlotte and Cecile announce the winners of the prestigious Design and Innovation Awards, in this episode of BOAT Briefing. They also give the inside scoop on the most hotly contested categories, and share their top tips for those hoping to claim victory next year. Explore the winners here: https://boatint.com/dy BOAT Pro: https://www.boatinternational.com/boat-pro Subscribe: https://www.bo...

Josh Golder, the owner of yacht King Benji, is a disruptor. He doesn’t call himself that but his unusual approach to charter marketing is raising eyebrows. He named King Benji, a 47 metre custom yacht he commissioned as his largest boat to date, after his dog, and from there built a brand and charter program. From being imaged as his personal home on the water, King Benji has become one of the ...

In this issue of BOAT Briefing, Charlotte and Katia discuss the cover yacht of our latest issue, Maverick, and where she plans to cruise this year; an exciting (and top secret) new collaboration from Vripack and Oceanco; and scrutinise what makes the perfect – and most genteel – guest. They also take a look at this week’s hottest news stories, while the data report focuses on the impressive yac...

In this week's podcast we look back on a busy year, with lots of events and travel – and plenty of highlights and lowlights. Just in time for Christmas, we examine the travels of the superyacht fleet and bring you the top five most travelled yachts in 2024. We also take a look at the fleet's migration, seeing where some of the world's most spectacular yachts are spending Christmas and New Year....

In this week's podcast, Caroline and Georgia discuss Georgia’s trip to the Antigua Charter Yacht Show and visits onboard some of the most spectacular yachts in attendance. News this week reveals new details about 142-metre Lürssen Dragonfly, the keel laying of Heesen’s Project Grace and a mysterious press release from Abeking & Rasmussen. Data this week is a sneak peek at the eagerly anticipate...

For this week’s episode of BOAT Briefing, we return to the fantastic speakers at BOAT International’s Explorer Yachts Summit in Monaco. From Chile’s rugged shores to the remote islands of Brazil, 73m Planet Nine has not shied away from the roads less trodden. In this conversation, captain Philip Atkinson tells our superyachts editor Katia Damborsky about an epic rescue in the mid-Atlantic and r...

For this special episode of BOAT Briefing, we turn to the brilliant line-up of speakers at BOAT International’s recent Explorer Yachts Summit in Monaco. When REV Ocean was first announced back in 2017 it was big news. When delivered in 2026, this will be the world’s largest Research & Expedition Vessel, packed with scientific facilities, and featuring design by Espen Øino and H2 Yacht Design. R...

In this week's BOAT Briefing, we look back at the Explorer Yachts Summit in Monaco, bringing you some of the highlights from the fifth edition of this event, including sessions from explorer Monty Halls and Nina Jensen, CEO of REV Ocean. We also examine what the incoming Trump presidency might mean for brokerage sales and new builds. In the news is Feadship's hydrogen-powered Project 821, Numar...

Stewart Campbell sits down with Captain Guy Booth to discuss Phi, the 58-metre Royal Huisman motor yacht that has been trapped in London since March 2022, when she was placed under a temporary detention order by the British government. This fully custom yacht now faces several looming deadlines. She is at risk of falling out of class and having her insurance revoked, and now presents an increas...

This week Cecile and Katia look back on a very busy Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show during the last days of a long and hot US presidential campaign, from creative marketing by yacht King Benji to the press conferences there, including the introduction by Sunseeker of the company’s two new owners, the launch of a new Riva Residenze on Fort Lauderdale Beach and an unusual and much noticed...

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Katia reports back from an extraordinary birthday party on board 73m Titania with its owner John Caudwell, as well as a trip to Barcelona to sail on board the wallywind 110 with its designer Luca Bassani. Stewart, meanwhile, discusses an exciting new concept to transform a container ship into a superyacht and looks at the expanding fleet of yachts turnin...

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, Stewart reports back from the Superyacht Charities golf event in Palma and the first few exciting days of America's Cup racing in Barcelona. Charlotte talks Toto Wolff and why he's been banned from freediving with Lewis Hamilton and picks her biggest superyacht bugbears after her first turn as co-chair of the BOAT International Design & Innovation Awards...

In this week's pod, Caroline and Georgia talk travel, including the potential of Madagascar as a superyacht destination, the true meaning of barefoot luxury and the upcoming opening of Sindalah Island in Saudi Arabia. They introduce two spectacular charter yachts, run through the latest news and delve into data on fleet movements this summer to see how Mediterranean hotspots are changing. Link...

In this week's episode, Stewart and Gabrielle reflect on the Monaco Yacht Show, bringing you all the highlights from the event, from the boats to the parties (and the rain!). The pair also discuss which boats they managed to get on board and all the big breaking news from the show. Lastly, we open up the massive October issue of BOAT and discuss the story of one particularly scandalously named ...

In this week’s Big BOAT Interview, celebrated underwater photographer Laurent Ballesta talks to BOAT’s content director Lucy Dunn about his mission to unlock the mysteries of the ocean; taking the first photo of a coelacanth, a prehistoric fish that hides away in the world’s deepest underwater caves few humans can reach - and also about DONIA, his clever but simple-to-use app which helps captai...

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Stewart is joined by Gabby, BOAT's Business Editor, to discuss all the news from the Cannes Yachting Festival and look ahead to a bumper edition of the Monaco Yacht Show. More big boats will be packed into Port Hercules than ever before and we highlight some of the ones to put on your must-see list. Meanwhile, we bring you the latest news from the public hearing in...

In this Big BOAT Interview, Caroline speaks to Sebastian about the sudden, violent weather event that sank the 56-metre Bayesian off Sicily. The tragedy is part of a broader story about longer storm seasons, freak weather and unpredictable winds – changing global weather patterns ­that are already having an impact on the marine industry. Sebastian explains the precision with which extreme weath...

In this week’s podcast Katia and Georgia dive into the racing world and outline everything you need to know to watch the Louis Vuitton 37th Americas Cup. Having begun out in Barcelona, Georgia outlines the format, tactics and technology deployed by each of the teams to make this one of the most exciting races there is. There is also the Barcelona Superyacht Regatta taking place alongside the Am...

In this week's podcast, Stewart and Charlotte reflect on the tragic sinking of the 56 metre Perini Bayesian and the news coverage it generated. They look at the way the mainstream media covered the sinking and what the real experts are saying about the incident, which claimed seven lives. Later in the podcast, we examine how the first half of the year shaped up from a brokerage point of view, a...

In this special episode of the Big BOAT Interview, Katia speaks to insurance expert Michelle van der Merwe, to find out why 2024 has seen a record 12 superyachts destroyed. Michelle, who works as a superyacht account manager at Pantaenius Yacht Insurance, explains why we might be seeing more accidents and how extreme weather can play a role in the claims process. Touching on Bayesian, the pair ...

This week, we sit down with Vassilis Fotilas and Popy Kaia from Fraser Greece to discuss the recent merger of Fraser Greece and Atalanta Golden Yachts, as well as the current state of the Greek charter and sales market. Vassilis and Popy also talk through some recent rule changes that make chartering in Greece easier for foreign-flagged yachts, and why the country is seeing an exponential rise ...

This week Caroline and Cecile look at a week rife with incidents, including a yacht fire off the coast of Sardinia that resulted in the yacht’s loss, the well publicised slow collision of Lady Moura and Venus, and the sinking of Lovebug in the Chasepeake Bay. They also discuss the recent wrongful-death lawsuit filing by the family of French diver Paul-Henri Nargeolet, which comes a bit more tha...

In this special episode of BOAT Briefing, Gabby Lazaridis, business editor of BOAT International, takes a deep dive into how the superyacht industry has reacted to Houthi attacks on commercial shipping in the southern Red Sea and Gulf of Aden. She examines the impact on insurance premiums, the advice of security companies and how cruising patterns are shifting. The team also discuss Sanlorenzo'...

In this week's episode of BOAT Briefing, travel and charter editor Georgia takes a deep dive into the state of the charter market, while the team also bring you news of Royal Huisman's takeover and the latest financial results from MarineMax. In our brokerage focus, we discuss the merits of buying 68 metre Loon versus 45.7 metre Ancallia, and we also discover which superyachts have travelled th...

In this week's episode, Caroline and Katia discuss sustainable boating in Monaco and why it's important that nominations for the BOAT International Design & Innovation Awards are put forward now. The pair discuss Katia's alternative career (Katia's Cut-Price Cruisers) in the brokerage picks and spotlight a few of the yachts on the market under $5 million. Caroline delves into the "punchy" open ...

In this week’s episode of BOAT Briefing, we lead with news that BOAT International Media has become part of the Informa Group’s portfolio of specialist media brands. The team also discuss the history and impact of catamaran builder Sunreef, and dive into some eye-opening numbers from a study on the Italian marine industry. Headline news is a dramatic fire at Lürssen, but there are happier happe...

In this week's BOAT Briefing, Georgia Boscawen, BOAT International's travel and charter editor, joins Stewart to discuss travel bucket lists – including Antarctic plunges and new hotel openings in Madagascar – and the growing popularity of chartering in Greece. Our brokerage section this week focuses on three big new listings: 99.1-metre Christino O, 108-metre Luminosity and 105-metre H3, and i...

In this week's episode, Charlotte reports back from the first ever edition of the Cyclades Cup in Antiparos and Stewart returns to the office from a week in New York and Newport. We discuss the appeal of private residence ships, following a press event in London for Ulyssia, and examine which brands' boats sell the quickest on the brokerage market. In the news is a fire in Hydra, caused by fire...

Following his appearance at this year's Ocean Talks, in this episode Caroline speaks with Swiss filmmaker Matthieu Rytz about his documentary Deep Rising.Narrated by Jason Momoa and premiered to much fanfare at the 2023 Sundance film festival, it investigates the subject of deep sea mining, with engaging characters locked in a dramatic narrative and some spectacular underwater photography. He t...