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2

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24 DECEMBER 2011 / YACHTING www.yachtingmagazine.com

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be quick to respond “why not?”

The most unique feature is

the 42’s ability to grow — you

guessed it — wider. With a

few quick releases and a push

of a button the deck area

expands to nearly 194 square

feet, creating a suitable plat-

form for lounging, entertain-

ing and water sports.

Expanding waistline aside, it’s

the numerous details in this

new build that really make

the 42 stand out. They’re

remarkable in their simplicity

and fl awless execution. Take

the featherweight carbon-fi ber

bench that pulls out from un-

der the fi xed bench to form a

dinette. Where’s the table? It’s

actually part of the deck that

rises up. If additional seating

is required, take the 12-volt

pump and infl ate one of the

two sofas that can also morph

into chairs. Do you want to

take a nap after a large bowl

of pasta? The infl atable sofas

unfold to form a fl oating

mattress. The helm of the 45-

knot, surface drive-propelled

boat refl ects Antonelli’s expe-

rience with high-speed craft.

The multifunction steering

wheel is similar to those used

in Formula 1 cars, placing a

the dead. Each one has stun-

ning views across the Bay of

Islands, nestled outside of the

ridiculously charming town

of Russell. The environment

will captivate you, and the

over-the-top service will keep

you coming back. www

.eaglesnest.co.nz

4 Wider 42

The unique Wider 42

is stirring the pot from the

Monaco Grand Prix spectator

fl eet to the Fort Lauderdale

International Boat Show.

Critics may ask why. Wider’s

developer, Tilli Antonelli, will

1 NISI 2400 Motoryacht

Concept by NISI Yachts,

design by Setzer Design Group

and launched this past spring.

NISI gave the design team a

big problem to solve when the

company commissioned this

new motoryacht. She had to be

fast, stingy with fuel, spacious,

comfortable and wrapped in

an unusually stylish package.

(Visit www.yachtingmagazine.com/

nisi2400 to read our design

review.) If you buy a NISI,

give up the notion of traveling

under the radar. Who could

not pay attention to this yacht?

www.nisiyachts.com

2 Riva Iseo

There’s a certain topic of

argument that we hear a lot

and have grown a little tired

of: What defi nes a yacht? Our

response is that generally you

know it when you see it. Take

the 27-foot Riva Iseo. This clas-

sic craft is a runabout, a tender

and, yes, without a doubt, a

yacht. www.riva-yacht.com

3 Eagles Nest,

New Zealand

Eagles Nest is a little slice of

heaven that features fi ve cus-

tom villas that are so tastefully

executed they would stimulate

Holy War: How Vasco da Gama’s Epic Voyages Turned the Tide in a Centuries-Old Clash of Civilizationsby Nigel Cliff; 560 pages, Harper; www.harpercollins.com

YOU WEIGH IN YACHTING Facebook fans join in.

We asked, “What was your favorite yachting event of 2011?” Though Robert Lugo seemed to think

we were fi shing for answers, here are your unedited responses. (Hey, Robert — why so suspicious?)

Derek Stow: “2011 Heavy Weather Laser Slalom”

Joe Vitu: “This one’s easy: Anhinga for sale????”

Les Lerner: “The Newport Boat Show. My fi rst time there!!”

Thanks, gentlemen. Your hats are in the mail. (And Robert, we’re sending you one too.)

Follow Us on Facebook!

thebest of

20If you’re like us, you’ve noticed the years just seem to keep whizzing by. Before you know it, another is slipping by in the wake as a new one grows on the horizon. While 2011 wasn’t the best year the world — or boating — has ever seen, taken as a whole, there was still a lot to celebrate. Here are, in no particular order, our picks for some of the best boats, noteworthy events, interesting people and great nautical reads, and some other yachting fl otsam and jetsam we’ve thrown in just because we can, damn it.

BY THE EDITORS

DECEMBER 2011 / YACHTING 25

YTG1211_BEST.indd 25 11/1/11 8:25 PM

defi nition charts and easy-to-

use navigational features make

this as compelling as a fancy

chart plotter at a fraction of the

cost. Easy to carry from home

to boat, it’s a perfect planning

tool. And — full disclosure —

you can download relevant

features from YACHTING and

other marine titles with a tap

on the glass as you and your

crew approach the next harbor.

21 Cycladies, Greece

If you still haven’t

been, run, don’t walk, to these

220 charming islands, each with

a distinctive character, line of

sight navigation, the gorgeous

blue Aegean, whitewashed

buildings with bright splashes of

color from window boxes, warm

sunshine and cold uzo. Some of

our favorites: Paros, Mykonos,

Syros. Need we say more?

22 Hemisphere

Designed by VPLP

(Van Peteghem Lauriot Prevost),

interior by Michael Leach and

built by Pendennis, Hemisphere

was launched this summer. At

145 feet long by 54 feet 6 inches

across the beam, she holds the

distinction of being the largest

privately owned sloop-rigged

sailing catamaran in the world

— planet Earth, that is. She’ll

be available for charter through

Burgess Yachts (www.burgess

yachts.com) in tropical locations

throughout the world, and she

carries enough toys to keep a

village entertained for weeks.

www.pendennis.com

23 Best Development

of the New Economy

“If people think that boat-

building is a sound fi nancial

enterprise, they’re nuts,” said

a successful boatbuilder. “You

do it because you love it,” as

does JB Turner, managing

partner of Front Street

Shipyard (on the right in

photo 23). During the boom

times, this prophetic message

was silenced by the shout-

ing and static from invest-

ment bankers and fi nancial

institutions getting in on the

fun and buying boatbuilders

for ridiculously large sums.

Then the good times came to

a screeching halt. From the

wreckage emerged indepen-

dent, passionate boatbuild-

ers, ready to build boats for

like-minded yachtsmen. This

colorful cast of characters

is more concerned with

building a quality boat while

trying like hell to keep folks

employed than with securing

the next round of mezzanine

fi nancing or phantom stock.

Well, we salute you for keep-

ing this industry humming

along and interesting.

25 Angra Dos Reis,

Brazil

This town on the Costa

Verde, south of Rio de

Janeiro, is considered Brazil’s

nautical epicenter. Its location

between Rio de Janeiro and

Sao Paolo makes it attractive

to weekenders and tourists who

visit Ilha Grande, Mangaratiba,

Paraty and hundreds of other

small islands that are nothing

less than paradise.

26 Istanbul, Turkey

Istanbul is the geo-

graphical meeting point of

Europe and Asia, and that’s

exactly what gives this city such

a magical feeling. Watching

boats ply the Bosphorous as

seagulls screech and reel, with

the Blue Mosque, Topkapi Pal-

ace and Hagia Sophia on one

side of the river and a thriving,

modern metropolis on the

other, is an experience not to be

missed. And we love that Turk-

ish boatbuilding skills, which

have thrived here since ancient

times, now strut their stuff on

yachts that are famous around

the world. ❑

LADY TRUDY

Every now and then a

new build comes along

that sends a wake-up shot

across our bow, leaving

us speechless. Enter Lady

Trudy, the 43-meter Navetta

from Italian shipyard CRN.

The white bulkheads with

raised panels and tradi-

tional furnishings exude

a nautical chic, without

descending to the cliché of

shell lamps and driftwood

sculptures. While some

large yachts seem more like

a New Orleans funeral par-

lor, Lady Trudy is all about

soothing the soul. She is

the seventh hull produced

in the Navetta 43 range

and, in our opinion, the

best. www.crn-yacht.com

The Great Sea: A Human History of the Mediterraneanby David Abula-fi a; 860 pages, Oxford Univer-sity Press; www.oup.com/us/

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CAN’T GET ENOUGH OF THE BEST OF 2011? Head to www.yachtingmagazine.com/BestOf2011 to see more than a dozen photo galleries.

DECEMBER 2011 / YACHTING 29www.yachtingmagazine.com

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