Spanish Galleon, The Times of Malta

Last Updated on 08 April 2010

Photo : Chris Sant Fournier

It would not have been around at the time of the Great Siege of 1565 but passersby must have been reminded of that epic conflict when Galeon Andalucia, a replica of a 17th century Spanish galleon berthed at Pinto Wharf yesterday afternoon. The 52-metre long vessel is on its way to China for the 2010 Shanghai Expo.

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Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

Super Yachts at Grand Harbour Marina, The Times of Malta

Last Updated on 01 April 2010

Six super yachts visited Malta over the last few weeks, namely Southwind Of, Galaxy, Anastasia, Triton, Linda Lou and Maltese Falcon. The Anastasia and Maltese Falcon are seen berthed at the Grand Harbour Marina in Vittoriosa. The Maltese Falcon is the third largest private sailing yacht in the world and is registered in Malta. The Anastasia boasts six state rooms, seven decks, a jacuzzi, a gymnasium, an aquarium and a disco lounge. A spokesman for the Grand Harbour Marina said: "Our marina is purposely built to attract and accommodate some of the largest super-yachts in the world. In fact, in the last two years alone Grand Harbour Marina has berthed over 230 different super-yachts of varying lengths ranging from 30 to 130 metres in length."

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Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

Beautiful Elena – The Times of Malta

Last Updated on 15 June 2010

A 55-metre classic schooner, Elena, berthed at Grand Harbour Marina in Vittoriosa recently. Grand Harbour Marina general manager Ben Stuart described the Elena as one of the finest yachts in the world. She stole the show at last year's 2009 Voiles de St Tropez regatta and at the Antibes Boat Show last April.

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Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

Classic yachts to grace Grand Harbour - The Times of Malta

Last Updated on 17 June 2010

Eighteen classic sailing boats will sail to Malta from Saint Tropez, France as part of the 580-miles Trophée du Bailli de Suffren race.

Eighteen classic sailing boats will spend three days here in a 12-day race from Saint Tropez, France to Grand Harbour as part of the Trophée du Bailli de Suffren.

Now in its ninth edition, only classic yachts can take part in the 580-mile race, which kicks-off on June 26 and ends on July 7.

"The Trophée du Bailli de Suffren is a great boat show and we are very proud to be hosting the final juncture of this exclusive classic yacht event," said Vittoriosa marina manager Ben Stuart.

"Few events around the world offer the spectacular views this regatta is bound to provide as this fleet will be entering our Grand Harbour. Our Grand Harbour Marina, with Malta's mediaeval bastions as a natural backdrop, is the ideal berthing location for these amazing boats whose timeless beauty will grace Malta's waters for three days," he added.

The Trophée du Bailli de Suffren highlights the antique connection between Malta and France.

The race is named after Pierre André de Suffren, an admiral of the French Navy who visited the island in 1748.

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Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

Menacing Luxury - Article in The Times of Malta

Last Updated on 11 October 2010

You could easily mistake the 118 WallyPower berthed at the Vittoriosa (Malta) waterfront for a military vessel but the boat is actually a luxury superyacht, boasting some mind-boggling numbers.

It is driven by three gas turbines and another two diesel engines, making for a 17,000bhp power of output. Its top speed is 110km/h and it cost close to €24 million to build.

It is 118 feet long and can accommodate six passengers and six crew to well-appointed cabins.

For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates or info@77GreatEstates.com.

Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

Superyacht - Times of Malta

Last Updated on 23 June 2011

Photo: Matthew Mirabelli

The 66-metre super sloop Aglaia basked in the sun at Grand Harbour yesterday. Designed by Dubois Naval Architects, it was delivered to its owner this spring. The Aglaia is shrouded in secrecy; no details have been revealed by anyone involved. What is known is that it has one of the largest composite rudders ever made, constructed by Green Marine.

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Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

There’s no port like home - Times of Malta by David Schembri

Last Updated on 14 July 2011

The ship at the Grand Harbour, yesterday.

It’s not hard to see why Capt. Paolo Giacomo Reale calls the Amerigo Vespucci “the most beautiful ship in the world”.

Launched in 1931, Italy’s tall ship floats proudly in the Grand Harbour, its octogenarian masts climbing defiantly into the sky above.

“She is like an old lady,” Capt. Reale says, explaining that every year the ship went into the shipyards for maintenance and repairs.

The ship is currently on a tour of the Mediterranean, which serves to train the midshipmen of the Italian Naval Academy, who spend 75 days at sea learning their way around the hundreds of ropes on board.

“The best seafaring formation is taught by sailing,” the captain says from the luxurious officer’s quarters.

“After a year of theory at the academy, they can meet nature, the sea, the wind, the rough sea – they get to learn more about themselves and their limits – and it’s good to know those when you’re 53 metres up a mast,” the captain says.

Of the 400 people on board, 111 are students – and 22 of the latter, the captain is keen to point out, are women.

The tour will take all on board to Haifa, Limassol, Istanbul, Odessa, Sevastopol, Athens and back to Livorno.

With all these ports, what is the most beautiful harbour the captain has visited?

“For every sailor, I think the best port is ‘home sweet home’,” Capt. Reale said.

The ship is also a Unicef ambassador, with its port calls also taking on a humanitarian dimension.

True to form, yesterday the ship hosted the launch of a Mediterranean regatta and seminar to be held in Malta, called Handy Cup, aimed at bringing together 200 young people with a disability from the Mediterranean to race against each other and participate in seminars focused on disability issues.

The event will be held through September 9 to 11, and is being organised by Handy Cup, Inspire with the help of the Italian Embassy in Malta, and the Education Ministry.

The ship will be open to the public from 10 a.m. till noon.

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Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

$200 million yacht in Comino - Times of Malta

Last Updated on 15 July 2011

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Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

Classic yachts grace harbour ‘Ideal berthing location’- Times of Malta

Last Updated on 12 July 2011

 

 

Grand Harbour Marina in Vittoriosa last week welcomed a fleet of 18 classic sailing boats taking part in the tenth edition of the annual regatta Trophée du Bailli de Suffren. The fleet set sail from Saint Tropez, south of France, sailed through Porto Rotondo, Sardegna and Pantalleria and finished off at the Grand Harbour Marina on Tuesday.

The participating yachts in the 580 mile, 12-day offshore race ranged in size between 11 and 64 metres. They dated from the 1914 classic Moonbeam IV through to the Atlantic, built last year.

Recognised as one of the most beautiful races in the Mediterranean, the race is reserved for classic yachts and was organised in collaboration with the Royal Malta Yacht Club.

“The Trophée du Bailli de Suffren is a great boat show and we are very proud to have hosted the final juncture of this exclusive classic yacht event,” Vittoriosa Marina manager Ben Stuart said.

“Our Grand Harbour Marina, with Malta’s mediaeval bastions as a natural backdrop, is the ideal berthing location for these amazing boats…”

The race was named after Pierre André de Suffren, an Admiral of the French Navy who came to Malta in 1748 to perform cruises with the Order’s galleys.

For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates orinfo@77GreatEstates.com

Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta

Superyachts bring touch of class to Grand Harbour Marina

Last Updated on 29 April 2011

Sleek and luxurious, the multimillion dollar superyachts berthed in Grand Harbour Marina at Vittoriosa are richly furnished floating homes equipped with the latest technology and powerful engines. Ranging from the 77-metre long Samar, and the 75-metre long Anastasia to the 33-metre long Daniella, the yachts are regular visitors to Grand Harbour, which has had a very busy four months in what is considered to be a dry spell in the boating season. Not only are superyachts powerful but they are also beautifully furnished with the most expensive materials. A French-owned yacht, which just sailed out of an Italian boatyard, had a smooth wooden deck – the smell of freshly cut trees still in the air. Once past the gangplank, the interior of the superyacht is furnished in a soft grey, with pale wood furniture and chrome trimmings. In the huge master bedroom below deck, a flat screen television set and two red pieces of artwork dominate and give a splash of colour to the room while the en suite bathroom, equipped with shower, tub and granite sinks, offers comfort combined with luxury. The first four months of this year have proved to be quite busy for Grand Harbour Marina with bookings for the berthing of 11 superyachts and another three are expected to enter the marina in the coming weeks. “Eleven might seem a small number but we are speaking of superyachts and, economically speaking, these are among the most lucrative sources for the local economy,” marina general manager Ben Stuart said. “Over and above the economic figures, this is about hosting some of the most impressive boats that are usually sailing round the world.” Boats of this size are usually berthed along the main quay underneath Fort St Angelo, which is reserved for the bigger super­­­yachts. “In fact, ours is the only marina fully-equipped to cater for the largest superyachts that can sometimes reach a length of up to 120 meters. Having boats of this size constantly visiting us confirms the marina as a leading destination in Malta and the Mediterranean,” Mr Stuart said.

For further information, kindly contact 77 Great Estates on (00356) 2125 2455; (00356) 9944 7444; skype: info.77GreatEstates orinfo@77GreatEstates.com.

Posted in: Luxury Yachts in Malta