Abeking & Rasmussen’s Big Secret

The end of May held an important moment for German builder Abeking & Rasmussen as it officially launched its new flagship, the 270-foot (82.3-meter) Secret. After the order came through Burgess, A&R handled the naval architecture with assistance on the exterior lines from Australian designer Sam Sorgiovanni. The interior designer Jim Harris has worked with Secret’s owners before and has created a modern interior for their new yacht.

For more information:abeking.com

Lurssen Launches Solandge

Another notable launch is the Top 100-worthy Solandge, which recently floated out of Lurssen’s shipyard in Rendsburg, Germany. Built under the project name Niki, Solandge is the product of exterior designer Espen Oeino and interior designer Aileen Rodriguez. She measures 279 feet (85.1 meters) and can accommodate 12 guests and 29 crewmembers. It is expected that Solandge will begin chartering in the Caribbean this winter.

For more information:lurssen.com

CRN turns 50

Established under the name Costruzioni e Riparazioni Navali in 1963, Italian superyacht builder CRN is celebrating 50 years in 2013. Founder Sanzio Nicolini began the shipyard in Ancona where they still operate. Starting with pleasure yachts and adding commercial ships in the 1980s, CRN built steel hulls with aluminum superstructures. It wasn’t until 2004 that the company launched a composite yacht, only a few years after they joined the Ferretti Group. Early partnerships with companies like Camper & Nicholsons and yacht owners like Gianni Agnelli, the chief of Fiat, and Ed Sacks, founder of The Sacks Group, have helped establish CRN as a powerful brand in the superyacht industry. Their launches grew in size as the orders rolled in over the decades. The yard has seen approximately 120 yachts launch from its sheds. In fact, launch number 120—the 262-foot (79.86-meter) Chopi Chopi—was significant for more than one reason. Chopi Chopi is not only the largest yacht ever built by CRN, but also the first under the financial backing of the China-based Weichai Group, which acquired controlling interest in the Ferretti Group last year.

For more information:crn-yacht.com