All along the waterfront, we hear the buzz: "Have you heard about all the changes at ShowBoats?" A new editor, a new publisher, a new design, new sales people, new writers. Rumors abound. So I’d like to take this opportunity to address these speculations by informing our readers that they’re all true: ShowBoats International is indeed undergoing a lot of changes. Yet, as any wise spouse, parent, mentor or confidant will tell you, change is good! It’s healthy to shake things up from time to time.

Those of you who keep your ear to the coconut wireless know that Jim Gilbert and Les Abberley II sold ShowBoats last year to CurtCo Media, a publishing company that serves the ultra-luxury market with a stable of successful lifestyle magazines, including Worth and Robb Report. After a transitional period, Jim and Les (who were actually ShowBoats’ fifth owners) retired from the magazine to move on to other endeavors. Our new publisher, Gary DeSanctis, is no stranger to the industry. He comes to us from Yachting Magazine, bringing with him boundless energy and enthusiasm for his new job. (After all, his personal idea of a good time is to spend weekends on his boat with his family.) He has enhanced his sales team with the addition of Paul Smith, formerly with Hachette as the New England sales rep, and more new faces will follow. And, of course, ever-affable Bruce Vandale, who has been with ShowBoats since issue Number One, remains sales director for the Pacific Rim.

I accepted the position as editor-in-chief of ShowBoats after an insightful eight years in a parallel role at Boat International USA. Jim Gilbert chided me on stage at the ShowBoats Awards in Monaco this past June, suggesting that the reason I made the switch was to get an invitation to Rendezvous, and I admit there’s a smidgen of truth to this. I have always known and appreciated that this affair was the social super- and megayacht event of the year – and my four magical days in Monaco did not disappoint. The Rendezvous is a party not to be missed – but more on that in our November issue.

The primary motivation for joining the CurtCo team has to do with the magazine itself. ShowBoats has long been the number one authoritative magazine on BIG BOATS. When I was at my previous job, my colleagues in Europe were always anxious for me to send them the latest ShowBoats by courier so that they could see what the top publication in the field was up to from cover to cover. The opportunity to guide this industry flagship toward new horizons was irresistible.

Between the covers of our newly conceived October issue, we are pleased to be the first to run a cover feature on the biggest most exceptional launch from Trinity Yachts, 180-foot Mia Elise – by volume and tonnage, the largest steel yacht built in the United States since World War II! Among the other exciting boats in this issue, we are showcasing the largest trimaran ever, White Rabbit, out of NWBS in Tasmania, as well as Janice of Wyoming, an extraordinary sailing vessel from Alloy Yachts in New Zealand. Elsewhere in our departments, you’ll find colorful spreads of the Rolex Transatlantic Challenge, the Panerai Regatta and the latest trends in semi-production yachts. One thing that will not change at ShowBoats is our dedication to in-depth, informative articles on the high-end international marine market. We retain our ace team of knowledgeable writers and top-notch photo-graphers, and as we grow, we’ll continue to expand our pool of resources.

ShowBoats’ symbiosis with Robb Report offers new opportunities. Will you see some advertising of automobiles, watches, airplanes and jewelry? Yes, in so far as it reflects the yachting lifestyle. Don’t you sit in your sky lounge and engage in a little "car talk" from time to time? Don’t you commute to your yacht in your Gulfstream? When you buy new electronics for your integrated bridge system, don’t you occasionally mollify your wife with roses? Well, perhaps Tahitian pearls speak louder. No sexism intended here: We at ShowBoats know that yachts often belong to owners in the plural, and we pride ourselves on a table of contents that makes room for Tech Talk as well as Designer’s Resource. And our indomitable editor-at-large, Marilyn Mower, can talk tech and design with the best of them! So yes, there will be some changes, but rest assured that ShowBoats is not undergoing a revolution, merely an evolution. And if you have any questions, don’t rely on the coconut telegraph, use airport wireless and e-mail me directly: jillb@showboats.com.

I look forward to exciting times ahead.