A rumor in Los Cabos this week started evolving around the SuRi Yacht, which was seen in Puerto Los Cabos and Chileno Bay. Because of its name, luxury motor yacht SuRi can’t shake off the rumors that it is Tom Cruise’s yacht, but with the help of our friend, Cabo San Lucas photographer Marcel Kaiser, we came along a news item from Fairfax NZ News, which confirms that the rumor is just a rumor.

Wherever it goes, “Tomkat” rumours will surely follow. But the gossip, stemming from the name of the motor yacht that is the same as the Cruises’ daughter, has got it wrong. Yacht Escort Ships owner and builder of the SuRi Stan Antrim said the rumours the motor yacht was owned by the Cruises followed it wherever it sailed. While he would not reveal the real owner’s full name, he was a wealthy American who worked in the financial sector, Mr. Antrim said. The motor yacht’s name was taken from the first two letters of the owner’s wife’s name, Susan, and the first two letters of the businessman’s own name, Rick, he said.

Despite a US$30 million (NZ$43 million) price tag and featuring a hovercraft, speedboat, dune buggy and jetskis, the converted crab boat was actually a support vessel for a superyacht, the JeMaSa. Mr Antrim said the JeMaSa was taken from the first two letters of the names of the owner’s daughters Jennifer, Maggie and Sarah.

Yacht Charter Description

Motor yacht SURI (52m) is an ideal support yacht (shadow boat) to compliment the equipment and accommodation on board your ‘mother ship’ luxury yacht. She contains all the water ‘toys’ and equipment imaginable including a gym, Jacuzzi pool, sundeck, as well as jet skis and specialists tenders etc.

SURI, unlike some support boats, also boasts a luxurious interior accommodation for up to 12 charter guests in the form of a lovely master suite with sitting room adjacent and a further double cabin, twin cabin, and a convertable, all with ensuite bathrooms. During SURI’s recent refit, there were two additional guests cabins added. She also offers a exterior sunning, BBQ and dining areas and a well fitted lounge and dining area along with electronic entertainment systems and the usual creature comforts.

The support yacht has:

A-Star helicopter
4-person Hover craft
35′Stancraft mahogany speedster
28′ aluminum landing craft dune buggy
37′ Intrepid
Numerous jet skis, rowing shells, sailboats, kayaks, dive gear, ski equipment

NOTE: Please confirm with your yacht charter consultant as to exactly what equipment will be included and any licenses and special conditions required for its operation.

Yacht Charter Accommodation

Motor yacht SURI can accommodate up to 12 guests in 4 Double, 1 Twin, and 1 Convertible cabin all with en-suite facilities

Yacht Charter Specifications

Charter Amenities and Extras

Audio Visual Equipment and Deck Facilities Seatel 4004 Sat TV system Kaleidescape DVD server Crestron controls (12) Runco LCD TV’s (46″ – 27″). Communications (2) Furuno 2020 w/ARPA KVH Mini-M SatCom Compass w/2 GPS Simrad autopilot Hailer AIS (2) VHF radios Sperry gyro compass Dirigio Mag Furuno NavNet system electronic charting (2) Furuno sounders Fleet 77 voice Panasonic PABX telephone loud aviation radio.

The fulfillment of a dream on the languorous magic of an ancient Turkish gulet, reincarnated as if it had sailed in from a myth. Anouska Hempel has designed a yacht that is the realization of fantasies.

Beluga One, a traditional 85 foot Turkish gulet, was completely re-hauled, re-fitted, re-engineered – and given a renaissance, as one of the most exquisite crafts afloat.

It is now now one of the most beautiful boats on the Mediterranean. As if built for a Pasha, it contains every hi-tech specification beneath the glow of its beautiful wooden surfaces, Vuitton trunks and cane shutters, whilst entertaining thirty to dinner is de rigeur. Accompanied by a baby Riva of the same colors, mahogany and black: a breathtaking combination.

ANOUSKA HEMPEL DESIGN

Anouska Hempel Design has an unrivalled international reputation for architecture, interiors, landscapes, products and furniture. They are known for influential hotel design: Blakes Hotels in London and Amsterdam, and The Hempel in London. These hotels are soon to be joined by the Grosvenor House Apartments and the La Suite Hotels in London and Warapuru in Brazil. Other projects in our broad portfolio include exclusive boutiques, iconic gardens, exquisite yachts and hotel management.

This beautiful yacht designed by Philippe Starck has been making waves in Los Cabos, in showing off its beauty in Puerto Los Cabos and Cabo San Lucas marinas. We have to admit that it looks very impressive, and it is a pleasure to see it cruising the waters of Baja California Sur.

The "A" Yacht in Cabo San Lucas bay. Our apologies for a low resolution image.

The article about the “A” yacht by Robert Frank, Wallstreet Journal:

At the top of a spiral staircase lined with scalloped, silver-leaf walls (the banister cost $60,000) is a door accessible by a fingerprint security system. It opens to an all-white, 2,583-square-foot master suite wrapped in bomb-proof, 44-milimeter glass. There, a king-sized bed sits on a giant platter that rotates with the press of a silver button. Another set of buttons rotates the bed itself. The combination of the rotating bed and the rotating platter allows limitless angles for watching the sunset, sunrise or the 60-inch plasma TV, which retracts from the ceiling.

And of course, everything’s afloat.

In the battle among Russia’s billionaires for yacht supremacy, Roman Abramovich’s upcoming 540-foot Eclipse may soon become the biggest, but Andrey Melnichenko‘s 394-foot “A” has become the most talked-about yacht on the seas.

With its radical shape—more sleek submarine than boxy pleasure boat—and reams of custom parts and finishes (including bath knobs costing $40,000 apiece), “A” is a conspicuous marker of an ocean-going plutocracy that’s largely been untouched by the recession. The boat, designed by Philippe Starck and completed in mid-2008 for more than $300 million USD, has spawned a flotilla of copycats emulating its low-slung hull and design scheme. Numerous companies involved in its construction went bankrupt, done in by the novelty of the project and the level of customization required.

For all its fame, “A” remains a bit mysterious. Its owner, a 38-year-old banking, steel and fertilizer czar, is intensely private and requires all his construction crew and staff to sign strict confidentiality agreements (he declined comment for this article). He and his wife only rarely entertain on board, and few public images of the boat’s interior exist.

Dirk Kloosterman, “A”‘s project manager and a veteran of the world’s largest yachts, recently provided an exclusive tour of the boat’s 23,600 square feet of living space.

The boat’s interior departs dramatically from most conventions of yacht design. Instead of the usual overstuffed couches and mahogany walls, there are Baccarat-crystal tables, shiny white finishes and polished silver, a kind of Manhattan-loft-meets-Vegas aesthetic. Many of the rooms have floor-to-ceiling mirrors, which Mr. Starck says have a built-in “mathematical beauty” that also refer to the “mathematical genius” of Mr. Melnichenko.

The walls of one room are covered in white sting-ray hides, while another is covered in hand-stitched calf’s leather. The main deck features two Michel Haillard chairs made from alligator hides and Kudo horns. Known for his mischievous streak, Mr. Starck outfitted “A” with risqué touches like the suite dubbed the “nookie room” by the crew, with its white circular bed with padded walls and a ceiling-mounted TV.

Mr. Starck says that while most megayachts are “vulgar” statements of wealth and power, “A” was designed to be in harmony with the sea and nature. “This boat has elegance and intelligence, it is not trying to show the money,” he adds.

As with many Russian-owned yachts, “A” is highly secure. Its rounded exterior and knife-like hull make it difficult for intruders to board. It has 44 security cameras and more than a dozen exterior cameras fitted with motion-detection systems and a night-vision infrared system.

It is also designed to outrun threats: Twin, high-speed diesel engines deliver 24,000 horsepower and push the 5,959-gross-ton ship to 24 knots, roughly a third faster than most boats its size. The boat, which is stabilized by fiber-optic gyroscopes and four giant motorized flaps, is rumored to also be equipped with a pod-like escape system, but the staff declined to comment.

A transom door in the rear of the boat, which swings with open to become a swim deck, is fitted with so many hydraulics, locking pins, rotating stairs and electronics that it cost around $25 million to build. The company that made it eventually went bankrupt, along with the company that made the bomb-proof wrap-around glass encasing the master suite and the company that built the hydraulic gangways. The ship’s two main landing boats are mini-yachts themselves, stretching to 36 feet, boasting plush interiors and costing more than $1 million each.

There’s little sign that the billionaire boat boom is ending. The recession has certainly hit the “middle-class” yacht market, as banks cut back on boat loans and mere millionaires struggle to rebuild their fortunes. Orders for boats of more than 80 feet fell to 753 last year from 992 in 2008, according to Showboats International magazine. Yet orders for superyachts, or those more than 250 feet, were actually up more than 20% in 2009, according to Showboats.

“A” has a crew of between 35 to 37 people, including stewards and stewardesses, mechanical engineers, security staff, housekeepers, deck hands, galley crew and chefs. The crew also has specialists for surfing, jet skiing, water skiing and cycling. All of the crew wear Starck-designed uniforms—crisp white dress shirts and white pants for daytime, and tight, black T-shirts and slacks for evening. The boat costs over $20 million a year to maintain; Filling the gas tank costs more than $500,000.

There are many discussion groups and forums about “A” online, with titles like “The Ugliest Yacht in the World” and “Should Philippe Starck Design Boats?” Debates can get heated: On the “Insider’s Guide to St. Bart’s”—a Web site frequented by vacationers on the upscale Caribbean island—dozens of “A” spotters tracked the boat’s daily movements.

“That’s pretty Cool!,” wrote one St. Bart’s vacationer. “Finally a real designer yacht!”.

Added another: “Who would call their Yacht ‘The A’? Seems like you’re setting yourself up big time.” (“A” stands for both Andrey and Aleksandra, Mr. Melnichenko’s Serbian-born supermodel wife).

Some yacht designers and brokers describe “A” as too futuristic and aggressive for the leisurely world of yachting. “Initially I was very skeptical,” says Jonathan Beckett, chief executive of London-based Burgess, the yacht broker. “When you just see photos, it’s a very strange-looking boat. But when I saw it cruising in the Caribbean this year, I have to say I was impressed. It’s a very exciting boat to watch. It’s simply unlike anything that’s ever been done before.”

Crew members often joke about the Melnichenkos’ penchant for the spontaneous, with frequent changes in itinerary or travel. The boat doesn’t spend much time in any one port, since Mr. Melnichenko prefers to roam the seas for weeks at a time. Last year he spent several months in the Mediterranean; this year he’s mainly in the Caribbean.

“In week late September 2010, the yacht has been seen in the port of San Jose del Cabo (Puerto Los Cabos) and in the bay of Cabo San Lucas, Baja California Sur, Mexico.” (Escape’s editor note).

“The fun thing about working on ‘A’ is you never know what the next hour will bring,” says Mr. Kloosterman, “A’s” project manager. “This boat is all about the unexpected.”

First published in WSJ: by Robert Frank, Wallstreet Journal

Besides Wally-Hermès Yacht and Spa Boat we found another jewel for cruising the waters of Baja California Sur:

Designed by notable naval architect Luca Brenta, of the eponymous Milan-based studio responsible for the splendid ‘Wally B’ and ‘Wallygator’, the CNB 100 / Chrisco is lithe and elegant. The yacht also has a spectacular interior, created by Wetzels Brown Partners, an Amsterdam studio with extensive experience of translating architectural concepts to transportation design, including private jets and motoryachts (English interior designer Gillian Brown, who founded the firm with her partner, Dutch architect Rob Wetzels, worked closely with Lazzarni Pickering on the iconic ‘Wallpower 118′).

For the 100ft, composite carbon fibre yacht, the design team were briefed to create every single aspect of the interior, right down to table setting, graphics and the crew’s uniforms. Tasked with such a monumental project, the first stage was to set out a simple, coherent palette.

The glassy cabin architecture allows lots of natural light into the upper deck, as well as views fore and aft. The sense of lightness is enhanced by the main mast, which is visible from both above and below decks, forming a central focus for the living accommodation.

The simple black and white colour scheme is paired with a custom-LED light installation that allows five colours to wash across the walls; it also provides a neutral backdrop for the owner’s art collection. All furniture is fitted and custom made, and the china, glassware, vases and other accessories is specially selected from Alessi, Carlo Moretti and Gaetano Pesce, respectively.

The shape of the hull is left visible so as to act as a counterpoint to the objects, cabins and forms within it. Finishes include carbon fibre, leather, linen and silk, a monochrome palette that’s complemented by the specially-designed dining chairs, created by WBP to fulfil the demands of life on the high seas without compromising their structural honeycomb form.

From outside, the glass volume that extends out of the main deck appears like a solid object, a dark faceted mass that stands in stark relief to the airy, light space within. Luca Brenta’s exterior design makes the most of these intersections between deck and hull, exaggerating the sleek lines of this ocean-going machine that’s also a testament to the success of a truly intense design brief.

Seen in Wallpaper.

The best way to enjoy Los Cabos is from and on the water! Be it sport fishing or cruising, our Captain Martin Hutt knows it’s best!

Born and raised in New Zealand, Martin went fishing 30 years ago, and never came back to the village he was born. He learned to fish for marlin in the Bay of Islands from some of the old game fishing captains who had been crewmen with the legendary Zane Grey. They caught marlin in the summer, and yellowtail and swordfish in the winter. In the early 80′s, Martin spent 8 years fishing with Captain Peter Bristow on the Great Barrier Reef in Australia, where they caught 1,000 lb. black marlin, as well as other game fish. Later, martin fished commercially for tuna in the South pacific. He has been fishing in the Cabo San Lucas waters for the past 19 years.

Captain Martin, a marine diesel engineer, personally oversees the maintenance of his boats to assure their safety and reliability. ESCAPES magazine was cordially invited to a short cruising trip with Martin and SuperNatural, a 40 ft Sport fisher, and we admit – we’ll be back! What we can promise you is a very interesting trip, lots of fun and laughter, great service and attention to clients, plus loads of fish, if you will go fishing with him.

Some information about 40 ft. Sport Fisher SuperNatural:

SuperNatural has twin Cummins 635 hp QSM11 diesel engines which can push her up to 40 knots to get you out to the fishing grounds and home a lot faster.

She has  twin state-of-the-art 3D Furuno: Navnet  electronics. Ultra high definition digital 120 mile radar, 3D network fish finder, auto pilot, water temperature, tides and currents information.

The air conditioned salon is lined in cherrywood and is ideal for cooling off or taking a nap, with it’s large L–shaped couch. Entertainment system consists of Sirius satellite radio, T.V., DVD, CD and MP3 player. The galley is a few steps down from the salon with microwave, stove and a large refrigerator. Two staterooms; one with queen and the other with twin bunks. The cockpit has a Pompanette fighting chair, two large coolers, a bait prep station, freezer and live bait well.

Custom, blue printed fishing rods and reels from 10 pound to 100 pound setups. Electric downrigger. She has an open water 8-man life raft with a EPIRB automatic beacon and other safety equipment on board.

They will meet you at the dock in the Marina at Cabo San Lucas, and serve fresh coffee and breakfast breads and rolls.
A normal fishing day is from 7:00 AM-3:00 PM . However, if the bite comes on strong in the afternoon, the captain does not mind staying out later!

More information and reservations:

Tel. Mexico – 52-624-1436272 or 1430575
Cell Phone – 52-624-1475867
USA – 310-862-4950
Fax US – 310-5267025

Fax MEX – 52-624-1051337

Or visit their website: http://sportfishingcabosanlucas.com/

With that, please mention that you saw information in ESCAPES magazine!

We are repeating ourselves when we say that we love Baja’s warm winters. But, we admit, we do miss winter, cold and snow as well (from time to time). For a week or so would be marvelous to put on several layers of clothes, hats, gloves and dig into the snow. Or maybe take on an exotic journey to Norway by boat. And not just any boat, but Spa Boat.

As seen in Wallpaper:

Combining two of our favourite pursuits in one luxury package, the Spa Boat – designed by Norway-based, Finnish architect Sami Rintala – brings an added dimension to the standard spa weekend.

Taking a stripped-down 1950s fishing boat as the skeleton of his project, Rintala adapted the bare woods and curving walls as integral design elements of his vision.

The depths of the hold, where tons of North Sea fish were once stored, now plays host to a wood-clad spa area – featuring a Turkish Hammam (complete with the obligatory steambath, bath tub and hot tiles), Zen lounge with wood burning fireplace and a sauna surrounded by panoramic windows.

The Scandi-inspired luxury continues on deck, with a hot tub designed for mid-winter Aurora Borealis gazing, whilst a seven meter-high diving board provides release for those with more frenetic agendas.

Boasting three, well-proportioned guest bedrooms, the Spa Boat can play host to as many as twelve guests at a time, whilst the on-board kitchen – which brings to mind many a pared-down Scandinavian eatery – comes complete with a host of professional chefs.

Moored in the Arctic city of Tromsø and unveiled at the end of last year, the Spa Boat offers an authentic – if wintry – take on the spa experience.

Imagine cruising Baja California Sur in a yacht like this… Mmmm… We’re in!

A luxurious on-ground villa, that offers to its residents the comfort, spaciousness and interior flexibility but yet immobile?  Or a limited in space and wavering but at the same time capable of transferring you to any place you want yacht?  That could always be the question faced by clients of the luxury leisure sector.  Trying to address this issue while simultaneously implementing the know-how and craftsmanship of both companies, the Monaco-based yacht maker Wally and the luxury French brand Hermès, created WHY – a state-of the-art vessel, for which the idea of the hull was initially taken from a seismic vessel, and was redesigned and adapted to the needs of the sea. The outcome was a super-luxurious yacht which measures 58 meters long and 38 meters wide and can accommodate 12 guests and 20 crew members.

The interior of the yacht follows the high standards of the design companies and is fitted out with water resistant leather, whereas wood is used in most of the interior areas of the vessel.  The total 3.400m² guest surface areas, is divided into three different levels containing all rooms that could be found in a luxury villa such as lounges, dining rooms, libraries and spa areas.

The yacht has been tested under various conditions and the outcome is that under unfavourable weather conditions it remains more stable than any other of its type, and when anchored it creates a flat surface behind it where swimmers feel as if they are in an Olympic-sized pool.  Since the aim of the project is to create a boat that imitates the specifications of a luxury villa but also has the advantages of a boat, it also means that the vessel must be so stable so that the guests can engage in the same activities as they would on the ground.  WHY’s ability to offer this, is probably proved by the fact that it carries around it a real jogging track inspired by coastal paths!

What is extraordinary about this concept is that despite its lavishness, superior design and cutting-edge nautical technologies it is also environmentally ethical both in terms of the choice of its design materials and energy consumption.  WHY requires less power at cruising speed than a boat of equal size whereas it also carries a wind-turbine system and a rectangle mast that produces approximately 30% of the energy used to propel the boat.

This venture makes us happy not only because it constitutes a masterwork in terms of technology and design but also because it can set the example for future eco-friendly nautical conceptions.

Sustainability
“We are very interested in creating a yacht that will have a low environmental impact”, says Pierre-Alexis Dumas. “Its relationship with the sea must be respectful and easy. WHY intends to offer a new way of moving over water by creating an innovative way of managing and recycling its sources and uses of energy.”

“If you want to go totally ecological, it’s only sailing yacht. The reality is that today, 90 % of the market is powerboats, echoes Luca Bassani Antivari. Our aim is to reduce diesel consumption per year and per yacht: 20 to 30 % for propulsion and 40 to 50 % for generation.”

Thanks to its specific hull, WHY 58×38 requires less power at cruising speed than a boat of equal size. Its diesel-electric propulsion is the most efficient motorisation today, and the surface of the photovoltaic panels, almost 900 square metre, covers most of the boat’s auxiliary system needs.

WHY Research and Development plans to optimize this project’s energy consumption by improving the isolation of the yacht and the heat recovery of its engines, and is also investigating the latest wind energy production and wind propulsion system technologies. In comparison to a yacht of the same size, WHY 58×38 has been conceived to reduce drastically its energy consumption, saving up to 200 tons of diesel per year.
The WHY R & D program includes tank testing for hull stability in the SSPA facilities in Sweden, and the construction of a full-scale mock-up in order to allow the design team to fine tune the living areas correctly in accordance with the hull’s unique shape.
“The WHY 58X38 yacht looks very unfamiliar but it remains on a human scale. Space is the greatest luxury on the sea, but I believe the new luxury will be the time to enjoy it”, concludes Pierre-Alexis Dumas.

Dimensions & capacity
58 m length
38 m beam
2,400 tons displacement
12 guests
20 crew
3,400 m² living areas

Performance
12 knots cruising speed
14 knots maximum speed
Constant cruising speed up to Sea Force 4
Long range autonomy 4 Atlantic crossings
Promenade on deck 130 m long x 3 m wide
Swimming pool with thermo regulated water 25 m long

Green Energy
900 m² Thermophotovoltaic panels
2,000 kWh stored energy
Last-generation batteries (LiFePO4)
Renewable energy production 500 kWh/day
Lost thermal energy recovered 1,500 kWh/day
Annual equivalent fuel saving 160,000 liters

WHY Design Team
Pierre-Alexis Dumas / Artistic Director, Hermès
Luca Bassani Antivari / President and CEO, Wally
Gabriele Pezzini / Design Director, Hermès
Mauro Sculli / Naval Architect

Naval engineering
Roar Ramde

Interior architecture
Denis Montel, RDAI

Images: 3D interior image // Courtesy of Wally Hermès Yachts

Text: Yasmine Hottary for Yatzer (www.yatzer.com) and WHY Press Release

Wally-Hermès Yachts: www.why-yachts.com