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A new editor, a new publisher, a new design, new sales people, new writers.
by Jill Bobrow
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10/01/2005
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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.
 Underway: The Best Deserve the Best
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