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New “Yachts and Friends” Service is Launched

European Travel Ventures, owners of the internationally acclaimed "The Yacht Week", a company offering sailing, regattas and entertainment experiences, has announced the launch of their new venture: "Yachts and Friends".

Launching this month, “ Yachts and Friends ” will offer a unique, tailored, competitively priced experience, catering to adventurous travelers wishing to immerse themselves in a week of sailing, relaxation and culture – whether or not they have any prior sailing experience or knowledge.

Clients are given their choice of yacht, destination and level of staffing. For those who have no sailing experience, or simply prefer to relax, each yacht has the option of a highly trained, in-house skipper who, aside from managing the yacht, will become an integral part of the crew – present at all times, acting as a guide and giving insider tips.

Next, clients choose from a variety of beautiful coastal routes in some of world’s most desired sailing destinations, including Croatia, Turkey and Greece, each of which offers awe-inspiring scenery, hidden bays, historic fishing villages and atmospheric coastal towns.

“Yachts and Friends” grew out of the huge success of The Yacht Week, which, since 2006, has sent 20,000 clients on charters across Greece, Croatia, Italy and the British Virgin Islands. Additional routes will be announced for 2014.

Through the use of real time web-based search engines, Yachts and Friends can effectively act as an independent advisor, enabling clients to access a wide selection of quality yachts, price match and compare real time rates.

This also links directly to their database of internationally trained skippers, which, once booked, can be contacted prior to your vacation to discuss all required specifications and provide a truly tailored charter.

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By: Paul Joseph Published: 8th Oct 2013

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You don’t have to be a millionaire to sail like one, especially if you reserve a yacht charter. Most of the ships from Yachts and Friends come with a captain and crew, meaning all you and your traveling companions have to do is show up and relax. Services are available all over the world, but are more prevalent in warm-weather destinations where boating is a popular pastime—places such as the Caribbean, the South Pacific, and the Southern Mediterranean. The biggest benefit about cruising this way is that itineraries are almost completely flexible; while you have to embark and disembark in set spots, in between you can do whatever and go wherever you’d like. What’s more, if you’re traveling with a large group of friends, a handful of outfitters afford the option to reserve a flotilla of boats that can travel together.

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Yachts and Friends

An ex Swedish Naval officer and a charismatic Klaus Kinski lookalike are trying to bring affordable sailing to all. Confirmed landlubber Yolanda Zappaterra joined them for a few days in the Dalmatians…

S and I have very little in common, but we are on a journey of discovery together.  S, who has spent years writing about super yachts, has been on yachts that have full-sized discos with pole-dancing stations lining the bar. On yachts whose indoor swimming pools morph into dance floors. On yachts with luxurious multi-sleeping quarters for harems. And on yachts where the spa is bigger than that of many a luxury hotel. What she has never been on – or at least not for a very long time – is a 42ft yacht, and it’s clear that it’s come as a bit of a shock. I too have never been on a 42ft yacht, but then I’ve never been on any yacht. I live in the very urban London borough of Hackney, where the nearest body of water is a canal that I’ve also never been on.

Which isn’t to say I don’t like boats. I love boats. The bigger the boat the better I like it. So while both S and I are wary about being on this one, the things that I, a brand new mariner, am simply nonplussed or slightly bemused by, S is horrified by: bathrooms no bigger than a half-sized IKEA wardrobe; toilets you can’t put toilet paper into; constant close proximity to fellow passengers; ‘cosy’ cabins with no air-con; tiny berths; constant close proximity to fellow passengers; shared wi-fi we must take turns to use; and did I mention constant close proximity to fellow passengers?

If you’ve never done it, the best way to describe yachting is to say it’s like being locked in a caravan. It’s also the worst way to describe yachting. Yes, the spaces and constraints are similar, the comforts we take for granted have to be rethought, and near-automatic responses and actions have to be modified, but there is something intensely liberating about being out on the open sea, with nowhere you have to be, nothing that has to be done, and sometimes nothing to see for hours except the distant horizon. Its serene beauty is calming, and the vast space around you frees your mind and spirit in wonderful ways.

Yachts & Friends’s young Swedish owners William Wenkel and Erik Biörklund have form in this area; in 2006 they set up The Yacht Week, a bold scheme that involved offering young party people the chance to sail around Croatia for a week as part of a vast flotilla formed of hundreds of small (50ft and under) yachts, stopping daily at a different port to party the night away at huge, rave-like events organised for them. For just £500. It was, unsurprisingly, a huge success, and quickly led to The Yacht Weeks in Croatia, Italy, Greece, and the BVI. This year, for the first time, there will be a Yacht Week in Thailand, its market the growing Antipodean hordes who have been flying halfway across the world for a piece of the action.

But having set up The Yacht Week to respectively try to impress a girlfriend and follow in the footsteps of a long, illustrious marine family, Erik and William are hitting their thirties, and craving a quieter, calmer element to their business. Which is where Yachts & Friends comes into the picture. As part of parent company European Travel Ventures, which also includes The Ski Week and a fort (but more on that later), the broad basis of the idea is not dissimilar to Yacht Week; similar-sized boats sleeping up to 12, with the option of a skipper and hostess, which cruise the islands of Croatia, Italy, Turkey, Greece, Sweden, BVI or Thailand for a week. Guests can come with their own itinerary or devise one on arrival or as the week progresses, making use of the skipper’s recommendations and local knowledge if they wish. Prices start at less than €500 per person, and that’s pretty much it.

Coming at the venture from the perspective of someone who not only has never been on a yacht, but is also a nervous swimmer and a nervous socialiser,  I was, as you might expect, nervous, but also sceptical of the appeal. So I was unprepared for those aforementioned emotional responses to the sea and confinement on it, and most of all for the pleasures to be had from approaching various destinations from the waters, mooring at pretty marinas and old fishing harbours and being able to explore places for as little or as long as you want without being tied to itineraries and ferry schedules.

Here are a supposed submarine tunnel, evocative gun towers, the caves in which wartime partisan leader Josep Broz Tito is said to have hidden, an old airstrip for the RAF (created by locals and servicemen twisting grape vines out of the ground by hand and tramping the earth down with their feet), an English cemetery, and even a rudimentary cricket ground, surrounded by fig trees and vines. Such sites act as atmospheric markers for Britain’s long relationship with the only island in the Adriatic to withstand Hitler’s onslaught – thanks in part to Winston Churchill sending a small detachment of Royal Marines and the RAF here to help Tito fight German forces from 1943-1945.

Up above the harbour, a site was about to reopen that marks an even older military relationship between Britain and Vis. Fort George was established in 1813 after another British victory here – this time by the Royal Navy  during the Napoleonic Wars in a sea battle that saw British frigates rout a much larger Franco-Venetian force. As visiting Brits invited to the ceremony and celebrations marking the fort’s reopening 200 years after it was established, we felt suitably honoured – and immensely proud when our hosts turned out to  be none other than the ever-busy, ever engaged Erik and William.

Having discovered the abandoned fort in 2010, the pair immediately saw its potential as a public space that could act as a spectacular restaurant, elegant garden bar and events venue, but they also loved the idea of restoring the sadly dilapidated fort, and creating a small museum dedicated to the rich history of the island. Fort George is now all of those things, and there are plans for artists’ studios and a hotel on the site too, creating a cultural hub that supports artistic and creative practice across all disciplines. In this, there’s a sense of Erik and William wanting to give back, to engage on a deeper level with the islands that have given them so much in the last few years, something that Erik confirmed the next day before leaving us to our island adventures.

On the tiny island of Solta, I felt how special it was to dock somewhere like the port of Maslinica, a modern harbour set in an old, quaint and peaceful fishing village. From here, we swam in the clear blue water – so clear that our skipper Charlie dived for starfish – and watched a stunning sunset before setting off for the gorgeous Sesula bay, where the stars shone impossibly bright on the rustic Sismis Restaurant set high above the bay and serving Croatian dishes like octopus peka. For the next couple of days this we sailed calm seas, swam, explored the Blue Caves of Bisevo island, and anchored in beautiful coves and bays for simple lunches. We spent our time picking up sailing tips if we wanted them, compiling sailing playlists that didn’t include Rod Stewart, and plugging ourselves into our own playlists or sunbathing at the front of the boat when we felt the need for solitude.

On our last stop, improbably docked on the exclusive Riva at the party island of Hvar alongside superyachts that were monster RVs to  our dinky campervan, I felt strangely at odds with such conspicuous consumption and ostentation, and thought back to the beautiful Fort George on Vis, and its quiet dignity; and I realised I’d been seduced by the sea, the solitude, and the simplicity of life on the ocean in a way that I think would be impossible on one of those superyachts. As Charlie told me, ‘It’s humbling – you can’t do it if you’re going to be precious about home comforts, and you can’t do it if you’re going to be prissy. You need to be patient and you need a good sense of humour, otherwise you won’t enjoy it.’ I thoroughly enjoyed it, but next time, I’m going to follow some simple rules.

SEVEN TOP TIPS FOR NOVICE MARINERS

Don’t call it a boat. It’s a yacht.

Don’t leave valuable electronics on deck – even on a totally flat sea a sudden bump from a passing speedboat will almost certainly knock your large glass of beer over onto it.

Don’t drink from large glasses.

Take lots of books and sunscreen. And the version of travel Scrabble where the board has small holes into which you fit the tiles.

Be prepared for lots of bumps and scrapes. Spaces are small, ladders steep, floors often wet, and movement constant, however calm the waters.

Make sure you sail with people you really like; you’ll be spending a lot of time with them in a very confined space, and with very little distraction on offer.

For more information, including destinations, yachts, and prices visit www.yachtsandfriends.com for more details .

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

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A Brief History of Superyachts

And how they explain the world..

Tim Murphy January+February 2024 Issue

James Clapham

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When the US targeted Russia’s oligarchs after the invasion of Ukraine, the trail of assets kept leading to our own backyard. Not only had our nation become a haven for shady foreign money, but we were also incubating a familiar class of yacht-owning, industry-dominating, resource-extracting billionaires. In the  January + February 2024  issue of our magazine, we investigate the rise of American Oligarchy—and what it means for the rest of us. You can read all the pieces  here .

The luxury yacht may be the world’s most exclusive form of transportation. But there are only a hundred-some that meet the definition of a gigayacht—a pleasure craft 295 feet or longer. Their opaque ownership records offer a glimpse of modern wealth and power: Over two dozen are linked to Gulf royals, businessmen, or states, and 20 to citizens (past or current) of the former Soviet Union. At least 23 have reportedly belonged to Americans, including founders of Microsoft, Netscape, Amazon, WhatsApp, and Snapchat. The widow of a German retailer who thrived under Hitler owned one; a UK tax exile and a Formula 1 dad still do. Yugoslav strongman Tito’s old yacht makes the list; Dominican dictator Trujillo’s does too. Take a cruise through the history of the vessels and their—somewhat—more modest sister ships.

1895: Nineteen years before World War I, the future King Edward VII of England punches his nephew, Kaiser Wilhelm II, in the face, after the German’s 121-foot yacht, Meteor II , defeats the royal Britannia in a race off the Isle of Wight.

1954: Greek shipping magnate Aristotle Onassis ushers in an era of postwar one-upmanship with his 325-foot Christina O . It features a pool that converts into a dance floor, furniture made from whale foreskin, and pornographic carvings.

1963: During his final birthday party aboard the presidential yacht Sequoia , JFK chases future Washington Post editor Ben Bradlee’s wife, Antoinette, into the bathroom and gropes her. “I guess I was pretty surprised, but I was kind of flattered, and appalled, too,” she says later. The ship’s visitor logs are destroyed after Kennedy’s assassination.

1984: King Fahd of Saudi Arabia builds the record-breaking 482-foot Prince Abdulaziz .

1987: Sen. Gary Hart (D-Colo.) drops out of the presidential race just before photos emerge of him with model Donna Rice aboard the yacht Monkey Business .

1988: Donald Trump acquires Nabila , which previously belonged to the Saudi arms dealer Adnan Khashoggi and was featured in the James Bond film Never Say Never Again . He renames it Trump Princess , adds a disco, and changes the helipad’s “H” to a “T.”

1991: After one of Trump’s casinos files for bankruptcy, he sells Trump Princess to his bank—which flips it to a Saudi prince. A new yacht, the Trump Princess II , which he boasted would be “something in excess of 400 feet long, closer to 500 feet,” is never built.

British publisher Robert Maxwell’s body is found in the Atlantic Ocean, where he had been cruising on a 180-footer named for his daughter—the Lady Ghislaine . The vessel is eventually resold to Anna Murdoch, Rupert’s second wife.

1994: At a cocktail party on the oligarch Petr Aven’s yacht in the Caribbean, Boris Berezovsky meets Roman Abramovich, calling him a “nice boy who wanted to discuss commercial projects.” He and Abramovich begin working together to acquire Sibneft, a Russian state oil company.

1997: Construction ends on The Limited and Victoria’s Secret owner Les Wexner’s ­316-foot Limitless . The project was overseen by his good friend Jeffrey Epstein.

1999: Oracle co-founder Larry Ellison buys the 191-foot Izanami from a Japanese seller. He changes the name to Ronin , he said later , after “the local newspapers started pointing out that Izanami was ‘I’m a Nazi’ spelled backwards.”

2001: Months before Enron files for bankruptcy, former CEO Jeffrey Skilling asks a company executive for advice on finding a yacht broker. “This industry is known for crooks and thieves,” he warns Skilling.

2002: House Majority Whip Tom DeLay (R-Texas) promises to strip “corporate kingpins of their ill-gotten gains,” after scandals rock Enron and WorldCom. “We’re coming after the yacht.”

2003: DeLay charges donors $500,000 a pop for tickets to a yacht cruise.

2005: Ellison shoots down rumors he issued orders midconstruction to have his newest yacht, the 454-foot Rising Sun , extended to outdo Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen’s recently launched 414-foot Octopus .

Rep. Duke Cunningham (R-Calif.) pleads guilty to federal bribery charges after being caught living rent-free on a yacht, called the Duke-Stir , that was moored in Washington, DC, and owned by a defense contractor.

Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum’s 531-foot Dubai surpasses Prince Abdulaziz as the world’s longest yacht.

2006: Media mogul Barry Diller reveals the world’s longest sailing yacht, the 305-foot Eos , whose prow features a 9-foot-tall sculpture of his wife, Diane von Furstenberg.

2007: Diller opens a Manhattan corporate headquarters­­ at a Frank Gehry­–designed building that itself has been likened to a sailboat . It’s across the street from where Eos ties up.

2008: George Osborne, the No. 2 official in the UK’s Conservative Party, relaxes on Russian aluminum magnate Oleg Deripaska’s yacht while vacationing with his family in Greece. He denies an accusation that he solicited funds, explaining in a statement that they discussed “Russian history” and drank tea.

2009: As his marriage falls apart, Tiger Woods retreats to a 155-foot yacht called Privacy .

2010: Abramovich’s new ship, Eclipse , surpasses Dubai as the world’s longest yacht. The 533-foot vessel features a submarine, anti-missile systems, and lasers to thwart paparazzi .

2011: During an unsuccessful suit seeking $5 billion he believed Abramovich owed him from the sale of Sibneft, an exiled Berezovsky claims that his former partner helped purchase the yacht Olympia for Vladimir Putin. When the BBC publishes a supporting account from another Russian businessman five years later, Abramovich’s lawyers dismiss the allegation as “a rehash of speculation and rumours.”

2012: As GOP presidential candidate Mitt Romney faces criticism for holding investment funds in the Cayman Islands, his campaign invites donors to party on Cracker Bay . The ship, owned by the founder of The Villages retirement community, flies the Cayman Islands’ flag.

2013: UAE leader Khalifa bin Zayed al Nahyan launches the 593-foot Azzam , surpassing the Eclipse .

2014: The Wall Street Journal reports that Ellison has basketball hoops on “at least two of his yachts” and had someone follow in a smaller boat “to retrieve balls that go overboard.”

2016: Allen’s Tatoosh drags its anchor through a protected zone in the Cayman Islands, destroying 14,000 square feet of coral.

2017: After leaving office, Barack and Michelle Obama retreat to the South Pacific aboard David Geffen’s yacht, where they’re joined by Oprah, Tom Hanks, and Bruce Springsteen.

Abramovich’s business partner, Eugene Shvidler, blocks views of the Statue of Liberty while anchoring his 370-foot Le Grand Bleu in New York Harbor for a month.

Addressing the national Boy Scout Jamboree, Trump tells an anecdote widely assumed to allude to sex parties on a yacht belonging to the developer of the Levittown suburbs. “You’re Boy Scouts, so I’m not going to tell you what he did,” he said. “But you know life.”

Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Fla.) buys a yacht and on the same day votes to cut taxes on yachts.

2018: Rupert Murdoch is airlifted to UCLA after collapsing on a yacht trip with his fourth wife, Jerry Hall. “He kept almost dying,” a source tells Vanity Fair .

Republican Florida Gov. Rick Scott designates a billionaire donor’s marina as a special anti-­poverty opportunity zone.

Someone unties Seaquest , a superyacht belonging to Trump administration Secretary of Education (and billionaire) Betsy DeVos, causing it to crash into a dock on Lake Erie.

Businessman Jho Low, who financed The Wolf of Wall Street , is accused of taking part in a $4.5 billion scheme to siphon Malaysian state development funds and using some to purchase a $250 million yacht.

2019: Actress Lori Loughlin is arrested in a college admissions bribery scheme . Her daughter, USC student Olivia Jade, is vacationing in the Bahamas— on a yacht belonging to USC board of trustees chair Rick Caruso.

Following an investigation into corruption in the Nigerian oil industry, the US government auctions off businessman Kolawole Aluko’s Galactica Star , six years after Jay-Z rented out the vessel for Beyoncé’s 32nd birthday. A former Enron unit attempts to claim a portion of the proceeds.

Clarence Thomas visits an Indonesian preserve for Komodo dragons with billionaire Harlan Crow on the conservative megadonor’s Michaela Rose .

ArtNet reports that a $450 million (reputed) da Vinci that was supposed to be in an Abu Dhabi museum has been spotted hanging in Mohammed bin Salman’s personal yacht, Serene .

Kylie Jenner holds her 22nd birthday party on Low’s yacht, now under new ownership.

2020: “[I]solated in the Grenadines avoiding the virus,” Geffen writes on Instagram from Rising Sun , which he purchased in 2010. “I’m hoping everybody is staying safe.”

Steve Bannon is arrested off the coast of Connecticut by US Postal Police while aboard the fugitive Chinese billionaire Guo Wengui’s 150-foot Lady May .

Liberty University President Jerry Falwell Jr. dresses up as a character from the TV show Trailer Park Boys for a costume party aboard a NASCAR mogul’s yacht. He later posts a photo of himself to Instagram with his fly unzipped and his arms around his wife’s assistant.

2021: NRA CEO Wayne LaPierre testifies that he took refuge on Illusions , a Hollywood producer’s yacht, after the Newtown and Parkland mass shootings. “I remember getting there going, ‘Thank God I’m safe, nobody can get me here.’”

During a bitter divorce, the Daily Mail reports that Tatiana Akhmedova, wife of the Russian Azerbaijani billionaire Farkhad Akhmedov, hired a team of British special forces veterans to seize his yacht, Luna , in an effort to enforce a Marshall Islands court ruling. They settle instead, and he keeps the boat.

Port Azure , dubbed the world’s first harbor designed exclusively for megayachts, opens in Gocek, Turkey. It bills itself as a place where “problems big and small go away.”

2022: Amid reports a historic bridge will be dismantled so Amazon founder Jeff Bezos’ newly built Koru can leave Rotterdam’s shipyards, residents threaten to pelt the sailboat with eggs . The city changes plans.

A Ukrainian mechanic is arrested in Mallorca for attempting to sink a vessel owned by his boss, a Russian arms dealer.

Biden promises oligarchs he’s going to “take their ill-begotten gains” after the invasion of Ukraine. “We’re going to seize their yachts.”

Washington Commanders owner Dan Snyder avoids a congressional subpoena on the team’s misogynistic culture while cruising the Mediterranean on his yacht, Lady S .

Missing Russian superyachts are spotted waiting out sanctions at Port Azure.

Sen. Rick Scott (R-Fla.) criticizes Joe Biden for vacationing in Delaware while vacationing on a luxury yacht in Italy.

After sailing through Fiji on his yacht Aquarius , briefly retired Disney CEO Bob Iger tells friends he misses his wife and is bored with life.

New York Republican congressional candidate George Santos brokers a $19 million deal to sell a superyacht called Namaste to a Long Island car dealer.

Bankrupt crypto exchange FTX reveals in court filings that founder Sam Bankman-Fried’s hedge fund once spent $2.5 million on a yacht, which a top executive named Soak My Deck .

2023: Bezos takes possession of Koru . The $500 million, 417-foot sailboat comes with a bust that resembles his fiancée Lauren Sánchez—and its own second, 246-foot “shadow” support yacht with crew quarters and a hangar for the helicopter she pilots.

After divorcing Jerry Hall, Rupert Murdoch vacations on the Christina O with Abramovich’s ex-mother-in-law.

As TV and movie writers and actors strike, the Wall Street Journal reports that Iger, now back at work, has been regaling visitors to his Burbank office about the new, longer yacht he’s building.

Measuring Contest

Iconic gigayachts through the years

1931: Sea Cloud , Marjorie Post: 359 ft.

1981: Atlantis II , Stavros Niarchos: 380 ft.

2003: Octopus , Paul Allen: 414 ft.

2005: Rising Sun , Larry Ellison: 454 ft.

2010: Eclipse , Roman Abramovich: 533 ft.

2013: Azzam , Sheikh Khalifa: 593 ft.

Illustrations by Anthony Calvert

The Few, The Loud

Some famous faces aboard gigayachts

Steven Spielberg reeled out his anchor off Cannes.

A part of Katy Perry got stuck exiting a dinghy on her way to Barry Diller’s yacht.

Mohammed bin Salman purchased his yacht, Serene , just hours after he saw it.

Jerry Jones made a draft pick aboard his Bravo Eugenia to deepen the Cowboys’ bench.

Mariah Carey was engaged to a gigayacht owner, before the fantasy ended.

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Four Seasons' exclusive new yachts will take you to ritzy ports in the Caribbean and Mediterranean come 2026

Four Seasons is already famous for its over-the-top private jet itineraries that have travelers with deep pockets flying between world-famous landmarks, cosmopolitan cities and adventures in national parks, safari camps and everything in between.

Now, Four Seasons is unveiling its first set of luxury cruise itineraries on the soon-to-launch collection of Four Seasons Yachts, which were initially announced back in 2022 .

For its inaugural season (assuming the ship-building process continues without any hiccups), discerning travelers can visit the Caribbean between January and March 2026 on seven-night sailings that include tropical destinations like St. Barts, Nevis, the Grenadines, St. Lucia, Barbados, Martinique, Guadeloupe, Curacao and Aruba.

For example, the " Lesser Antilles Featuring Nevis & the Grenadines " cruise, which starts at $19,900 per suite, leaves Philipsburg, St. Maarten, and has full anchored days in destinations like Gustavia, St. Barts, and Charlestown, Nevis, alongside a full beach day and a sailing day before anchoring in Barbados.

In Europe, sailings around the Mediterranean will launch in March 2026, with stops at ports in Croatia, Gibraltar, Montenegro, Italy, Portugal, Spain and Turkey.

Starting at $28,500 per suite, the nine-night " Grand Mediterranean Featuring Saint-Tropez & Trapani " departs Malaga, Spain, and cruises the Mediterranean Sea before making stops in beautiful spots like La Joliette and St-Tropez in France, two ports in Italy (including Sicily), and Gozo and Valletta in Malta.

Or, if Greece is on the mind, the " Greek Isles featuring Santorini & Mykonos " itinerary, starting at $19,700 per suite, will take travelers from Athens to Greek stops like Santorini, Ios, Milos and Mykonos. It will also include a stop outside of Greece in Didim, Turkey.

As for the ships themselves, would-be Four Seasons cruisers should expect the best of the best, including 95 suites that range from 500 to 10,000 square feet and feature modern design, indoor and outdoor spaces, Four Seasons signature mattresses and bedding, twice-daily housekeeping, 24-hour dining, an on-call concierge, tablets that control the room, and a minimum of a 55-inch TV with streaming capabilities, among other perks.

For even more space, choose a Funnel or Loft suite. They will include multiple bedrooms, splash pools, outdoor showers and plenty of space to spread out and relax.

Throughout the ships, sailors can take advantage of 11 different restaurants and bars, a spa, a pool (that can be converted to a deck for private events) and a 1:1 guest-to-staff ratio.

If you're interested in joining one of these cruises, head to the Four Seasons Yachts contact page to sign up for more information.

Yachts and Friends company profile

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Yachts and Friends Key Metrics

Company profile of yachts and friends, what does yachts and friends do, what sectors and market segments does yachts and friends operate in, the primary business model of yachts and friends is :, funding and investors of yachts and friends, how much funding has yachts and friends raised till date.

• Yachts and Friends has not raised any funding rounds yet.

Who are the investors in Yachts and Friends ?

• There are no Institutional or Angel investors in Yachts and Friends .

Founders and Board of Directors of Yachts and Friends

Who are the ceo, founders and directors of yachts and friends .

• Erik Biorklund , Co-Founder , is a founder of 2 companies . 1 email .
• Johan Kuylenstierna Corthesy , Co-Founder , is a founder of 1 company .
• William Wenkel , Co-Founder , is a founder of 1 company .

Competitors of Yachts and Friends

Competitive landscape of yachts and friends.

• Yachts and Friends has a total of 14 competitors and it ranks 4th among them.
• 2 of its competitors are funded
• Overall, Yachts and Friends and its competitors have raised over $481K in funding across 2 funding rounds involving 1 investors.
• There is no private Unicorn in the entire competition set.

Who are the top competitors of Yachts and Friends ?

• Viravira - Besiktas based, 2016 founded, Funding Raised company
• easyBoat - London based, 2021 founded, Seed company
• Boatbookings - London based, 2005 founded, Seed company

Reports related to Yachts and Friends

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Frequently asked questions about Yachts and Friends

When was yachts and friends founded, where is yachts and friends located, is yachts and friends a public company, are you a founder and looking to raise funds for your startup, claim your profile, looking to raise funds, find next round investors, explore our recently published companies.

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• National Domelight Company - Camberley based, 1989 founded, Unfunded company

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The Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore collapses, 6 feared dead

Jonathan Franklin

Jason Breslow

Rachel Treisman

Ayana Archie

In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday. Tasos Katopodis/Getty Images hide caption

In an aerial view, the cargo ship Dali sits in the water after running into and collapsing the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore on Tuesday.

At least six people are presumed dead following the collapse of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore early Tuesday morning, officials said.

The bridge fell into the Patapsco River after it was struck by a nearly 1,000-foot-long container ship, sending several people plunging into the frigid waters below.

During a news update Tuesday evening, the U.S. Coast Guard told reporters they are ending an active search and rescue operation for the six people left unaccounted for at 7:30 p.m. local time.

Rear Adm. Shannon Gilreath said that based on the length of time since the bridge collapsed and the water temperatures, they don't believe that search teams are going to find any of these individuals still alive.

More from WYPR in Baltimore:

• Construction worker says friends, colleagues missing in bridge collapse
• Federal government pledges full support to rebuild FSK bridge, reopen port

For the latest from member station WYPR in Baltimore head to wypr.org

Gilreath told reporters that the Coast Guard is not leaving, but is going to "transition to a different phase."

The recovery phase will begin at 6 a.m. local time Wednesday when divers will begin searching for remains of all missing victims , Gilreath said.

Col. Roland L. Butler, Jr., Secretary of Maryland State Police, told reporters the conditions have changed and made it dangerous for first responders and divers to be in the water.

He emphasized that police will still have surface ships out in the water overnight.

"We're hoping to put those divers in the water and begin a more detailed search to do our very best to recover those six missing people," Butler said.

The collision set off a rapid search-and-rescue operation. Eight people from a construction crew that was working to repair potholes on the bridge are thought to have fallen into the water, Maryland Transportation Secretary Paul Wiedefeld told reporters.

Authorities did not believe any drivers were submerged in their cars, Wiedefeld said.

The bridge collapsed instantly

Eyepress/Reuters

The bridge, which is part of Interstate 695, collapsed around 1:30 a.m. when it was struck by a massive cargo vessel named the Dali. Dramatic video of the collision shows the hulking ship–the length of more than three football fields– slamming into one of the bridge's pillars, and then an expanse of the bridge falling into the water instantly.

The Dali, a Singapore-flagged ship, had left Baltimore at 1 a.m. and was bound for Colombo, Sri Lanka, according to Marine Traffic , a maritime data site.

The Picture Show

Photos: baltimore's key bridge collapses; search and rescue efforts continue.

Synergy Marine Group, the company that manages the ship, said in a statement that all 22 crew members are accounted for and that there were no injuries resulting from the crash. The company also said there was no pollution to the water.

In a briefing for the media, Moore said the crew of the container ship had notified authorities about a power outage onboard shortly before the collision. The crew notified authorities of "a power issue," Moore said, confirming earlier reports that they had lost power on the ship.

The ship was traveling at approximately 8 knots when it hit the bridge, Moore said. In the immediate aftermath of the collision, officials feared motorists might be submerged in the river, but Moore said that a mayday signal was issued with enough time for authorities to stop the flow of traffic coming over the bridge.

A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is seen in the waters of the Patapsco River. The bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a 984-foot-long cargo ship. Win McNamee/Getty Images hide caption

A collapsed section of the Francis Scott Key Bridge in Baltimore is seen in the waters of the Patapsco River. The bridge collapsed early Tuesday after it was struck by a 984-foot-long cargo ship.

"I have to say I'm thankful for the folks who once the warning came up, and once notification came up that there was a mayday, who literally by being able to stop cars from coming over the bridge, these people are heroes. They saved lives," Moore said.

FBI and state officials said the preliminary investigation points to an accident and that there was no credible evidence of any terrorist attack. Moore said the Francis Scott Key Bridge was fully up to code and there was no structural issue with the bridge.

"In fact, the bridge was actually fully up to code," Moore said.

The ship has had at least one previous accident

Vessel traffic in and out of the Port of Baltimore, one of the busiest on the East Coast, was suspended "until further notice," port officials announced, as search-and-rescue operations continued and the preliminary investigation into the crash was getting underway.

"This does not mean the Port of Baltimore is closed," port officials said in a statement. "Trucks are being processed within our marine terminals."

Gov. Moore declared a state of emergency and said his office was in close communication with Secretary of Transportation Pete Buttigieg. The secretary was due to arrive in Baltimore to visit the crash site and receive updates on the investigation.

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) looks on near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge. Steve Ruark/AP hide caption

Maryland Gov. Wes Moore, left, speaks during a news conference as Sen. Chris Van Hollen (D-Md.) looks on near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge.

The National Transportation Safety Board said it will investigate what happened, announcing on X (formerly Twitter) that it was launching a "go team" to Baltimore.

Prior to the crash, the ship had completed 27 inspections, according to a database by the maritime safety site Equasis. In one inspection at a port in Chile last year, the ship was determined to have a deficiency related to "propulsion and auxiliary machinery," according to Equasis.

In 2016, an inspection found "hull damage impairing sea worthiness" after the ship hit a dock on its way out of the port of Antwerp. Video of the incident shows the stern of the ship scraping against the quay as it attempted to exit the North Sea container terminal.

The bridge is an important travel route with a deep history

Members of the National Transportation Safety Board listen to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy speak during a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Dundalk, Md., Tuesday, March 26, 2024. Matt Rourke/AP hide caption

Members of the National Transportation Safety Board listen to NTSB Chair Jennifer Homendy speak during a news conference near the scene where a container ship collided with a support on the Francis Scott Key Bridge, in Dundalk, Md., Tuesday, March 26, 2024.

The bridge's collapse leaves Baltimore and travelers along the East Coast without a vital transit corridor for the foreseeable future. The four-lane, 1.6-mile-long bridge carries some 11.3 million vehicles each year, according to state data, and is one of three ways to get through Baltimore on the interstate.

Reconstructing the bridge will be a "long-term build," Moore told reporters.

Speaking from the White House, President Biden said he intends for the federal government to "pay for the entire cost of reconstructing that bridge."

"We're gonna get it up and running again as soon as possible," Biden said. "Fifteen thousand jobs depend on that port, and we're gonna do everything we can to protect those jobs and help those workers."

The bridge isn't just a vital transportation route. It also has a special historical significance.

It opened to the public in March 1977, but its history goes much deeper than that. Scholars believe it stood within 100 yards of the site where its namesake, Francis Scott Key, witnessed the failed British bombardment of Fort McHenry in September 1814.

Key, an American lawyer, watched the battle from the British warship he had boarded to negotiate the release of a detained American civilian. The awe he felt at seeing the flag rise the next morning inspired him to write "Defense of Fort McHenry," which was later renamed "The Star-Spangled Banner" and became the U.S. national anthem in 1931.

Shippers are scrambling to re-route their cargo

Roughly $80 billion worth of cargo passes through the Port of Baltimore each year. But with the port's shipping channels now closed indefinitely due to the accident, shippers have been left scrambling to find alternate routes to transport their goods to and from the East Coast.

Some vessels have already been diverted to Norfolk, Va., Margie Shapiro, who runs a freight handling business in Baltimore, told NPR . Other traffic could be re-routed through New York or Philadelphia.

The Dali was being chartered by Maersk and carrying cargo for Maersk customers, the shipping giant said in a statement . The company said it would be omitting Baltimore from its services "until it is deemed safe for passage through this area."

Cargo already at the Port of Baltimore will have to travel overland, but truck traffic will also be snarled by the loss of the bridge.

"The whole ecosystem is going to be a little bit off," Shapiro said. "When the ecosystem gets messy, things get messy. Freight rates go up. The world gets a little bit chaotic."

NPR's Dave Mistich and Scott Horsley contributed to this report.

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River Cruise on Luxurious Radisson Boat

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Equipped with ice-breaking technology, these huge fancy yachts are the only river cruisers running all year around. The round trip journey takes two and a half hours and floats past all the big sights like the White House, Novodevichy monastery and the Kremlin. There’s a large open air observation deck up top, while the main body of the ship houses a restaurant with a dance floor for a romantic post dinner dance. For a particularly romantic experience take one of the evening boats and admire the bright lights of the city skyline at night.

The most relaxing and picturesque tour that Moscow can offer: a great way to see the city center and its main attractions. This is a perfect alternative to exploring the city by car, if you only have time to do sightseeing during weekday rush hours.

Your English-speaking guide is eager to share every bit of their knowledge about the surrounding landscape, the architecture and historical details.

We conduct Moscow river tour on Radisson Flotilla boats all year around!  It’s warm inside during winter months, while there’s air conditioning during hot summer days. You may also treat yourself to drinks, lunch or dinner on board (drinks and food are not included in tour price).

The cost of an excursion with a personal guide for 1 person

Quay at Radisson Collection Hotel

Government Headquarters ("the White House")

Kievsky Railway Central

Novodevichy Convent

Luzhniki Stadium

Academy of Sciences

Monument to Peter I

Cathedral of Christ the Saviour

Moscow Kremlin

St.Basil's Cathedral

Novospassky Monastery

U-turn and back to Quay at Radisson Royal Hotel

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