motor yacht race owner

The luxury boats owned by some of the wealthiest people in tech, from a yacht so big it has its own support boat to superyachts with swimming pools and basketball courts

• Many billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson enjoy spending their time on luxurious yachts.
• The boats are decked out with amenities that many Americans can only dream of.
• Here are some of the billionaires in tech who own private yachts.

A regular Jane celebrating a personal renaissance after a long-term relationship might commemorate the new era with an ankle tattoo of a spiritual saying. When you're a billionaire, you could do it instead with a $500 million megayacht . 

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos made waves in May riding around the roughly 127-meter "Koru," a Māori term that may signify a fresh start, with his reported fiancée Lauren Sanchez. (In 2019, Bezos finalized his divorce from MacKenzie Scott, whom he was married to for 25 years).

Beyond the private planes occupying the hangars of billionaires, yachts have come to symbolize the highly private sites of leisure and networking reserved for the ultra-wealthy .   

Tech billionaires like Bezos, Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison, and Google cofounders Sergey Brin and Larry Page have all purchased their own mini vacation hubs at sea, decking their boats with amenities like gyms, spas, pools, nightclubs, and movie theaters.

For those wishing to experience life aboard these multi-million-dollar yachts, some are available to rent out for a few nights or weeks at a time. Late Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen's yacht can be booked for $2.2 million per week or more, according Bloomberg .

Chartering yachts owned by billionaires like Alphabet cofounder Sergey Brin has previously cost customers anywhere from $773,000 a week to $1.2 million .

It remains to be seen how these vessels will fare against the apparent Orca uprising.  

Take a look at some of the yachts that have been owned by tech billionaires.

A mystery buyer bought a 414-foot superyacht that was once owned by late Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen for $278 million. Allen had the boat, which was named "Octopus," built in 2003 for $200 million. Since the tech billionaire's death in 2018, the boat had been listed for as much as $325 million.

Source:  SuperYacht Times

The wealthy can book the yacht for a weekly rate of $2.2 million or more, through the luxury company Camper & Nicholsons, Bloomberg reported last year.

Sources: Bloomberg; Insider . 

Amazon founder Bezos' $500 million megayacht, the roughly 127-meter "Koru," sparked attention in May for its artistic decor. A sculpture of a woman on the boat appeared to observers to be the likeness of Bezos' reported fiancée Sanchez, who was also seen that month on the yacht sporting a large ring.

Sources: Insider ; People .

Even before its completion, "Koru" drew the ire of Dutch people vowing to hurl eggs at the boat if it would require a historic bridge in Rotterdam to be taken apart to let it through. An egg crisis was averted however, as the company making the ship found a less-irksome alternative.

Source: Insider . 

Bezos has long been interested in yachts. In 2019, he was spotted aboard entertainment mogul David Geffen's superyacht.

Oracle cofounder Larry Ellison owns a 288-foot yacht named Musashi that he acquired in 2013. The yacht has several amenities, including an elevator, swimming pool, movie theater, and both an indoor and outdoor gym.

Source: Yacht Bible

Ellison has owned several superyachts over the years, including the Katana, the Ronin, and the Rising Sun.

Source: Forbes .

The Oracle cofounder also has a knack for competitive yacht racing, and helped to found and back a racing team, called Oracle Team USA, in 2000. The team has found success and won several prestigious titles over the years.

Source: Telegraph

Ellison previously owned a bigger, 454-foot yacht called Rising Sun, which was designed specifically for the CEO in 2005. That yacht reportedly has 82 rooms, a movie theater, a wine cellar, and a basketball court. However, Ellison sold off the Rising Sun to Geffen for a reported $300 million.

Source: Forbes , Boat International

Ellison's boat, Musashi, is a sister ship to the yacht of another billionaire, former Sears CEO Eddie Lampert. However, the yacht, named Fountainhead, is often mistaken for belonging to billionaire investor Mark Cuban. "The guy who owns the boat tells everyone that it's mine," Cuban told Page Six in 2016. "It's so crazy ... I don't even own a boat."

Source: Page Six

Ellison's yacht reportedly influenced the decision of late Apple CEO Steve Jobs to get a boat himself. However, Jobs never set foot on the boat — the yacht was commissioned in 2008, but wasn't completed until 2012, a year after his death.

Source: Business Insider

When Jobs died in 2011, his yacht — along with his $14.1 billion fortune — was inherited by his wife, Laurene Powell Jobs, founder and president of a social-impact nonprofit called the Emerson Collective. The 256-foot yacht is named Venus, and is worth $130 million.

Google's billionaire cofounders, Larry Page and Sergey Brin, are known to splurge. An Insider feature in December documented some of the trappings of their luxury, including planes and yachts.

Source: Insider .

Page owned a yacht named Senses, a $45 million, 194-foot boat that he bought in 2011 from a New Zealand businessman. He's since sold the yacht, Insider reported in 2021, a vessel that had a private beach club with a Jacuzzi and sun beds, both indoor and outdoor dining areas, and a helicopter pad. It's unclear what other sea vessels he owns, though Insider has previously reported he might have another yacht.

Sources: Boat International; Insider . 

Brin meanwhile owns a number of yachts and vessels including the 73-meter Dragonfly, and the 40-meter Butterfly, Insider reported in January.

Dragonfly, the $80 million boat that has a movie-theater, shares a name with Google's once-secret project to launch a censored search engine in China. Google said in 2019 it had officially terminated the project.

Source: Insider , Forbes .

The former Google CEO picked up the Alfa Nero yacht for nearly $68 million in an auction in June, according to a Bloomberg report. The yacht had apparently been left amid Russia's war in Ukraine, according to the report.

Source: Bloomberg .

For Skype cofounder Niklas Zennstrom, his interest in yachts skews toward racing and competitive sailing. Zennstrom has gone through a succession of boats all named Ran.

Source: CNN

The Ran VII yacht is among the most advanced of Zennstrom's boats. The racing yacht uses electrical power, which Zennstrom has said makes it "lighter, less drag, quieter, and most importantly it is environmentally friendly."

The 40-foot yacht has been meant to compete in regattas through the racing team owned by Zennstrom and his wife, Catherine. The Ran racing team launched in 2008, and has won some prestigious regattas.

Barry Diller, chairman of digital media company IAC, co-owns a $70 million yacht with his wife, fashion designer Diane von Furstenberg.

The sailing yacht, named Eos, is 350 feet long with six bedrooms. The power couple has hosted many celebrities over the years — a few that have been spotted aboard Eos include model Karlie Kloss, actor Bradley Cooper, journalist Anderson Cooper, and singer Harry Styles.

Source: W Magazine

For Jim Clark, the cofounder of Netscape, one yacht hasn't been enough. Clark has owned boats for more than 30 years, and in 2012, he put up two of his sailing yachts for sale.

Clark listed the boats for a combined $113 million: the 136-foot Hanuman for $18 million, and the 295-foot Athena for $95 million. However, Clark has yet to offload Athena. Clark also previously owned a 155-foot yacht named Hyperion, and currently also owns a sloop called Hanuman.

Source: Boat International , Forbes

Charles Simonyi worked at Microsoft until 2002, and oversaw the creation of Microsoft Office software. A few years before he left, Simonyi decided to purchase a yacht. He told the designer that wanted his yacht to be "home away from [his] home in Seattle."

Source: Boat International

The product of that conversation in 1999 is Simonyi's yacht named Skat, meaning "treasure" in Danish. The yacht measures 233 feet long, and is unique with its nontraditional design and gray color. Skat features a matching gray helicopter, a gym, and motorcycles.

Source: Yacht Charter Fleet

Opulent British billionaire Richard Branson owned a yacht until he sold it in September 2018. The 105-foot catamaran sold for $3 million, significantly lower than the $9.6 million price Branson listed the boat for in 2014.

Branson, the founder of Virgin Group, bought the boat in 2009. He named it Necker Belle, a nod to his private Caribbean island, Necker Island.

Additional reporting by Paige Leskin.

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Boat of the Week: This Speedy 153-Foot Superyacht Has Its Own Turbo Boost

Push a button and the turbine kicks in, which is yachting's equivalent of light speed., julia zaltzman, julia zaltzman's most recent stories.

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What do you get if you have two friends with a passion for boats, high-profile automotive careers and cash to burn? The answer is the 153-foot superyacht Excellence , a vessel that oozes speed, has brand pedigree and captures the hearts of all who own it.

Built in 2001 by Formula One racing car driver and automobile entrepreneur Roger Penske, who named her  Detroit Eagle , the yacht combined Feadship ’s Dutch craftsmanship with Penske’s own brand of engine. (Disclosure: Roger Penske is the father of Jay Penske, who owns this publication, as well as its sister publications in the Penske Media portfolio.)

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“At the time [Roger] Penske owned a company called Detroit Diesel that made diesel engines for boats, and he was also involved with a company that built turbine engines,” current owner and Penske’s longtime friend, Herb Chambers, told Robb Report . “So, he went to Feadship and built a lightweight aluminum yacht with a shallow draft to demonstrate the capability of his engines.”

The Feadship was originally built and owned for years by Roger Penske, who wanted a very fast, very luxurious superyacht. Penske installed his own Detroit Diesel-branded engines and then added a 5,600-hp turbine to give the yacht a 10-knot pop at the top end.  Courtesy of Burgess Yachts

The immaculate, polished-chrome engine room, with the diesels painted in fire-engine red, has always been a symbolic indicator of the type of impressive speeds the yacht can reach. The engines are 16-cylinder 4000 series, which generate 3,650 horsepower each. Penske then added something the superyacht world had never seen before–a Lycoming TF-50 gas turbine for an additional 5,600 horsepower.

“The boat can cruise at about 23 knots on diesel engines,” Chambers says, “but if you really want it to go fast, you push a button and the turbine kicks in taking the boat from 23 knots up to around 33 knots. It really is a remarkable vessel.”

Serial boat builder Chambers grew up in the Boston area, spending long summers on the water at his grandmother’s cottage. “I always had the desire to have a boat,” he says, a goal he realized at 24 with a 30-foot Trojan flybridge motoryacht. The Trojan would be the first of five yachts called A-Copy , named after his successful copy-machine business.

“After I sold the copy company and had this windfall of money, I ordered a 127-foot Feadship. The name A-Copy wasn’t of any significance to me anymore so I tried to think of a name that I would like,” Chambers says. “I’m not an avid reader, but I read Tom Peters’s book In Search of Excellence and loved it. It’s about running a good business. I thought Excellence , that is a great name for a boat.”

Launched last summer, Chambers’s newest 262-foot Abeking & Rasmussen “Excellence” has a futuristic hull shape, with an eagle-beak bow and large glass panels on the exterior.  Courtesy Abeking & Rasmussen

To date, Chambers has owned more than 40 yachts of many sizes. Some were even sold before he took delivery. The name “Excellence” serves as a constant reminder to his 30-year-long captain for the need to maintain high standards on board, he says. It has also carried through to Chamber’s six most recent yachts. This includes his largest yacht to date, a striking 262-foot Abeking & Rasmussen launched in 2019, on which he enjoys cruising the European waters of Croatia, Greece, Italy and St Tropez. That Excellence won Robb Report ’s 2020 Best of the Best award for interiors.

With its “eagle” reverse bow and triple-height glass atrium, the Winch-designed yacht turns heads wherever it goes. But that’s hardly surprising considering Philip Starck’s opinion-dividing Motor Yacht A was the design inspiration this latest Excellence .

“When I first saw Motor Yacht A , I said, ‘That looks like a submarine. Who would ever want to have a boat like that?’ And the second time I saw it, I said, ‘That boat is pretty nice. I kinda like that bow.’ And the third time I saw it, I thought, ‘I absolutely love that.’ So, that’s where the idea for Excellence ’s bow came from.”

While he has recently listed the Feadship “Excellence,” Chambers plans to enjoy the yacht for while he still owns her. He has often owned two yachts—the newer one that is often under charter, and a smaller, faster one that is at his disposal for his “personal use.” 

While Chambers’s appreciation of Feadship has long endured after his first foray with the Dutch shipbuilder, it wasn’t until a 2018 visit to Fort Lauderdale Boat Show that Penske’s 153-foot yacht caught Chamber’s eye. Prized by Chambers for its flexible speed and six-foot Bahamas-friendly draft, it is one of the few yachts that he hasn’t put on the charter market.

“I view the Feadship as a very personal boat,” says Chambers. “It’s only a four-stateroom boat, but you can bring three other couples or family members with you. When I told Roger Penske that I had bought the boat, he said his family was mad at him when he sold it because they loved it so much.”

An extensive 2019 refit of the yacht includes a full paint job, an updated sound system and refurb of the original John Munford interior. Chambers bought the yacht for his own personal use. “Because my boats get chartered, I always love to have a boat that’s available just for me,” Chambers says. “I built a 94-foot Mangusta for that purpose and used it in America when my big yacht was on charter in the Mediterranean or Caribbean. The Feadship can do pretty much what the Mangusta did, but it’s a bigger, more comfortable boat, so I sold the Mangusta at the start of 2020.”

The 2001 build has undergone a complete refurbishment of the interior. 

Being a serial owner, Chambers also recently listed the updated Feadship. He plans to enjoy the yacht while she is still available. Will he miss this Excellence ?

“I really don’t know,” Chambers says, pausing. “I would maybe look to build a similar boat, around 150 feet, something that would be fast. But the Abeking & Rasmussen Excellence is still new to me. The time for me to sell a boat is when I still like it.”

That creates a great opportunity for a buyer who wants a piece of superyacht history–a very fast superyacht history.

Excellence is co-listed for sale with Burgess  and Merle Wood & Associates for $16,900,000. Here are more views.

Images Courtesy of Burgess Yachts

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M'Brace

• Amenities & Toys
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M'BRACE YACHT CHARTER

74.5m  /  244'5   abeking & rasmussen   2018.

• Previous Yacht

Cabin Configuration

Special Features:

• Guest elevator
• Impressive 6,000nm range
• Multi-award winning
• Inviting pool
• Interior design from Harrison Eidsgaard

With plenty of onboard entertainment, motor yacht M'Brace is an exceptional yacht charter choice

The multi-award winning 74.5m/244'5" motor yacht 'M'Brace' by the German shipyard Abeking & Rasmussen offers flexible accommodation for up to 12 guests in 8 cabins and features interior styling by British designer Harrison Eidsgaard.

Built in 2018, M'Brace is designed for exquisite indoor/outdoor living and boasts voluminous interior and exterior spaces across several decks: ideal for bronzing, lounging or entertaining. She is equipped with an elevator, underwater lights and gym.

Guest Accommodation

M'Brace offers guest accommodation for up to 12 guests in 8 suites comprising a master suite, six double cabins and one twin cabin. She is also capable of carrying up to 18 crew onboard to ensure a relaxed luxury yacht charter experience.

Onboard Comfort & Entertainment

Keeping comfortable and entertained on M'Brace is easy thanks to the available amenities including the pool, useful to practice your technique or just cool off. A gym with all the latest equipment is available for a good work out plus retreat to the deck jacuzzi and soak up the scenery.

Whatever your activities on your charter, you'll find some impressive features are seamlessly integrated to help you including an elevator, making any part of the yacht quickly and easily accessible. Make your evenings more memorable with stunning underwater lights plus whether you want to work, use social media or stream movies on board this yacht, you can with Wi-Fi connectivity. Guests will experience complete comfort while chartering thanks to air conditioning.

Performance & Range

Built with a steel hull and aluminium superstructure, she offers greater on-board space and is more stable when at anchor thanks to her full-displacement hull. Powered by twin Caterpillar engines, she comfortably cruises at 14 knots, reaches a maximum speed of 16 knots with a range of up to 6,000 nautical miles from her 178,000 litre fuel tanks at 13 knots. M'Brace features at-anchor stabilizers providing exceptional comfort levels.

M'Brace has a good selection of water toys and accessories to entertain you and your guests whilst on charter. You'll be loving the huge adrenaline rush as you zip over the water on one of the two WaveRunners. Also there are towable toys offering fun and adventure. In addition there are two SEABOBs, offering a truly remarkable experience that lets you skim along the surface or swim with the fishes quietly and safely. If that isn't enough M'Brace also features kayaks, scuba diving equipment, inflatable water toys and paddleboards. M'Brace has a Tender to transfer you from ship to shore.

Book your next the Caribbean luxury yacht charter aboard M'Brace this winter. She is already accepting bookings this summer for cruising in the Mediterranean.

With its luxurious interiors, vast array of onboard facilities and a highly-trained and professional crew, a luxury yacht vacation onboard motor yacht M'Brace promises to be nothing short of spectacular.

TESTIMONIALS

There are currently no testimonials for M'Brace, please provide .

M'Brace Photos

Amenities & Entertainment

For your relaxation and entertainment M'Brace has the following facilities, for more details please speak to your yacht charter broker.

M'Brace is reported to be available to Charter with the following recreation facilities:

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

M'Brace Awards & Nominations

• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Best Exterior Styling Motor Yachts 60m and Above Winner
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Best Interior Design Motor Yachts 500GT and Above Winner
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Best General Arrangement and Deck Design Winner
• Boat International Design & Innovation Awards 2019 Best Lifestyle Feature Design Winner
• The World Superyacht Awards 2019 Displacement Motor Yachts 2,000GT and above Nomination
• International Superyacht Society Awards 2019 Best Power 65m+ Finalist
• + shortlist

For a full list of all available amenities & entertainment facilities, or price to hire additional equipment please contact your broker.

'M'Brace' Charter Rates & Destinations

Summer Season

May - September

€910,000 p/week + expenses Approx $988,500

High Season

€1,000,000 p/week + expenses Approx $1,086,000

Cruising Regions

Mediterranean France, Italy, Monaco

HOT SPOTS:   Amalfi Coast, Corsica, French Riviera, Sardinia

Winter Season

October - April

$880,000 p/week + expenses

Caribbean Antigua, Bahamas, Saint Martin, St Barts

HOT SPOTS:   Virgin Islands

Charter M'Brace

To charter this luxury yacht contact your charter broker , or we can help you.

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The Palm Beach brand takes its name not from Florida but from the idyllic peninsular of Sydney’s Northern Beaches where our founder and CEO, Mark Richards, grew up and discovered an all-consuming passion for the sea.

EVOLUTION OF A CLASSIC

Mark started sailing at the age of six, racing with the Manly juniors, and then went on to spend his teenage years at the Royal Motor Yacht Club where he completed his apprenticeship as a shipwright.

By the age of twenty he was competing in the Admiral’s cup as a professional yachtsman and then spent ten exciting and challenging years travelling the world on the match racing Grand Prix circuit.

This experience gave Mark a grounding in every aspect of designing and building boats. From sweeping the floors to helping John McConachy develop cutting edge innovations for America’s Cup yachts, he learned the trade and craft from top to bottom and inside out.

A BREAK WITH TRADITION

And then in 1995, he saw an opportunity.

Inspired by the lines of the lobster boats he’d seen while racing in the US, he decided to design and build what he called a ‘sailor’s power boat’ – a highly efficient, high speed cruising motor yacht.

He studied the competitors and found them to be heavy, unstable and wildly inefficient. So, drawing from his racing experience, he set out to build a lighter boat, one whose hull gave a fine entry into the water, a softer ride and consumed only half the fuel.

Working with basic 2D drawings, he created the concept of the first PB38 and immediately sold four of them off the plan.

This was the launch of our company and it created the mold for our way of working, our standards, our values and ambitions.

CONSTANT EVOLUTION

Since those early days, the PB38 has spawned the nine models in our range, every one of them an evolution of its predecessor.

Twenty-five years on, Mark is still involved in every aspect of the design and manufacture of our boats. They’re born in his imagination. (Seventeen have started their lives in the notebook beside his bed!)

The designs are then rendered under his scrupulous eye before construction is approved. Once in the factory, every boat is subject to his fanatical attention to detail.

It’s fair to say that if you have a problem on board a Palm Beach Motor Yacht, Mark is the only CEO in the world who can pick up a tool kit and come and fix it!

THE WILD OATS YEARS

Wild oats xi and skipper mark richards are an extraordinary success story – winners of the rolex sydney to hobart yacht race an unimaginable nine times.

THE POWER OF PARTNERSHIP

Back in the late 90s, Mark first collaborated with Bob Oatley to develop a series of 60ft racing yachts. This teamwork culminated in the sloop ‘Another Duchess’ which proved to be the star performer in the 2003 Race Week at Hamilton Island. With Mark at the helm, she was described by competitors and pundits alike as ‘Unstoppable!’

However, it was the arrival of Wild Oats IX in the same year that cemented Australia’s most successful racing partnership. Named after one of Bob’s vineyards in Mudgee, she was the first yacht equipped with a hydraulic canting keel and took Mark to victory in the Admiral’s Cup in England.

Her successor, the 66ft Wild Oats X, also enjoyed great success and won line honours in both the 2005 and 2007 Sydney Gold Coast Yacht Race.

IMPOSSIBLE BUT TRUE!

But it is Wild Oats XI that will go down in history. This 100ft maxi yacht was completed only two weeks before the 2005 Rolex Sydney to Hobart yacht race and yet went on to win the ‘treble’ – line honours, handicap and race record.

And that was just the start of her story. Since then, Mark has skippered Wild Oats XI to victory a further eight times, winning the Treble a second time and repeatedly breaking all records in this most gruelling of races.

It’s the stuff of legend.

Yachting World

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Legendary yachts set off on ‘retro’ round the world race as Ocean Globe Race starts

• Helen Fretter
• September 10, 2023

Fourteen teams, racing on iconic yachts such as Maiden and Pen Duick VI, start the crewed ‘retro’ around the world race, the Ocean Globe Race

Amost exactly 50 years to the day since the first Whitbread Round the World Race, the latest ‘retro’ race, the Ocean Globe Race , set off today from Cowes, UK.

Fourteen teams racing in three classes set off on a single start from the famous Royal Yacht Squadron line, with fluky conditions in the Solent granting the fleet a brief window of 10-15 knot breezes to get over the line and make for spectacular scenes, though shortly after the breeze faded to zephyrs as the fleet made their way west.

The Ocean Globe Race fleet, with Pen Duick VI nearest camera, shortly after starting from the Royal Yacht Squadron in Cowes

The Ocean Globe Race is the latest ‘retro’ race to pay homage to the ground-breaking ocean and offshore races of yesteryear, this one a crewed around the world with-stops, which is intended to capture the spirit of the first Whitbread Round the World Race, and is organised by Don McIntyre, who is also the man behind the Golden Globe Race modern editions.

This week marked the 50th anniversary of the Whitbread Round the World Race, which first set out from Portsmouth, UK on 8 September 1973.

Thanks to an anonymous donor, the support of MDL Marinas, and a lot of tireless work behind the scenes, the Ocean Globe Race (unlike the Golden Globe Race, which moved to France for its reincarnation) started once again from the Solent, with the race village hosted in Ocean Village, Southampton, before the fleet set off from the Royal Yacht Squadron line off Cowes today.

A busy pre-start for the Ocean Globe Race fleet leaving Cowes, UK

Despite some unforcast rain shortly before the start, an impressive and eclectic spectator flotilla gathered to see the fleet off, with a slightly authentic Whitbread-era air of chaos as the 14 race yachts milled around pre-start amongst RIBS, race yachts, classics, spectator ferries, and a vintage steam ship.

Nevertheless, all fourteen got away cleanly without incident and were swiftly demonstrating some old-school boat handling skills: Galiana WithSecure hoisting her blooper sail shortly after the downwind start, while L’Esprit d’Équipe demonstrated a twin-pole gybe.

Iconic Ocean Globe Race entries

The Ocean Globe Race has attracted some truly legendary yachts. Most famous on this side of the Channel – and certainly attracting the greatest spectator flotilla – is Tracy Edwards ’ Maiden . The Bruce Farr-designed 58-footer, which twice competed in the Whitbread Round the World Race, is the only all-female team in the race, repeating the history of Tracy Edwards’ famous 1989 race, and is skippered by Heather Thomas.

After falling into near total disrepair, Maiden was rescued by Edwards and had a major refit in 2017/18 ahead of a world tour to raise funds and awareness for girls’ education. In order to bring her back into race trim additional bunks have been added, as Maiden will race with a crew of 12, a new sail wardrobe, additional heating for the Southern Ocean stages.

Thomas said: “We’ve really pitched her towards winning the race, performance wise we’ve got four different headsails, four different spinnakers, so we’re really going to be pushing her to her limit to try and beat Marie [Taberly] and Pen Duick , and Neptune and Translated and all of them! So we’re really trying to push as hard as we can.”

Whilst Maiden has broken many glass ceilings, an all-female team has never won a crewed around the world race, so that is the team’s ultimate goal.

The iconic Ocean Globe Race yacht Pen Duick VI, skippered by Marie Tabarly, is one of the hardest raced entrants in recent years, here competing in the Rolex Fastnet Race. Credit: Kurt Arrigo/Rolex

Maiden is racing in the highly competitive Flyer class, which also includes the iconic French yacht Pen Duick VI , led by Marie Taberly, daughter of French sailing legend, Éric Tabarly. Like Maiden , Pen Duick VI had been on a world tour, the Elemen’Terre project, raising awareness of environmental and social issues through activities including art and performance.

At 73ft Pen Duick VI was designed by André Mauric and built for the 1973/4 Whitbread Round the World Race and had a major refit ahead in 2011/12 as well as updates for her round the world project. It has retained many of its original features, including industrial hatches, coffee grinders, and twin cockpits.

Also in the Flyer class is another Mauric design, the 1977 Neptune , which raced in the 1977-78 Whitbread Race to 8th place. The French team includes Bertrand Delhom, who aims to become the first sailor with Parkinson’s disease to race around the world.

Translated 9, previously raced in the 1977 Whitbread Round the World Race as ADC Accutrac by British skipper, Clare Francis, training ahead of the 2023 Ocean Globe Race.

Another famous British woman skipper’s yacht is now racing as Translated 9 in the Flyer class, having originally sailed as ADC Accutrac , skippered by Clare Francis, to 5th place in the 1977/78 Whitbread Round the World Race.

Translated is a Swan 65 which has been impressively refitted with a lengthy build up campaign to the race, and is likely to be a strong contender. The crew is primarily made up of amateur sailors who applied to take part, but includes experienced Italian skipper/owner Marco Trombetti and his son Nico as First Mate. It also includes 2022 Golden Globe Race veteran, Simon Curwen, who took line honours in the race and was first in the Chichester Class.

The fifth boat to make up the Flyer class is another Whitbread class winner, the Briand-designed L’Esprit d’Équipe , which won class in the 1985/86 edition of the race. L’Esprit d’Équipe is skippered by pro racer and boat builder Lionel Regnier.

The 14 Ocean Globe Race yachts, including seven former Whitbread entrants, assembled in Ocean Village, Southampton. Credit: Aida Valceanu / OGR2023

Adventurous entrants

Nine other teams are competing in the Adventure Class (for yachts 47ft-56ft) and Sayula class (56-66ft). They include the Baltic 55, Outlaw , another Whitbread Race veteran, having raced in the 1985-86 edition as Equity and Law ; the sole American entry, a Swan 51, Godspeed , which is crewed by US military veterans; the Olin Stephens designed Explorer , which is skippered by by 2018 and 2022 Golden Globe Race veteran, Australian Mark Sinclair ; and Evrika , the Swan 65 formerly owned by Pink Floyd’s Rick Wright. Evrika is now skippered by French sailor and boat builder Dominique Dubois after the yacht he originally entered, a Swan 651 called Futuro , was blown from its cradle during Storm Gérard in February this year and written off.

The smallest yacht in the fleet is Galiana , the 1970 Swan 55 skippered by Golden Globe Race veteran Tapio Lehtinen . Lehtinen has a young crew that he carefully selected over several years of trials, as one of his key goals is to bring on young Finnish sailors, having himself competed in the 1981-82 Whitbread Race at the age of 23.

Lehtinen is well known as a classic yacht aficionado and Galiana has been lovingly restored, but was dismasted at the start of this year’s Rolex Fastnet Race. The team worked swiftly to preserve all the sails and hardware, and Galiana has a fully repaired – though less aesthetically pleasing – rig.

The Ocean Globe Race fleet heading west out of the Solent, Galiana (far right) flying a blooper downwind.

Down below the refit for the Ocean Globe Race took inspiration from yachts such as Kialoa 3 , with classic white panelling where new bunks have been added, and practical touches including air-dryers for wet kit and boots. The aft companionway was also closed off to create a drier entranceway to the living quarters and nav station, while the main saloon now has a smaller table from Lehtinen’s previous boat, his Gaia 36 Asteria – which famously sank in the Southern Indian Ocean last November.

However, it’s Galiana’s sail plan which is most remarkable, including a traditional blooper. Lehtinen admits that while it might not help her rating, he had to choose an authentic sail wardrobe from the ‘70s “Because I’m a romantic.”

Follow the Ocean Globe Race at oceangloberace.com

Superyacht Owner Adventures and 112 (37.2m) Flagship M/Y Serenity

Posted March 1, 2018 in Charter by Janine St.Denis

The 122-foot (37.2m) Flagship motor yacht SERENITY is a true testament to her name. Built in 1993, but fully refitted in 2017, SERENITY offers guests a tranquil oasis from which to explore the natural wonders of the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Eight guests are welcomed aboard for the ultimate luxury adventure — which is exactly what her owners wanted. SERENITY is their first yacht; they purchased her in 2016 and have been delighted by her ever since. Avid charterers, the owners of SERENITY were keen to explore the incredible waters from Seattle to South Alaska; for them, owning their own yacht was the next step.

They spend between six and eight weeks a year on board in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. Previously named TALOS, the owners dubbed their yacht SERENITY because “that is how we feel when we’re aboard. She is the perfect yacht for this region,” her owners say. There are lots of enclosed spaces, like the flybridge — which can be alfresco — and the skylounge, that allow you to enjoy the sights regardless of conditions. The region in which the yacht cruises is unlike the traditional tropical yachting hot spots. Which is just how her owners like it. They’re often on board in Alaska. First thing in the morning, the owner will enjoy a run on the yacht’s treadmill, then the adventures begin. SERENITY’s 29-foot Alaskan-style fishing boat, the SERENE MACHINE, is fully outfitted for exploration. It is perfectly suited to be independent of the main yacht for the day and comfortably accommodates eight people. The SERENE MACHINE has a stand-up day head and is enclosed in order to protect from the weather. The SERENE MACHINE is perfect to take guests ashore for hikes, get up-close-and-personal with glaciers, cast a line and hope to reel in the big one, and cruise alongside pods of orcas and other incredible wildlife. “We’ve had it only one season,” the owners say, “and it opened up the utility of the yacht in ways you never imagined.”

One of the owners’ favorite aspects of the yacht is the on-deck master. “It’s a huge plus as opposed to being downstairs,” they say, but also mention, “The yacht has great spaces for gathering with everyone on board, but it also has places perfect for some quiet time to read a book or watch the scenery go by.”

SERENITY’s owners love Alaska and Puget Sound; this region is their favorite cruising destination. “The beauty and the wildlife are incomparable to anywhere we’ve ever been,” they say. “From the islands and changing nature of the landscape to seeing whales, otters, eagles and bears, to going fishing and crabbing, there’s so much to do — we love enjoying the many things that part of the country has to offer.” Another favorite cruising location for SERENITY’s owners is New England along the Penobscot Bay of Maine and farther north into Canada. They also enjoy The Bahamas, specifically the Exumas — they really love the fishing there. But they maintain that no matter where else they have cruised, Alaska is by far the most unique. “It’s constantly changing and always surprising you,” they maintain, adding, “There’s one spot in Red Bluff Bay where you can nose the yacht to a tidal waterfall then cruise a couple of hundred yards and spot a bear fishing in a meadow, then in a few more hundred yards, you drop the shrimp pods to catch dinner.”

SERENITY is the perfect yacht in the perfect location for her owners. They enjoy every moment aboard and they offer her for charter, allowing guests to relish the luxury and incredible location that go hand-in-hand with SERENITY. “She was on the charter market when we bought her,” the owners say. “We expected to be aboard between six and eight weeks a year in Alaska and with her already consistent charter following, it made sense for us to make her available to others in those incredible waters. The responses from clients who cruise in that area are always the same — they are blown away. Unless you’ve spent a lot of time up there, it’s unlike anything you’ve experienced before. We also get a lot of compliments on our incredible crew, but what guests talk about most are their experiences in the hidden bays in which they anchor, and the incredible opportunities SERENE MACHINE has opened up.”

Charter guests get to enjoy everything from fishing to wildlife spotting — “one group of charter guests were out on SERENE MACHINE when a pod of orcas came by,” the owners say. “One of the whales was swimming on its back under the boat, getting a belly scratch from the keel.” Another favorite memory for guests is cruising past glaciers and picking up a piece of floating ice for cocktails that evening.

The captain and crew of SERENITY further enhance the onboard experience. From the captain with a 20-year Navy career and lots of big-boat experience to the chef who creates incredible Alaskan feasts from the fresh fish caught by the guests that day, the crew up the ante aboard SERENITY, ensuring an enjoyable, five-star experience for all.

After all, yachting is all about having fun! “We love being on the water,” the owners of SERENITY say. And their yacht allows them total flexibility and total peacefulness. “We love to anchor out in a beautiful bay with nothing around us but nature.”

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Ecosystem Kalinka

Luxury real estate in Russia, Europe, Asia and Middle East for a comfortable life and profitable investment. Our team — it is an association of market professionals, innovations and digital technologies, traditions and continuous development.

In the premium real estate market

Share of the moscow market, clients, including the forbes list, objects in the company's database., market experts work in the company, cumulative revenue, company turnover per year, the most expensive penthouse sold, ekaterina rumyantseva.

CEO of Kalinka Ecosystem

Our Mission: Tradition & Innovation

Pre–sale preparations

• Examination of competitors' sales
• Securing our sales plan
• Creation of a sales office
• Product training for brokers
• Development of efficient financial instruments
• Developing sales incentives

• Implementation of sales plan
• Premium brokerage/ brokers school
• Own client base
• Sales funnel management
• Mortgage broker services
• Legal support
• Monitoring of all stages of implementation

After–sales service

• Working with accounts receivable
• Informing the customer about the project status
• Working with customer reviews
• Loyalty programs
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International recognition

Aldar Properties

TOP Performing Dubai Agency

TOP 15 Performing Agency

Envoy Category

AZIZI Developments

TOP Performing Agency New Grade Reached

Select Group

TOP Performing Agent Runner Up

#1 Agen Newcomer of the Year

TOP Performing Sales Agent Ambassador Category

New grade reached Consul Category

Rolls–Royce

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY MARKETING RUSSIA

2021 – 2022

Awwards Winner

2019 – 2020

BEST REAL ESTATE AGENCY SINGLE OFFICE MOSCOW

REAL ESTATE AGENCY MOSCOW

2018 – 2019

2017 – 2018

official airline partner

The Telegraph

2016 – 2017

Rolls–Royce motor cards

2014 – 2015

in association with

Virgin Atlantic

PROPERTY CONSULTANCY RUSSIA

2013 – 2014

Best real estate company for high price category real estate according to the magazine «Novyy Adres»

First place in the Forbes rating № 4 (25). Leader in the number of closed deals in the segment of high-budget real estate according to the survey of NVM Business Consulting.

First place in the real estate market records award in the category of «Professional pride» with the project «Dvoryanskoye Gnezdo».

Only Russian company to win in three «International Property Awards» nominations.

Best real estate agency in Russia according to the «Premio Internazionale Le Fonti» award. Winner of two «International Property Awards» nominations.

Best real estate agency in Russia according to the «International Property Awards» with the presence of representatives of The Daily Telegraph.

First place in the «European Property Awards» in «Real Estate Agency Marketing for Russia». A high appraisal of an important part of the company’s work — management of marketing and sales of real estate developers.

First place in the «European Property Awards» in «Real Estate Agency for Moscow, Russia»

Best company in both Real estate and Marketing according to the «European Property Awards»

Solutions for developers, investors and buyers

Urgent buyout of distress-assets, apartments trade-in, accurate assessment with ai, investors club, apartments for sale, investing in redevelopment.

«Working daily with buyers and sellers of real estate. We know everything, from the customer’s first call up to the final sales.»

Ekaterina Rumyantseva,

our own full-time team of analysts and investment advisors

Created and implemented more than 200 consulting projects, analysis of the target group behavior utilizing a modern crm system, analysis of 1,000 customer requests and 300 transactions per year, own real estate database, updated daily, purchase and support of related databases, data on real estate lots in “closed sales”, information about the actual transaction sum and bargaining, kalinka realty.

Buying, selling and renting real estate

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Complex solutions for developers

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Legal support and audit

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Professional selection of architects and designers

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Reviews of the real estate market in Moscow and MO

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Current webinars and  situation in market

Kalinka International

Profitable investment. Citizenship and residence permit

30% of real estate transactions are not done after the purchase decision has been made. That’s why we maintain a constant dialogue with the buyer, lawyers, mortgage brokers and designers, to study the needs and implement the solution.

Our Partners

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Investment companies

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Programs for any purpose:

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Kalinka Dubai

• Buying property in the UAE
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No income tax, high return on investment, full ownership.

The Ritz-Carlton Residences

Collection of luxury residences

UAE, Dubai, Dubai International Financial Center, Al Sukuk Street, 9/1

The complex is located on the coast of the picturesque bay of Dubai Creek, where the world-famous Ras Al Khor flamingo and wildlife sanctuary is located. A unique location among mangrove forests, small lagoons and lakes combines peace and tranquility with the advantages of a large metropolis.

Rent – Start of sales.year

DAMAC Lagoons

Family low-rise residential complex

UAE, Dubai, Dubai Land, El Hebia Fift

Family low-rise residential complex in the spirit of the Mediterranean cities in the depths of Dubai. Convenient location allows you to get to large shopping centers, business clusters and offices of international companies in 20 minutes. Nearby are medical facilities, schools, an equestrian club, golf courses and the Dubai Sports City multifunctional complex.

Rent – year

DAMAC Cavalli Tower

UAE, Dubai, Dubai Media City

Elite residential complex on the west coast of Dubai, in the prestigious Al Sufuh area.

Atlantis The Royal Resort & Residences

Complex in the center of the Palm Jumeirah crescent

UAE, Dubai, Jumeirah, Palm JumeirahUnited Arab Emirates, Dubai, Jumeirah, Palm Jumeirah

Luxury residential complex in the center of the crescent of the Palm Jumeirah in Dubai. The developed infrastructure of the man-made island is impressive: gourmet restaurants, modern fitness studios, luxurious wellness clubs, shops and boutiques in Nakheel Mall. Well-maintained walking and jogging paths stretch along the many kilometers of beaches with snow-white sands.

Canal-front luxury serviced apartments

UAE, Emirate of Dubai, Zabeel, Business Bay

Luxury canal-front serviced apartments in the heart of Dubai.

W Residences Dubai Downtown

Complex in the prestigious Downtown area

UAE, Dubai, Zabeel, Burj Khalifa

Elite residential complex in the prestigious Downtown area, in the center of Dubai.

Kalinka Turkey

• Elite real estate
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Get a selection of foreign investment offers

Moscow exclusive properties, 6 unique projects, popular areas of moscow, secure business transactions, developed infrastructure.

Sociocultural cluster with modern apartment buildings

Zvenigorodskaya 2nd st., 12

The residential quarter is located on an area of 4.5 hectares, 200 meters from the Ulitsa 1905 Goda metro station, surrounded by parks: Krasnaya Presnya, Krasnogvardeyskie Prudy, the December Uprising Park and the Presnensky Childrens Park

Poklonnaya 9

Premium apartment house

Poklonnaya st., 9

he complex is located in a prestigious location in the west of the capital. Panoramic windows offer magnificent views of Victory Park, Sparrow Hills and Moscow City towers.

Victory Park Residences

Elite family residences in the west of the capital

Brothers Fonchenko st., vl. 3

he complex is surrounded by green parks and iconic sights of the city. Panoramic windows offer magnificent views of Poklonnaya Gora, the Triumphal Arch and City skyscrapers.

Capital Towers

Residential skyscrapers 500 meters from Moscow City

Krasnopresnenskaya emb., 14, building 1

A 10-minute walk from the metro stations "International" and "Vystavochnaya", a little further - the platform of the MCC "Business Center" and "Testovskaya" of the first Moscow diameter. For motorists, convenient exits to the Third Ring Road and the Garden Ring are located 6 minutes from the complex.

Neva Towers

Complex on the territory of the business center Moscow-City

Krasnogvardeisky 1st pr-d, 17-18

Panoramic windows offer direct views of the legendary Ukraina Hotel, the Government House and the embankments of the Moscow River. Residents have access to the entire infrastructure of the business district within a 10-minute walk. Afimall shopping center, multiplex cinema, cafes and restaurants, fitness studios, beauty salons and viewing platforms.

Club city on the river

Volokolamskoe sh., vl. 71/12

Moskvoretsky Park is a 5-minute walk away. In 10 minutes by car - the parks Shodnya, Pokrovskoe-Streshnevo and Stroginsky. A grandiose sports infrastructure is planned on the territory of the peninsula: more than 30 types of activities in one location and three yacht clubs in the neighborhood.

Community participation

PR and Media

Kalinka is in the TOP-3 in terms of citation in  the media in the elite real estate market and in the TOP-5 of business class and investment segment. Monthly number of publications mentioning Kalinka  — 250-300. Main sources: RBC, Forbes, Vedomosti, Kommersant, BFM, Elitnoe.ru. Joint analytics and press releases with leading Moscow developers: Insigma, AEON, Level Group and others. The Kalinka press service is always open to the media: journalists can be sure of comments, interviews and expert opinions. We promptly respond to requests and help the editors in the preparation of objective and high-quality materials.

A fifth of the entire interior improvement in the premium segment is created in the area of Minskaya Street

According to research of the Kalinka Ecosystem, the total area of internal landscaping in 40 projects on the premium real estate market in Moscow is 43.5 hectares.

Russians remain the leaders in buying Turkish real estate

Russians still occupy the first place in the demand for real estate in Turkey among foreigners. However, compared to 2022, there is a decrease in demand from our fellow citizens by 17%.

"Obydensky No. 1" became the best-selling club house in Moscow

According to a study of the Kalinka ecosystem, sales in 11 club houses started in the capital in 2023. The leader in sales was the club house "Obydenskiy No. 1", in other projects clients purchased on average four times fewer apartments.

The Kalinka ecosystem has summed up the results of its first year of operation in the UAE.

The Kalinka ecosystem has strengthened its top management team.

In two regional divisions of the company - Kalinka Turkiye and Kalinka Middle East - new sales directors have been appointed.

Kalinka Middle East has received several awards from a leading developer in Abu Dhabi.

The company won in several nominations as a developer of Aldar Properties and has been included among the best real estate agencies in Abu Dhabi.

Stay up to date with the latest news

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CEO of International consulting company Kalinka

Alexey Chumalov

General manager of Kalinka Moscow

Alexander Shibaev

General manager of Kalinka Middle East

Yulia Kovaleva

City real estate manager

Polina Medelyanovskaya

Denis Trusov

Dmitry Mezhinsky

Mikhail Dolgov

Head of Country Property Department

On board Gene Machine and Gene Chaser with scientist Dr Jonathan Rothberg

Accomplished DNA sequencing scientist, Dr Jonathan Rothberg, owner of 55m Gene Machine and support vessel Gene Chaser discusses the next stage of his journey, including refitting a Damen support boat as an additional floating laboratory...

Dr Jonathan Rothberg is a man on a mission. His goal is to “feed, fuel and heal the world”, a phrase he uses as a mantra as he leads me on an action-packed tour of his newest boat, Gene Chaser , on a hot day in June. It is the support vessel to the 55-metre Amels Gene Machine , which he took to the polar region in 2017. The trip showed the whole family, including his five children, a world that is being redrawn by global heating.

“You could talk to people that remembered when islands that we saw were peninsulas. Global warming was measurable and tangible to the whole family, and so we decided to put a laboratory on the Gene Machine, ” he says. “Our goal was to use what nature had developed over the past four billion years of evolution and look for genetic elements that could help us with global warning and find genes that evolved to break down plastics. The bulk of the world’s medicines come from plants or living organisms and we really wanted to figure out how to feed, fuel and heal the world through the genetic variations.” With the onboard lab also came a land-based company that would focus on the environment. “We were making wonderful progress,” he says. But then Covid-19 appeared.

When the world hit a collective pause in March 2020, so did that line of research. An airborne virus spreading freely – and no systematic way of tracking it – became the scientist’s top priority. For the bulk of 2020 he spent time on Gene Machine with his family, crew and visiting scientists, trying to come up with the fastest way to develop a reliable test anyone could easily do at home.

“I realised what we really needed to do was to make a rapid diagnostic, not just for Covid-19, but for the next thing,” he says. “Something that would be universal, that could be reprogrammed, that could be in anyone’s house and that you could use to instantly diagnose people,” he says. When the work encroached into their private lives on board as more people joined the effort, he decided it was time to upgrade the floating lab. “We realised that we needed a dedicated boat for these efforts.”

And that boat is where we meet on this hot day in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. It’s easy to spot Gene Chaser with its characteristic axe bow, large open deck and colourful symbols that mirror the nameplate on the side of Gene Machine .

There isn’t much time for my tour; the boat is leaving within 48 hours to get to New York, where Rothberg and his team will celebrate the introduction of Quantum-Si, a “next-generation protein sequencing platform” he launched a few years ago, on the Nasdaq Stock Market (it is now trading under the symbol QSI). The next day, he is travelling to Cape Canaveral for the launch of SpaceX’s Falcon 9 rocket, which is on a resupply mission to the International Space Station. The rocket’s payload includes the Butterfly IQ, the world’s first handheld ultrasound machine. “A device that was tested on Gene Machine is going into space,” he says, with what I interpret as genuine wonder.

Butterfly IQ is one of eight companies he’s founded in the past 10 years under the umbrella of the startup accelerator 4Catalyzer, intent on improving the world’s access to top-of-the-line diagnostic tools. Some of it sounds like the stuff of science fiction (Quantum-Si uses the power of semiconductors to sequence proteins and advance the discovery of new drugs), but as a pioneer in high-speed next-gen DNA sequencing, he has long worked at the intersection of biology, engineering and computer science with tangible results.

Gene Chaser will allow him to continue the work he’s done on land and offshore aboard Gene Machine , but on a bigger scale. He’s had her modified to host visiting scientists and academics. The boat has two laboratories, one enclosed and air-conditioned, the other housed in an open hangar. On the day we meet, the hangar is filled with crates stamped with the names of Hyperfine, the maker of the first FDA-approved portable MRI machine and brain monitor. It too is a successful endeavour and will also be traded on the Nasdaq (symbol HYPR).

“We had a contest to name the boat,” he says. “I wanted to call it Gene Lab, because it would be a laboratory, but Hunter (Hopkins, a member of the crew) came up with the name Gene Chaser . Everybody voted and that won. It made sense because one, these are traditionally known as chase boats and two, we are literally chasing for genes that can solve the world’s toughest problems.”

The transformation of Blue Ocean , which Damen built on spec as the eighth in its 55-metre YS 5009 series of yacht support vessels, into Gene Chaser began in the Netherlands. The shipyard had planned the interior for eight guests, four staff and crew with a few interior tweaks befitting the yachting experience, but with its new mission as a floating lab and business incubator, they had to tweak the space. The former main deck lounge, initially envisioned as a comfortable crew or guest hangout space, became a wet and dry laboratory.

“When the Gene Chaser came over from Holland, I had a few meetings on it, which was great,” says Rothberg. “But we also realised that if the Gene Machine is run like a Four Seasons, we really needed to run the Gene Chaser more like a Holiday Inn Express (with self-service breakfast, lunch or dinner) and so we’ve spent the last month outfitting it so it could be much more self-sufficient.”

A marathon refit at the Lauderdale Marine Center shipyard added an upper deck enclosure in polycarbonate and aluminium, plus on the main deck, a converted shipping container that can hold an all-terrain vehicle and other toys (or serve as a bar for an event) and a hot tub. An additional sheltered lounge on the foredeck, which would require relocating emergency rafts from their original location, was completed at the Newport Shipyard in August.

Gene Chaser ’s captain, Brook O’Neill, who was an architect before he got into yachting full time, worked with Engineered Yacht Solutions (EYS) and other Fort Lauderdale-based contractors on the modifications.

“We wanted people to work hard and play hard,” says Rothberg, who decided the more utilitarian garage/beach club/dive centre should become a guest-friendly space. To achieve that, Captain O’Neill devised horizontal slats in teak that conceal machinery and had touches of stainless steel, storage and a dive locker added. Beyond this space is the commercial-grade engine room with seven yellow Caterpillars (four engines, three generators), which is Rothberg’s favourite space on board.

“This is really a speedboat,” he says. “We had it to 40 kilometres an hour and because of the bow, instead of pitching, it just cut right through and it was amazing. The 42 Fjord was barely able to keep up with it once we were over one-metre sea.” He is equally enthusiastic about a corridor lined with pipes, pumps and manifolds. “It reminds me of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea ,” he says. The Jules Verne novel also provided the names of the comfortable and tidy guest cabins.

Walking through the guest areas is a pleasant experience, and not just because they offer a reprieve from the harsh sun on this day. O’Neill sourced from Florida-based Creative Designs, a cushioned synthetic material for the floor, which is easy to maintain, comfortable underfoot and a good way to keep the noise down.

Quiet is a must on a boat dedicated to research and much of that research will happen in the main laboratory, a clean and bright space surrounded by windows. Glass-enclosed robots are the most obvious tools, which will assist the four full-time people working aboard. “We can set up an experiment and then do it one hundred times,” Rothberg explains.

Also on the shelf are neat piles of white boxes labelled Detect, filled with rapid-diagnostic molecular tests. These resulted from the work that began on Gene Machine in March 2020. “We’ve been a Covid bubble since June of last year and the crew tested every day, sometimes twice a day,” he says. “On three or four occasions, we caught someone positive, but the tests are so sensitive that you can detect [the virus] 30 hours before people start to spread it. They are molecular tests that detect the genetic code of the virus and because they are molecular tests, if there is a new outbreak, in two weeks we can reprogramme them for different strains or pathogens. We have had zero false positives.”

Dr Rothberg, who is active on Twitter, documented their early efforts to come up with a rapid, reliable, universally available test. It attracted the attention of MIT graduate, computer scientist and entrepreneur Hugo Barra, who for several years led Facebook’s VR development.

“He called me in March when I started the project and said, ‘Jonathan, you have a band of pirates,’ and I thought that was funny because we were on a boat. He said ‘That’s great, but we have to make it a real business because the world needs a shield to protect us from these outbreaks.’” Since then, the company Rothberg started with volunteers was renamed Detect and has raised millions. Barra is now the company CEO. “They’ve done beautiful work,” Rothberg says.

The test that kept Gene Machine free of infection is awaiting FDA approval for use in the US. When will it be approved? “I can’t speculate on the government, nor am I allowed to,” he says with a frank laugh.

By now I am duly and fully impressed, but he has one more thing he wants to show me, the prototype of a hoverboard developed by his 10-year-old, Jacob. This invention will “test everyone’s belief system”, he says. “My son over a year ago was looking at the jet surfs and he said,  ‘Why can’t we build one that flies instead of riding on the water?’ So he built a working prototype that would fly.” The next step was to make it fly with solar power. This invention led to the creation of yet another company, named Electric Future. Since that day in June, the new prototype has had its first test flight.

Rothberg’s posts about Gene Chaser have attracted many positive comments, although one member of the Twittersphere questioned the value of such an investment for shareholders. With two companies going public within a few months, life-saving inventions tested on the boat and other breakthroughs in the works, the question seems to answer itself.

This feature is taken from the November 2021 issue of BOAT International. Get this magazine sent straight to your door, or subscribe and never miss an issue.

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Moscow Raceway

• 2012 to date

Circuit Overview

Moscow Raceway owes its existence to Russia's desire to host a Formula One race but seems destined to lose out to Sochi and the Igora Drive circuits for the foreseeable future.

Boasting a full FIA Grade 1 Grand Prix layout and and FIM Grade B circuit, the track was initially successful at attracting a range of high-profile championships, from the World Superbikes to World Touring Cars, the DTM and the Blancpain World Series.  One by one these have dropped off the schedule, however, leaving the circuit to host mainly national level events, albeit the most important on Russian racing scene.

Circuit History

Plans for a street race in the Russian capital were first mooted in the 1980s and a Grand Prix of the Soviet Union did in fact make it onto the draft F1 calendar for 1983. However, bureaucratic barriers prevented the Grand Prix from being held, and the race was dropped.

Two decades later, new plans were advanced for a permanent circuit on an island in the Molzhaninovsky area in the north of the city. These received backing from the Moscow mayor, and F1 circuit designer Hermann Tilke was engaged to design the facility. Construction was due to start on November 30th, 2001. However, the mayor rejected the commercial contract offered by Bernie Ecclestone and construction was delayed. It was eventually abandoned altogether in January 2003 and the land turned over to a hotel, yacht marina and golf course instead.

By 2008 momentum had built again for a new project, intended to host both F1 and MotoGP events and located around 90 minutes from the capital. Hermann Tilke was again employed to design the permanent facility. Unlike previous attempts, this project became a reality and on October 1, 2008 a delegation including F1 driver David Coulthard witnessed the ceremonial laying of the first stone.

Construction continued throughout the next few years, supervised by Tilke. After initially signing a deal with Bernie Ecclestone in 2008, the project was dropped from the 2010 Formula 1 calendar in early 2009, and construction stopped. Work resumed in June 2010, with the new contractor agreeing to complete the road section of the track. By September 2011, all asphalt laying had been completed, and construction of the associated pit, support and medical buildings was being undertaken.

When the full circuit and all of its infrastructure was completed in July 2012, it had cost a total of 4.5 billion rubles. Tilke had designed a technical circuit featuring a 873 metres long back straight – among the longest allowable under modern track design guidelines – which would see Formula One cars achieve a theoretical 193mph.

When presented for inspection, the circuit achieved FIA 1(T) status, allowing for Formula One testing and all categories of racing below this. However, the FIM only granted Grade B status, one below the expected level for motorcycle. This still allows for the raceway's inclusion on the World Superbike calendar, though further work will be required before MotoGP could visit.  Subsequently, the track has achieved FIA Grade 1 status, allowing for full Formula One races to take place.

A total of 18 variations of the circuit can be run, from the full Grand Prix course, to shorter 'sprint' variations and a small 'club' circuit utilising the western end only. World Superbikes have utilised the FIM GP course, as has the Renault World Series and WTCC from 2013 onwards (the Renault series' had previously used GP1),  while the DTM makes use of the shorter Sprint Circuit 4.

Tragedy struck the circuit during the first visit of the World Superbike Championships in 2013. During the first lap of the supporting World Supersport race, Italian rider Andrea Antonelli lost control on a slick track during torrential rain. He fell to the ground where he was struck by fellow Italian rider Lorenzo Zanetti, dying from his injuries later the same day. Criticism was levelled at race organisers for beginning the race in such conditions, while the circuit fell under scrutiny for what some felt was inadequate drainage – both claims strongly rejected by championship promoters, Dorna.

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Plan a visit

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Planning a visit to Moscow Raceway? Find the best deals near to the circuit on hotels, apartments and rooms to rent from the map below.

Tip: You can also find the best local restaurants and deals on other nearby attractions by clicking on the logo in the top left of the map.

Moscow Raceway is located within 90 minutes drive of central Moscow and 20 minutes drive from Volokolamsk.  Moscow's three international airports are within easy reach of the circuit - Sheremetyevo and Vnukovo are both around a 60 mile drive, while Domodedovo is around 90 miles away.

Travelling by car from Moscow, take Novorizhskoye highway (M9) or Volokolamskoye highway and drive for 60 miles/95 km, and then follow the turn sign for Moscow Raceway.   The journey usually takes 90 minutes.

You can also travel by train from Moscow. Take a train from Rizhsky train station to Chismena (2 hours 10 minutes). During international events free shuttle buses are available from the station to the track and back.

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Cruising the Moskva River: A short guide to boat trips in Russia’s capital

There’s hardly a better way to absorb Moscow’s atmosphere than on a ship sailing up and down the Moskva River. While complicated ticketing, loud music and chilling winds might dampen the anticipated fun, this checklist will help you to enjoy the scenic views and not fall into common tourist traps.

How to find the right boat?

There are plenty of boats and selecting the right one might be challenging. The size of the boat should be your main criteria.

Plenty of small boats cruise the Moskva River, and the most vivid one is this yellow Lay’s-branded boat. Everyone who has ever visited Moscow probably has seen it.

This option might leave a passenger disembarking partially deaf as the merciless Russian pop music blasts onboard. A free spirit, however, will find partying on such a vessel to be an unforgettable and authentic experience that’s almost a metaphor for life in modern Russia: too loud, and sometimes too welcoming. Tickets start at $13 (800 rubles) per person.

Bigger boats offer smoother sailing and tend to attract foreign visitors because of their distinct Soviet aura. Indeed, many of the older vessels must have seen better days. They are still afloat, however, and getting aboard is a unique ‘cultural’ experience. Sometimes the crew might offer lunch or dinner to passengers, but this option must be purchased with the ticket. Here is one such  option  offering dinner for $24 (1,490 rubles).

If you want to travel in style, consider Flotilla Radisson. These large, modern vessels are quite posh, with a cozy restaurant and an attentive crew at your service. Even though the selection of wines and food is modest, these vessels are still much better than other boats.

Surprisingly, the luxurious boats are priced rather modestly, and a single ticket goes for $17-$32 (1,100-2,000 rubles); also expect a reasonable restaurant bill on top.

How to buy tickets?

Women holding photos of ships promise huge discounts to “the young and beautiful,” and give personal invitations for river tours. They sound and look nice, but there’s a small catch: their ticket prices are usually more than those purchased online.

“We bought tickets from street hawkers for 900 rubles each, only to later discover that the other passengers bought their tickets twice as cheap!”  wrote  (in Russian) a disappointed Rostislav on a travel company website.

Nevertheless, buying from street hawkers has one considerable advantage: they personally escort you to the vessel so that you don’t waste time looking for the boat on your own.

Prices start at $13 (800 rubles) for one ride, and for an additional $6.5 (400 rubles) you can purchase an unlimited number of tours on the same boat on any given day.

Flotilla Radisson has official ticket offices at Gorky Park and Hotel Ukraine, but they’re often sold out.

Buying online is an option that might save some cash. Websites such as  this   offer considerable discounts for tickets sold online. On a busy Friday night an online purchase might be the only chance to get a ticket on a Flotilla Radisson boat.

This  website  (in Russian) offers multiple options for short river cruises in and around the city center, including offbeat options such as ‘disco cruises’ and ‘children cruises.’ This other  website  sells tickets online, but doesn’t have an English version. The interface is intuitive, however.

Buying tickets online has its bad points, however. The most common is confusing which pier you should go to and missing your river tour.

“I once bought tickets online to save with the discount that the website offered,” said Igor Shvarkin from Moscow. “The pier was initially marked as ‘Park Kultury,’ but when I arrived it wasn’t easy to find my boat because there were too many there. My guests had to walk a considerable distance before I finally found the vessel that accepted my tickets purchased online,” said the man.

There are two main boarding piers in the city center:  Hotel Ukraine  and  Park Kultury . Always take note of your particular berth when buying tickets online.

Where to sit onboard?

Even on a warm day, the headwind might be chilly for passengers on deck. Make sure you have warm clothes, or that the crew has blankets ready upon request.

The glass-encased hold makes the tour much more comfortable, but not at the expense of having an enjoyable experience.

Getting off the boat requires preparation as well. Ideally, you should be able to disembark on any pier along the way. In reality, passengers never know where the boat’s captain will make the next stop. Street hawkers often tell passengers in advance where they’ll be able to disembark. If you buy tickets online then you’ll have to research it yourself.

There’s a chance that the captain won’t make any stops at all and will take you back to where the tour began, which is the case with Flotilla Radisson. The safest option is to automatically expect that you’ll return to the pier where you started.

If using any of Russia Beyond's content, partly or in full, always provide an active hyperlink to the original material.

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$60,000,000 worth NASCAR team owner roasts Denny Hamlin's choice of jeans: "The man could afford a pair of pants"

F ollowing Denny Hamlin and Joe Gibbs Racing's dominant outing at the Bristol Motor Speedway last weekend, team owner Coach Gibbs was in a jovial mood at a team gathering and poked fun at Hamlin's attire.

The #11 Joe Gibbs Racing Toyota driver took his second consecutive victory at the half-mile oval, despite the concrete oval throwing a curveball during the Food City 500. Hamlin emerged supreme in the tire preservation race to take his 52nd Cup Series career win.

The following day, members of the Joe Gibbs Racing team gathered to celebrate Denny Hamlin's victory and raise his 52nd banner at their headquarters in Huntersville, North Carolina. The 43-year-old arrived in a pair of torn jeans, which caught the attention of his team owner Coach Gibbs.

The 83-year-old team owner, worth $60 million, poked fun at Hamlin's choice of jeans. He ridiculed that the 52-time NASCAR Cup race winner couldn't afford a pair of pants. He jokingly said in the team meeting:

"He's at 52 banners up on the wall and you would think after all these years, the man could afford a pair of pants but... I'll let him go ahead and finish up."

Watch the video shared by Joe Gibbs Racing below:

Following their dominant outing at Phoenix Raceway, the Joe Gibbs Racing Toyotas were the class of the field at Bristol Motor Speedway. The four drivers paraded at the front of the pack for much of the race.

Denny Hamlin led a race-high 163 laps, while Joe Gibbs's grandson Ty, swept both stages and led 137 laps but suffered from excessive tire wear. Martin Truex Jr . challenged Hamlin for the win and settled for a second-place finish, while Gibbs and Christopher Bell were classified ninth and tenth respectively.

Denny Hamlin proud of his victory at Bristol Motor Speedway

The 500-lap race at the half-mile oval descended into chaos as excessive tire degradation meant drivers' tire preservation skills were put to the test.

Denny Hamlin held off his teammate Martin Truex Jr. in the final stint, to take his 52nd Cup victory and the one he is most proud of. He said in his post-race interview (via speedwaydigest.com ):

"Way more proud. I know I had such a huge role in the result. If the car was not good, I wasn't going to win. But I fell like I played a huge factor in the result. It's really a proud one for me. Certainly one of the more proud ones I've had in my career, no question."

Hamlin suggested that the recent race at Bristol was one of the few events in a long while, where the driver made the difference behind the wheel. He reckoned it all came down to the technique instead of driving flat out each lap.