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Superyacht Australia

Super yacht group great barrier reef gathering in cairns.

Industry in Cairns gathered for the first time this year at the infamous “Nautical Nights” event at the Salt House in Cairns hosted by the regional Superyacht cluster.

At a “once again” regular monthly event, Industry leaders and visiting Superyacht crew were excited to share a cold beverage, signature appetisers and insightful conversation, compliments of the Superyacht Group Great Barrier Reef.

“We have much to be thankful for, here in Cairns” Chairperson Kathleen Ferguson states, “Superyachts have everything at their fingertips, sensational unlimited cruising opportunities catering to diverse client requests, magic scenery and fascinating under and above water worlds to explore.” 

Angela Pyatt, SYGGBR Administator, new to the group and enjoying her newfound life in the tropics – fresh from the international Superyachts points out that “most importantly Cairns is a safe and secure location for crew, with all the necessary refit and maintenance facilities within minutes of the CBD!”

The SuperYacht Group Great Barrier Reef is a one-stop-shop curating complimentary services to assist each vessel with any requirements arriving into the Cairns Marlin Marina and pointing each to the appropriate experienced local service provider.

The group sends out an invitation to all Superyacht crew within Australia to join in for the next March Nautical Nights and in between for Captains Dinners and exclusive familiarisation trips!

Member's Updates

D’albora expands qld network with new purchase in australia’s largest small-boat harbour, 125 years of pantaenius – founded on trust, australia indepth documentary.

Superyacht Australia in partnership with superyachts.com is pleased to present ‘Australia InDepth’, a series of informative short documentary films on the vast and incredible destinations on offer when cruising in Australian waters and the world-class service capabilities available to support visiting vessels..

CLICK HERE FOR FURTHER INFORMATION

MARINE JOBS

Marine Jobs is an online ‘career centre’ designed to make it easier for employers to advertise vacancies and for people to find the right job for them in the marine industry. This new industry jobs platform provides a range of career resources, including information on apprenticeships and industry training, writing a resume and preparing for an interview.

Click on the link below to see what jobs are now available.

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36M MAMMA MIA NOW AVAILABLE FOR CHARTER

Luxury Yacht Group is pleased to welcome Mamma Mia to our charter fleet. Available for charters in the Caribbean and Bahamas.

40M ALEGRE NOW AVAILABLE FOR CHARTER

Luxury Yacht Group is pleased to welcome 40m Alegre to our charter fleet. Available for charters this Winter in the Caribbean and Bahamas.

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Luxury Yacht Group has global resources to build, sell, charter and crew your yacht. Understanding that every happy yacht starts with a competent crew our resources focus on your crew and how they impact your yachting enjoyment.

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What do CEOs think?

Chairman Martin H. Redmayne invites business leaders to take part in The Superyacht CEO Sentiment Survey 2024 

SEA index deploys in 15 marinas

The carbon-emission-rating system has signed a collective agreement with 15 harbours and marinas in Cote d’Azur…

Anchoring in the French Mediterranean

The Professional Yachting Association issues a May 2024 Addendum relating to anchoring in French Mediterranean waters…

New industry body for maritime cybersecurity launches

The International Maritime Cyber Security Organisation launched to raise the standard of cybersecurity risk assessment across the maritime industry 

Flagging the Fleet – convenient or inconvenient?

Choosing which Flag to build and operate your superyacht under is an important decision and has consequences and impacts if you don’t do your homework…

Is carbon offsetting all it’s cracked up to be?

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Creating a new nautical code

Pietro Angelini, General Director of Navigo, on his proposal to introduce a new nautical code in Italy…

Optimising the on-board experience

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US elections and the American superyacht market

Our Italy Editor interviews Nick Bischoff, Country Manager for the Americas at Benetti, on trends in the American superyacht market…

Navigating the crew recruitment dilemma

Phil Richards, technical recruitment consultant and Y1 marine engineer, advocates quality over quantity to improve the crew recruitment process…

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Meet ‘Le Ponant,’ a 288-Foot Cruise Ship With Big Superyacht Energy

This one-of-a-kind vessel offers the best of both worlds, plus a history with pirate attacks and remote voyages. we look behind the curtain on a med cruise., chrissie mcclatchie, chrissie mcclatchie's most recent stories.

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In a game of who owns the biggest superyacht in the bay of Saint Tropez one afternoon in early May, there’s a pair of strong contenders: Egyptian billionaire Mohamed Mansour with his 214-foot Benetti Zazou and Lebanese billionaire Taha Mikati’s 262-foot Chopi Chopi , the largest superyacht ever delivered by Italy’s CRN shipyard.

But there’s no need to get out a measuring tape to calculate the winner. François Pinault clearly takes the top spot with his 288-foot Le Ponant , a three-mast motorsailer and the flagship vessel in French cruise line Ponant’s fleet .

Eighty-seven-year-old Pinault, one of France’s richest people, is the founder of Kering, the luxury group that owns Gucci, St Laurent, Balenciaga, Bottega Veneta, and Alexander McQueen, among others. Currently worth an estimated $25 billion, he started out in the timber business in the 1960s. Artemis Group, the family’s investment arm, purchased Ponant in 2015 for a reputed $589 million , adding it to a portfolio of investments that includes sports brand Puma and auction house Christie’s. “When the possibility of acquiring Ponant presented itself, I did not hesitate for a moment,” Pinault has said about the acquisition.

Yet, even though it looks every inch like one, Le Ponant is not a private vessel, and while it’s available for whole-ship charter, guests can also rent cabins. That’s because this is a cruise ship that thinks of itself as a charter yacht, as I learned during my three nights onboard on the Côte d’Azur, just before the vessel set sail for the Eastern Mediterranean.

Here are 11 fascinating facts about the sailing cruise ship/superyacht Le Ponant .

The Original French Cruiseship Sans Bullet Holes

In 1988, a group of French merchant navy officers came together with an idea to do something different in the cruise space. “We wanted to bring the French touch to sea,” explains cofounder Jean-Philippe Lemaire, who became the inaugural captain of Le Ponant when it launched in 1991 from the SFCN (Société Française de Construction Navale) shipyard in Villeneuve-la-Garenne, on the outskirts of Paris.

Its delivery marked not only the inception of Ponant, the cruise company, but also the first French cruise ship to hit the water. It sailed the river Seine to join its inauguration in La Rochelle, on France’s Atlantic coast.

In April 2008, as Le Ponant was crossing back from Seychelles to the Mediterranean, the vessel was seized by pirates in the Gulf of Aden off the coast of Somalia. There were no passengers on board, but all 30 crew were taken hostage. They were freed a week later, after French commando intervention. Before the first guests returned, the yacht was completely refurbished to remove all bullet holes and fix broken doors.

The Luxe Makeover

To mark three decades in the water, Le Ponant ’s entire interior was ripped out during a three-year refit in Genoa, Italy. The vessel emerged in 2022 with a new configuration—including half the number of cabins it had to begin with. Previously accommodating 64 passengers in 32 cabins, it now sleeps a maximum of 32 people in 16 cabins, a mix and match of rooms and suites including five with generous-sized balconies. The goal was to create a superyacht sensibility.

Chip off the Old Block

Jean-Philippe Lemaire’s son, Jean-David, was 7 years old when Le Ponant launched. “I saw the bottle of Champagne smash, and as the young son of the captain, I was the one bothering the crew members when I came onboard,” the now co-captain says. Father and son have crewed the vessel together, with Jean-David as Captain and Jean-Philippe as Captain Advisor, in Australia’s remote Kimberley region. “As a father and a captain, it was one of my best experiences,” Jean-Philippe says.

Whenever conditions allow it, Le Ponant raises its 10,800-square feet of sails to harness the wind for propulsion—a figure the company puts at approximately 30 percent of all cruising time. “When the wind speed is 10 to 20 knots, I’ll be sure that the sails are up and I’ll tack the vessel back and forth to use the wind for passenger’s comfort,” says Jean-David, who adds that he has just come off a two-month Caribbean rotation where he had the sails hoisted more than 90 percent of the time. “We are now designing our cruise itineraries in the Caribbean to use the sails as much as possible,” Jean-David says.

The Large, Swanky Owner’s Apartment

Set apart from the other cabins on deck four—and backing onto Le Diamant, the vessel’s dining room—the vast Owner’s Suite is decorated in elegant, earthy tones, with wide windows, a living and dining area that can accommodate up to four people, a separate bedroom that includes a dressing room and table, and a bathroom with twin showers and toiletries from luxury Parisian brand Diptyque. The 500-square-foot suite opens out onto a private 97-square-foot balcony, an ideal spot for a glass of Champagne Henriot while the sun sets.

Go Anywhere Draft

Not long after it emerged from its 2022 refit, Le Ponant set sail for the Kimberley in Western Australia, where it was one of the first non-Australian flagged vessels to visit one of the world’s most inaccessible cruise destinations. “Our shallow [13-foot] draft means we can explore such extreme destinations,” says Jean-Philippe. 

A Full Toy Chest

Fishing rods, scuba gear, glass-bottomed kayaks, electric underwater scooters, bikes, and stand-up paddle boards are just some of the non-motorized water toys Le Ponant keeps on hand for guests’ enjoyment in its toy chest. There’s also a large pool area that is inflated when the vessel is at anchor.

Buried Treasure

Long considered a talisman for good luck by seafarers the world over, three coins were hidden under each of Le Ponant ’s three masts during its build. As a nod to the vessel’s heritage, the coins are Napoléons, rare gold coins featuring a portrait of Emperor Napoléon Bonaparte wearing a laurel wreath. “Even if we didn’t have a lot of money at the beginning, we still brought these coins to fit below the mast,” says Jean-Philippe. 

A Two-In-One Experience

Le Ponant toggles between single-cabin bookings and whole yacht charters. The beauty, for guests, is that they can enjoy a superyacht experience without paying charter prices. The non-cruise ship experiences include barefoot walks on polished teak, morning yoga sessions on the sun deck, or dives off the transom straight into the sea, with a crew member waiting for your return with a towel and a glass of wine.

A Beautiful Wine Cellar

Le Ponant ’s cruising itineraries traverse many continents, yet no matter where the vessel is cruising, the wine list will transport you straight to France—specifically to the country’s finest producers and terroirs. Pride of place in Le Ponant ‘s cellar are the wines of Château Latour, one of the five Bordeaux First Growths and another of Pinault’s showcase acquisitions. The onboard selection overflows with yacht charter favorites: Cristal and Dom Pérignon for Champagne, small parcel reds and whites from Burgundy, and, of course, a fine collection from Bordeaux.

Haute Cuisine

While bigger is better on many cruise ships when it comes to food and beverage venues, Le Ponant ‘s philosophy is the exact opposite. The vessel’s sole restaurant, Le Diamant, is an intimate dining room where white linen tablecloths and soft lighting are paired with exquisitely plated dishes—although the aft deck can comfortably accommodate all 32 guests for alfresco meals. Executive chef Cédric Diebold’s cuisine draws inspiration from the local cuisine where the vessel is cruising. That could range from lightly battered and fried zucchini flowers with focaccia topped with caramelized onions, olives and anchovies, while in the bay of Saint Tropez, it could be freshly caught, flame-grilled red mullet with a zucchini tartare.

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Tegna Hires NBCU, Google Alum Mike Steib as CEO

TV station group also adds Catherine Dunleavy, Denmark West as independent directors

By Todd Spangler

Todd Spangler

NY Digital Editor

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TV station group Tegna announced that Michael Steib, a former NBCUniversal and Google exec, will succeed David Lougee as president and CEO.

Steib, 48, will assume the top job at Tegna on Aug. 12, 2024, whereupon Lougee, 65, will become senior adviser to the company after serving as president and CEO for seven years.

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Tegna owns and operates 64 TV stations in 51 U.S. markets, reaching approximately 39% of all television households nationwide. The company split off from Gannett Co. in 2015. Investment firm Standard General had set a pact to acquire Tegna in 2022 but Tegna scrapped the deal amid regulatory hurdles.

Steib commented, “I believe deeply in the power of local news to connect our communities and strengthen our democracy. And I am excited about the many opportunities to leverage technology to enhance this service and generate substantial value for shareholders. With strong operations in more than 50 key markets across America, a history of exceptional journalism, strong cash flow, and a talented and passionate team, Tegna is incredibly well positioned to seize this moment and build a bright future for local news and community in our country.”

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Paul Krugman

Freedom’s Just Another Word for Not Paying Taxes

By Paul Krugman

Opinion Columnist

After Donald Trump was convicted on 34 felony counts, the Heritage Foundation — a right-wing think tank that has, among other things, produced the Project 2025 agenda , a blueprint for policy if Trump wins — flew an upside-down American flag , which has become an emblem for support of MAGA in general and election denial in particular.

This action may have shocked some old-line conservatives who still thought of Heritage as a serious institution, but Heritage is, after all, just a think tank. It’s not as if upside-down flags were being flown by people we expect to defend our constitutional order, like Supreme Court justices.

But Heritage’s embrace of what amounts to an attack on democracy is a useful symbol of one of the really troubling developments of this election as it heads into the final stretch. Heritage presents itself as a defender of freedom, but its real mission has always been to produce arguments — frequently based on shoddy research — for low taxes on rich people. And its tacit endorsement of lawlessness illustrates the way many of America’s plutocrats — both in Silicon Valley and on Wall Street — have, after flirting with the crank candidacy of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., been rallying around Trump.

Why would billionaires support Trump? It’s not as if they’ve done badly under President Biden. Stock prices — which Trump predicted would crash if he lost in 2020 — have soared . High interest rates, which are a burden on many Americans, are if anything a net positive for wealthy people with money to invest. And I doubt that the superrich are suffering much from higher prices for fast food .

Wealthy Americans, though, are surely betting they’ll pay lower taxes if Trump wins.

Biden and his team have offered fairly explicit guidance about their tax agenda, which would directly raise taxes on high-income Americans and also raise corporate taxes, which would indirectly be mainly a tax on the wealthy. These measures wouldn’t produce taxes at the top remotely comparable to what they were during the Eisenhower years, when the top marginal income tax rate was 91 percent and large estates could face inheritance taxes as high as 77 percent . Still, Biden’s plans, if carried out, would make the rich a bit less rich.

Trump has been far less explicit, but he clearly wants to retain his 2017 tax cut in full, and his allies in Congress are committed not just to tax cuts but to starving the Internal Revenue Service of resources, which would allow more wealthy Americans to evade the taxes they legally owe.

So billionaires aren’t wrong in thinking they’ll pay less in taxes if Trump wins. But why aren’t they more concerned about the bigger picture?

After all, even if all you care about is money, Trump’s agenda should make you very worried. His advisers’ plans to deport millions of immigrants (supposedly only the undocumented, but do you really believe many legal residents wouldn’t get caught up in the dragnets?) would shrink the U.S. labor force and be hugely disruptive. His protectionist proposals (which would be very different from Biden’s targeted measures) could mean an all-out global trade war. If he’s able to make good on them, his attacks on the independence of the Federal Reserve risk much more serious inflation than anything we’ve experienced in recent years.

Beyond all that, Trump will almost certainly try to weaponize the justice system to go after his perceived enemies. Only someone completely ignorant of history would imagine himself safe from that kind of weaponization — even if Trump considers you an ally now, that can change in an instant.

And if you’ve been following Trump’s rantings, you know that his rhetoric is getting less rational and more vindictive by the week. Yet his support among billionaires seems if anything to be consolidating.

So what’s going on? Here’s what I think, although it’s admittedly speculative.

First, America’s oligarchs probably believe that their wealth and influence would protect them from the arbitrary exercise of power. Trump and company might turn corrupt law enforcement and a cowed judiciary against other people, but surely not them! By the time they realized how wrong they were , it would be too late.

As I’ve written before, the superrich can be remarkably obtuse and ignorant of history.

Second, at some level I don’t really think it’s about the money. How much difference does it make to a billionaire’s quality of life if he has to settle for a slightly smaller superyacht ? At the top of the pyramid, wealth is largely about status and self-importance; as Tom Wolfe wrote long ago, it’s about “seeing ’em jump.”

And when politicians don’t jump, when they don’t treat the very wealthy with the deference and admiration they consider their due, some of them become enraged. We saw this when many Wall Streeters turned on President Barack Obama — after he helped bail them out in the financial crisis — because they felt insulted by his occasional criticisms.

Biden is hardly a class warrior, but he clearly doesn’t worship the superrich. And all too many of them are turning to Trump out of sheer pettiness.

The Times is committed to publishing a diversity of letters to the editor. We’d like to hear what you think about this or any of our articles. Here are some tips . And here’s our email: [email protected] .

Follow the New York Times Opinion section on Facebook , Instagram , TikTok , WhatsApp , X and Threads .

Paul Krugman has been an Opinion columnist since 2000 and is also a distinguished professor at the City University of New York Graduate Center. He won the 2008 Nobel Memorial Prize in Economic Sciences for his work on international trade and economic geography. @ PaulKrugman