DENISON YACHTING DEMANDS THE FINEST Days of Thunder NASCAR driver Greg Biffle swaps tarmac for ocean Behind the Lens A picture speaks 1,000 words, but what makes it memorable? To the Ends of the Earth When dropping anchor in St. Tropez isn’t enough...
®
Everything but your Engine Room
Marine, Residential & Commercial Interior Design
561.671.1958 | info@mmdesignsllc.com | www.mmdesignsllc.com
Editor-In-Chief Josh Valoes Editor Julia Zaltzman Art Direction and Design Stuart Tolley Design Assistance Amy Robinson Proofreader Matthew Coleman
CLOSINGS MADE EASY Yacht Documentation Services
Sales Director Ben Farnborough Advertising Enquiries Jennifer Welker Peacock
Jennifer@denisonyachting.com +1 954 763 3971 Front cover illustration Nathalie Lees
www.nathalielees.com Contributors
Juliet Benning, Ellie Brade, Danielle Cutler, Jo Morgan, Josh Sims, Eleanor Taylor, Holly Wales Transmission Design takes care to ensure that all facts published herein are correct. In the event of any inaccuracy please contact the editor. Any opinion expressed is the honest belief of the author based on all available facts. Comments and facts should not be relied upon by the reader in taking commercial, legal, financial or other decisions. Articles are by their nature general and specialist advice should always be consulted before any actions are taken. Published for Denison Yachting by Transmission Design www.transmission.design Printed by Calev Systems www.calevsystems.com
Denison Yachting Headquarters 850 NE 3rd Street Suite #205 Dania Beach, FL 3004 www.denisonyachtsales.com
Florida
+1 954.500.2556
Wisconsin
+1 954.500.2556 (ext. 701)
www.alloceansclosings.com
CONTENTS ISSUE 01
12 Survey #01 The real life ‘below deck’ answers
14 Days of Thunder Recently retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle swaps tarmac for ocean in a Westport 112
22 The Food Laboratory When it comes to the food that we know, love and eat, how far is too far?
28 Somewhere Over the Rainbow A little blue sky thinking to see if a global warming solution could exist in the clouds
32 Dutch Courage A look inside the visionary design and audacious mind of Marcel Wanders FRANK MAGAZINE ISSUE 01 FRONT COVER BY NATHALIE LEES
36 Fair Winds and Fairways Six of the world’s most interesting golf courses that traverse the Seven Seas
44 Demigod of the Sea 126 14
Project Triton cements Denison Yachting as a new-build player. This is how it happened.
48 The Denison Story A stroll down memory lane in pictures
60 Behind the Lens A picture speaks a thousand words, but what makes a photo memorable?
60
CONTENTS ISSUE 01
A YARD ABOVE
74 Malt in the USA A list of the best bourbons to get you thinking outside of the Kentucky box
82 The Mother of all Marlin Mothershipping on the Great Barrier Reef hooking the fastest fish on the planet
90 The Coral Fanfare Earth has already lost half of its coral reefs. So, what’s the plan?
98 The Chill Factor When it comes to explorative itineraries, embracing colder climates has never been cooler
104 What Lies Beneath The brave new world of submersibles and the start of an epic adventure
112 Livin’ the Drone Life Behind the scenes with photographer and videographer Sean Wilkes
118 Coming Ashore Even for yachts with limited storage, a smorgasbord of gear exists that specifically caters for land-based excursions.
126 To the Ends of the Earth Dropping anchor in St. Tropez may be enough for some, but when it’s not, the world awaits
134 Crabba Dabba Doo! Why the city of Annapolis is turning heads, and yachties are choosing to drop anchor
74
140 Survey #02 What keeps brokers up at night?
YO U R YARD OF CHOICE. Lauderdale Marine Center in South Florida is America’s premier repair and service facility. With 60 acres and five boat lifts capable of lifting up to 485 tons, 300+ authorized contractors and a welcoming waterfront restaurant, we’re equipped to be the perfect destination to show, survey, and repair any vessel for sale—all without any markups, hidden charges or extra fees. We also lead the industry in achieving designation as the first Marine Foreign Trade Zone in the United States, and we’re uniquely positioned to safely showcase foreign vessels for sale to U.S. buyers. It's no wonder we're the Yard of Choice for more than 1,300 vessels annually. Full transparency. Complete care. Total control. Visit LauderdaleMarineCenter.com or call +1.954.713.0333 to learn how LMC is truly a yard above.
The Survey Crew Crew deliver the best customer service in the world, but what do they really think behind closed doors? We asked 500 Denison Yacht Sales participants the following:
What position has the most divas?
Do you watch Below Deck?
What’s your favorite perk?
Who are the worst tippers?
What’s your favorite boat show?
34%
49%
I watch it casusally
61%
Travel
24%
49%
32%
44%
24%
19%
Stews
I’ve never watched it
16%
07%
Captains
07%
Engineers
06%
Deckhands
05%
First Officers
The French
The tips
The Russians
14%
19%
I watch every episode Friends
01%
The dating pool
The British TRISTAN GASSERT, FREDDIE G, DIMITRY ANIKIN, NEON BRAND
Chefs
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show
32%
Monaco Yacht Show
09%
15%
The Chinese
Palm Beach Boat Show
10%
05%
The Italians
07%
The Germans
06%
Cannes Yachting Festival
05%
Miami Yacht Show
The Americans
12 — 13
Words Danielle Cutler Photograph Jared C. Tilton
Days of
Thunder Swapping tarmac for ocean, recently retired NASCAR driver Greg Biffle moves into a Westport 112 with greater stability in more ways than one.
14 — 15
Most think NASCAR when conjuring up the name Greg Biffle. Or Roush Racing, where he won the 2001 Rookie of the Year and a prolific 19 races in his No. 16 Ford stock car. Simply put, the man from Washington has had a high-volume racing career that spans the gamut from the NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series to driving the Continental Tire truck in the Stadium Super Trucks series. At the time of this interview with FRANK, he was gearing up for the Sand Outlaw Series race in Glamis, California, where he races a Polaris utility machine. “I enjoy the desert and recreation racing,” Biffle says of the series with six races throughout the Western United States. Biffle retired from NASCAR fulltime racing in 2017. He says he misses it a lot – he did it for 18 years – but it was time to get out of the car and do something else. But Biffle has been boating his entire life. Born and raised in Camas, he and his father spent a lot of time together on the water. “I bought my first boat when I was 16,” he says. And he just kept going, making his way up the Bayliner boat offerings. He had a 41foot Luhrs sportfisher that he kept in Mexico for five years to facilitate his love for fishing. He still misses that boat. Most recently, Biffle bought a 112-foot Westport to replace his 76-foot Lazzara IN TOO DEEP, which he also loved. Denison Yachting facilitated the purchase of the Westport, christened CHECKERED PAST. Biffle calls it his dream boat. The guy he bought the 112 from moved up to a Westport 130, and Biffle made a three-year plan to budget for the boat. “I never thought I’d be able to buy one,” he says. “This is truly the boat.” Biffle’s father passed away in 2016, and he’s disappointed his dad won’t see the yacht. 16 — 17
“ I’m an active boater. I love being a part of it. Part of the enjoyment is working on the boat.” He’d repeatedly threatened to buy a larger yacht before his father passed, and sadly, his dad missed the boat. “He would’ve loved it,” he rues. As a fishing fanatic, Biffle has already completed two trips to the Bahamas on his Westport for some angling. He was scheduled to go again in March 2020 with his nine-year-old daughter, Emma, and a few other families, but Covid-19 put a halt to those plans. He had blocked out the month of May to just be on the boat, but that time was quickly encroached upon as well. “You know when you’re retired how busy it is,” he jokes. “You’ve got 900 things going on.” Fort Lauderdale is the home base for CHECKERED PAST, although he’s still looking for a more permanent dockage. He likes keeping it in Daytona, particularly in February during the Daytona 500, but the location isn’t so great for crew. Fort Lauderdale is really the place for that, and crew was part of the reason he moved up from his Lazzara. “It’s a weird size,” he says. “It’s often their first gig and they’re looking to move up. This size is like a stepping-stone – and I get that.” He felt that by moving up to the Westport 112 he would be able to attract and hold onto the keeper crew. And in fact, once he bought the Westport, good crew began contacting him. Captain Dirk, from another Westport 112, helped Biffle secure his his previous mate, Jerry. He thought he had Captain Dirk locked in for his team, too, but he took an opportunity on another, larger yacht. Denison’s crew division manager, Jill Madeira, from the company’s crew placement division, helped Biffle screen for and hire the rest of his crew, sending résumé after résumé for him to review and he feels like he has a solid team now with Captain Garrett. But Biffle also likes to take part in the operation of his boats and yachts. “I’m an active boater,” he admits. “I love being a part of it. Part of the enjoyment is working on the boat.” With his Lazzara, Biffle was never on the yacht when it was underway. He was always out on the tender fishing, snorkeling or otherwise exploring while the crew moved the yacht to the next cove. So, what about his favorite spot on his new yacht? “I love the aft deck, just hanging out with the great view. It’s a huge aft deck. It’s funny, I love the country kitchen. My Lazzara had one and it was my favorite place. But on the Westport, I almost have to force myself to hang out in the 18 — 19
“I love cars, I love motorcycles. You know, I’m an outdoors guy.”
We’re a lot like you. We love the water in all its forms - the ocean, bays, lakes, and rivers. And we love sharing the boating lifestyle with our family and friends. This love manifests itself in every BENETEAU built in any one of our many manufacturing facilities worldwide. Every BENETEAU sailboat and powerboat on the water reflects the best efforts of the finest architects, designers, and craftsmen along with the highest quality materials and the latest innovations. Exploring New Horizons Since 1884 |
BENETEAU.COM
AVA N T-G A R D E I N B OAT I N G
kitchen and the saloon.” The Westport’s enticing aft deck has completely taken him. Talking with Biffle, one may forget that his passion is something other than boats. “I love cars, I love motorcycles,” he shares. “You know, I’m an outdoors guy.” Besides racing all types of land machines, Biffle also enjoys flying remote-controlled planes. But he hasn’t done that in a while. You know, retirement. “I do have a real job,” he says. “I have a stone quarry.” In 2009, Biffle bought what is now Triple B Stone in Speedwell, Virginia. After selecting some river rock for a landscaping project from this mine at the advice of his contractor in 2007, and, when needing more in 2009 for another project discovering it had gone under, he bought the mine. Enlisting the help of his brother Jeff, they hired back some of the local employees who had been laid off when the business had shut down, and Biffle bought more efficient and more environmentally-friendly equipment. Today the mine is back in action and has the potential to keep providing river rock and stimulating the local economy. So much for retirement. Biffle’s long-term plan for CHECKERED PAST is to charter the yacht via Denison’s charter fleet under the company’s charter management division. Maybe you’ll find him on board as crew.
↑ (Top) Biffle’s Westport 112 CHECKERED PAST
↑ Greg with his wife Cristina (centre) and friends Christina Mauney, Tom Bramhall, and Cliff and Julie Swinger out on the water
20 — 21
Words Josh Sims Photograph Younès Klouche
b a L
r o
e en loo k fa it co r? me s
a to
ry
The Food
th e h t a Th str ut w o u l ee o l di sse , b is t n t a c nce r je ider of desig fa b o n is to cons r w cula t, ho i a t r n a d function of a p a to t de he f n a ood th e at we know, lov
22 — 23
in Cambridge, UK. “What they were very into was bringing an element of surprise into food to use fake food or trompe l’oeil to make the diner laugh. More recently, time pressures and the distractions of tech have made it harder for people to engage with food beyond the need to eat it.” But that is changing. How about the idea of black milk or printed toast? What about fries that are made of rice or a burger whose shape aims to remind its eater of the meat’s origins – all ideas from Studio Minale-Maeda. Proposals from food design agency Enivrance include cereal eggs, double-headed lollipops, flavored twigs, grated ketchup, vegetables reconstituted in aspic-like blocks, or books of spices, from which pages can be torn out as required. Italian designer Paolo Ulian has devised chocolate bars that measure the eater’s greediness, and biscuits shaped to fit over the fingertip for better dipping in chocolate. Likewise, food design pioneer Marti Guixe has suggested the likes of cakes reimagined as pie charts representing the ingredients in percentage form, or a system that allows pasta to be eaten like tapas. Such concepts are being sought out by food producing giants, the likes of Nestlé and Danone, or food/drink brands such as Lavazza, Ferrero and Glenmorangie. But also seemingly unrelated names – L’Oréal and LVMH
→ Carolien Niebling’s sausage slices made from dried fruits, pig’s heart and insects
“F oo
24 — 25
f g n i r dd rov als a p esig u n is a t im way of not jus the rit the exp all erience and
NOORTJE KNULST
← Golosimetro Model made for the Designers’ Measuring Instruments exhibition in Udine, 2002. Produced by Constructors of Sweetness 2006. Chocolate stick + meter = a combination of two types to measure our sweet tooth
oo ou d, b nd ut t foo he pr esentation, d to o.”
Carolien Niebling is into sausage. Indeed, she has made them with dried fruits, pig’s heart and even insects. “There’s a willingness to compromise with new foods if the form is familiar,” she argues. “It’s a new treatment of a package we already know and that works because not everyone is quick to embrace new ideas in food, both individuals and food producers.” Niebling is author of The Sausage of the Future and a food designer. She is a thinker working in the young discipline that looks at the ways in which new foods can be devised to offer greater accessibility, convenience, flavor, nutrition or entertainment. Since the rearing of meat is land- and grain-intensive, with her alternative sausages she is even into sustainability. “Food design is a way of not just improving food, but the presentation, the experience and all the rituals around food too,” she says. The very idea that food can be designed much like any product dates back centuries, but is somehow largely forgotten. At least, until more recently, experimental chefs began playing with food forms. “There was a sense not just of the cost of the foodstuff, or the silver it sat on, but the skilled labor behind it,” says Melissa Calaresu, cultural historian and curator of Feast & Fast: The Art of Food in Europe, 1500-1800 at the Fitzwilliam Museum
– increasingly see food as a key part of the wider design conversation. Small wonder that the past five years have seen the University of Reims, Design Academy Eindhoven and Milan’s Scuola Politecnica di Design launch the first degree courses in food design. “There is an awareness that there is so much happening in other design disciplines like fashion, and that food is comparatively dull despite the fact that food gives structure to our lives,” says Enivrance’s founder, Edouard Malbois. “At the luxury level there is a need for experimental foods that stimulate on all levels and that can operate at the same level as fashion. But there is also a need for massive change at the everyday, mass-market level.” Certainly, the turnover of new ideas is gathering pace, and not just because food offers many parameters to explore, such as color, texture, consistency, shape, etc. The market matters. According to the SIAL International Food Fair, some 50 percent of sales of mass-market foods today concern products that were unknown five years ago. And yet, half of those new products that make it to the supermarket are pulled off the shelves within two years. There’s a consciousness not only of our growing desire for novelty, but that our food choices express our sense of identity and status.
“Most people think about food more now, but they still don’t think of it as having been designed,” says Marije Vogelzang, the founder of the Dutch Institute of Food and Design (the organization behind the Future Food Design Awards, the first global awards of their kind). “The big food producers are gradually opening up to new possibilities in terms of using food to explore all the senses. For example, in recognizing that the way food is designed is a reflection of the way we live; how impatient we are, how mobile, how curious. People used to tell me that food was not a serious subject for design. Now, there’s a rapid turnover of projects all over the world.” Of course, some new food design ideas can still seem more wacky than appealing, though the same was once said of the likes of pre-washed salad or flavored water. Look closer and even many traditional foodstuffs are examples of impressive design that typically go underappreciated, if acknowledged at all; the sushi roll, lasagna, the pita pocket, and so on. As Italian designer Bruno Munari noted in 1963, albeit tongue-in-cheek, “The orange is an almost perfect object in which one may observe an absolute coherence of form, function and consumption.” Other designers are now thinking hard about how to give us more oranges.
→ Sausage model by Younès Klouche, which featured in The Sausage of the Future by Carolien Niebling
u “At the l ve ate la sf ash
l, t ve y le
ion. ”
xu r 26 — 27
ul
h
er ei tim le s sa hat me on need t s sa od all f leve or experimental fo at the ls and e that can operat
Words Juliet Benning Illustration Eleanor Taylor
Somewhere Over the
Rainbow A handful of scientists and engineers think a solution to global warming could exist in the clouds. FRANK delves into a little blue sky thinking to find out if they’re right.
28 — 29
t cen per ffset o wo r t ould eo ec ,w
“It’s possible that by r more sunlig efle ht fr o m t ct in 35.6°F or m ore o he at g ju m s fw arm osp t on ing her e .”
In the words of American rock band Grateful Dead, “You get shown the light, in the strangest of places if you look at it right”. And it seems the answer to cooling the critical temperature of our planet could be found in a volcano in the Philippines. When Mount Pinatubo erupted in 1991, it released sulfates that reached the stratosphere in the upper layer of the atmosphere. Sulfates then mixed with the atmosphere to reflect sunlight and, over the next two years, the planet’s temperature cooled by about one degree with a striking increase in Arctic ice cover in 1992. This accidental cooling could lead to the emergency brake our planet needs, and a group of scientists and engineers are locked in a race against time trying to establish how we can synthesize this effect in an impactful solution. If we were in any doubt about the haste at which we need to move, Peter Wadhams’ book A Farewell to Ice makes for a sobering read. Wadhams, who has spent more
30 — 31
than 40 years documenting the Arctic, predicts that with our carbon dioxide (CO2) consumption at its current rate, the landscape of our planet could have changed irrevocably within 15 years. The tipping point, he says, will be if the permafrost on the ocean bed melts. “It protects us from a large amount of methane, and if it melts there could be a big boost in the gas, which will cause a sudden warming. A one to two-meter rise in sea level by the end of the century will have enormous implications for coastlines, with serious flooding in poor countries like Bangladesh.” Ice reflects solar radiation far more effectively than open water, and without it, the global thermostat will shoot up. Given that the poles have such a huge influence on the critical outcome of the next 20 years, it’s here that scientists are focusing on solutions. The relatively new field of geo-engineering aims to balance out global warming using man-made climate intervention. Projects range from the development of artificial trees to ocean fertilization. According to a collection of scientists and engineers, the solution for the poles is Marine Cloud Brightening (MCB), a proposed solar radiation management climate engineering technique that would make clouds brighter, reflecting a small fraction of incoming sunlight back into space in order to offset anthropogenic global warming.
Stephen Salter, the Emeritus Professor of Engineering Design at the University of Edinburgh is one of MCB’s greatest advocates. Working alongside the physicist John Latham of The National Center for Atmospheric Research, Salter’s work is based around the development of a fleet of autonomous hydrofoil spray vessels. Filtered water would be pumped through sub-micron spray nozzles to eventually form a marine boundary layer to cloud level. But funding for Salter’s ideas is woefully lacking. “I’ve been trying to do the engineering but there’s been absolutely no money for that at all,” reveals the scientist, who is now relying solely on his pension to fund the work. On the other side of the Atlantic, Kelly Wanser, executive director at SilverLining (an NGO that supports research in interventions to reduce heat in climate) and previously the director of the Marine Cloud Brightening Project, believes that we can buy time for what she calls ‘an emergency medicine for our climate fever’. “It’s possible that by reflecting just one or two percent more sunlight from the atmosphere, we could offset 2°C [approx. 35.6°F] or more of warming,” she explains. At the University of Washington, a team of retired engineers has developed a nozzle spray system that generates three trillion droplets per second to begin the process of man-made cloud intervention. But the naysayers
of geo-engineering argue that man-made intervention will only patch up the problem, allowing us to continue to produce CO2 at our current rate. There is also the possibility that the use of MCB will have a detrimental effect on weather systems needed to support food growth and stabilize life in some locations. The problem is, that the ideas behind MCB are still only theoretical and there’s a lot of uncertainty around the effect. Wanser emphasizes that despite the many global projects working towards making the theories a reality, significant funding is still lacking. But if just one of the projects successfully moves from the theoretical to the physical in the next five years, we could buy ourselves much needed time. As Wanser says, “We do have the ability to develop and agree on solutions to protect people and restore our climate to health. This could mean that to remain safe, we reflect sunlight for a few decades while we green our industries and remove CO2.”
Words Josh Sims Photograph Marcel Wanders Studio
Dutch Courage For design to possess inspired form, rather than style over function, it requires the vision of an artist, the nous of a businessman, the courage of an entrepreneur, and the audacious outlook of Marcel Wanders.
32 — 33
→ Marcel Wanders studio’s One Minute Mickey created in 2018 to honor the 90th anniversary of Walt Disney’s iconic figure, Mickey Mouse
“Secretly, I’m an engineer,” says Marcel Wanders, “because deep down all designers like to talk about screws and machines. But the fact is that the world out there really couldn’t care less, because 99.9 percent of the people around me are not engineers. And it’s only in the last 25 years or so that designers have started to understand that.” It’s why Wanders, the Amsterdam-based product designer, doesn’t really get the enduring trend for modernism – in all its stripped back, plain functionality – in furniture and interiors. For him, it says nothing. It’s “outmoded” – even, like so much modern design, rather boring. “For me, the whole principle of design is that it comes up with new things. It has ideas, a sense of fantasy,” the 56-year-old Dutchman contends. “It’s about designing something more than functional. You can buy a functional chair for $12 and if you pay more than that you’re not paying for function anymore. People aren’t stupid. Obviously a $600 chair isn’t about function.” “Of course, in furniture there might not be much technical innovation – my ass is much the same size as my dad’s, so there are physical limitations, for example. But the way my dad felt about just about everything has changed massively between his generation and those younger. The real change is cultural. That’s why design should be about making things that are meaningful. People want things around them that they can love.” Certainly, Wanders’ designs – as instantly recognizable as they are – are arresting, irreverent, twisted, exuberant and inventive: he’s the man who modeled a vessel on a spectacularly explosive nasal emittance, and then called it the Snotty Vase; or who worked out a way of effectively suspending rope in aspic, making it hard and forming it into his Knotty Chair; or a way of covering inflated party balloons with carbon fiber to produce, appropriately, the world’s lightest chair. More recent furniture pieces have included the Ant chair, in which a wedge of comfy upholstery is suspended on seemingly too spindly legs; or the BFF modular sofa, which takes the capitone technique of deep buttoned upholstery and blows up the scale so that one fragment becomes a full module.
“ In furniture there might not be much technical innovation – my ass is much the same size as my dad’s, so there are physical limitations.”
↑ Marcel Wanders studio’s ultra-lightweight carbon fiber chair formed around party balloons → The Knotty Chair in gold, made by suspending rope in aspic
34 — 35
Indeed, many of his designs refer back to established, historical forms and, as he puts it, often “look old to start with, because that makes for pieces people tend to stay connected to for longer – and that’s proper durability, proper ecological thinking.” Too much of contemporary design, he argues, and especially at the luxury end of the market, is obsessed with the shiny and unsullied – no cracks, no patina, no unique character allowed. The only newness he’s really interested in is the original concept. “I like nothing more than being challenged, of finding a fresh way of considering something, and what’s so surprising is that innovation can be found in so many places and in ways that make you wonder why it hasn’t been done before, why something has stayed pretty much the same for centuries without being reconsidered.” He cites, by way of example, a gargantuan 77 pound art book he produced, in which the paintings reproduced are on a 1:1 scale with the originals, “as they should be seen”. Or the ‘whispering’ violin he’s designed for a professional violinist friend of his who was becoming deaf through her years of playing; it sounds the same but produces fewer decibels, which composers are now even writing for. Many of Wanders’ designs form part of the permanent collections of New York’s Museum of Modern Art, London’s V&A and, naturally enough, Amsterdam’s Stedelijk Museum. Beginning his career at Droog, the Dutch design collective that produced the Knotty Chair, he has since designed some 1,700 pieces for the diverse likes of Flos, Boffi, B&B Italia, Moroso, his design agency-cum retail venture Moooi and, most recently, for Baccarat. That points to one crucial quality of his work: for all of its frequent lightheartedness – and “it’s not about being humorous,” he stresses, “because humor in design has a short lifespan, in the way you can’t tell the same joke over and over again.” – it also sells. “People say you should just focus on your talents, but that’s stupid,” he argues in counter to those who questioned why, back in 2014, he bothered to complete an MBA. “I make things, yes, but I also want people to have them. And that means business. That’s the only way to get design to people. So, I figured the better I am at business, the better designer I’ll be – to make things that make the client happy, me happy, and hopefully the world happy, too.”
Fair winds
a f and
36 — 37
ays
Words Jo Morgan Photograph Jacob Sjoman
w ir
Whether teeing off amid coconut palms in the South Pacific or playing a round under the midnight sun in the Arctic Circle, for some, it doesn’t get much better than the marriage of golf and yachting. FRANK presents six of the world’s most interesting and challenging golf courses that traverse the Seven Seas: a bucket-list golfing itinerary like no other.
← Lofoten Links Gimsøya Island, Lofoten Islands, Norway DETAILS
Designed by Jeremy Turner this championship 18-hole 6,662-yard course is set on a hauntingly beautiful island in the Arctic Circle. Each hole is framed by views of ancient volcanoes, boulder-strewn beaches and the frigid Norwegian Sea. Complete the picture with 24-hour golfing under the midnight sun in summer or watching the northern lights from late August, and you’ve got destination golf at its most exhilarating. UNIQUE FEATURES
Where to begin? Is it the signature second hole on a tiny peninsula jutting out into the sea? Or is it the surreal thrill of playing golf at 2am under a golden sky, Arctic Ocean at your feet and the shards of ancient volcanoes looming up all around? This place has moved golfers to tears in its almost terrifying beauty. BEST SUITED FOR
Nature-loving golfers seeking a surreal game on a Norway yacht charter (and bragging rights for golfing inside the Arctic Circle).
→ Son Gual Majorca, Balearic Islands, Spain DETAILS
Likened to Augusta by Ian Woosnam, OBE, this 7,241yard course by Thomas Himmel presents an exquisitely manicured challenge for the skilled golfer. Navigate huge bunkers and spectacular water features, and factor in some confounding Mediterranean breezes.
TERRE BLANCHE
UNIQUE FEATURES
38 — 39
An immaculately tended course with one of Europe’s best holes and a superb collection of par threes. The setting is as charming as the course is excellent, with over 800 mature olive trees, trailing vineyards and the Majorcan mountains rising up in the hazy distance. Add in waterfalls, wildflowers and wide tees, and it’s easy to see why Son Gual is a mustvisit on a golfer’s yacht charter to the Balearics. BEST SUITED FOR
Lovers of American parkland-style courses played under the Spanish sun.
← Le Chateau, Terre Blanche Cannes, South of France DETAILS
Recently voted France’s Best Golf Hotel at the World Golf Awards, this swanky resort in the Provencal hills features two 18-hole championship courses by architect Dave Thomas. Le Chateau is the ‘must-play’ of the two, with a demanding 7,235-yard course winding between water features, jaggededge bunkers, shady Aleppo pines and wildflower meadows. And an 18th century chateau, naturally. Precision players will be amply rewarded. UNIQUE FEATURES
Terre Blanche is a spectacular 750-acre estate once owned by Sean Connery. It is home to Europe’s only Albatross Golf Performance Centre, complete with a two-story driving range, Golf Academy and Biomecaswing golf biomechanics center. There is a Michelin-starred restaurant and a helipad on-site with 12-minute transfers from your yacht in Cannes. BEST SUITED FOR
Ambitious golfers who want to be challenged in a setting out of a Provencal dream.
→ Cape Kidnappers Hawke’s Bay, North Island, New Zealand DETAILS
UNIQUE FEATURES
Stretching 7,147 yards, this is an intelligent course of great drama where every shot across ravines and gaping chasms is a confidence game; the eyes ever drawn to those awe-inspiring cliffs. Go forth and conquer. BEST SUITED FOR
Golfers who are seeking bucket-list games that will sear into the memory. Perfectly paired with an America’s Cup yacht charter in 2021. 40 — 41
SON GUAL 2014, CAPE KIDNAPPERS
Designed by American great, Tom Doak, this 18-hole championship course is set atop towering cliffs on New Zealand’s Pacific coast. The fairways of the back nine are set on clifftop peninsulas that stretch out like little fingers of green: firm, fast and edged by ravines and sheer cliff drops plummeting 500 feet to the sea below. The course is part of the superb Cape Kidnappers hotel, voted number one in Australasia in 2019.
← The Straits Sheboygan, Wisconsin, United States DETAILS
Crafted by hall-of-fame designer Pete Dye, The Straits at Whistling Straits features rugged and windswept terrain sculpted along two miles of Lake Michigan shoreline. An intense 18-hole course with world-class prestige, it offers fescue fairways and massive sand dune bunkers set against a backdrop of one of the five Great Lakes of North America. UNIQUE FEATURES
The two-mile long, dramatically craggy, bunker-riddled course has hosted multiple PGA Championships and the 2007 US Senior Open. It is also the site of the 2021 Ryder Cup – the first public course to host the hotly contested biennial men’s golf competition in 30 years – and is arguably the greatest championship course in the United States. BEST SUITED FOR
Golfers keen to step into the shoes of Rory McIlroy for a day.
→ Laucala Laucala Island, Fiji DETAILS
Located on an ultra-exclusive private island in the balmy South Pacific, Laucala offers an 18-hole championship resort-style course designed by David McLay-Kidd. With tough greens, stiff sea breezes and narrow fairways across an undulating course, this 6,829-yard course is not for beginners, but other skill levels will find a very good game in an exceptional setting.
KOHLER CO, LAUCALA
UNIQUE FEATURES
42 — 43
Laucala is one of a triplet of small islands that lie to the east of Thurston Point on the island of Taveuni in Fiji. The course has been designed on an old coconut plantation edged by sea, jungle and an extinct volcano. Every hole at Laucala is visually spectacular, while the resort’s signature twelfth hole extends onto the beach, meaning wet feet at high tide! Laucala has a superyacht marina with two deepwater moorings right off the beach. BEST SUITED FOR
Golfers with a South Pacific dream.
Words Julia Zaltzman Photograph Dick Holthuis
Demigod
of the sea
When 164-foot Project Triton sold in October 2020, she cemented Denison Yachting’s reputation as a new-build player. This is how it happened. Triton, son of Greek sea god, Poseidon, is a merman or demigod of the sea. Literally translated, it means ‘a being that has power over nature or human fortunes’. There couldn’t be a more apt name for the largest new construction project ever sold by Denison Yachting. Nor a more fitting new build for her owners. Project Triton, now named ARKADIA, is the second hull in Heesen Yachts’ 50-meter Steel Class. This means the full-displacement yacht benefits from the Dutch shipyard’s proven technical platform. Of equal importance for ARKADIA’s owners was Heesen’s speculative-build business model. According to Thom Conboy, Heesen’s exclusive sales representative in North America, Mexico, the Bahamas and the Caribbean, being able to bypass the standard three- to four-year wait period for a new build yacht is highly appealing to owners around the world who demand immediate gratification. “We’re seeing owners step in about a year prior to the build completing,” he says. “One year seems to be the sweet spot where they can really personalize the boat and achieve the closest thing to a custom build. Couple that with a platform that is proven both technically and performance-wise, built at a Northern European yard recognized for quality and innovation, and you have a winning formula.” In the case of ARKADIA, it was the guidance, experience and knowledge of Denison yacht broker David Johnson that first alerted the owners to the opportunity. And prior to that,
the trust they placed in him as their broker that helped them navigate a way through. “I was introduced to the owner just at the time that he bought a 52-foot yacht,” explains Johnson. “Because I’ve captained and built big yachts over the course of many years, I had the necessary experience to help the owners with the type of future projects that they had in mind. So, right from the beginning of our first conversation I could answer very specific, detailed questions and they just started zeroing in.” Over the next four years, Johnson sold them a 112-foot new build as an interim boat between the 52-foot yacht and ‘the next big one’. “They wanted to learn more about everything that comes with owning a much larger yacht before moving forward. So, the 112-foot just really worked for them and they loved the interior of the one that I showed them. We flew all over the world looking at other models before they wound up buying that first one, which was anchored right behind my office here in Fort Lauderdale. That helped to seal their trust in my judgment.” For Johnson, the benefits of working with an experienced yacht broker works both ways. For the owners, they become privy to years of valuable knowledge. For the broker, some owners continually push for more, which, in Johnson’s opinion, keeps expanding his knowledge. “The owners of ARKADIA always test me. But by doing that they’re making me better. I already had good relationships with most of the shipyards, but the yards are 44 — 45
FLYING, PERSONALIZED. Access the world’s largest private jet marketplace, powered by Wheels Up.
46 — 47
Bannenberg & Rowell to make a few minor bespoke modifications, such as increasing the size of the Jacuzzi. Delivery is scheduled for April 2021, when the owners will take their Mediterranean maiden voyage in the south of France, before homeporting ARKADIA in Fort Lauderdale, ready to be managed by Denison’s in-house yacht management team. “Heesen yachts are really resonating with American clients right now,” says Johnson. “There are so many Heesens cruising in Fort Lauderdale and Palm Beach – VIDA, BOOKENDS and now SOLEMATES – so ARKADIA will be in great company when she finally completes.”
Discover your exclusive benefits and unparalleled travel experiences with Wheels Up and Denison Yachts. denison@wheelsup.com
↑ SPECIFICATIONS Hull type: Displacement Hull: Steel Length over all: 163 feet 8 inches Beam over all: 29 feet 6 inches Draft (half load): 9 feet Tonnage: approx. 499 GT Maximum speed (half load): 15 knots
wheelsup.com
Range: 3,800Nm at 12 knots Fuel capacity: 60,000 litres / 15,850 US Gallons Fresh water: 20,000 litres / 5,300 US Gallons Main engines: 2 x MTU 8V 4000 M63
VISIONS
more open to sharing confidential information once they are comfortable with the knowledge that the broker is highly experienced in the area of new build and working with a qualified client.” Of course, owners are as varied as their yachts. When it came to ARKADIA, Johnson worked through multiple steps before the final purchase was agreed. “I think this couple are as knowledgeable now as I am, or any other experienced broker in the world, about everything to do with buying a yacht. It’s incredible.” ARKADIA’s masculine exterior design by British studio Clifford Denn is described by the superyacht designer as having “the stance of a large cat ready to pounce”. Curvy, flowing forms and sharp knuckle lines take their inspiration from both classic and contemporary iconic cars. This is best represented in the automotive styling ‘fisker whiskers’ on the aft fashion plates and navigation lights that provide practical and aesthetic design solutions. ARKADIA delivers the largest possible volume while remaining under the golden 500GT threshold. And still manages to include a tender and toy storage on the foredeck, as well as an elegant beach club with a bespoke blue-marble bar and dedicated wellness area. The owners were delighted with the original interior by renowned studio Reymond Langton but chose to work directly with Dickie Bannenberg of British studio
Wheels Up Partners LLC (“Wheels Up”) does not operate aircraft; U.S. FAA-licensed and DOT-registered air carriers participating in the program, including certain carriers affiliated with Wheels Up through common ownership, exercise full operational control of all flights offered by or arranged through Wheels Up. For ondemand flights and shuttle flights operated as scheduled service, Wheels Up acts solely as an agent for Wheels Up members and guests in arranging these flights on their behalf. For shuttle flights operated as Public Charter service, Wheels Up acts as principal in offering these flights subject to the DOT’s Public Charter rules contained in 14 CFR Part 380. All aircraft owned or leased by Wheels Up are leased to an affiliated air carrier and are operated exclusively by that carrier.
The Den ison Story
The Denison story is one of entrepreneurial foresight and a lot of hard work. The following photo essay celebrates the life and legacy of Frank Denison and his wife Gertrude, the power house couple behind the brand. A life told in pictures. 48 — 49
← A young Frank Denison finding his sea legs
↑ Frank and Gertrude christening one of their new builds with the traditional smashing of a bottle of Champagne ← Frank and Gertrude Denison bought a boatyard on their honeymoon in 1948 - the Fort Lauderdale-based Dooley’s Dry Dock - and renamed it Broward Marine
50 — 51
↑ Within five years of purchasing the boatyard and with no former experience in boating, Frank and Gertrude Denison grew Broward Marine to become the largest private employer in Broward County. Forty years later, it would become the first American yacht builder, with the largest order book in the world. The yard was originally located on the New River, just east of I-95, before Frank moved construction to a yard in Dania Beach, just south of Port Everglades, in Broward County
↑ In 1954, and for the next four years during the Korean War, Frank Denison landed a large United States Navy contract with the first flight of four 144-foot wooden minesweepers for the Royal Dutch Navy under a NATO contract ↑ Dooley’s Dry Dock had became a defence contractor during World War II, building PT boats
→ Secretary of the Navy, General Whitehouse addresses a crowd. Broward Marine subsequently added seven more AMS-Class 173foot Minesweepers for the US Navy → The newly widened Andrews Avenue bridge for the first 144-foot Minesweeper, 1952
52 — 53
← After the demand for minesweepers dropped, thanks in large part to the conclusion of World War II, Broward Marine shifted its focus back to building custom yachts. Frank and his design team developed hull designs that became renowned for being seaworthy, as well as efficient and beautiful. The Denison family was proud of the fact that no two Broward yachts were the same. That reputation for quality has endured for over 60 years
54 — 55
↑ In the 1950s, few yacht builders in the US could consistently build quality boats over 50 feet. As he built the organization, Frank challenged his customers and associates to ‘Demand the Finest’ via Broward’s slogan, while Gertrude (pictured above) began Broward’s Yacht Interiors, which became famous in its own right and was the world’s first yacht interior designers. Some notable examples are THE DORISAM in 1963, and THE HEATHER in 1965
↑ The launch of LISA II, the largest yacht built in the US since World War II, in 1957 (pictured above) established Broward’s position in the world of megayacht construction, and the vessels that followed were the start of a tradition of building wooden motoryachts based on the timber lamination techniques. Broward Marine began building some of the finest yachts for the world’s premiere yachtsmen, such as JONATHAN III built for Harry Blum in 1959, the founder of Jim Beam Distilleries
↑ As the ‘60s came to an end, Frank Denison noticed a trend away from wood to other materials such as aluminum and fiberglass. Seizing on this trend, Broward moved quickly and adopted aluminum as its material of preference, even at the expense of abandoning two wooden vessels that it had under construction. By the mid ‘70s, Broward was in full production of an all-aluminum series of motoryachts
↑ LAZY K, a 67-foot sportfisher built in 1969 for Keller Industries. One of the first sportfish yachts with an enclosed bridge
56 — 57
↑ LAZY LADY, a 72-foot Broward built in 1970 and later named ROSE DE SONGERIE, featured three double staterooms, each with its own head. It also offered a large salon and aft deck, separate dining salon, sun deck, and numerous water toys including a Boston Whaler. It was serviced by a crew of three
58 — 59
↑ Another first took place in 1973 when Broward Marine developed the first turbinepowered yacht, the 87-foot EVON. In 1976, construction began in Saugatuck, Michigan on Broward’s Michigan boatbuilding operation. In 1978, the first Michigan-built Broward, BROWNIE’S II, was launched. Operating two boatbuilding facilities allowed Broward to complete between six and eight vessels per year with as many as 10 to 12 vessels under construction at any one time
→ WHITE RABBIT in a halo of golden sunshine
A picture speaks a thousand words but what makes a photo memorable? Is it the compelling composition? The stimulating subject matter? Or perhaps it’s the ability to tell the story you want told by shooting, stitching and bending the truth. Shipbuilding photographer Mark Stothard gives FRANK his take on reality. Words Julia Zaltzman Photography Mark Stothard 60 — 61
When 276-foot superyacht WHITE RABBIT was delivered to her Singaporean owner in 2018, it hit the headlines for being the world’s biggest trimaran ever built. It’s also the largest yacht to ever come out of Australia, not to mention the largest yacht ever built by Echo Yachts. But for Mark Stothard, founder of the shipyard, the launch almost pales into insignificance when compared to the satisfaction he felt capturing the ‘golden arch’ image of the multi-hulled beauty cruising in a halo of sunshine. And that’s because for the aircraft engineer-turned-shipbuilder-turned-photographer, viewing life from behind the lens has become his passion. The interview takes place in a pre-Covid world long before our current dystopian nightmare, but even then Zoom provides the perfect platform to meet the charismatic man from down under. There is a quintessentially Australian edge to Stothard, who lounges on his sofa at home in Perth tired from the day’s activities. It’s something about his easy manner, casual cursing and self-assuredness when talking about his own achievements. It’s less arrogance and more mindfulness of the sheer volume of explanation his life requires. I empathize with the Aussie. It’s hard to know where to begin dissecting Stothard’s long and prolific career in 62 — 63
the boat-building game. He started out in the ‘70s as an aircraft engineer before selling diesel engines in the ‘80s. By 1995, he’d launched his first company building aluminum commercial fishing boats. That quickly grew into the third-largest aluminum shipbuilding company in Australia and, by 1998, was turning over AUD $50 million a year. He sold the business to commercial yard Austal Ships, freeing himself up to pursue other interests. One such venture was expedition operator NorthStar Cruises, which takes guests deep into the heart of the wilderness aboard its purpose-built boat, TRUE NORTH. “I had built a couple of the TRUE NORTH boats along the way and I really admired how Craig Howson was running that company,” he says. “He has very similar business principles to me, ‘do it once, do it right’. He asked me if I’d join him to buy his partner out and replace the 111-foot that I’d already built him with the 164-foot that we ended up with. So, I bought into the company in March 2003.” Subsequent roles included working as owner’s representative for the Macau Venetian Casino (in Singapore) writing the tender for its fleet of new build ferries (it remains the largest ferry contract ever written
↑ Native guanacos being herded on the arid plateau of the Atacama Desert
in the world today), plus a stint working for the Trinidad government before he founded Echo Yachts in 2010. When one of his old clients resurfaced and asked if he could “find a shed big enough to build a 276-foot trimaran”, the story of WHITE RABBIT was born. But Stothard’s TRUE NORTH affiliation holds particular significance, for it was the catalyst that incentivized him to improve on his rather amateur photography. “I was traveling to all these magnificent places on a beautiful boat and coming away with crap photos,” he says truthfully. “I hate doing things by halves, so if I’m going to do something, I’m going to do it really well, and I’m going to find the best person to teach me.”
True to form, Stothard tracked down renowned photographer Christian Fletcher, multiple winner of Australian Professional Landscape Photographer of The Year. The pair hit it off and he took Stothard under his wing, coaching him on the art of photography in exchange for his business expertise. “He fast-tracked me so that in a year I was where it would take most people ten years to get to,” says Stothard. “So, then I was at a very similar stage to where he was at, and together we grew. We were both hungry to learn. It was at a time when digital photography was really taking off and the cameras were starting to get good, so we stayed with the best kit that we could buy and were taught by guys like Thomas Knoll, co-founder of Photoshop, and we really learned.” The digital tutorship more than paid off and twelve years into his photography journey Stothard is today revered for his ability to pull off large multi-layer stitched images, some even reaching up to 2GB in file size and consisting of 36 separate photos stitched together. “I’ve got pretty good at it, pretty fast,” he confesses, describing his ability to triplelayer-stitch photos to pull the entire image into focus. His reputation for being a “stitch master” reached the
holy limits of the Catholic Church, which commissioned Stothard to take a night shot of his hometown Perth. The black and white 36-image stitch, shot on a 200mm lens, now features on the wall of a hallowed church. Underwater photography is another area of focus, partly to “get one over on Christian ‘cause he hates the water and he’s not very good at it”, along with drone footage, which allows for sprawling aerial vistas of the world below, and night shooting. He feels particularly proud of a big stitch of the Milky Way, using a 14mm in portrait and creating a dreamlike trail of the starry night sky. “I really like shooting that stuff ‘cause it’s hard and not many people can do it,” he says. “If you shoot no more than 20 seconds, you’ll get stars. If you go any longer than 20 seconds, you get lines ‘cause the Earth moves a little bit. So, whatever you’ve got to do to get your exposure right, you can’t go past 20 seconds, that’s what I’ve learned.” In terms of inspirational landscapes, there have been plenty, but Iceland tops the bill. “That place rocks,” he enthuses. “It’s like shooting a moonscape.” Surrounded by waterfalls and three nights of the kaleidoscopic aurora borealis, Stothard only scratched the surface of his creativity 64 — 65
↑ Lava fields in Iceland → Sheets of ice on Iceland’s black beach
on the Nordic landmass and vows to return. “There was ice on the black beach and an old DC3 plane wreck in a lava field, which was really cool. It’s the most amazing place I’ve ever been to.” But epic locations are only one element of a great picture. Stothard has had to learn the art of patience, too. “Being in an awesome spot is great but being in an awesome spot with shit light is really bad!” he says. It took him four separate visits to a Papua New Guinean stilt village on the Sepik River before he got the picture he’d been craving. “The first three years I went there I thought, ‘this would look incredible in the right light’, but the light was so high. It was blue skies, but it may as well have been a black and
The green illumination of the northern lights in Iceland
↑ A Papua New Guinean stilt village on the Sepik River ← A Papua New Guinean warrior in native dress
white scene. But this year, boom, I got it really good. The light was just sensational. And I got the drone up and took some awesome shots.” A lot of photography is about timing and luck, he says, although he also believes you make your own luck. But there’s little doubt that viewing life through a lens has opened his eyes to the world around him, while his already extensive experience in skydiving equipped him with the necessary skills to learn fast and learn well. He has successfully completed over 3,500 jumps in his life and won countless gold medals in free-fall competitions. In 1998, he established one of the best drop zones in the Southern Hemisphere. 68 — 69
“Learn it, earn it and burn it,” he states. “That’s how I describe my learning process when I was competing at elite level in skydiving.” During the state championships, when Stothard and his skydiving crew had exhausted the knowledge resource available in Australia, they brought over international coaches and trained for two weeks at a time, sometimes doing twelve jumps a day. “We’d learn the principles of how we were going to do it. We’d earn it by doing it and critiquing it. Then once we’d fixed the mistakes, we’d burn it,” he describes. “That’s what I do with photography. When Christian or anyone teaches me a new trick I’ll go out and shoot the shit out of whatever that new trick is and process it over and over again until it becomes a motor action and I don’t have to resort to notes anymore.” Stothard transitioned out of skydiving to buy into TRUE NORTH. He was having issues with his partners and the repetitive physical demands had begun to take their toll on his body. It appears to have been a smart move, with his travels on TRUE NORTH taking him to areas of unimaginable beauty, from the arid plateau of the Atacama Desert to witnessing thunderstorms rolling in on the isolated coastline of Australia’s Kimberley region. Wherever he is, his rule of
Spirit dancers in Papua New Guinea
thumb is to always be ready – “if I see it, I shoot it” – and that means, always having a camera to hand. Aside from his trusty Nikon D850 and his backup Nikon D810, he always has his drone with him and his fallback option, the camera on his iPhone 11. And then, it’s down to Mother Nature to let the good times roll. “There’s nothing I like better than standing in the scene where you’ve got some fast-moving clouds and you might work there for two or three hours and see it change so much with the evolving light. The light might be moving down to a sunset and the clouds start glowing and illuminating. If someone had said to me 15 years ago that I’d feel comfortable sitting on a beach at sunset taking photos, I’d say, ‘You’re nuts!’, ‘cause I’m normally a people person, but I’m very comfortable in my own space now and really enjoy just being out there with the elements and seeing the scenes like that evolve.” That’s not to say, however, that Stothard isn’t always in control of the story that he’s telling with his pictures. When NorthStar Cruises required images of TRUE NORTH in front of the dual drop waterfall of King George Falls in the Kimberley, the beautifully collated final picture belies the truth. 72 — 73
↑ TRUE NORTH pictured in front of the dual drop waterfall of King George Falls in the Kimberley, Australia
“When I got there, TRUE NORTH was in position, but the tenders and helicopter weren’t. So, I sat for three hours with the tripod in exactly the same spot, got all I needed and pulled it all together,” he explains. “When TRUE NORTH was in the waterfall the rainbow wasn’t there, but I’d shot it earlier, so I pulled the rainbow in. Then the tender was taking guests to walk up the hills, so I dropped that in later, along with the helicopter that flew over the top of me.” All the necessary components were in play, just not at the same time. Of course, most people who see the final photo won’t realize that, but does that matter? “Nah,” he says confidently. “Photography is all about telling the story you want told.”
MALT IN THE USA
Bourbon key
“All bourbon is whiskey but not all whiskey is bourbon,” said the American to the Scot. In 1964, US Congress declared bourbon to be ‘America’s Native Spirit’. That means to be called bourbon, it must be made in the United States. But if you think that means Kentucky, then think again. With the proliferation of distilleries across the country, the corn-based spirit is being produced in just about every state in America. Below is FRANK’s list of the best bourbons to get you thinking outside of the Kentucky box.
03 Wyoming Whiskey, Wyoming
Words Julia Zaltzman Illustration Holly Wales
13 St. Augustine Distillery, Florida
74 — 75
01 Sonoma Distillery Company, California 02 Dry Fly Distilling, Washington 04 Cedar Ridge Distillery, Iowa 05 FEW Spirits, Illinois 06 Grand Traverse Distillery, Michigan 07 King’s County, New York 08 Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery, Kentucky 09 Jefferson’s Ocean, Kentucky 10 Smooth Ambler, West Virginia 11 Rock Town Distillery, Arkansas 12 Garrison Brothers Distillery, Texas
Sonoma Distilling Company California Sonoma’s full-bodied Californian bourbon is the result of a double distillation process in handmade copper pot stills. Keep an eye out for its cherrywood smoked rye, which offers the unusual nose of cola cubes and a rounded palate of spicy peanuts. sonomadistillingcompany.com
76 — 77
Dry Fly Distilling Washington
Wyoming Whiskey Wyoming
Dry Fly Straight Washington Bourbon 101 is a craft spirit made from triticale grain (a hybrid of wheat and rye) and was the first legal bourbon ever made in the state of Washington. At 101 percent proof (hence the name) expect notes of pepper, vanilla and a hint of leather. It’s renowned for being dangerously sippable. dryflydistilling.com
Wyoming Whiskey Small Batch is a dark amber, double cask bourbon. The first five years of maturation are in a new charred oak barrel, the secondary maturation in decades-old casks seasoned by Pedro Ximénez sherry, which adds a touch of sweetness and yields a smooth and impressively complex spirit. wyomingwhiskey.com
“ At 101 percent proof expect notes of pepper, vanilla and a hint of leather.”
Cedar Ridge Distillery Iowa
FEW Spirits Illinois
If you like your bourbon dry and smoky without an overly sweet edge, then Cedar Ridge’s Single Malt might just be the ticket. Cedar Ridge sits in the heart of corn country and produces its own corn on the familyrun farm. It also happens to be Iowa’s first distillery since prohibition. cedarridgewhiskey.com
Born from locally sourced grains aged in American oak barrels and bottled in American-made glass bottles. This Cook County distillery boldly claims 100 percent grain-to-glass. It’s packed full of toffee, clove, vanilla and a barrel of laughs, for this bourbon takes its name from the initials of Frances Elizabeth Willard, a key figure in the Temperance Movement. fewspirits.com
Grand Traverse Distillery Michigan
Kings County Distillery New York
Grand Traverse’s rye, wheat and corn are grown and harvested just a few miles from the distillery at Send Brothers Farm in Williamsburg. Glacial water from Michigan’s Great Lakes is mixed from the barrel to get to 46 percent bottling strength. When sipped on ice, a hearty corn flavor moves forward on the palate. grandtraversedistillery.com
Founded in 2010, Kings County is New York City’s first whiskey distillery since prohibition. Using traditional copper whiskey stills fabricated in Scotland, wooden fermenters, and corn and barley from an onsite farm, its award-winning spirits are produced in the city’s former waterfront distillery district in the heart of the 1860s Brooklyn Whiskey War territories. kingscountydistillery.com
78 — 79
“ When you take a sip, you can do so in the knowledge that it’s crossed the equator four times before reaching you.”
Old Rip Van Winkle Distillery Kentucky No bourbon article would be complete without giving a nod to Pappy Van Winkle’s Family Reserve. Widely considered to be the world’s finest bourbon, its bottles are so rare and popular that the term ‘Pappy hunting’ is now used when trying to find one. The sweet and spicy Van Winkle 23 is the best there is, hence its hefty $2,500 price tag. oldripvanwinkle.com
Jefferson’s Bourbon Kentucky
Smooth Ambler West Virginia
No yachting magazine would be complete without giving a nod to Jefferson’s Ocean Aged at Sea Bourbon. When you take a sip, you can do so in the knowledge that it’s crossed the equator four times before reaching you. It’s all part of the aging process, in which the temperature fluctuations, salt air and gentle rocking of the boat are thought to bring out the red apple aroma and dried fruit flavor. jeffersonsbourbon.com
Contradiction is the apt name for a stunning bourbon from West Virginia’s Smooth Ambler. It’s made with a blend of sourced old rye-heavy bourbon and Smooth Ambler’s own younger, wheated bourbon. When combined, the result is a harmonious bourbon packed full of chocolatey, honey-rich flavors. smoothambler.com
Be Unstoppable With The New Bertram 39CC Rain or shine. Choppy or calm. With friends or with family. Built with superior craftsmanship, comfort and versatility in mind, the Bertram 39CC lets you make the most of your time on the water.
Rock Town Distillery Arkansas Previously known as the Arkansas Young Bourbon, which won Double Gold in the Small Batch Bourbon 10 Years and Younger, and Gold in Best Bourbon – No Age Statement categories at the San Francisco World Spirit Competition 2013, this Rock Town Arkansas Bourbon Whiskey will have you sipping on plump raisins and a trace of oak. rocktowndistillery.com
Garrison Brothers Distillery Texas Hailing from the Lone Star state, the Garrison Brothers’ single barrel bourbon bolts straight out the chute. A firm favorite in Jim Murray’s Whisky Bible, this three-year-old bourbon promises sweet, honeyed notes with a light sprinkling of cocoa. garrisonbros.com
St. Augustine Distillery Florida St. Augustine Florida Straight is an 88 percent proof bourbon made from a mash bill of 60 percent Florida corn, 22 percent barley, and 18 percent Florida wheat. The small batch spirit is aged in 53-gallon charred oak barrels and is the perfect everyday bourbon to use in an Old Fashioned. staugustinedistillery.com
ALL NEW BERTRAM 39CC Through a unique blend of comfort and performance, the Bertram 39CC is ushering in a new generation of luxurious, versatile vessels. Whether you want to spend a day chasing your catch or relaxing at the sandbar, now the sea is at your fingertips. Visit your local authorized dealer or Bertram.com to learn more.
80 — 81 Bertram Yachts_Full Page Print Ad_Frank.indd 1
3/4/21 7:22 PM
THE MOTHER OF ALL MARLIN Giant black marlin are the fastest fish on the planet reported to clock speeds of around 80 mph, and the Great Barrier Reef is where they call home. Every year, thousands of anglers flock to Cairns, Australia – the ‘marlin mecca’ – to hook a 1,000 pound catch. But for a truly immersive sportfishing experience, mothershipping is the key. Words Julia Zaltzman Photograph Kelly Dalling Fallon
The planet’s largest coral reef never gets too crowded. Bigger than the Great Wall of China, the Great Barrier Reef is the only living entity visible from space. And when looking for black marlin it’s a real hot spot. Growing up to 15 feet in length with the strength and endurance of a marathon mud wrestler, it can take up to six hours to reel in a billed beauty, and even then the fish might jump up, spit the lure and get away. Daytrippers spend at least eight hours on the water lure trolling or live baiting. But the serious big guns spend weeks at sea experiencing big game fishing at its best. And that’s when a superyacht mothership steps in. 82 — 83
SPIRIT mothershipping on the Great Barrier Reef
It’s dependent on currents and weather patterns, but the mothershipping season tends to stretch from late September to early December with the superprime months being October and November. This is when the fish migrate down maiden seas just north of Lizard Island and south of Cairns. “That’s when you use the heavy tackle and have the best chance of catching a black marlin over 1,000 pounds,” says Martin DeBanks, captain of SPIRIT. The Great Barrier Reef marine park authority has strict bag limits and the entire Australian sport fishing industry is hot on conservation, which only strengthens the area’s appeal. SPIRIT homeports in Cairns, the hub of world-class fishing charters with the biggest concentration of game boats in the world. The 115-foot catamaran has been mothershipping for the past four years with Captain DeBanks at the helm. He himself has spent over 15 years traveling the world fishing, twice circumnavigating when captain of the 120-foot VALKYRIE. He believes nowhere compares to Australia in terms of consistency. Jumping up to 20 feet out of the water, the silhouette of a leaping black marlin, with its whole top fin on display, is reminiscent of a full-rigged sailing ship. “Everyone, no matter who, should just once in their life witness one of these monsters off the back of their yacht. It’s freakin’ amazing,” he enthuses. But it doesn’t happen without experience on your side. “My knowledge of running a mothership and fishing off of big boats is up there,” says Captain DeBanks. “But the guys that we mothership for, the game boat captains and the guys in the cockpit, they’re a different breed. They live and breathe marlin fishing. Their knowledge is phenomenal.” Morning breaks and the game boat captains’ radio chatter can be heard running up and down the reef sharing info and reporting sightings. It’s a competitive sport, but where there’s one big fish, there’s bound to be another. Even in 35 knots of wind being slammed by seven-foot chops of sea, the true salty dogs go out fishing every day in their 50foot boats. But even the best need experienced motherships with captains who know where to anchor. “They’re out on the reef and can’t go home every night,” explains Captain DeBanks. “You have to be able to tuck 84 — 85
A large black marlin being reeled in. The Great Barrier Reef marine park authority has strict bag limits and the entire Australian sport fishing industry is hot on conservation advocating catch and release
16 — 17
your mothership right up inside the reef, because the weather can be so bad, and most superyacht captains won’t do that because they don’t know the area well enough. And because it can be a bit hairy.” Pretty much every aspect of giant marlin fishing is “hairy”. Plentiful stories circulate the docks of marlin jumping onto boats, skewering crew or pulling people overboard. When one of Captain DeBanks’ crew members caught on a 500 pounds blue marlin in French Polynesia, it was very nearly game over. “He’s a really experienced cockpit guy but he took a wrap [wrapping the line around your hand] and then the boat rolled, the line went slack and the fish took off,” he recalls. “It jumped and yanked him out of the cockpit. I was driving the boat and I saw him come past being towed by the marlin. Luckily, another crew member in the cockpit turned the drag up on the rod and snapped the line. Otherwise he would’ve gone down with Davy Jones.” On a usual day, SPIRIT’s shallow draft means she can venture into the lee of the reef and get close to the prime Top 5 Facts: fishing grounds. Tying up alongside a large cat like SPIRIT keeps the game boats safe and stable. In the morning, they Black Marlin head off for a hard day’s fishing and on their return step 01. The black marlin is the only marlin with straight from their cockpit onto SPIRIT’s aft pontoon to be non-retractable fins pampered with service and food. A yacht like SPIRIT also has the facility to refuel the game boats giving the entire set up – a 02. The world record catch weighed 1,560 maximum of two game boats – up to one month’s autonomy. lb and measured 14 feet 6 inches in Adrenaline rushes are part and parcel of big game length with 6 feet 9 inches of girth fishing – DeBanks himself has hooked a “dinosaur” marlin weighing 1,250 lb out at Linden Banks. But there is another 03. Black marlin is worth around $31,325.30 side to mothershipping. Bottom fishing inside the reef offers per pound up nannygai, red emperor and schools of yellowfin. Further afield in Papua New Guinea, taking a tender upriver for 04. The BBC claims the black marlin is the black bass fishing or riding jet skis through crocodilefastest fish on the planet, based on a infested creeks is on the menu. For the scores of owners and marlin caught on a fishing line. It was charter guests who head to Australia each year, however, said to have stripped line off a reel at the allure of snagging a record marlin is often hard to resist. 120 feet per second, meaning the fish “Just be sure if you’re record fishing to take the rod was swimming nearly 82 mph yourself as soon as the reel goes off,” advises Captain DeBanks. “If you get any help, even just the rod handed to 05. Black marlin can live for up to 25 year you, it doesn’t count.” And no one would want to see that. 88 — 89
THE CORAL FANFARE Coral reefs host a quarter of the Earth’s marine biodiversity, but the planet has already lost half of them over the past three decades and more than 90 percent could become extinct by 2050. So, what’s the plan? Words Juliet Benning Photograph Mark Stothard
In 2007, a team of scientists from the Coral Restoration Foundation in Florida began outplanting staghorn coral colonies to reefs in the Florida Keys. The area, once abundant with the stony coral variety, has seen populations decline since the 1970s. In fact, staghorn coral populations around the world have dropped by more than 80 percent over the past 30 years, and it’s a similar story with many other coral species. The main causes are disease and global warming, especially higher ocean temperatures and ocean acidification. So, what now? Are coral capable of recovering in the wild or are restoration projects our only hope? Dr. Ellen Prager, a marine scientist who has participated in research expeditions to the Galapagos Islands, Papua New Guinea, the Caribbean, the Bahamas and the deep waters of the Florida Reef tract believes that in cases of acute damage, such as ship groundings, effective restoration practices have merit. But she counters this positivity with science-based reasoning that restoration efforts only work for a short time. “Success cannot be based on how many corals are planted, but on long-term survival and growth. We cannot rely on restoration efforts if the underlying environment is not healthy for coral growth,” she told FRANK, citing climate change, pollution, overfishing and invasive species as examples of unhealthy conditions. The Coral Restoration Foundation’s eight-year program looked at 20 coral outplanting projects measuring the survivorship, growth and condition of 2,419 colonies. The researchers concluded that beyond seven years the estimated survivorship is less than ten percent. On the face of it, that reads like a rather bleak conclusion. However, they also reported that by repeatedly outplanting 90 — 91
“There is no doubt the system is still capable of
92 — 93
recovering itself and quite quickly.”
TUNART
large numbers of nursery-raised colonies, coral populations can be maintained and even increased until external stressors (such as climate change) are mitigated. In the eyes of the researchers, this is the very definition of a long-term commitment to restoration. Across the pond in Australia, the Great Barrier Reef Foundation is focused on rescuing the world’s biggest coral reef system off the coast of Queensland. Its three-pronged attack involves cooling and shading, assisting reef species to evolve and adapt to changing environments, and supporting the natural restoration of damaged and degraded reefs. One of the foundation’s leading techniques, dubbed ‘coral IVF’, has successfully pioneered small-scale coral restoration by capturing the coral eggs and sperm from healthy reefs to rear millions of baby corals in customized enclosures on the reef and in tanks. These baby corals are then delivered onto small areas of damaged reefs to restore and repopulate them. Another angle gaining traction is the attempt to genetically engineer heatresistant coral. Researchers from Australia’s national scientific agency CSIRO claim to have made coral more resilient to temperature-induced bleaching by bolstering the heat tolerance of its microalgal symbionts – the tiny cells of algae that live inside the coral tissue. Dr. Andy Lewis, founder of the Coral Sea Foundation in Australia, is cynical about both options: “Coral farming projects can be used to help restore very small areas, but the Great Barrier Reef is over 1,200 miles long with 3,000 reefs so the best way to encourage recovery is to give the natural system the best chance of doing the job itself.” In place of programs, Dr. Lewis advocates well-managed protected areas, effective supervision of the nutrients and other pollutants coming off the mainland and continuing the push for hard cuts to carbon emissions. “There is no doubt the system is still capable of recovering itself and quite quickly,” he says, citing the natural density of baby corals on a reef at Lizard Island as
“The rise in submersible access has meant swathes of black coral have been found in the Mediterranean.”
evidence. “They are now approaching 20 to 30 per square meter, and this was a reef that was totally devoid of coral life in 2016 after two major cyclones and a bleaching event.” Dr. Lewis is not alone in his positivity. In 2019, the heartwarming discovery of two rare and endangered corals was made in the marine-rich waters that surround the volcanic island of Ischia in the Gulf of Naples. A superyacht owner’s trip of a lifetime facilitated by Cookson Adventures gave researchers the opportunity to dive 820 feet in a submersible. They stumbled upon century-old colonies of red and black coral, which gave them incredible insight into what an undisturbed coral ecosystem looks like. “The red coral that grows in the Mediterranean has been extracted by humans for thousands of years for commercial use, but most of that damage has occurred at diving depths of around 197 feet,” says Tim Burton, Cookson’s project manager. “What became apparent on the submersible trip is that at deeper depths there are actually very healthy populations. Likewise, black coral usually grows in tropical seas, but the rise in submersible access has meant big swathes of it have been found in the Mediterranean at depths of around 394 feet.” In the Mesoamerican region lies the world’s second largest barrier reef system where some of the last healthy populations of critically endangered coral remain. The Pelorus Foundation, the charitable arm of the eponymous expedition company, is working with local communities to ensure the coral reefs in Honduras have enough fish to support a healthy marine ecosystem that will thrive for generations. In the Solomon Islands, a partner of Pelorus is helping to restore coral impacted by the damaging by-products of logging and development. The ideal would be to once again attain self-sustaining coral populations, but until a time when external factors are no longer killing off coral the scientific recommendation is that restoration projects have an important role to play in the persistence and recovery of our vital coral reefs. 94 — 95
AROUND THE WORLD 01
03
In 2017, this foundation launched the
Established in 2000, this
Global Coral Restoration Program,
independent marine consultancy
which focuses heavily on seeding
developed a pioneering coral frame
coral larvae on a supporting
technique in 2005, which has been
material. The foundation assists
used to improve the general health
nature by producing millions of
of the natural coral reefs at island-
genetically unique coral larvae by
based resorts in the region. Attached
collecting gametes during natural
to the frames, the corals can grow
spawning events followed by in-vitro
at a rate of up to 10-15cm per year
fertilization. Resulting coral settlers
and are regularly monitored. This
are placed back on the reef to
self-sustaining method of coral
increase the genetic diversity and
propagation has dramatically
resilience of natural populations.
contributed to biodiversity and
Secore International Mexico
Reefscapers Maldives
transforming the sandy sea bottom
PUR Projet Indonesia
02
into thriving reefs.
This is one of the world’s first projects based in the protected
Phuket Marine Biological Center Thailand
marine area of Cousin Island
For several decades, a coral
it had planted 4,779 corals on an
Special Reserve. For over ten years,
restoration project at Koh Mai
artificial reef. The growth is aided
a ‘coral gardening’ technique has
Thon has been making a serious
by a technology called ‘Biorock’
been restoring bleached corals
improvement on reefs that were
which passes a low voltage current
by collecting fragments from
damaged in a storm in 1986. More
through the structures. This creates
healthy donor sites, growing them
than 30 types of coral were grown
a solid limestone coating that makes
in underwater ‘nurseries’ and
on artificial reefs when the project
the coral growth more resilient to
transplanting them to a degraded
started in 1994, and marine biologist
pollution and climate change. The
reef. Since 2010, 40,000 corals
Dr. Nalinee Thongtham revealed in
project, located on the northwest
have been raised in underwater
a statement that in general, coral
coast of Bali, is run by local farmers
nurseries, of which over 24,000 were
restoration was not a difficult task
and fishermen who rely heavily
successfully transplanted covering
to accomplish and didn’t require
on the natural biodiversity of the
the area of a football field.
much investment.
surrounding region.
Reef Rescuers Seychelles large-scale coral reef restoration
ISHAN (SEEFROMTHESKY)
05
04
The marine branch of this conservation initiative takes a holistic approach to community-led ecosystem management through restoring highly degraded coral ecosystems. At the time of writing,
96 — 97
THE CHILL FACTOR Hazardous environments and unpredictable weather conditions do little to deter the adventurous of spirit from traveling to colder climates by superyacht. In fact, when it comes to explorative itineraries, embracing the chill factor has never been cooler. Words Ellie Brade Photograph SuperYachtsMonaco
Superyacht CLOUDBREAK cruising passed icebergs in Greenland
Picture a superyacht in your mind’s eye and scenes of golden sunshine will usually follow. But what if it’s icebergs, glaciers and cold water therapy that piques your interest? If it is, you’re not alone. A growing number of superyachts are choosing to travel to cooler climates taking in destinations that include Antarctica, Iceland, Norway and even the farthest tip of Scotland. Diamond-glinting ice floes, waddling penguins, fjords, frozen waterfalls and creaking tundras await those who dare. “There is no doubt that yachting is changing, with a new belief in using yachts as a platform for delivering incredible experiences in locations that you couldn’t have otherwise,” says Ben Lyons, CEO of travel specialists EYOS Expeditions. “Experiential travel and the concept of really partaking in and experiencing a destination is so powerful and it helps us to connect with our place in the world.” Going to the polar regions is a great example, says Lyons, as these are areas that are pristine and totally removed from day-to-day life. And for those who have made the journey to colder waters, it’s an experience of wonder that stays with them forever. “Cruising polar destinations and areas that are not your atypical yachting itinerary are really the essence of what yachting and exploration is about,” says the captain of a private 148-foot yacht that cruised over 20,000 nautical miles from Svalbard to Russia in summer 2019. “Visiting destinations like Svalbard 98 — 99
↓ FOREVER ONE gliding through glassy waters in Norway
↓ Guests of a private 148-foot superyacht on a glacier in Storfjorden in Norway
KYLE ORR
and witnessing polar bears in their natural habitat, ice fields that connect with the horizon, and glaciers that bring absolute humble silence to your days is only just a small taste of what is out there.” Norway is one of the most popular cooler destinations, as it is relatively easy to reach and cruise. And there’s plenty to keep visitors occupied. “The west coast of Norway is blessed with majestic fjords, steep mountains, breathtaking glaciers and waterfalls and there is probably no better way to get closer with nature, landscape and local Norwegian traditions than exploring the fjords by a superyacht,” says Ingrid Enge of Norway-based agency, Superyacht Services. “The northern parts of Norway offer a great variety of cruising along an endless coastline where the nature is still dominated by towering mountains and fjords. You will find old, remote fishing villages and sandy beaches with crystal clear water, though swimming in this cold water is not for the fainthearted!” For the owners of FOREVER ONE, Norway has endless appeal: “Norway has so many highlights, but particularly the uncongested waters and the amazing scenery,” says FOREVER ONE’s captain, Kostis Sklavounos. “Our guests really enjoyed learning about the region and its history and traveling in and out of the fjords.” Cruising on to Svalbard from Norway delivers inconceivable experiences, says Captain Christoph Schaefer, who led several trips to the polar regions on board
100 — 101
180-foot KAMALAYA. “When I suggested that we push north to Svalbard, a mere 500 miles north of Norway, the owner enthusiastically agreed,” he says. “The prospect of seeing polar bears in the wild was simply too tempting to pass up.” Svalbard is unexpectedly abundant in wildlife and is undoubtedly the destination’s showstopper appeal, says Jason Roberts of PolarX, where encounters with polar bears, walrus, seals, reindeer, arctic foxes and a variety of bird species is almost guaranteed. “The second drawcard is the landscape, with glacier and sea ice,” he adds. “It’s like seeing the Alps sticking out of the ocean.” Alongside polar bear spotting, photographing the aurora borealis, or northern lights, from the deck of a superyacht is another must-do activity. Viewing the natural polar light display usually requires yachts to be out of season in many destinations, but vessels travelling to Greenland in September are often in for an exceptional treat. If adrenaline-fueled activities that leave your heart in your mouth hit the mark, then the opportunity to heli-ski from a yacht in Greenland could be the end-goal. “For a remote and undeveloped region like Greenland, a yacht is the ideal base for heli-skiing,” says James Orr of James Orr Heliski. “Greenland is a spectacular place to ski – the remoteness means that it’s possible to drop from your yacht onto unclimbed mountains and make first descents.”
Guests on board KAMALAYA took advantage of this experience during their visit to Greenland. “Our main objective during that first trip was heliskiing,” says Captain Schaefer. “We could pick up and drop off guests directly from the boat and fly to take them up into the pristine slopes – it’s a spectacular way to see and experience Greenland.” Although there’s no doubt that parts of the cooler regions do require specially equipped explorer-style or ice-class yachts, most yachts are in fact able to experience many parts of these destinations with careful planning and support from regional specialists and agents. “Many of the boats that we’ve had in the polar regions are not explorer boats,” says Roberts. That said, the type of yacht will dictate the end experience, says Lyons. “Any yacht undertaking a visit to the polar regions should not underestimate the complexities. A yacht that has an ice-class hull and is certified to the Polar Code will be able to offer a very different experience than a yacht that is not built for the Poles.” Being properly equipped also includes carrying the right gear, such as watercraft that can take you right on shore, says the captain of the 148-footer. “A really strong tender goes a long way, as does some great woolen clothing, especially socks!”
The Cool Route Beginning in Cork in South Ireland, the lesser known Cool Route is gaining traction among the yachting crowd. It takes yachts up to the top of Northern Ireland and on to western Scotland, progressing to the Faroe Islands and ending in Norway. A twitcher’s paradise and a rambler’s heaven, scenic cruising, dramatic cliffs and historic caves invite explorers by tender or kayak. “This whole route offers something highly different for a superyacht to experience,” says Ben Lyons, CEO of EYOS
The arresting coastline on Scotland’s Isle of Skye
Expeditions. “The British Isles
↓ Heli-boarding down powder-coated slopes in east Greenland
are one of the under-discovered destinations and yet there is so much to see in northern UK where it’s beautiful, wild, remote and rugged.” Moving up to the craggy Faroe Islands, there is a sense of true remoteness buoyed by a strong history and culture. The Faroe Islands’ first international hotel brand, Hilton Garden Inn, opened its doors in October 2020 – equipped with a wellness centre, outdoor hot tub and sauna, while the new hotly-anticipated Bond film
No Time to Die was partly filmed
The bewitching Faroe Islands
102 — 103
PELORUS / FINN BEALES, DANIEL CASSON, BURGESS
KEVIN BOEKHOLT
on the island of Kalsoy, known for its twisting roads, deep valleys and cliff-top Kallur Lighthouse. The Eysturoy Tunnel – the secondlongest subsea tunnel for vehicles in the world – opened in January 2021 connecting three locations on Streymoy and Eysturoy, while the soon-to-open Faer Isles Distillery will be one of the most northerly whisky and gin distilleries in the world. The Cool Route itinerary finishes up in Norway, a country that delivers an unending coastline, majestic fjords and picturesque towns that dot the passageway.
A polar bear on the icy glaciers of Norway
WHAT LIES BENEATH Did you know that it’s easier to send a person to space than it is to send one down to the bottom of the deepest part of the ocean? Or at least, it used to be. Then came the brave new world of submersibles. And the adventure is only just getting started. Words Julia Zaltzman Photograph Tom van Oossanen
“With its untold depths, couldn’t the sea keep alive such huge specimens of life from another age, this sea that never changes while the land masses undergo almost continuous alteration? Couldn’t the heart of the ocean hide the last–remaining varieties of these titanic species, for whom years are centuries and centuries millennia?” – Captain Nemo. When Jules Verne imagined Captain Nemo plunging in the Nautilus to the depths of the ocean in his 1870 novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea, little did he know of future human endeavors. Nor the actual depth of the ocean, for the deepest part (the Challenger Deep of the Mariana Trench near Guam in the Pacific) is closer to 20 leagues, but that’s missing the point. The idea that undiscovered life lurks beneath the surface is what fueled his creativity, and it remains the driving force behind Stockton Rush’s work today. A former aerospace engineer, Rush is the founder of OceanGate Inc., a private company that, with the assistance of NASA’s Marshall Space Flight Center in Huntsville, Alabama, has built TITAN. Constructed out of titanium and filamentwound carbon fiber, TITAN is a Cyclops-class five-person submarine (named after the largest moon of Saturn where life possibly exists). In May 2021, Rush and a team of ocean explorers will dive 13,123 feet below the surface of the North Atlantic to the UNESCO-protected wreck site of the RMS TITANIC. 104 — 105
106 — 107
The Triton 3300-6 semi-submerged
“ The big question on everyone’s lips is when will the TITANIC no longer be around? At the rate that it’s currently dissolving it could be unrecognizable in 20 years.”
NICK VEROLA
Comprising a series of six ‘look and document’ missions, each containing five 12-hour dives, the Titanic Survey Expeditions present a rare opportunity to view (but not touch) the iconic vessel that sank in 1912 after it struck an iceberg. The fivesquare-mile debris field that surrounds the wreck will also be documented. For Rush, whose two previous attempts to realize the Titanic Expeditions in 2018 and 2019 were thwarted by logistics, it’s been a long time coming. “More people have climbed Everest in one day than have seen the TITANIC. If you want to do something that is truly unique and also advances human knowledge, then underwater is where you’ve got to do it.” TITAN, which spent four years in development, is equipped with multiple external cameras, multibeam sonar, 40,000 lumens of external light, a laser scanner and the largest transparent viewports of any deep-diving submersible. The aim of the mission, aside from getting eyes on the most famous wreck in the world, is primarily to document the TITANIC’s current condition, the rate of decay, and then monitor that data year-on-year before the wreck disappears. “The big question on everyone’s lips is when will the TITANIC no longer be around? At the rate that it’s currently dissolving based on previously captured data, many expect large parts of it to be unrecognizable in 20 years, as it’s being eaten by the recently discovered bacteria, Halomonas titanicae.” Modern day submarines have come a long way since the first ever submersible designed in 1620 by Dutchman Cornelis Drebbel, which was man-powered by oars (the mind boggles). But it’s the same hunger to learn about the creatures of the deep that drives inventors and scientists alike. When marine geologist Heather Stewart – an expert in the geomorphology of subduction trenches – stepped aboard yacht owner Victor Vescovo’s 68m PRESSURE DROP as part of EYOS’ Five Deeps Expedition in 2019, she was clueless to the fact she was about to take her first ever submarine dive in LIMITING FACTOR, a Triton 36000/2. “We were flying over hotspots of biodiversity in the Arctic ocean, diving to depths of 8,200 feet, which makes me the deepest diving British female,” she enthuses. “For somebody that’s worked for 20 years in the marine environment, it was fantastic to see it for myself.” Vescovo became the fourth person in history to reach Challenger Deep in 2019, while LIMITING FACTOR, which operates in a marine environment that is the equivalent to 2,200 tons of crushing pressure pushing down on the hatch, has accolades of its own; the world record for deepest diving sub and the only submersible ever certified to unlimited depth.
Diving in Mexico in a U-Boat Worx C-Explorer 5
A whale shark in Roca Partida in the Revillagigedo Archipelago National Park in Mexico, viewed from a U-Boat Worx C-Explorer 5
16 — 17
“ The chance of sighting rare thresher sharks or nautilus in the Solomon Islands, or witnessing unchartered volcanoes, canyons, sea mounts and shipwrecks is extremely high.”
110 — 111
The U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub 7 aboard explorer yacht SURI operated by submarine pilot Ofer Ketter
TOM VAN OOSSANEN
For Stewart, it was stumbling upon a “carpet of crinoids” while flying over a 20km-wide sea mount that was her highlight. But for submersible pilot Ofer Ketter, who operates the U-Boat Worx Cruise Sub 7 aboard explorer yacht SURI, being part of teams that document new species, including giant jellyfish and deep-water sharks, remains unrivalled. “In the Galapagos, we confirmed the presence of nearextinct sea cucumbers at 328-feet, and in the Sea of Cortez in Baja California our team of scientists documented a family of grouper that had already been recorded as extinct,” says Ketter, who is based in Costa Rica. For anyone who braves the deep, a rich world of marine life awaits. “The chance of sighting rare thresher sharks or nautilus in the Solomon Islands, or witnessing unchartered volcanoes, canyons, sea mounts and shipwrecks is extremely high,” he says. For some people, the thrill is in the technology; for others, it’s the fish. Either way, for those fortunate enough to experience it, the event is otherworldly. “People imagine a sub being this tight, metal can with small windows, but it’s not,” says Ketter. “You’re sitting in a 360-degree cinema.” Triton describes its newly launched 3300/6 as possessing a “salon under the sea”. It’s the first six-person acrylic-hulled sub ever to be constructed and features the world’s largest transparent, spherical passenger compartment, giving an immersive view to the ocean outside. And Ketter’s luxurious CS7 interior is equipped with revolving leather seats and two large acrylic spheres with enough room for six passengers, in addition to the pilot. It offers an unparalleled view of never before seen reefs and historic wrecks. In fact, submarine diving is so rare in the Pacific territories that Cookson Adventures’ ongoing two-year expedition to Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, French Polynesia and the Cocos Islands will make a major contribution to Seabed 2030 Project, an international initiative (run by The Nippon Foundation of Japan and the General Bathymetric Chart of the Oceans) that aims to map the whole ocean floor using a multibeam echosounder by the year 2030. It’s also very safe, explains Ketter, with the vessel kept at an approximate pressure of one standard atmosphere, which is what you feel at the surface. “Guests can go from the jacuzzi to the bottom of the ocean and back to the jacuzzi in total comfort, multiple times, with no preparation required. There’s nothing else out there like it.”
A shipwreck in Curaçao in the southern Caribbean Sea viewed from a U-Boat Worx Super Yacht Sub 3
LIVIN’ THE DRONE LIFE
Photographer and videographer Sean Wilkes is a dab hand at flying drone aircraft and Denison’s man in the hot seat when it comes to getting that perfect shot. He let FRANK behind the scenes to learn about technique, retrieval and the occasional injury. Photography Sean Wilkes
WHAT ARE THE COOLEST IMAGES YOU’RE LOOKING TO ACHIEVE WITH THE DRONE?
My goal is to create content that taps into the emotional side of a buyer. That requires capturing the boat running on plane, in her element, up close and personal. Flying low just off the water is one of my favorite angles to keep the viewer engaged. 112 — 113
← TRIPLE COCKPIT runabout built in 1946 by Stephens Brothers cruising the waters in Thousand Islands in North America
WHAT’S THE MOST MEMORABLE PLACE YOU’VE SHOT DRONE FOOTAGE?
Monaco. It’s mesmerizing. The way the mountains fall into the sea is unlike anywhere I have been. And you’re likely to see some of the most amazing yachts on the planet. WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHALLENGES WHEN OPERATING A DRONE ONBOARD A YACHT?
Mother Nature is challenging. When the seas are churning and the wind is ripping it makes the entire process more difficult. When shooting any sailboat or catamaran, the running rigging limits the available space for take-off and landing. Center consoles and sportfish yachts, although easier in that regard, require flying the drone at high speeds making it less maneuverable and more susceptible to wind. Superyachts can present different challenges. If you are near the bow attempting to shoot the stern, the drone may lose signal due to all the metal and fiberglass in between the drone and controller. The biggest challenge is being ready for anything. 114 — 115
ARE DRONES HARD TO FLY?
With proper training and practice drones are not hard to fly. Most of them use GPS to provide real time positioning and speed data. If the pilot decides to let go of the controls for any reason, when properly connected the drone will immediately stop and hover in place, even pitching itself into the wind to maintain that position. This system also allows for more enhanced safety features like avoiding fixed obstacles and returning to the take-off or controller position if signal is lost. DO THEY CRASH A LOT?
Most drones crash due to pilot error. Malfunctions certainly occur, but as technology improves, failures stem more from the operator. Either they aren’t proficient with the controls or they are pushing the drone to the very limit of its capabilities. Most people want to open the box and start flying without reading the manual or doing any preparation beforehand – a recipe for an expensive disaster.
↑ 105-foot catamaran NECKER BELLE pictured in the British Virgin Islands
HAVE YOU LOST MANY DRONES?
Yes, and it’s heartbreaking. A few years back, we were filming a big sailing catamaran in the British Virgin Islands. On the last day of shooting, we attempted to send a drone underneath the boat in between the hulls. The maneuver was not successful. Fortunately, the water was shallow and clear enough to see the bottom. We searched for a stressful amount of time until one of the deckhands finally spotted it. Without hesitation, he dived down to about 20 feet, grabbed it off the sea floor, and brought it back. The drone itself was beyond repair, but we were hopeful that the images and video were salvageable. After rinsing the SD card with freshwater and prayer, every single file was recovered.
DO AIRSPACE RESTRICTIONS MAKE IT TRICKY?
Using the drone’s mobile app, even while flying, I can easily view the exact circumference of every restricted air space. This allows me to create a plan, if necessary, to avoid them. If I accidentally approach a restricted area, my drone will stop short and not allow me to fly into that space. If I happen to be in a restricted area attempting to take off, the drone will not even allow me to start the motors. Thankfully, I don’t have to worry about this too often because we normally shoot in open water. HAVE YOU EVER BEEN INJURED WHILE OPERATING THE DRONE?
Yes, for sure. On a few separate occasions while landing the drone my fingers and hand have been clipped by the props. It was only some minor cuts, nothing too serious. I just wrapped it up and kept going. The show must go on, and flying low just off the water is one of my favorite angles to keep the viewer engaged.
“ Mother Nature is challenging. When the seas are churning and the wind is ripping it makes the entire process more difficult.”
← A Rybovich 42 Express in Lighthouse Point, Fort Lauderdale ↑ Chopping up the balmy Caribbean waters in Saint Martin in a Lazzara 110
HOW FAR WILL YOU GO TO GET THE PERFECT SHOT?
If I have good satellite connection, I’ll put the drone in risky positions without hesitation…provided I’m not jeopardizing the safety of the crew or the yacht. This goes back to knowing the limitations, being confident in yourself, and relying on experience. CAN DRONES BE USED UNDERWATER?
There are drones out there that can be used underwater. It seems we are still in the early stages of that technology, but I’m excited to see the progression. Exploring the world beneath the water line has always been a noble pursuit. Personally, I don’t have experience in that category. 116 — 117
WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE IMAGE YOU’VE TAKEN WITH THE DRONE?
I was shooting images for a Sunseeker 82 Predator a few years ago. The captain and his girlfriend kindly posed for a few shots on the bow towards the end of the shoot while the broker kept us on a safe heading. The image is directly overhead and really shows the scale of the space and encapsulates what yachting is all about; getting away from it all and spending time with the people you love most. IF YOU COULD TAKE FOOTAGE ANYWHERE IN THE WORLD, WHERE WOULD IT BE AND WHY?
New Zealand. I went in 2020, but the pandemic cut our trip short. I want to go back and explore both islands. The landscapes are legendary with endless opportunities for drone footage. It’s an easy place to fall in love with. My goal is to create content that taps into the emotional side of a buyer. That requires capturing the boat running on plane, in her element, up close and personal.
COMING ASHORE
01
Yachting is more than just a boat. It’s also the incredible destinations that truly capture the imagination. And as locations become more adventurous, so do the onboard toys. Even for yachts with limited storage, a smorgasbord of gear exists that specifically caters for land-based excursions. Here are FRANK’s top five choices to truly step up an owner’s cruising itinerary.
Ground cruising
Words Ellie Brade Photography Clint Jenkins Photography
When it comes to covering a large amount of ground inland, sometimes only off-road vehicles will do. At 161-feet NASSIMA’s large stern garage carries two Ducati Diavel motorbikes and even a Mini Cooper S Works Cabrio. On board 217-foot support vessel HODOR the inventory includes hardy quad bikes for exploring extra-rugged terrains. “HODOR doesn’t really have a ‘toy garage’, she is a toy garage,” says Stewart Marler, marketing manager at Incat Crowther. HODOR’s extensive facilities, including a submarine garage and a helipad, has been intentionally tailored so the guests of her mothership – 285-foot LONIAN – can maximize their time in every location. “HODOR was built for three equally important reasons: helicopter operations, tender and toy carrying, and the beach setup,” says Robert Smith, owner’s rep for HODOR. “The owners especially treasure their private family time on secluded beaches in remote areas and HODOR has enabled us to take the beach setup to the next level.”
HODOR’s impressive inventory of land-based explorer toys 118 — 119
03 Land boarding
Electric bikes and boards are an exhilarating way to explore the land without taking up too much valuable storage space. The 180-foot explorer yacht GENE MACHINE carries electric skateboards from Boosted Board and two e-bikes from GoCycle. These were put through their paces during GENE MACHINE’s extended tour around the spectacular cruising grounds of the Far North and polar regions. Alongside stunning landscapes, the plentiful cultural options are what draw guests to shore. “The Boosted Boards rely on a decent road surface, but the owner loves to cruise around when he can,” says Captain Matthew Gow. “The GoCycles are more accessible to all types of guests and allow them to nip around with relative ease. They store easily onboard, are very clean (as they are belt driven there is no greasy chain to worry about) and do not require large amounts of maintenance, we just need to keep them charged up and they are good to go for about 25 miles.”
02 Mountain dining
Equipped for all eventualities, 207-foot expedition yacht SURI has earned a reputation for holding an impressive collection of toys and tenders. But it’s the onboard Eurocopter AS350 that makes guests sit up and listen. Opening up access to a wide range of destinations, it has made the lush and diverse islands of Papua New Guinea (PNG) a recent favorite, and many of SURI’s charters, including its current two-year world tour with Cookson Adventures, have a high focus on shore exploration. “We use our helicopter to land at rivers and waterfalls deep in the jungle of PNG, which is an epic experience for people who love an expedition,” says Captain Juan Koegelenberg. “Teamed with our land beach and barbecue set up, our guests have enjoyed barbecues on the plateau of a mountain in Alaska and next to a river in the PNG jungle.”
120 — 121
“ Our guests have enjoyed barbecues on the plateau of a mountain in Alaska and next to a river in the PNG jungle.”
→ Guests of Cookson Adventures tearing across the icy tundra in Svalbard
More Than A Flight, An Exclusive
Our fleet of brand new seaplanes touch down on water and land, making the world your runway. Fly from a private terminal, pull up to any remote island, alongside a yacht, a boutique resort or at any airport or landing strip with Tropic Ocean Airways. Luxury travel takes on a whole new dimension. Return to travel with confidence and let us plan your perfect get-away from your doorstep to paradise!
04 Snow riding
For yachts venturing to cooler climates, a snowmobile is the ultimate piece of gear for exploring wintry scenes, from spotting polar bears up close and marveling at penguins on the frozen tundra, to kayaking through glistening glaciers. The 254-foot LEGEND, whose cruising locations include Antarctica, Greenland and Iceland, has room on board to carry up to two snowmobiles. LA DATCHA, Damen Yachting’s 253-foot SeaXplorer 77, can also carry snowmobiles, as well as one submersible, two helicopters, two expedition RIBs, one dive support tender and a beach lander. Gliding across Antarctica’s icy landscape on a snowmobile is bucket list destination for any yacht owner.
1-800-767-0897 Visit FLYTROPIC.COM “ Gliding across Antarctica’s icy landscape on a snowmobile is bucket list destination for any yacht owner.” 122 — 123
Leading With Results #1
11
161
In Superyacht Sales in 2020
A Vessel Sold Every 11 Hours
Superyachts Sold Since 2018
93
68
22
Superyacht Deals Representing Buyers Since 2018
Superyacht Deals Representing Sellers Since 2018
US-Based Brick And Mortar Offices
18%
1,003
Of Global Superyacht Sales 2020
Total Vessels Sold in 2020
05 Beach crawling
Strap in and hold tight! Amphibious tenders are as popular as they are versatile, capable of driving straight from water to land without even stopping to catch breath. Better still, they make traversing remote beaches and islands far more accessible, says Andy Grocott, captain of 129-foot yacht THE BEAST: “Where we cruise in the Pacific there isn’t usually any wharf or dock infrastructure so we use our custom amphibious tender to get our guests ashore dry and in safety. It’s also great for loading luggage or provisions.” THE BEAST’s custom-designed tender with an Orion Marine amphibious system drives up onto beaches where a similar tender without wheels would struggle or be unsafe. And for the yacht’s owner, Sir Michael Hill, the tender has transformed access to his favorite hot spot – the Bay of Islands in New Zealand – where reaching the incredible walking tracks and beaches is now a given.
Denison Superyacht Sales By Year (80ft +) 2015
6
2016
22
2017
32
2018
47
2019
48
2020
65
0 Burgess (31)
10
20
30
Ocean Independence (32)
40
50 IYC (37)
60
70 Fraser Yachts (48)
“ For yacht owner Sir Michael Hill, the customdesigned amphibious tender has transformed access to his favorite hot spot – the Bay of Islands in New Zealand.”
Source: Boat Pro powered by Boat International
124 — 125
TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH Yachting is evolving. A rising trend for active, thrilling itineraries in some of the most forbidding places on Earth is leaving bronzing on the aft deck in its wake. When the boundaries are pushed, people come back a little changed. Dropping anchor in St. Tropez may be enough for some, but when it’s not, the world awaits. Words Jo Morgan 126 — 127
↑ A sunset camel ride along the breach in Broome in western Australia’s Kimberley region
→ One Tree Beach fishing camp located on the eastern side of Admiralty Gulf ↓ A large saltwater crocodile launching itself vertically out of the water in Australia’s Kimberley region
Monster crocs vs monster fish
In the remote Australian Kimberley region, a visiting superyacht drops anchor off of One Tree Beach fishing camp where a small guided fishing operation sits on a cove under an old milkwood tree. This is ground zero for some of the finest fishing on earth, where camp guests are woken by the thrashing of sharks and giant trevally in the shallows, and monster barramundi lurch for their prey with a mighty ‘boof’ sound that travels over the water. Robert ‘Bluey’ Vaughan, owner of Kimberley Fishing, has a lifelong obsession with fishing for “ol’ bucket mouth” – high jumping, hard fighting barramundi that grow up to five foot. “They fight like a butcher’s dog,” he enthuses. Listed by The New York Times as one of the top five places to visit in 2020, the Kimberley is a mysterious place on Australia’s rugged northwest coast: an outback landscape of rust-red gorges and thundering waterfalls and lonely archipelagos. It’s a place so wild that even the laws of nature appear suspended, like the waterfall that runs horizontally under the pressure of the 35-foot tide. And the reef that rises out of the sea with water cascading off the sides in a dull roar. More importantly, the fishing is hair-raisingly good. Boiling tidal currents, river snags and rock bars concentrate huge bait balls that the big pelagics fall on in a frenzy. And when the wrestling is done, guests swim the waterholes in the Bungle Bungles or dive with whale sharks at Ningaloo Reef. The Kimberley is the Australia of your wildest imagination.
A local and highly experienced fishing guide is an absolute must. Bluey Vaughan offers his services and camp to visiting superyachts but advance bookings are essential. There are no marinas in the Kimberley wilderness and very few towns, so yachts will need to be largely self-sufficient for the duration of the trip. An on-board helicopter is of particular usefulness but the region is also well serviced by seaplane. 128 — 129
ONE TREE FISHING
LOGISTICS/SPECIAL EQUIPMENT
PELORUS, KITEBOARDING OMAN
Kitesurf Oman’s desert winds
130 — 131
With huge lagoons, a 1,967-mile coastline and waves rolling in from the Indian Ocean, Oman is enjoying a meteoric rise as one of the world’s hottest new kiteboarding destinations. This politically stable, tourist-friendly country is almost virgin territory for kiteboarders, and a yacht allows guests to cruise the desert coast and access lagoons normally cut off by quicksand. “Oman has some of the most beautiful hidden kite spots on the globe,” says Alex Friesl of Kiteboarding Oman. “Perfect shallow flat-water lagoons, places where huge desert dunes fall away straight into the sea, stunning and bizarre cliffs, and white-sand beaches crowded with thousands of flamingos.” There are also growing kiteboarding meccas such as Masirah Island, which produces reliable kitesurfing conditions year-round and an astonishing variety of locations. White-knuckle desert adventures await, from landkiting with a kite buggy to surfing down the huge dunes of the Wahiba Sands in the south. Quadbikes provide thrills when airborne over the steep dunes, and 4WD convoys rumble into desert oasis canyons shaded with date palms. Guests can explore crusader fortresses and drink mint tea with Bedouin tribes, or explore the bustling city souks, opulent spa hotels and minaret skylines. SPECIAL EQUIPMENT/LOGISTICS
Local guides will showcase the best of Oman. As the kiteboarding industry is still in its infancy, it’s advisable for guests to bring their own gear, including replacements as there’s little in the way of kiteboarding repair shops. Due to cruising conditions, the best time for kiteboarding yacht charters is during the winter monsoon from February to April, or September to October.
← The dusty sand dunes of Oman’s Wahiba Sands ↑ Kiteboarding Bar Al Hikman lagoon in Oman
→ Guests of Pelorus hiking above the ice clouds in Antarctica ↓ Guests of Pelorus at the base of an Atarctica ice climb
Scale new heights and dive new depths in Antarctica
Whether climbing up vast ice walls or descending below the ice shelf in a submarine, every sporting experience in Antarctica is heightened by the silence. There is a crispness to the air and an ever-present sense of walking in the footsteps of Shackleton and Scott. But only the foolhardy forget that the weather can turn any minute. As one of the most inhospitable places on Earth, Antarctica offers the adventure of a lifetime. The expert guides and meticulous planning are what make yacht charters to Antarctica as safe as possible. “Our clients trust us and we will never risk their safety, but our expeditions can push boundaries and expand the horizons of what they think is possible,” says Elise Ciappara, head of yacht expeditions at Pelorus. “Sharing these types of lifealtering experiences with family, friends or colleagues will inevitably bring them closer together.” Few experiences compare to camping overnight on an ice floe near to the yacht, hearing the ice creak beneath and the sigh of whales as you drift off to sleep. Or abseiling down a glacier to play a never-to-be-forgotten game of football on the snow. On the frozen tundra that stretches out endlessly, each day brings a true adventure.
GALILEO G cruising in Antarctica
While many yachts with long ranges and a high level of autonomy can reach Antarctica, expedition yachts such as SHERAKHAN and LEGEND can push further and explore deeper with great confidence. Onboard helicopters, steel hulls and multiple Zodiac tenders are superior choices in this terrain. Note that the permissions process for Antarctic yacht expeditions can take between six to 12 months and expert guides are essential. 132 — 133
PELORUS, BURGESS
SPECIAL EQUIPMENT/LOGISTICS
CRABBA DABBA DOO! Few things get Marylanders more excited than tearing into a bushel of sweet, succulent Chesapeake blues. And I’m not talking about jazz music or Nora Roberts novels. I’m referring to jumbo Atlantic blue crab, whose Latin name Callinectes sapidus means ‘beautiful swimmer’ and which thrives in abundance on Chesapeake Bay. It’s one of many reasons why the city of Annapolis is turning heads, and why yachties are choosing to drop anchor in its cool Atlantic waters. Words Julia Zaltzman Photograph Greg Pease
Crab picking is a way of life in Maryland. From April to November, the spicy aroma of steaming pots of Old Bayseasoned crab permeates the air. Unlike the rest of the US East Coast and Louisiana where the preference is to boil their catch, hard-shell crabs are always steamed in Maryland to keep the delicate meat moist and tender. Stroll into any eatery worth its salt and you’ll find a menu bursting with enough variations to last the whole vacation; steamed crabs, crab cakes, Utz crab chips. Rockfish, menhaden, eastern oysters and soft-shell crabs are also local delicacies, and it’s easy to see why life on the Chesapeake Bay watershed centers around fishing, canning and boating. At around 200 miles long, Chesapeake Bay is the largest estuary in the United States joining the coastlines of six American states with a mix of saltwater and fresh. It also includes two of the biggest East Coast commercial ports – Baltimore and Hampton Roads – and bisects the state of Maryland. But only a handful of waterways in the world can match Chesapeake for sheer sailing pleasure. With a shoreline longer than all of Florida’s, it offers sailors protected waters, great anchorages, stunning natural scenery and a litany of 134 — 135
“ The town’s red-brick Main Street leads to Annapolis Harbor, where yachts cruise around the famed turning basin of ‘Ego Alley’.”
towns and villages steeped in history. Maryland’s capital Annapolis sits right at the heart of it. To outsiders, Annapolis is synonymous with two things; the United States Naval Academy, and the home to fictional character Jack Ryan, played by Harrison Ford in 1992 blockbuster Patriot Games. But to those in the know, it’s an inviting pocket of colonial-era taverns and serious regatta sailing. The Annapolis Yacht Club racing regatta takes place in July, while the month of October welcomes the J/105 Chesapeake Bay Championships. The J/105 is the world’s largest 35-foot one-design sailboat class, introduced in 1991 as the first modern day keelboat with bowsprit and asymmetric spinnaker. It remains the most successful onedesign keelboat class over 30 feet in the US, with more than 680 boats sailing worldwide. The town’s red-brick Main Street leads to Annapolis Harbor, where yachts cruise around the famed turning basin of ‘Ego Alley’ – a delicious spot for people watching. Annapolis’ smattering of well-heeled restaurants provide an innovative take on traditional cuisine, while on the waterfront the 160-year-old Market House boasts a food hall packed with purveyors of local produce, such as cider, seasoning mix and fresh-from-the-bay oysters. What Chesapeake’s waters cater for in length, they lack in depth, which is why most of the time only boats of around 40 to 60 feet are seen cruising the estuary, says Denison yacht broker, Lloyd Cooper. “A lot of the big sailing yachts typically choose not to go up the Chesapeake Bay and instead head straight up to Newport or on to New England because it’s quite shallow.” But Covid-19 changed things in 2020 in more ways than one, resulting in “a few 200-foot yachts that camped out here all season.” For the yacht owners and charter guests who do choose to drop anchor, there is much to enjoy. Nearby town St. Michaels has been a humming port since the mid-1600s and its remote location has done little to dissipate its recognition as Chesapeake’s yachting hub. Just down the bay from Annapolis on the Eastern shore, this quaint waterfront village that sits on a bucolic peninsula was once a center of oystering, tobacco growing and shipbuilding. It was especially noted for its Baltimore Clippers; the fastest sailing vessels of their time. 136 — 137
JOSEPH GRANTEED Estate Agent 954 707 1233 JoeG@FloridaLuxurious.com Joseph A. Granteed
#1
_JoeyRealEstate_
JoeyRealEstate
89%
Over
Private Brokerage In Broward County
$1 Billion In Sales
List to Sell Ratio
80’± WF
95’± WF
1715 Southeast 12th Court, Fort Lauderdale 5 BR | 6.2 BA
2519 Lucille Drive, Fort Lauderdale 6BR | 6.2 BA
75± WF
120’± WF
2400 Sea Island Drive, Fort Lauderdale 5BR | 5.1 BA
188 Nurmi Drive, Fort Lauderdale 6BR | 6.1 BA
DENIS TANGNEY JR
A Selection of Exclusive Listings* Craftsmanship remains at the forefront of St. Michaels thanks to the Lyon Distilling Co. located in the Old Mill District, which has been credited for the comeback of small batch rum; the first spirit ever distilled in Maryland. But to truly feel like a local, you should while away the long, hot evenings sipping on Orange Crush. It’s the Eastern Shore’s signature drink, made with vodka, triple sec, freshly squeezed orange juice and Sprite, all soaked up with a side portion of crab pretzels, of course. Talbot Street, lined with pastel-colored boutiques and colonial-style architecture, is the only road through town, but it will deliver you to St. Michaels’ thriving marina, a popular summer hang out. A festival takes place almost every weekend in St. Michaels, celebrating everything and anything, from sea glass to daffodils. If it’s rejuvenation you’re seeking, The Inn at Perry Cabin perched on the Miles River, one of the bay’s many freshwater tributaries, is where you’ll find it. With six luxury yachts available to charter, the opportunity to learn how to sail is provided. As are 78 indulgent rooms housed in a white clapboard mansion that was once the home of a naval commander (and veteran of the famed War of 1812) before Sir Bernard Ashley – husband of designer Laura Ashley – converted it into a luxury hotel in 1980. A pool, spa, gardens, tennis courts and Pete Dye-designed golf course seal the deal. Popular day boat excursions from Annapolis include the lively Baltimore Harbor, while Chestertown is a magnet for traveling foodies. But for something a little different,
Cooper suggests cruising the Bay’s proliferation of slowly vanishing islands. As sea levels rise and the land erodes, these cultural mainstays may only be around for another 100 to 200 years, and each one has something different to offer. On Solomon’s Island you’ll find The Tiki Bar, the first completely open-air bar in Southern Maryland, while on Tangier Island residents get around on golf carts, boats, mopeds and bikes. Tilghman island is separated from the mainland by Knapp’s Narrows and is accessed by car via a fancy drawbridge, and Assateague Island is where the wild horses roam. Alternatively, the Wye River offers a quiet sanctuary whose banks are teeming with river otters, white-tailed deer, marsh rabbits and red fox. “The Wye River isn’t built up with houses on the water like much of the area, and it’s a fantastic place to spot native wildlife and winter waterfowl,” says Cooper. When exploring the ever-changing shoreline by kayak, you may even encounter friendly bottlenose dolphins or hear the call of bald eagles and osprey overhead. The coves found around Wye Island provide excellent anchorage for the night or weekend, with the most popular spots being Granary Creek and Dividing Creek. If you’re really lucky, you’ll catch a glimpse of the migratory ruby-throated hummingbird or the native red knot and piping glover, for the region’s beaches support some of the largest populations of shorebirds in the Western Hemisphere. And, of course, you can try your hand fishing for crab.
*Listings courtesy of Florida Luxurious Properties
138 — 139
The Survey Broker Thanks to our brokers’ expertise and insight, Denison Yachting ranked #1 in superyacht sales in the world in 2020. So, we asked 500 Denison Yacht Sales participants the following questions to find out more about what they know:
What keeps you up at night?
What’s the hottest segment of yachting?
Why do clients leave yachting?
What’s your outlook on 2021?
What’s your favorite boat show?
31%
36%
43%
Loss of interest
60%
Bullish
39%
18%
24%
30%
40%
The economy
18%
Motoryachts
Superyachts
16%
Politics
Catamarans
18%
12%
Covid-19
06%
Clean water
06%
The competition
Boat drama
Explorer Yachts
05%
Sailing Yachts
07%
Green Yachts
26%
Crew drama
01%
RENE DEANDA, PATRICK WEISSENBERGER, ERWAN HESRY
My client’s demands
Broker drama
Bearish
Fort Lauderdale Boat Show
27%
Palm Beach Boat Show
14%
Monaco Yacht Show
13%
Miami Yacht Show
07%
Cannes Yachting Festival
140 — 141
M IZU
$9,900,000
174ʹ OCEANFAST 2004 | MIAMI, FL WILL NOFTSINGER • 850.461.3342
TH U N DE R
$PRICE ON REQUEST
164ʹ OCEANFAST 1998 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL KEN DENISON • 954.612.1000
E XCEL L E NCE
$13,450,000
CABERNET
150ʹ RICHMOND 2010 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL ALEX G. CLARKE • 203.722.3047
147ʹ SENSATION 2006 | MIAMI, FL KIT DENISON • 954.614.2888
S ERENITY
S E A AX I S
$13,500,000
133ʹ IAG 2016 | PALM BEACH, FL KURT BOSSHARDT • 954.478.0356
$9,895,000
$3,700,000
120ʹ PLATINUM 2009 | MIAMI, FL BRUCE SCHATTENBURG • 954.328.4329
WATE R CO LOU RS 115ʹ TRINITY 1991 | CHARLESTON, SC MARK KING • 239.564.8080
Denison Yachting 1535 SE 17th Street #119 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
$11,900,000
$6,495,000
AT L AST
$1,995,000
C H IME RA
M ARAE
$6,950,000
108ʹ ALLOY 2004 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL THOMAS CLEATOR • 619.733.9790
157ʹ TRINITY 2005 | PALM BEACH, FL KURT BOSSHARDT • 954.478.0356
$7,495,000
THREE KINGS
$1,779,000
$4,950,000
HELIOS
$3,400,000
125ʹ BROWARD 1989 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL KURT BOSSHARDT • 954.478.0356
92ʹ LAZZARA 2012 | FORT LAUDERDALE JUSTIN NYSTEDT • 954.654.5783
FRIE N D LY CON F IN E S
STA E
$10,849,000
112ʹ WESTPORT 2015 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL MIKE BURKE • 561.722.1063
+1 954.763.3971 www.DenisonYachting.com
SEVEN DIAM ONDS
$11,250,000
105ʹ NUMARINE 32XP 2021 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL ALEX G. CLARKE • 203.722.3047
103ʹ BROWARD 2000 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL FLETCHER DAVES • 561.797.8758
144ʹ HEESEN 1990 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL MIKE BURKE • 561.722.1063
125ʹ HEESEN 1986 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL KURT BOSSHARDT • 954.478.0356
L I Q UIDITY
RE BE L
AVANTI
$3,589,000
100ʹ HATTERAS 2005 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL BRIAN RAGSDALE • 561.613.2433
KAM PAI
$1,695,000
92ʹ MANGUSTA 2004 | MIAMI BEACH, FL KYLE DUNN • 561.779.7726
$4,495,000
86ʹ SANLORENZO | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL ALEX G. CLARKE • 203.722.3047
ENDLESS LOVE 84ʹ LAZZARA 2009 | AVENTURA, FL STEVEN CARLSON • 561.866.7905
Denison Yachting 1535 SE 17th Street #119 Fort Lauderdale, FL 33316
B LUE
$4,450,000
105ʹ FEADSHIP 1969 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL THOM CONBOY • 561.441.6131
TRITON
$2,900,000
95ʹ HORIZON 2007 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL DAVID JOHNSON • 954.610.3263
KAVITA
$1,945,000
88ʹ FERRETTI 2006 | WEST PALM BEACH, FL JACE KIZZIER • 949.292.4583
$3,390,000
ROXY M ARIA
$2,150,000
82ʹ HARGRAVE 2007 | FORT LAUDERDALE, FL PETER QUINTAL • 954.817.5662
+1 954.763.3971 www.DenisonYachting.com
craft cocktails award-winning wine list quality mediterranean food
let us host your next event for an unforgettable experience!
craft cocktails award-winning wine list quality mediterranean food
let us host your next event for an unforgettable experience!
craft cocktails award-winning wine list quality mediterranean food 3330 E Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale 33308 954.200.6006 thasosrestaurant.com @thasosfl
let us host your next event for an unforgettable experience!
3330 E Oakland Park Blvd, Fort Lauderdale 33308 954.200.6006 thasosrestaurant.com @thasosfl
craft cocktails