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A mind-boggling array of yachts, megayachts, uberyachts and tenders
were on display at the Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) and the Fort Lauderdale
International Boat Show this last fall. Our cover story is on the mind-blowing
The Maltese
Falcon. This 289-foot innovative sailing yacht was the
queen of the Monaco show and is the most talked-about yacht of the year. I had
the good fortune to go sailing on her and chat with owner Tom Perkins about how
he conceived this unique project. In our Falcon story, you’ll
find interviews with the yacht’s fabulous four creators: Fabio Perini, Ken
Freivokh, Gerry Dijkstra and Tom Perkins as to their respective roles in
creating this masterpiece.
Can it get more far out than the Falcon? In my recent
travels, several builders and designers divulged that they were signing orders
for yachts in the 80-, 90- and 100-meter range. Our annual Global Order Book
speaks to the sustained growth in the megayacht industry and recounts the
number of yachts in build by feet, meters and miles.
When acquaintances unfamiliar with boating discover that I am
the editor of a luxury magazine that focuses on yachts in the 100-plus-foot
range (100-plus-meter notwithstanding), invariably I receive one of two
reactions: fascination or abomination—or, to quote author Joseph Conrad from his
book Heart of
Darkness, "fascination of the abomination."
 L to R: Monaco’s Prince Albert II, MYS organizer Luc
Pettavino and ShowBoats International’s Jill
Bobrow. Photograph by Pierre Pettavino. (Click image to enlarge)
As with the television show Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous,
viewers (and voyeurs) are captivated on the one hand and
repelled on the other. It is way too facile to disparage the wealthy and blame
them for the excessive use of fossil fuels that contributes to the decay of the
planet. Simply because people have lots of money, or cater to those who do, does
not de facto make them good or evil. The yachting community is a very generous
contributor to charities and foundations.
I attended a presentation that the H.S.H. Prince Albert II of
Monaco made aboard the 66-meter oceAnco Dilbar during the MYS. He worked the crowd,
chatting with attendees, and then he made a speech about his personal commitment
to environmental protection. He implored megayacht builders to take
responsibility, to think green and to lead an initiative to help conserve the
world’s oceans.
"The oceans and the seas are key elements in the protection of
what is definitely beginning to be perceived as international public goods,"
Prince Albert said. "Today, more than ever, the sea is regarded as a source of
wealth for humans—as an essential sanctuary—and contains evidence of our Earth’s
past. It is a precious resource for humankind’s future."
The prince also referred to Monaco’s contribution to maritime
protection. He said, "My great-great grandfather, Prince Albert I, made four
expeditions to the North Pole a century ago. On the two recent trips which I
made, following in his footsteps, our measurements showed a 40 percent reduction
of the glacier there, one sign of the urgency of the situation."
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