…boys toys!

Archive for the ‘Boats’ Category

As I said when I started this regular Friday post not everyone who appears here is here purely for their looks. This weeks woman of the week certainly isn’t. Sorry Ellen – no offence intended!

I am including her for here achievements – and great achievements they are!

I used to live not far from where Ellen was brought up (you can’t get much more inland in the UK than Derbyshire) so was aware of her to some degree from local press before she shot to fame – and no doubt fortune. Ellen MacArthur  has done more than most will ever achieve in a lifetime – and she’s only 33 now, so who knows what else is to come.

An incredibly driven woman, amongst other things she has;

• in 1997 she finished 17th in the Mini Transat solo transatlantic race after fitting out her own yacht
• in June 2000 she sailed the monohull Kingfisher from Plymouth, UK to Newport, Rhode Island, USA in 14 days, 23 hours, 11 minutes. This is the current record for a single-handed monohull east-to-west passage, and also the record for a single-handed woman in any vessel.
• first came into the public eye  in 2001 when she came second in the Vendée Globe solo round-the-world sailing race in her boat Kingfisher (for which she was given and MBE)
• in June 2004, MacArthur sailed her trimaran B&Q/Castorama from Ambrose Light, Lower New York Bay, USA to Lizard Point, Cornwall, UK in 7 days, 3 hours, 50 minutes. This set a new world record for a transatlantic crossing by women, beating the previous crewed record as well as the singlehanded version
• in February 2005 she broke the world record for the fastest solo circumnavigation of the globe! Read the rest of this entry »

Just when you think you’ve seen everything there’s always something that comes along to blow you away!

If you haven’t seen it already take a look at the WHY 58×38 yacht – it has to be  the ultimate boys toy! What a boat – I’m guessing you’d have to be  Bill Gates or the Sultan of Brunei  to afford it when or if it ever gets built… But hell we can dream. This thing would turn heads in any marina – if it could fit in.

The website is well worth a visit – don’t miss  the animated walk through! What an awe inspiring yacht this is!

Just take a look at the spec…

Dimensions & capacity
58 m length
38 m beam
2,400 tons displacement
12 guests
20 crew
3,400 m² living areas

Performance
12 knots cruising speed
14 knots maximum speed
Constant cruising speed up to Sea Force 4
Long range autonomy 4 Atlantic crossings
Promenade on deck 130 m long x 3 m wide
Swimming pool with thermo regulated water 25 m long

…and here’s the company’s press release from a few days ago… Read the rest of this entry »

There’s always been something special about the Riva Aquarama – it is an incredible boat. If you haven’t seen one before the Aquarama is speedboat built by Italian yacht builder Riva. Production ran for over three decades from its introduction in 1962 till 1996.

They are beautifully crafted and the wooden hull makes them look a real classic, they are fast, stable and extremely expensive to buy!

With prices ranging from anywhere between $300,000 to $700,000 owning your own Riva Aquarama is only a dream for most of us!

..but you could just buy this Riva Aquarama model boat if a real one is out of your price range!