Wong Tet Choong - Singapore's Most Famous Sailor

TC Wong made global headlines last year when the rapid spread of Covid left him stranded at sea in his Leopard 50 for months until he was eventually allowed into Fiji, where he has remained since. Now, the adventurous 60-year-old is waiting for borders to open so he can continue his journey around the South Pacific on his beloved Ximula III.

Burgess Marks New Milestone In Asia With 20th Superyacht Transaction

Confirming its position as the regional leader in selling large yachts, Burgess’ recent sale of the 52m Amels Lind marked the 20th transaction by the brokerage house’s Asia team since it was formed in 2015.

Premieres & Newcomers

Yacht Style provides an overview of this year’s exciting new models, with most on display at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival and/or Monaco Yacht Show, some having shown earlier in the year and a couple making their debuts in other autumn shows around Europe.

Déjà Vu In Denmark

Halfway into SailGP’s second season, a familiar pattern begins to emerge. Australia, runaway winners of the first series, again top the table, despite having to sit out one of the four events held so far with gear failure.

Galeon Spreads Its Wings

With Hong Kong welcoming its first Galeon 640 Fly and 325 GTO this year and Asia’s latest 500 Fly arriving in Singapore, Yacht Style looks at the builder’s 20-year relationship with Tony Castro that has resulted in some of the world’s most innovative production motor yachts.

How To Build A ‘Scent Wardrobe'!

Johanna Monange founded Maison 21G in Singapore to offer customised scents for all clients and all occasions. The personal approach is proving popular, with growing understanding of how to build a ‘scent wardrobe’ and more boutiques opening around the city.

Rolex Fastnet's “Coup De Cherbourg”

Fierce sou’west winds gusting 30 knots greeted 337 yachts starting the Rolex Fastnet Race, as the 49th edition of this famous offshore classic set off not for Plymouth as usual, but for Cherbourg in France, via Ireland’s Fastnet Rock.

Stepping Out Of The Shadows

As founder and Director of VP Yachts, Vivian Chan is quickly making a name for herself as the Hong Kong dealer for Italian builder Sessa, even if it appears a world away from her other role as General Manager of her family’s Sun Hing Shipyard.

From Pollution To Purpose

Former Singapore Idol finalist and TV producer Mathilda D’silva explains how the Ocean Purpose Project evolved from what she saw on and around her hometown beach in Pasir Ris.

TECH GIANT

Camper & Nicholsons’ recent achievements include selling the 105m Lady Moura and adding the 126m Octopus to its charter and management fleets, but CEO Paolo Casani is most excited about the company’s focus on proprietary technology to engage clients in the new era.

Private Premiere

Yacht Style attended the Lagoon 55 preview at Groupe Beneteau’s CNB shipyard in Bordeaux, where the brand’s third-biggest sailing cat cruised along the Garonne river before showing off her feature-packed outdoor zones and colourful, detailed interior.

Bali's Bright Star

Heading Bali’s second generation of catamarans, the new 4.8 is its second-biggest model, offering all the brand’s signature features and up to six cabins with en-suite bathrooms, a rarity on a sub-50ft sailing cat. Meanwhile, dealer Asiamarine has ordered a specially customised unit for Asia.

Neutralising The Superyacht Industry's Ecological Footprint

Robert Van Tol, Executive Director of Water Revolution Foundation, speaks to Yacht Style about the organisation’s efforts to neutralise the superyacht industry’s ecological footprint.

Gulf In Class

As Chairman of Gulf Craft, which he co-founded in 1982, Mohammed Alshaali has steadily developed the UAE shipyard into one of the world’s leading superyacht builders, now producing a huge range of boats from 31ft up to the new flagship Majesty 175.

Ainslie's GB Upset Aussies

With F50 foiling catamarans flying across Bermudan waters at speeds approaching 50 knots, the SailGP season-opener had plenty of speed, action and drama to wow the TV crowds, with a late charge from Sir Ben Ainslie’s Great Britain earning them maximum points.

Tall Ships, Short Crew

Zoë d’Ornano, the 12-year-old daughter of Malaysia-born Lay Koon Tan, is set to become the Rolex Fastnet Race’s youngest competitor in August when she competes with her parents on one of the Tall Ships Youth Trust’s two Challenger 72s in a record 450-plus entry list.

Your Private Island

With two units already in Asia, Ferretti Yachts’ new 500 features Filippo Salvetti’s familiar clean exterior lines but is the brand’s first model to feature interiors by IdeaeItalia, which offers high-end elegance in two distinct moods.

Best Of Both Worlds

Designed to be as sleek and fast as a monohull motor yacht, Aquila’s new flagship 70 also offers the enormous living areas of a large powercat, while luxurious, semi-custom interiors and advanced technologies further open the doors to a new level of clientele.

New Zealand Wins But AC Venue Up For Grabs

When Emirates Team New Zealand beat the Italian Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli syndicate 7-3 in the 36th America’s Cup, many Kiwis assumed the 37th edition would be re-run in Auckland. After all, the New Zealand Government contributed a whopping $40 million to the event, and due to covid travel restrictions, it has yet to reap the benefits.

SMOOTH OPERATORS

Thailand’s Lee Marine is Riviera’s longest-serving international dealer, and offers larger steel yachts by Cantiere delle Marche and superyachts through Northrop & Johnson Asia, but confidentiality prevents the dealer from announcing several exciting projects.

Catman

Since launching Bali Catamarans in 2014, Catana Group CEO Olivier Poncin has shaken up the world of cruising catamarans, building a brand that’s challenging the long-established leaders.

Finding Freedom

Mike Simpson has reawakened his love for sailing since buying a new Beneteau Oceanis 46.1, which he has named Freedom in tribute to a yachting lifestyle he has promoted since founding Simpson Marine in 1984

Big Picture

Julia Stewart, Director of Imperial, explains how the Monaco-headquartered company has risen to manage some of the globe’s most spectacular superyachts and work so closely with the world’s leading builders.

Inland Innovators

Located over 100km inland of coastal cities like Genoa and yacht-building hubs like La Spezia and Viareggio, the Absolute facility is a self-contained hub of in-house innovation, automation, craftsmanship and friendly, family-style management.

Damen Yachting's Unique Seaxplorer La Datcha Heads For Kamchatka

Heli skiing and volcano visits on the Russian Far East’s Kamchatka Peninsula are among activities offered to charter guests aboard Damen Yachting’s recently-launched luxury SeaXplorer 77m La Datcha, described as “a unique project never seen before in the yachting industry”.

Leading By Example

Silent-Yachts has quickly established itself as one of yachting’s sustainability pioneers with its fast-growing range of solar-electric catamarans, while several long-established shipyards are also making huge strides in offering both eco-friendly sailing and motor yacht models.

Home And Away

Shipyards in Asia are expanding their range of yachts at both ends of the size scale, diversifying into power and sailing catamarans, and including this region among their target markets.

Nextwave Flying Sunseeker Flag

NextWave was already one of Hong Kong’s largest yachting companies, but its recent appointment as the city’s Sunseeker dealer has raised the profile of a dealer now developing a ‘Seek More’ showroom in Repulse Bay and bringing a special Manhattan 68 to the city.

Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Vs Emirates Team New Zealand

The America’s Cup, contested in foiling 75-foot monohulls, will be won by the “boat” that spends least time touching the water, and sails best in nearly no wind. Hardly traditional yachting values. Strategic starts and boat speeds of these 50+ knot craft are still crucial, however, and the spectacular action can be watched live on TV or online.

E-Mobility's Winning Formula

Nico Rosberg moved into the yachting spotlight last year as the ambassador for Sunreef Yachts’ Eco range of solar-powered catamarans. Meanwhile, the 2016 F1 champion turned sustainability entrepreneur also owns a team in the new Extreme E off-road series for electric SUVs, in which the use of hydrogen offers a window into the fuel’s potential use for yachts.