On May 10th  ‘Pride of Stavanger, ’  a 19m motor yacht, caught fire  in the south of France.  Reports state she was very badly  damaged on the Quai de Rambaud in  the centre of the Port of Antibes.

The Norwegian owned yacht caught fire around 12.40 and 40  firefighters were called out to extinguish it. Once the fire was under  control, divers were called in to seal suction inlets to stop the yacht from  sinking.

A preliminary investigation by Antibes police concluded that the  fire was accidental, and is thought to have started in the cooling  system of the engine room.

Seippel & Light Marine Insurance Broker sponsored annual Fairline South Mallorca Golf Tourney 

This year’s sponsor takes winner’s trophy!

On May 5, Fairline South Mallorca kicked off their annual golf tournament at the Real Golf de Bendinat golf course,  and was followed by a late lunch and prize giving on the clubhouse terrace.

Seippel & Light Marine Insurance Broker SL, one of this year’s main sponsors of the tournament,  was the winning team ! In addition to taking home the first place trophy, they also offered a fantastic prize for a Hole-in-One – a Kia Rio hatchback. This year’s team members included Tim Light (Seippel & Light),  Mark Millward (Blue Attraction), Nick Llewellyn (Jay Max) and Nigel Durand (Tatasu).

The organising team for the Portals Nautical Weekend, which will be held May 26th – 28th, have just announced some of the headline exhibitors that have signed up to be in Mallorca for this special weekend. These include leading yacht brands from Fairline, Oyster, Azimut, Beneteau, Bavaria, Riva, Princess, San Lorenzo, Sunseeker and more. There will also be a good selection of pre-owned motor and sail boats from top local and international brokers such as Sunbird, Baxter Marine, Marivent Yachts, Drettmann and Yacht Moments.

On the shoreside exhibition Yacht Center Palma (Marine Superstore) and NautiParts will have the whole range of chandlery, accessories, RIBS, tenders, jet-skis, kayaks and Xtreme Toys on show.

If you prefer to charter a yacht for an idyllic holiday in the Balearics or to take an instructional course towards gaining a recognised yachting qualification, there will be specialist companies like Palma Sea School and Mallorca Charterpoint on hand to help you with arranging this.

To add to the all round entertainment value, the Mallorca Driving Club will be there with a fleet of great classic cars. Harley Davidson will have a few of the world´s most famous two wheeled machines on show.

Also planned is a boat parade, music, entertainment and some competitions to keep the atmosphere lively and constantly interesting. It is expected that all the restaurants, bars and boutique shops around the marina will join in the spirit of the event by offering specials, promotional prices and customer focused hospitality.

Several brokers are preparing to reveal special models to go on show. For example, Sunbird International Yachts, who are based permanently in the marina, are planning to have the much admired and innovative Greenline 40 Hybrid motor yacht ready for viewing.

The Greenline 40 Hybrid is a development of her smaller sister, the Greenline 33 Hybrid. She is a larger yacht with the same philosophy: A low-drag energy saving Superdisplacement® hull coupled with hybrid (diesel/electric) and solar technology. This brings unique efficiency in consumption of natural resources and makes economic sense for the owner, both at the purchase stage, and during continued use of this motoryacht. The handling, safety and seaworthiness of this boat will provide her owners with all the home comforts for long lasting well-being on board.

You can check in and ‘like’ Portals Nautical Weekend on their Facebook page where they will be posting regular information about the show: www.facebook.com/portalsnauticalweekend.

We hope to see you there!

Monday, 27 February 2012

Firefighters in Nice have responded to a fire on board the 2003 built superyacht 360. The fire seems to have damaged the bridge deck of the 47 metre yacht. The yacht is docked on the east side of the port, and dozens of firefighters are at the scene. Local reports confirm that the mayor of Nice is also at the scene of the fire.

Motor Yacht Yogi A Super Puma of the Greek Air Force came to the rescue of a French luxury yacht, in perdition, in the Aegean Sea. Some details about this rescue has been provided by the Greek military.

The Yogi, a motor yacht of 60 meters long, is then between the islands of Skyros and Psara. It signals a leak. A first Super Puma helicopter from the 130th Combat takes off at dawn from the airport of Limnos to proceed to their assistance. But he must be content with gratitude the weather is too bad. It “is not possible to immediately transport the occupants because of adverse conditions,” says a spokesman for the Greek Air Force. A second helicopter took off an hour later and may resccue eight nationals, all French, who were brought safely on the island of Skyros.

The coast guard said two Air Force helicopters and a Navy frigate, as well as coast guard vessels and four commercial ships headed to the assistance of the yacht, registered as Yogi, after its captain sent out a distress signal Friday morning’.

While no real explanation for the sinking has yet been given, it is known that the French-flagged yacht was in gale-force winds and had lost engine power before the sinking, which appeared to be in deep water.

The crew had scrambled to the highest point on the yacht to await rescue as it flooded with water earlier this morning.

The owner was not on board, and the yacht was not on a commercial charter at the time of the incident. The rescue was no doubt made easier by the small number of people on board.

The captain indicated a mechanical failure, according to press reports, but did not elaborate.

M/Y Yogi was built by the Turkish shipyard Proteksan and launched last year. It won “Most Innovative Yacht of the Year” in Cannes last fall. (2011)

Seippel and Lights prestigious client ‘Team SY Beaugeste’ Wins the Pinmar Golf Tournament Mallorca 2011!

Each year in Mallorca since 1989,Pinmar Yacht painting Systems, has held the Annual Yachtsman’s Golf Tournament his event is one of the largest amateur golf tournaments in the world! It is also vital for charity fund raising and most of Mallorca’s Yachting fraternity turns out for the Golf tournament, the annual gala dinner or both. 

Last years proud winners were the team from Beaugeste, the teams Captain was the son of the owner.  The team was heroic in more than one way and decided to auction the winning cup in aid of the Pinmar Charities.  An Amazing 10,200 euros was raised by auction of the cup contributing a huge percentage of the staggering 67,000 euros raised for charity throughout the entire 3 day event.

Beaugeste is a 37 meter sail built by Brooke Marine and launched in 1989 also! Bannenberg & Rowell Design is responsible for her beautiful exterior and interior details, with engineering by Ron Holland Design.  She is described as a traditional sloop motor sail.

Beaugeste is staying here in Mallorca over the winter for a refit before their usual summer season tour of the Mediterranean but the team has confirmed they will be back at the Pinmar 2012 Annual Golf Tournament to defend their title!

Acknowledgement the Islander.

With so much focus nowadays on the superyacht industry, it is important to recognize that the insurance needs of owners of smaller boats can often be overlooked.

“Everybody wants cheap boat insurance these days. Seippel & Light Marine Insurance Broker continues to search for the best insurance cover at the most competitive premium, but we will never compromise cover for the sake of price,” says Heidrun Bierkämper, director of Seippel & Light.

Based in Puerto Portals, Mallorca, Seippel and Light are specialists in finding the most suitable marine insurance policy for their clients, whether it is for a superyacht, yacht or smaller craft.

Cover for Superyachts & Yachts

Superyachts are generally in excess of 100 feet. Yacht insurance coverage  is more individualized because most large vessels have the capability to travel further and have more complex crew and liability risks to consider. Seippel & Light can arrange all the necessary coverage from the world’s most specialized super- and megayacht underwriters.

Vessels over 23’fall into the categories of yachts or motor boats. There are a variety of fairly standard products on the market for these risks, but beware! The expression All Risks can be misleading, and indeed inaccurate. A read of the small print will show you what is covered, and, more importantly, what is excluded. At Seippel & Light we try to point out the pros and cons of each policy we offer, so there are no surprises at claim time.

Cover for Small Craft

Small Craft are generally considered to be 23′ and smaller. Fishing boats, sailing dinghies, speedboats and some RIBs are all considered to be small craft, and you may find yourself wondering if boat insurance is really necessary. We certainly recommend that you have insurance for your small craft, despite its size and relative propensity for accidents. As with most insurance, it’s only when you don’t have coverage that you really appreciate how vital it can be. It is also important to ensure that your insurance complies with national
legal requirements. Different countries have different requirements.

Invariably the best deals for small craft are to be found online. However, it is always best to contact a reliable insurance broker in order to make sure that you are getting the coverage you need. Online deals that “seem too good to be true,” often times are just that.

We encourage owners of small craft to contact us directly to see what kind of deals are to be found.  Seippel & Light offers three key elements to our clients – affordable insurance for small craft with peace of mind that you are obtaining an appropriate insurance policy for your needs;  and, most importantly, help in managing your claims, making an undesirable situation as painless as possible.

From our offices in Mallorcawe provide competitive, efficient, multilingual, worldwide cover. Please call Tim Light or Heidrun Bierkämper to discuss how we can help you on +34 971 100 070 or email marine@seippel.com.

The Lady Anne, a 224-foot (68.5m) superyacht, has been purchased for the price of approximately $70 million by Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder. She was sold jointly by Burgess Yachts and Merle Wood & Associates.

Lady Anne is one of the 100 largest and most beautiful yachts in the world, according to Power & Motoryacht magazine.

Lady Anne was designed by the late Walter Franchini. A few of her remarkable features include  a spiralling five-storey staircase, spacious decks, a main salon, a theatre room and a light and airy upper salon. The master suite has white triple A-grade Thassos marble. The yacht also features a library, gym and six staterooms that can accommodate 16 people (not counting the crew of 18).

Lady Anne went on the market early this year with an asking price of $86 million. In August, Burgess and Merle Wood & Associates said the boat had been sold but did not disclose the sale price.

It has been reported that Burgess has been contracted to provide the new owners with full yacht management services. Furthermore, Burgess is offering Lady Anne for charters in the Mediterranean.

A seminar to discuss the latest regulations affecting the leisure marine industry is scheduled to be held on Thursday, October 20th in Madrid at the InterContinental hotel.

Unidad Editorial, a Spanish publishing group, is to host the Marina Seminar (Encuentro de Puertos Deportivos), a conference focusing on marina development in Spain.

The Spanish coast has 358 ports and docks for sports and recreational boats with approximately 129,554 berths. However, in recent years Spain has seen an increased shortage of moorings, despite efforts to expand existing marinas. The current trend has been to up-grade facilities rather than build new ones. The environmental impact of these projects has been a major concern.

Government authorities and members of the Spanish Federation of Pleasure Harbours Association (FEAPDT) will be guest speakers at the event, which will analyse of new regulations, proposed reform to the Coastal Act, the New Port Act, ways to financing marina projects.

On the 25^th of September the Global Ocean Race started from Palma de Mallorca.  Teams set off on a course of 30,000 sea miles all around the globe. After 5 legs with stops in South African Capetown, in Wellington in New Zealand, in Punta del Este in Uruguay as well as in Charleston / USA the Class 40 yachts will return to the bay of Palma more than eight months later.

Leg 1: Mallorca to Cape Town – start 25th September 2011

The fleet will spend their first days in the Mediterranean, passing through the Straits of Gibraltar and then hooking into the trade winds of the North Atlantic to descend South towards the equator and the Doldrums.

The Doldrums, or Pot au Noir as the French so aptly describe the area, is tactically difficult and mentally challenging as the wind dies away to nothing, interspersed with thundering squalls accompanied by torrential rain. It will be 300 miles of grim hell until the trade winds to the south take over, allowing the sailors to break free of the unsettled weather and set a course for the South Atlantic scoring gate. The gate, set off the Brazilian coast, acts as a point gate but more importantly it serves to keep the boats well to the west of the South Atlantic High.  Those sailors tempted to cut the corner and sail a direct course for Cape Town could find themselves in the grip of perfect beach weather; hot and flat calm.  For the rest it is a fine line south skirting the High, staying in the breeze yet trying to shave off miles by cutting the corner. Finally, at around 38 degrees South, they will pick up a westerly wind on the edge of the Southern Ocean and fly downwind into Cape Town, South Africa.

Leg 2: Cape Town to Wellington – start 27th November 2011

Cape Town, the Tavern of the Seas has welcomed sailors for centuries. Majestic Table Mountain rises out of clear, cold water and offers the sailors a three week respite before they head back out again, this time into the rough and tumble of the deep south. No sooner will the racers have passed Cape Point than the first fringes of the Southern Ocean will be felt.  Cold, damp wind blowing direct from the Antarctic ice pack across a span of frigid ocean will hint at the danger that lies ahead. Strong westerly winds and massive seas will propel the fleet further south, under Australia where the danger of ice lurks. It will be a time for monitoring the radar, keeping a vigil on deck, and praying to the gods. Communication between boats will be constant as each sailor knows that their first lifeline, should anything go wrong, will be a fellow competitor.

Leg 3 – Wellington to Punta del Este – start 29th  January 2012

Wellington, the capital city of a nation that is sailing mad, will treat the sailors to a belated Christmas and allow the teams time to regroup before tackling the second half of the race.  Leg 3 takes the fleet back into the Southern Ocean, this time around the infamous Cape Horn at the southern tip of South America.  It will be another turbulent ride dodging the worst cold fronts and riding the best. Those that are lucky will get a glimpse of the famous cape that has intrigued and devastated sailors for centuries: others will give the land a wide berth before turning their bows north and heading for Punta del Este, Uruguay at the mouth of the River Plate – a city with a rich history of hosting round the world sailors. Here the crews will fix their boats and prepare themselves in the comforting knowledge that the Southern Ocean and all its dangers are behind them.

Leg 4: Punta del Este to Charleston – start 1st April 2012

Two tough tactical legs remain and as Spring wakes up the Northern Hemisphere the sailors will head north, skirting the coast of Uruguay and Brazil, passing Fernando a second time and traversing the Caribbean Sea.  Further north, the welcoming shores of North America lie just over the horizon and Charleston, known as the friendliest city in America, awaits the fleet. The final days into Charleston will provide potentially tough weather and the Gulf Stream crossing could be critical as its strong currents have a major affect on the boats.

Leg 5: Charleston to Mallorca – start 20th  May 2012 

The final leg is back across the North Atlantic with its springtime depressions that will provide fast downwind sailing for the fleet before they once again arrive in the Mediterranean. This leg could well dictate the overall positions of the entire race. Excellent tactics will be crucial as the sailors choose their path through the strong currents of the Gulf Stream, keeping out of the strongest winds of the low pressure areas, staying clear of the light airs of the Atlantic High centred over The Azores and keeping a constant lookout for cargo vessels in the busy shipping lanes. Finally they will arrive at the final finish line of the race – back where they began their circumnavigation at the beautiful island of Mallorca.

You can keep track of this event by visiting http://globaloceanrace.com/.