Founded in 2014, Yacht Harbour has now gone through nearly 3 years of rapid growth, packed with milestones and interesting events. In this list are 11 things about Yacht Harbour that are not widely known, but we thought were interesting enough to share.
#1 Yacht Harbour started as an Instagram channel
Even though Yacht Harbour's initial plan was to build a web platform for a marketplace of yachts for sale, the company started an Instagram account in August 2014 to get some sort of traction, ahead of the launch of its website in December of that year.
At a time when no yachting media companies were on the platform, the strategy proved successful and saw Yacht Harbour get to 10,000 followers in under 4 months. This, in turn, proved instrumental to getting the first users to Yacht Harbour.
#2 We power instant results for a Top 5 search engine
Another little known fact about Yacht Harbour is that the company's index powers an instant result snippet for search engine, DuckDuckGo. One of the 5 available search settings on an iPhone, DuckDuckGo is a search engine built with privacy in mind.
Any user searching for a particular yacht on the platform, will see on top of search results an image of the yacht with it's main specifications, which DuckDuckGo displays using an API built by Yacht Harbour on top of its database for the search engine.
#3 News coverage was first meant as a content marketing play
Even though our audience is now spread evenly across its superyacht marketplace and its news section, Yacht Harbour's editorial coverage was started only in October 2015 to act as a content marketing vehicle for its search platform.
Despite these plans, news coverage rapidly evolved and grew to serve the purposes of a true media company, which Yacht Harbour has since become. Stories broken by our news department are now often used as sources by international media such as the BBC, CNBC and others.
#4 We built a chat bot to answer any yachting question
Developed in a wave of growing excitement over chat bots, Brook became the first chat bot in yachting that used a combination of machine learning, natural language recognition and big data to answer any question related to yacht.
Although Brook was since retired due to a lack of users, Yacht Harbour did manage to build a working version, answering over 80% of asked questions. Its original interface can still be seen here. When live it was even accessible from the Telegram messaging platform.
#5 Our content can be found on Forbes and Business Insider
As part of its content distribution strategy, Yacht Harbour struck deals with Business Insider to distribute part of its English-language content and to contribute stories to the French and Russian versions of Forbes.
With news stories around yachting and articles trying to open up the field to a more general audience, this content was read over 2 million times so far in 2017.
#6 We ran a crowdfunding campaign in our first year
Far from today's peak of attention around ICOs, Yacht Harbour ran a crowdfunding campaign in 2015 as an experiment, ahead of the launch of its charter marketplace to offer heavily discounted deals and lifetime advantages for participants.
Through the campaign, Yacht Harbour raised just under $3,000 from a series of contributors. The value of some the items offered then by Yacht Harbour has grown over 1,000x today.
#7 We get 10 million impressions of our content every month
Having rapidly grown from the 23 visitors Yacht Harbour on the day of it's launch, the company's combined channels now reach over 10 million impressions every month. This figure includes Yacht Harbour's website traffic, social media reach and audience on third-party platforms.
#8 There are sometimes easter eggs on Yacht Harbour
Sometimes overtaken by the holiday spirit, Yacht Harbour's homepage can sometimes change to adopt a special skin for limited times as seen above. So far, the company has dressed up its website for Halloween, Christmas and New Year's Eve but other events may soon be coming.
#9 One million minutes are spent watching Yacht Harbour's videos monthly
Playing an increasingly important role for any media company, videos have been a key to Yacht Harbour's success as well with over 800 days worth of videos being watched on our platform every month. The latest Black Pearl video alone reached over 3 million impressions on our network.
#10 Our Facebook page outranks its nearest competition 10 to 1
Owing much of its success to social media, Yacht Harbour has always tried to dominate the space in the superyacht sector and Facebook is currently the most reflective of this paradigm. Whereas Yacht Harbour gets 36,500 engagements on its page every week, the nearest competition currently sits at 3,300 engagements per week.
#11 It took us over 20,000 hours to build the Timeline platform
A major step forward in yacht search, Yacht Harbour's Timeline platform was launched in May 2017 after over 20,000 hours of research. The platform, compared to a Bloomberg terminal for yachting, lets its subscribers track the market in real time, discover the story behind any yacht and find the best deals on the market with big data.
Photos by Julien Hubert
Construction is still happening on the first hull in Sunseeker's 90 Ocean 27.5 metre model, which exited the shed in preparation for launch and completion. The model is underway at a new production facility at the main Sunseeker shipyard in Poole. The model is on schedule to be presented at the 2021 Dusseldorf Boat Show in January. Embodying the “feel of a true superyacht,” the 90 Ocean combines "striking lines" with an open plan interior.A standout feature of the 90 Ocean is the 6m x 4m beach club, which will have an in-built barbecue, adjustable, integrated X-TEND sunbeds and rain shower. Automated electrically, these beds can be raised upwards to face the cockpit or lowered to face aft from the beach club. The deck area is large enough to store a Jet Ski, Williams 460 SportJet and two SeaBobs in self draining lockers. The deck area is large enough to store a Jet Ski, Williams 460 SportJet and two SeaBobs in self draining lockers.An optional infinity spa pool and second barbecue sit on the flybridge above, accompanied by a wet bar, seating and dining area.The cockpit features free standing furniture, wet bar, fridge and sink while the foredeck has three separate seating areas, as well as the option to have a laser projector and 140 inch cinema screen.Various accommodation options are available with the layout including either four or five guest cabins, including a full beam master and forward VIP. The crew quarters meanwhile will accommodate a maximum staff of five and include a kitchenette, crew mess and ensuite.The interior décor will “combine traditional elegancy with contemporary updates”, the yard said, with floor to ceiling windows illuminating the living accommodation with natural light.
November 26, 2020
The first 30.48 metre Maiora 30 Convertible has hit water. The new model presented by Italian builder Maiora is named ‘convertible’ for its upper deck, which is divided into an enclosed skylounge and open-air area.The skylounge has a 50 square metre saloon that can be used as a “terrace by the sea” or cinema room, the builder said.The main deck saloon has lots of natural light thanks to floor to ceiling windows and leads back to the aft cockpit, where up to eight guests can dine.The area is open to customisation, with the first hull containing a “hot sauna on the sea” as requested by the owner.Guest accommodation is for a total of 12 guests across a main deck master and two VIPs and two twins, both equipped with a Pullman bed, on the lower deck. The crew quarters meanwhile comprise three cabins, dinette and laundry area.The yacht’s interiors have been developed under Fossati Design Bureau in collaboration with the yard and the yacht’s European owner.Maiora has a sky lounge with lateral, openable windows and a stern pocket door, which can switch from a closed and private space to an open-aired area with direct connection to the outside spaces on board.Gulu II has a 6-metre tender and the nearby engine room houses twin MTU 16V2000M96L engines of 2,600hp each that are able to reach a maximum and stable speed of over 28 knots with the added comfort of her stabiliser fins. Gulu II is the latest model to be presented by Gruppo Fipa and joins another three new models from the yard this year, including the AB 80 and Maiora 30 Walk-around.
November 26, 2020
Italian yard Cantiere delle Marche sold its second Flexplorer model, the 40 metre Maverick. It was sold to an “experienced” German owner. The Flexplorer is the second yacht sold after the delivery of the Flexplorer 130 Aurelia.This yacht can be described as a "true explorer vessel" as it features a robust displacement hull and exterior design penned by Hydro Tec. Interestingly, its interior was designed in collaboration with Francesco Paszkowski and Margherita Casprini.Yacht's key features contain a spacious cockpit and an asymmetrical layout in the main saloon. The asymmetry is continued via a full 8.64-metre beam configuration to starboard, which adds space to the saloon while leaving a passageway to her port side. In addition, the yacht will also have a heavy-duty A-frame for launching and retrieving the tenders and an infinity swimming pool. A Super Air Nautique G25 tender and an A27 sailing boat will be stored in the cockpit.Maverick’s hull is reported to be equipped with an “ice-belt” to ensure safe navigation at the highest latitudes. The owner of the yacht plans to travel to the Northern latitudes to cross the Northwest Passage.She will also feature collapsible bulwarks that extend to the farthest end of the cockpit. All deck fittings have been positioned at a lower level on the swim platform so that once the bulwarks are folded down the whole aft deck becomes a beach area that covers more than 135 square metres.Accommodation will be for a total of 13 guests spread across two master staterooms on the main deck and upper deck, the latter of which will feature an adjoining single cabin. The remaining four staterooms will sit on the lower deck. The crew quarters meanwhile will accommodate a staff of six.Speaking about the sale, CdM sales director Vasco Buonpensiere said: “Thanks to the excellent relationship with the owner and his feedback, in spite of the present circumstances, details such as layout, general styling, power, size, special features and delivery date have already been defined.” “We are proud to be able to sign this contract despite the restrictions caused by the pandemic.Maverick will include two MTU 10V2000M72 engines at 900kW each and will have 60,000 litre fuel tanks to provide her with a top speed of 14 knots and a range of 5,000nm at 10 knots.
November 26, 2020
Prodigium latest mega yacht concept was unveiled by Lazzarini Design Studio's team. It is spread across six different decks and can carry a total of eight tenders stored across two garages and three helicopters, each accommodated in its own hangar. It is shaped like a giant shark and spans a whopping 501 feet (153 meters) long. If it comes to realisation it would be one of the largest vessels to sail the seas. Prodigium is inspired by Roman architecture and is equipped with Roman statues and two columns that support its upper deck. This concept has three oversized pools, with waterfalls cascading from each pool into the one on the deck below, a helipad for three helicopters, and can carry eight tenders stored in two garages. Prodigium features an upper deck constructed from carbon and aluminium designed specifically to resemble the form of a shark. On the deck below, two Roman columns are positioned at the sides of the main entrance to support the upper structure.A 34 metre beam provides huge indoor living areas, including a main living area on the upper deck. The yacht can accommodate up to 44 guests, 18 staff and 12 crew.The lower deck aft area of the Shark concept was specifically designed to be transformed into a private port where yachts of up to 30 metres can moor up.The concept also features large solar panels that cover the upper deck. The yacht has a hybrid propulsion system resulting in a cruising speed of 22 knots.Credits: Lazzarini Design/YouTube
November 25, 2020
For the first time Dutch yard Heesen has a collaboration with Luca Dini Design & Architecture on the third hull of its 55 metre Steel class series Project Gemini. The yacht will feature “muscular exterior lines” by Frank Laupman’s Omega Architects. Project Gemini is under the construction at the moment and due to have its hull and superstructure joined in March 2021. Project Gemini will have a “sophisticated interior décor” by Dini with a “geometric linear design” running throughout.Its key materials will consist of Tay wood and natural stone paired with marine leather wall panels and fabric-lined ceilings. The result will be a “zen” atmosphere of “elegant calm”, the yard said.The 760GT interior spreads over 400 square metres of luxury areas for owners and guests. The yacht will accommodate a total of 12 guests in six staterooms, including an 83 square metre full beam owner’s apartment forward of the main deck. The 760GT's key features include floor to ceiling windows for natural light and incredible ocean views.Other guest accommodation consists of two twins and two doubles on the lower deck and a VIP cabin on the bridge deck.Additionally, Project Gemini features a main saloon with two large bronze-mirrored ceiling panels and large vertical windows. You can also find a lounge adjacent to the formal dining area for 12.Project Gemini will also have an option for toys and tenders to be stored on the foredeck, opening up the lower deck aft to be dedicated to a beach club and wellness area.Gemini will be equipped with plentiful outdoor areas with a 110 square metre sun deck complete with a Jacuzzi, sunpads and central bar.The yacht will be powered by twin MTU 8V 4000 M63 IMO-Tier III diesel engines for a top speed of 15.5 knots and transatlantic range of 4,500 miles at 13 knots.Heesen chief commercial officer Mark Cavendish said: “YN 19755 Project Gemini is a wonderful addition to our commercial offer and complements our range of fast-delivery yachts, ideal for those clients who are cash rich and time poor.”Gemini follows the launches of 55 metre Steel class superyachts Solemates and Pollux.Heesen Yachts delivered its 55 metre steel class superyacht Project Castor as well as YN 19255 Project Pollux.Solemates sported a number of alterations to the first three 55 metre Steel Class yachts: a full beam sky lounge, a larger master stateroom of 73 square metres and larger lower deck suites.YN 19255 Project Pollux was launched at the facility in Oss in August 2020 and featured a new layout to emphasize her vast interior volume of approximately 760GT.
November 25, 2020