Nautical Luxuries Blog

Images of the new superyacht design concepts from Schopfer Yachts just arrived in my inbox, making my jaw drop, and making me wonder... is this really the future of superyachts and, if so, why am I having such a hard time embracing it!

It's a showstopper, to be sure, and I applaud the innovation E. Kevin Schopfer has employed in the design of these extraordinary vessels. The specs reveal an enviable level of comfort and style, with accomodation for 12 guests and "speeds upwards of 25 knots." Yet, in my old-school opinion, that design innovation also presents a curious contradiction between exterior lines that (purposefully?) associate the vessel with the sea, through their resemblance to a whale's eye and jawline, and a reverse bow that counters my long-held expectations of what a seagoing vessel should look like. This is definitely not your father's superyacht!

 

 

 

  I'm trying to imagine feeling comfortable with an intimate group of friends, under the 12 foot high ceiling in the main salon, or in the cylindrical double height dining room, or getting cozy on furnishings that look like they were designed for an intergalactic space shuttle.  So is this the future? Maybe. With an increasing number of superyacht purchases being a first-boat purchase, more and more owners have no previous yachting, (much less sailing), background. They approach yachting with no preconceived expectations. Why am I not quick to embrace it? I'm still not sure, but I have a feeling it has something to do with the fact that I'd still rather be sailing than looking, like Jonah, through a whale's eye, at the surrounding seas while sitting next to an onboard water feature. In the mean time, I enjoy the imaginative creativity of new concepts like this and look forward to what the future has in store. DJ

I have so may wonderful memories of the International America's Cup Class, (IACC), yachts - from building our own USA 50 and 54 in Hawaii, to competing in Auckland, to seeing IACC yachts compete alongside 12 Metres and other classic AC yachts during the America's Cup Jubilee in Cowes, to their final "battles" in Valencia.   With the shift to catamarans for AC 34, the IACC has officially become a matter of record and an important part of Cup history. Twenty years of design innovation, 100 boats constructed, and over 1,100 fiercely fought races. It was a great run! Thank you, Bruno, for organizing this farewell tribute, as well as nearly 30 years of Louis Vuitton Cup competition! It is welcome news that Louis Vuitton will be onboard for the next (FB?) generation of Cup racing in San Francisco. Wyland painting 50                                                            And at the helm  

USA50 Sailing off Diamond Head                               50 & 54 Awaiting Offloading in Auckland

 

Farewell to the IACC! DJ

Or, is that A Sailor's Favorite Competition?  Surely, the race back to the bar is one our crew has won a time or two!  For the second year running, Wight Vodka partnered with Scuttlebutt Europe to present one of the most "important" contests in the sailing world.... the Favorite Yachting Bar of 2010!  Last year's winner was  Peter Café Sport, located in Horta in the Azores. This year, voting was done on the Scuttlebutt Europe website, with the winner announced on New Year's Eve... but before we reveal the winner... a tasty cocktail idea from Wight:  NORTHERN WIGHT - 1/2 shot chilled Wight Vodka - 1 shot Cranberry Juice - 1 shot Pomegranate Juice - Champagne - Chambord Combine Vodka and juices in a cocktail shaker with ice and mix for a minute or two to really chill it. Strain into your favorite (Nautical Luxuries) champagne flutes, top with champagne and a splash of Chambord.

Back to the competition, "hundreds and hundreds" of submissions were received this year, but the winner was the Soggy Dollar Bar on Jost Van Dyke in the BVI. The birthplace of the Painkiller cocktail, the bar derives its name from the yachtsmen and women who swim ashore to enjoy the food, drink and conversation there, paying with wet dollar bills pulled from their pockets.

If you find yourself in the BVI, make your way to the south coast of Jost Van Dyke and enjoy a few cocktails while overlooking White Bay. If you can't make it to the BVI this winter, mix up a batch of Northern Wight cocktails and make plans for next year!

DJ

Admittedly, I am passionate about the sea - the lifestyle it engenders, the beauty it embodies, the pleasurable moments it brings - and I feel strongly that with that passion comes a responsibility to preserve this priceless resource.  Once again this December, Nautical Luxuries is donating a percentage of wreath sales to the International SeaKeepers Society. The SeaKeepers not only share my passion for the sea, but are also actively involved in protecting it. A US-based non-profit organization, SeaKeepers monitors the health of the world’s oceans by deploying information-gathering modules on private yachts, cruise ships, and other vessels and coastal locations around the planet.  I cannot think of a more beautifully appropriate gift for nautical enthusiasts to give or receive, than a holiday wreath adorned with the sea’s bounty;  a beautiful statement of their passion and commitment to the sea!  Included with each wreath is a note letting the recipient know that the wreath they've received has helped to protect our oceans.  Learn more about the SeaKeepers.  See our entire selection of coastal wreaths.    DJ     

It isn't often that we introduce such a great fashion accessory! Quintessentially nautical, fashionably elegant and truly clever fun, these hand-painted scarves are now on my Christmas wish list! And, I hope every gift-challenged man out there who thinks a polo shirt and a matching team hat are exactly what she wants for Christmas, is listening. Not only will she look terrific stepping off the boat, attending this year's Installation Banquet, or even sitting in a meeting at the office, you'll score extra points for creating something that's uniquely hers. Customized code flags let you create your own special message, just for her. Four different scarf styles allow for up to 20 letters along one side, or up to 10 letters on each end. Our staff came up with a few favorite ideas: ITS HAPPY HOUR SOMEWHERE         LOVE TO SAIL    WINK IF YOU CAN READ THIS         SAILING NUT  CHAMPAGNE FOR EVERYONE         TROPHY WIFE  I AM THE COMMODORES WIFE       BORN TO SAIL  I AM NO MANS GALLEY SLAVE      WINCH WENCH    THIS IS MY SAILING SCARF          I SAIL DO YOU   WILL SAIL FOR CHAMPAGNE         TIME FOR RUM Have fun getting creative, but do order by December 1st to ensure delivery in time for Christmas! DJ

In the 'bizarre but thematically timely' nautical decor category, this surreal set from an editorial in Vogue magazine has an extravagantly haunting impact. According to the editorial, (about ice, of all things), the lowly ice cube has been elevated to new heights by bartending cognoscenti. Designer ice. Who knew. Love the set design, and fully intend to ask the bartender about my ice's pedigree, next happy hour. DJ

50,000 people turned out this past weekend for the Annapolis Boat Show, and I was lucky enough to be walking the docks right there with them! To make it even better, we had sunny, warm weather the entire weekend. My neighbor Chuck swears it was the best weather the show's seen in its 41-year history!  My first time visiting this show, I was impressed with the size of the show, and with the unique "sailing vibe" there. The Fort Lauderdale and Miami shows are larger, but they're predominantly powerboat shows, and their "vibe" is very different. Here in Annapolis, it was all about sailing.  My own show favorites were the hot little Audi Melges 20 and the beautiful Oyster 72 with a great cockpit setup.  Aside from the boats and accessories, the show also offered basic sailing instruction in an onshore classroom setting - people were constantly lined up waiting to get in! It was also great fun running into so many people I'd worked or sailed with before, including our 2000 America's Cup skipper, John Kolius with KO-Sailing in Texas.  [caption id="attachment_659" align="alignright" width="300" caption="Enjoying "Pain Killers" on the Rooftop Terrace Bar"][/caption]  

The first time I spotted the dinnerware gleaming brightly on the display shelf, my eyes got wide... and then I sighed in disappointment.  "You see," I said to the sales rep standing next to me, "THIS is the kind of fashionable dinnerware I'd love to have on boats, but it's just not practical." The rep smiled silently, then reached up and carefully removed one of the dinner plates from its stand. She held her arm out a few feet above the floor and simply let the plate drop...  I jumped out of the way, mouth open, staring in disbelief as it bounced unbroken, 'clackety-clack,' off the showroom floor. I couldn't believe it! I am in Heaven! Finally, non-breakable dinnerware that looks so much like fine stoneware, you simply cannot tell the difference until you hold it in your hand! To anyone looking for dinnerware that will stand up to the demands of poolside or onboard use, and is as fashionable as the rest of your seaside home or yacht interior - I need say nothing more about our new line of non-breakable dinnerware than this: you can't believe it's not... but it IS!               

Is the recreational boating industry declining?   Mr Jones and I took the kayak out for a spin this weekend to make a few observations of our own, and our answer is: yes... and no. First, we paddled across the way to the Lido Yacht Expo. Attendance did seem a little sparse, judging only by the dock traffic. There were certainly boats aplenty and, no doubt, many a deal to be had, but the shoppers seemed to be elsewhere. After completing our meandering circuit around the show, we made a slow u-turn in the water and cruised back down the harbor.  We snaked around at least a dozen stand-up paddleboards,  as many Duffy boats, several kayaks, an Italian-speaking gondolier, two wedding party boats, a few party-hearty boats, and even escaped a sailboat that decided to get in a little mark rounding practice just as we were passing the mark.  It was a busy afternoon on the harbor - that is to say... recreational boating was booming! My theory? Even though buyers aren't entering the market or upgrading at their usual pace, they are still finding a way to do what they love - get out on the water. That may be sailing or motoring in what they already own instead of something new, or renting, chartering, or buying in partnerships - but it seems like there are as many people as ever, out on the water and - isn't that the best way to GROW the boating market? So, yes, it looks like the buying side of things is currently less active, but based on the participation side of things, I'd say the industry is in for growth ahead. DJ

Tails were wagging and crowds were cheering, once again, at this year's Surf City Surf Dog competition in Huntington Beach.  The sizeable surf and chilly 58-degree water temperature made wet suits and fur coats the order of the day as everyone took to the salt water for the annual contest, and hundreds more spectators watched from the beach. The size of the surf was daunting for the novice 'groms' in the small dog category - good thing they let the big dogs surf first while the tide ebbed and things calmed down a bit.  The competition was rrruff but, with the help of his in-water coach, Kye, and the support of his onshore coaches and cheering squad of Lisa, Susan and Grant, Mr Jones caught several waves, managed to hang ten a couple of times, (before attempting to hang 20 off the nose), and hung in long enough to take third place!! Great fun with two of my favorite things - the ocean and Mr Jones! DJ

159 years ago, Verdi’s opera Rigoletto was first performed in Venice; the New York Times was founded, and the yacht America won the now infamous race around the Isle of Wight, taking home the silver cup that would become known as the America’s Cup. That original race was re-enacted this week in a spectacular match-up between the current holder of the America’s Cup, BMW Oracle Racing, and Sir Keith Mills’ British TeamOrigin.  It was reported to have been quite the event, with a large spectator fleet on land and on the water.   Alongside the race coverage posted in ScuttlebuttEurope.com was a fun ad for sponsor Wight Vodka, promoting their “Perfect Cocktail For August”, the August Wight martini. According to Wight Vodka’s owner, Ritu Manocha, you strain the juice of a small handful of fresh blackberries into a shaker with ice. Add a half teaspoon of clear honey and two shots of Wight Vodka. Shake for about a minute to really chill the cocktail, then pour into a martini glass and serve. Well, we’d like to suggest the perfect glasses for that Perfect August Cocktail…  Like a traditionally style Etched Shell Martini Glass, part of an entire line of Etched Shell Glassware.  And... did we mention the perfect cocktail shakers - chrome plated ships' lanterns!!                                                                                                    Or, traditionally styled and modern stemless Etched Fish Martini Glasses. Or, you might even throw a few ice cubes in one of our Code Flags Double Old-Fashioned Glasses and enjoy your martini ‘on the rocks’.                     BMW/Oracle Racing’s successful defense of America’s Honor, with a decisive victory over the British yacht, certainly sounds like an excellent opportunity to celebrate with an August Wight Martini! Cheers, DJ

Our nautical Rope Knot Doorstop, that is.  Real Simple Magazine just featured this classic nautical item in their August issue as one of their recommended "Everyday Indulgence Take-Notice Doorstops." As the Real Simple editors note, it's much heavier than it looks. It has another real simple feature the editors didn't mention- the sturdy top loop makes it real simple to move around the beach house!    It's available online:                                                                   Rope Knot Doorstop