Marco Polo Yacht
November 2, 2007
Marco Polo Yacht
The Marco Polo yacht is part of a series of explorer yachts by Hong Kong based Cheoy Lee. The yacht is designed to be taken all around the world. The 147-foot yacht, created by Ron Holland design saves 35% in fuel consumption by using a single engine configuration. It also has a forward Schottel azimuth thruster that can control the vessel head to wind in 20 knots plus wind speeds and rough sea conditions and can get the ship to shore if the engine fails. The yacht holds ten crew and eight passengers. This first Marco Polo yacht has a gorgeous interior with an East-meets-West style that is very high drama. The saloon features beautiful Macassar ebony with contrasting walnut and limed oak and large windows. The owner’s stateroom is equally dramatic with more Macassar ebony and lighter wardrobe doors with red and gold accents for a contrasting effect. The guest suites are a bit more tame with a more traditional beige look. The owner’s suite is on the upper deck and the entire upper deck aft of the wheelhouse is the owner’s private area with day spaces for lounging and a private deck. The lower deck offers a VIP stateroom, two large guest staterooms, and a gym and the main deck has a library and lounge area. She is for sale through Ocean Independence for an undisclosed price.
Voyage of the Art Barge
October 24, 2007
“Did you ever think it would be this big?” says David Lester, a large man in a short-sleeved oxford, pointing at a 228-foot yacht that’s swarming with workers in a Miami shipyard. Lester, the founder of the Palm Beach International Fine Art and Antique Fair, is placing a $60 million bet that brokering high-end art on a high-end boat will become a lucrative new wave in the art market. “Up in Greenwich,” he says, perspiring in the 90-degree heat, “they don’t know what’s coming.”
Greenwich, Connecticut—headquarters to so many of the hedge fund managers who are pushing the art market to unprecedented heights—seems a fitting place to launch Lester’s SeaFair. On September 25, the vessel, christened the Grand Luxe, will host a fundraiser for Greenwich’s Bruce Museum before sailing to such upscale ports as Oyster Bay, New York; Hilton Head, South Carolina; and Palm Beach, Florida. Once aboard, invitation-only visitors will be able to browse the ship’s 28 galleries, dine in one of two restaurants, and relax at an open-air bar while contemplating how to spend their money.
The idea is to “take the gallery to the consumer rather than the consumer to the gallery,” says Lester, who with his wife, Lee Ann, started International Fine Art Expositions in 1990. Some of that firm’s events, like the Palm Beach show, were successful, while fairs in Houston and Hong Kong failed. The Lesters sold the company in 2001 for $18 million but stayed on as directors.
SeaFair, which Lester calls without irony “a Mark Twain riverboat for sexy people,” is an independent venture. The traveling expo arrives at a time when small and midsize art fairs are struggling to compete with big, thriving shows like Art Basel. To finance it, the Lesters put up an undisclosed amount of their own money and borrowed the rest. Lester says he has rented all 28 of the available gallery spaces for the ship’s maiden voyage. Many of these tenants are reputable second-tier dealers such as David Morris and Pelham Galleries, but there’s also one not-so-reputable outfit, Berry-Hill, which two years ago filed for bankruptcy protection after being sued in the wake of a bidding scandal at Christie’s. (The gallery later settled with the auction house.) Each dealer will pay $40,000 to $120,000 a month in rent, depending on shipboard location, which could eventually gross in excess of $20 million a year; Lester estimates his annual operating costs to be $12 million to $15 million.
“This is the smartest thing anyone is doing in art right now,” says Michael Goedhuis, owner of SeaFair exhibitor Goedhuis Contemporary, a New York-based gallery specializing in Asian art.
Not everyone is so buoyant. Top galleries like Matthew Marks and Gagosian, for example, will remain on terra firma. Sabrina Buell, a director at Matthew Marks, says her artists wouldn’t be able to produce enough work to sustain sales at a monthlong fair. There’s also the issue of protecting the art from the salt air. “There’s no rationale for putting a valuable work of art in that environment,” says Adam Lindemann, a New York collector and the author of Collecting Contemporary. “If you have to close it off and air-condition it, what’s the point of being on a boat?”
Lester is unfazed, saying the art-world elite is not his target audience. “The beginner is the best buyer; they’re easier sales than the Rubells,” he says, referring to Miami’s prominent collecting family. “For most people, art is an impulse buy.” The crowd at the top international fairs is the top 3 percent of collectors, he says. “I want the other 97 percent.”
Anyone who wants to visit SeaFair has to apply online and answer questions about his or her collection. But most of the art-related questions are merely a formality, Lester admits. “Their collection doesn’t really matter,” he says. “Preference goes to the person with the most money.” To get a sense of applicants’ buying power, Lester uses a range of market-research tools, including Zillow.com, a real estate site that lets users see satellite pictures of homes and get information on their value.
Will art lovers from places like Jacksonville, Florida, and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, make SeaFair a success? Lester is about to get his answer. Meanwhile, he says his creditors have a contingency plan if the art barge sinks: Knock down the gallery walls and turn the Grand Luxe into a floating casino.
Luxury Resort Casinos In Georgia
October 23, 2007
Georgia casinos are not like other casinos by any degree: on
the water extravagance, jazz clubs, and piano bars await any
newcomer interested in playing at a Georgia casino at sea.
Visitors thoroughly enjoy the scenery that goes along with the
Georgia casinos, because each of the cruises is fascinating.
Instead of state issued rights, the Georgia community invested
in more profitable trips on the ocean waves. Many gamblers have
taken numerous visits on the Texas Star, formerly known as the
Millionaire’s Casino, and the Emerald Princess dinner & cruise
ships have a great reputation, as well. Georgia gambling
deserves a distinguished image and their casino cruises surpass
the rest in more ways than one. For instance, the casino cruises
last for three to four days or more when travelers are
interested in trying their luck all week. Where else can a
traveler experience so much fun in so little time?
Since they are cruise ships, Georgia casinos are the highlights
of tourists’ vacations. Reservations must be in place before the
ship leaves dock. Many gamblers or travelers place their
reservations two to three months ahead of the ships departure.
Accommodations come in numerous choices such as those with wheel
chair accessibility and ocean view condominiums, all of which
feature luxuries that are not available through traditional
land-based casinos. Now, travelers have the opportunity to party
24 hours a day, seven days a week, on these ships, because the
casinos never close unless for performances or shows by onboard
celebrities. To get a head start, it is best to purchase tickets
online after viewing the schedules and availabilities for
holiday events. One of these two cruise ships even allows
planners of large events to use the entire ship for their
celebrations.
Gamblers utilize their skills on the machines and tables, where
many of these are not the same as in traditional casinos.
Tourists love to play Texas Hold ‘em because of the enthusiasm
of the casino personnel. The games in these Georgia casinos are
some of the most interesting that any traveler could find in
gambling casinos anywhere. Event planners who are interested in
renting party space or several tables at a time should consult
with the company directly for more information. Information on
cruises, policies, and procedures can be found on the company’s
website. Other information involving booking or reserving party
space must be addressed approximately eight months ahead of the
desired departure.
Luxury Hugo Boss Yacht
October 3, 2007
The luxury Hugo Boss yacht is one of the most opulent sailboats afloat. The designer held a lavish ceremony in Hamburg, Germany to celebrate the official baptism of the “HUGO BOSS” sailing yacht. Complete with light, laser and pyrotechnic show, the festivities took place in one of the city’s famous fish auction halls, bringing with it about 600 nation and international guests.
The yacht is over 20 meters long, has a 27 meter mast and boasts and elegant black sail. The new Boss boat is lighter and more agile than its predecessor, which was sailed by British skipper Alex Thomson in the VELUX 5 Oceans Regatta in 2006.
Hugo Boss AG have been participating in sailing competitions since 2003, supporting 33 year old Thomson in reaching his goals. He’ll be entering the Barcelona World Race in November 2007 followed by Vendée Globe in 2008, which will see the young Brit sail the new “HUGO BOSS” solo around the world.
“As a team we are very versatile and aim to exceed expectations on all levels. HUGO BOSS have shown us that they can deliver and we intend to do exactly the same,” said Thomson. “We’ve already done some pretty off-the-wall things with the boat: we’ve participated in a fashion show in Croatia, hosted VIPs at the Cannes Film Festival and at the Monaco Grand Prix, and recently in Australia we got Miss Teen Australia to waterski off ‘HUGO BOSS’ while we sailed in Sydney Harbour under full sail. Our aim is to serve up far more than the average yacht racing campaign, which I think appealed hugely to HUGO BOSS.”
Excellence III - Luxury Yacht
October 1, 2007
The luxury motor yacht Excellence III charters both the Mediterranean and Caribbean waterways. The interiors are a perfect intermingling of mahogany, harmonized by myrtle and honey onyx. The yacht accommodates 12 people in its six luxurious guest cabins, of which four are king-size.
Luxury yacht Excellence III offers two Windsurfers, two kayaks, two 800hp Yamaha Wave runner jet skis, various knee boards, water skis, inflatable toys, snorkeling equipment, rendezvous diving and fishing tackle. The innards of the luxury yacht features a LINN music system, a Plasma screen TV in guests and master cabins, the Sky lounge (convertible to full theatre), a gymnasium, and a steam shower.
Built by: Abeking & Rasmussen
Charter Price: US $365000 to $385000 per week
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