Boating news

Floating Motors is a collaboration between Pierpaolo Lazzarini and Jet Capsule, a company that specializes in manufacturing watercraft. They have now come together and aim to transform some iconic classic car forms into boats.

The Von Mercier firm is named after British engineer Michael Mercier, is set to bring the Arosa to market, which will be the world’s premier luxury sports hovercraft. It is a vehicle that is set to redefine the Luxury maritime sector.

The fact that Batman doesn’t possess superpowers forces him to rely on various gadgets to hunt down and kick the living daylight out of his foes. One such gadget is the popular Batmobile, a mean-ass war machine that has evolved dramatically with every new Batman installment. But we never thought a Swarovski-made Batmobile would be the byproduct of the said evolution.

As we’re all aware, Mazda didn’t build the Miata with off-roading in mind. Then again, neither did Porsche with the 911 and we’ve seen our fair share of off-road-ready Safari-badged Neunelfers out there.

Even though it’s a sports car at its very core, the Miata, just like any other vehicle that roams the earth’s surface, can be tweaked and customized to tackle everything that’s beyond the beaten path. And the best example is this YouTube project we stumbled upon.

Ford published its fourth-quarter and full-year reports for 2019 on February 4. While there was nothing noteworthy about the financials per se, the company announced that it will be bringing in five new models in 2020, of which two are highly anticipated.

One is the F-150 Hybrid, and the other, well, the ’baby’ Bronco. There isn’t a lot of info about these vehicles yet, but both of them have been spotted in the wild wearing heavy camouflage. The F-150 Hybrid isn’t expected to bear a lot of changes for this iteration, but the ’baby’ Bronco will grab all the attention when launched.

Yamaha has come out with a boat to ease the heavy burden of surveyors that measure sediment below dams; the BREEZE10 unmanned boat. Designed to be conned by an onboard operator, by remote or left to work autonomously, the BREEZE10 carries a sophisticated sonar and electronics suite that maps the lake bed while an electric motor drives it silently across the surface. An onboard generator can replenish the ion-lithium batteries, which makes the boat a proper hybrid.

Continue reading for more information on the Yamaha BREEZE10.

RM Sotheby’s traveling auction house was in Monaco this past weekend with plenty of items up for grabs, to include two boats of very different vintages and their own unique intrinsic values. I grew up near a marina chock full of wooden runabouts finished bright and remember watching the owners endlessly toil away at the maintenance chores to keep the boats looking sharp. Having spent many happy hours racing sailboats and watching the big offshore powerboats, I also have an appreciation for the racing machines. Needless to say, looking at the pair of watercraft that changed hands this past Saturday was kind of like going home for me, so let’s check out what some lucky folks snapped up this weekend.

Continue reading for my look at the boats at RM Sotheby’s auction.

Bénéteau has announced plans to reveal the upcoming Swift Trawler 30 at the Paris Boat Show on December 2015. But before the big day arrives, the French boat yard is giving all of us a sneak peek of the new boat courtesy of these design studies.

The Swift Trawler 30 is expected to serve as the entry level model of the company’s entire Swift Trawler range. Despite its relatively small stature, the Swift Trawler 30 still features plenty of luxury amenities, including a double cabin for the owner and a convertible double dinette in the saloon. As an added option, Bénéteau is also offering a double bunk bed cabin on the portside as an extra option.

Move to the cockpit of the Swift Trawler 30 and you’ll be greeted with fold-up seats and a table that can be reconfigured to free up plenty of space. It’s a versatile setup that adds character and improved functionality to the boat. Safety is also an important characteristic of the Swift Trawler 30 thanks in large part to the high handrails and the asymmetrical side decks.

The design studies of the Swift Trawler 30 should be close to what we can expect to see when the real thing officially makes its debut in Paris. Bénéteau has yet to reveal the engine details and price for the new boat but we shouldn’t wait too long for those figures to be released.

Continue reading to read more about the Bénéteau Swift Trawler 30.

Yacht builder Spirit Yachts has launched its latest offering to the powerboat market. It’s called the P40C and it’s currently on display at the 2015 Monaco Yacht Show. The P40C is the coupe version of Spirit Yachts’ renowned P40, considered by many boat enthusiasts as one of the most stylish and versatile powerboats on the market.

The U.K.-based company is known for its prowess in yacht building and it’s got quite the collection of models to show for it. The P40C, in particular, is another eye-catching example of a powerboat that captures the essence of “style and substance.” It looks the part of a worthy successor to the P40 with the prominence of the enormous hull pointing to the sky. It also has a very capable pair of engines and a cabin brimming with luxury and elegance.

From the looks of things, the P40 lives up to the high standards of Spirit Yachts. The only question is if it drives as well as it looks. Prospective customers can find that out for themselves because Spirit Yachts is making the P40C available for test-drives for the entire duration of the Monaco Yacht Show.

Continue reading to learn more about the new Spirit Yachts P40C powerboat.

With the Cannes Yachting Festival just concluding and the Southampton Boat Show on the docket, boat show season is completely in full swing. One yacht builder that has taken advantage of this is Riva, the Italian yacht builder that took the opportunity to launch its new super yacht, the 100 Corsaro.

The 100 Corsaro is the latest in a long line of spectacular yachts to come out of Riva. It’s no surprise that the company chose Cannes as the event to showcase its new pride and joy. The 29.90-meter 100 Corsaro really is a sight to behold. In addition to its sleep and modern styling, the superyacht can has over five staterooms, including three double cabins and one twin cabin on the lower deck for guests and an incredibly spacious master suite on the main deck.

The multi-deck configuration also provides enough space to have an outdoor dining setup, a sunbathing deck, and a well-appointed lounge on the bow. Inside one of the decks is an enormous living room setup that might as well be found inside a five-star hotel.

The 100 Corsaro is powered by a pair of MTU 16V 2000 engines that produces an incredible 2,638 horsepower. That number allows the yacht to achieve a crushing speed of 25 knots and a top speed of 29 knots, which for a boat its size is remarkable.

With all these features, it’s no wonder that the 100 Corsaro caught the attention of a lot of people at the Cannes Yachting Festival. In fact, it was such a hit during the show that the first unit of the superyacht was already taken shortly after its debut.

Continue reading to learn more about the Riva 100 Corsaro.

British luxury boat builder Fairline has announced plans to launch an the Targa 53 Open, an open version of the Targa 53GT that will only make its debut at the Southampton Boat Show. If it sounds like Fairline’s jumping the gun with the announcement of an off-shoot model from another model that hasn’t been introduced yet, it’s because it is a case of that. Still, there’s been a lot of excitement surrounding the arrival of the Targa 53GT so it appears that Fairline’s merely trying to leverage the hype by announcing an open version of the boat.

According to the company, the 53 Open will use the same hull and power trains as the enclosed saloon version. It will receive a large, peeled-back sunroof that allows passengers to bask in the heat of the sun. The deck layout of the boat will be divided in such a way that it creates enough space for a dining section, forward-facing seats in the front, a slab of sundae aft just atop the tender garage.

Prospective customers of the boat will also be given a chance to choose between two or three cabins. It’s Fairline’s way of inviting would-be clients to personalise the cabins as they see fit.

The 53 Open will be powered by two different shaft-driven engine options: Volvo and Cummins. Specific details of these engines will be unveiled during the 53GT’s debut at the Southampton Boat Show but as early as now, Fairline is estimating that the 53 Open will be able to reach a fully loaded top speed of 30 knots on account of its lighter weight than its enclosed counterpart.

Likewise, pricing details of the two boats are being kept under wraps for the time being. What’s expected is that the 53 Open will be made available beginning in the spring of 2016.

Continue reading to learn more about the Fairline Targa 53 Open.

Vector Martini Racing has signed male supermodel David Gandy to a powerboat racing contract in the hopes of turning Gandy into world-class powerboat racer who is as fierce on the water as he is on the catwalk. Gandy is the first of six celebrities that Vector Martini Racing will recruit to its iRace Pro Team.

Part of Gandy’s training would be to learn how to drive a V40R, a powerboat that packs a walloping 2,200 horsepower on full blast. The goal, as is always the case in high-profile signings like this one, is to set a new world endurance record, which is what Gandy will eventually try to accomplish as part Vector Racing’s four-man crew. Gandy’s training exploits will also be documented for an unnamed TV documentary series. Vector Martini Racing has yet to announce the specifics of the record attempt, the TV documentary, and the identities of the five other celebrities it plans to enlist with the former Dolce & Gabbana supermodel.

While the man is mostly known for his work as a supermodel, Gandy does have a certain affinity for vehicles, specifically that of the automotive variety. In addition to having written about cars for British GQ, Gandy also caught the attention of automotive racing world when he completed the Millia Miglia in 2014 with Jodie Kidd in a Jaguar.

For now at least, Gandy will trade a race car steering wheel for a different variety. It’s a challenge that he and Vector Martini are embracing ahead, as they should considering their hope of turning this bit of news into more than just a publicity stunt.

Continue reading to read more about David Gandy signing with Vector Martini Racing