Luxury Real Estate

By William Tsang of Luxuryrealestate.com

As the fifth largest yacht in the world, the Saudi Arabian Defense Minister Prince Sultan Bin Abdul Aziz owns the 456-foot “Al Salamah”. It does not fall short of activities to do and is fully equipped with an on-board hospital, a gym, and a spa with two full-time beauticians. Also not falling short of amenities is the most prestigious property in Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Listed at $100,000,000 by Shari Chase and Sue Lowe, the 9 bedrooms, 9-bathroom residence boasts a colossal living area of 38,000 square feet on 210 acres, displaying all things scenic Lake Tahoe has to offer.

As the oldest yacht in the top 10, the 478-foot “Mahroussa” was built in 1865 and is known as the Egyptian Presidential Yacht. Since original construction, the yacht has endured two remodels to where the total size has been lengthened by 56.5 feet. Used as a naval training ship by the Egyptian government, the yacht earns the number four spot on our countdown. Focusing now on the fourth ranked property, the Cave Cay property is listed by John Christie of H.G. Christie Ltd. and includes a private island for $100,000,000. There is enough room for 70,000 square feet on construction along the natural beauty of the deep-water harbor and marina. Approved as a full commercial operation, the opportunities for maturation are endless.

Used as a small cruise ship, the 482-foot “Price Abdulaziz” is one of the many yachts of the Saudi Royal Family and until 2006 was given the title as the world’s largest private yacht. The third largest yacht is owned by the king of Saudi Arabia, King Abdullah found inspiration for the interior décor from Titanic and therefore has filled the large lobby on the main level with classical furnishings. Nicknamed the South Beach of St. Croix and listed by Farcehtte & Hanley for $142,000,000 the number three property on our list offers over 1800 acres of prime waterfront land and three miles of beachfront on the shores of St. Croix.

Code-named project Sunflower during construction, the 502-foot “Al Said” was constructed for the Sultan of Oman Qaboos bin Said Al Said. As the second largest yacht in the world, it is said to be able to accommodate up to 70 guests and a crew of 150. The number two listing on our top 10 takes us to the Amagansett shores of New York. Listed by Judi A. Desiderio, a buyer can purchase the 8.98 acres of East Hampton oceanfront land for $200,000,000.

Ranking number one in Yachts International’s Top 100 largest yachts in the word is “Dubai”. The 531- foot yacht is owned by the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum. The project also known as Platinum took about four years to complete and the interior is adorned with lavish touches such as gold leaf covered tiles and onyx. Listed by Audrey H. Ross of Christie’s Great Estates- Esslinger Wooten Maxwell, Florida’s Bal Harbor waterfront acreage is the most expensive property listed with LuxuryRealEstate.com. As the last piece of undeveloped oceanfront property Florida’s Bal Harbour coast, $225,000,000 will grant you 5.53 acres for the potential development of luxury condominiums, hotels, restaurants or shopping complex.

Some of the most expensive properties and yachts around the world are reserved for the super-wealthy. However, buyers of these expensive pieces of land who do develop and operate resorts and public structures, give us ultimate consumers something to enjoy as well.

By William Tsang of LuxuryRealEstate.com

With declines in total home equity as well as consumer spending, many are struggling to pay the bills let alone continue spending and making extravagant purchases. However, according to Capgemini and Merrill Lynch, approximately 2.5%, or one in every 40 households, is a millionaire household. Buyers of these super-yachts seem to be somewhat "recession proof" or are at least still living the life of luxury. The August 2010 edition of Yachts International Magazine has presented their top 100 list of the world's largest yachts. To be succinct, we will only cover the Top 10 yachts but will be comparing them to the top 10 Listings with Luxury Real Estate.

Coming in at 10 is "A", a 390 footer designed by Philippe Starck and Martin Francis. Owned by Russian Entrepreneur Andrey Melnichenko, the yacht is inspired by naval architecture and incorporates large loft spaces and spacious rooms. In contrast, “Wine Estate 72”, a well-known brand of Chianti Classico DOCG is on the market for $61,435,000 US. Listed by Antonio Lapucci, it presents desirable location being a few miles from Sienna and embraces over 107,640 square feet of buildings with opportunities for hotel, restaurant, and wine cellar expansion.

Yachts International names Microsoft Co-Founder Paul Allen’s “Octopus” the world’s 9^th largest yacht. Included on this 414 foot super-yacht are 2 helicopters, 2 submarines, and a swimming pool. Being a passionate ocean advocate, Allen permits scientists to utilize the yacht for research and study when he is not enjoying it himself.

Next to Allen’s “Octopus” stands the luxurious Brentwood estate in Los Angeles, California. Listed for $65,000,000 by Joyce Rey, this 112 acre property has ample living space with 17 bedrooms and 17 full baths. With a hefty price tag come lavish amenities including separate guest cottages, office complex, horse stables, championship tennis court, swimmer's pool and great outdoor entertainment area.

Built for Qatar Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Sheik Hamad, “Al Mirqab” comes in at number 8 on our list. At 436 feet, it can accommodate 10 guests in 5 guest apartments with one VIP suite for the yacht owner. Each apartment has its own bathroom, living room, and double bedroom. The large space can easily accommodate the crew of 60 and they all have their own small rooms. It also offers a variety of activities including a cinema, various outdoor bars, Jacuzzis, and of course a landing pad for the helicopter. Listed at $68,000,000 by Susan and Matt Brietenbach, the Three Ponds Farm in Bridgehampton, New York is a conglomerate of ideas by three brilliant architectural designers and is situated on a Reese Jones designed golf course. With a 20,000 square foot living area encompassing 10 bedrooms and 12 bathrooms and 60 acres of rolling farmland, this property is sure to impress.

Taking a step into the past, “Savarona” is a 446 footer built in 1931 and is the seventh largest yacht in the world. With a 282-foot gold trimmed original grand staircase, and a capacity of 34, charter rates run between $200,000 and $400,000 a week. It cost $4 million in 1931 and today would cost about $55 million. However, the property that lands at number seven on our list is $25 million more than the Savarona. The Hummingbird Nest Ranch Estate is situated in the Santa Susana Mountains close to downtown Los Angeles. With extensive landscaping and room for private events, the ranch is popular to many film sites.

As the most popular fractional ownership mega-yacht, “Rising Sun” comes in at six. Owned by Larry Ellison of Oracle, the 454-foot yacht has 82 rooms over five stories, a basketball court and four propellers, which power it to a cruising speed of 28 knots. Our number six property, consists of 5.5 acres on the East Honolulu coastline. Able to be divided into three separate parcels, the $80,000 listing is sited in the prestigious Portlock neighborhood.

By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty

Given that I have sailed all my life, it is an eye-opener to be introduced to a Classic Motor Yacht as an option for a Caribbean charter vacation.

I was introduced to Wayne and Barbara two weeks ago, and their Yacht Flame - a classic motor yacht built by Feadship in 1956 - a Dutch ship builder that started in 1949. This is the yacht and owners, Wayne and Barbara Elsworth, that stepped up two weeks ago to see if they could assist my clients whose charter yacht cancelled on them just five days from their week long charter vacation in the British Virgin Islands. They are also great friends with the owners of Yacht Felicia , Chris and Julie Bennett, who I have featured on several of my past articles about the charter yacht industry.

With over twenty years experience, Captain Wayne and Barbara Elsworth know the U.S. Virgin Islands , and the British Virgin Islands intimately. A charter yacht vacation aboard their crewed power yacht is unforgettable. They both grew up on the shores of the Hudson River, only 150 miles apart. Coincidentally, their families Summered at the same Adirondack lake, just on opposite shores! It seemed inevitable that one day they would meet. It is ironic that it would be on a Caribbean island, 2,000 miles south of their native New York.

In 1973 Wayne discovered the islands while visiting his parent’s winter home on Great Exuma in the Bahamas. In 1979 he became a US Coast Guard licensed captain and has operated a variety of sail and power yachts ranging from 50 to 95 feet. He has sailed from Nova Scotia to Grenada and now has settled in the Virgin Islands. While in Great Exuma, Wayne’s father taught him to spearfish, Bahamian style. He is an avid hunter and can be counted on to bring home fresh fish, conch or lobster during your charter vacation!

Barbara Elsworth graduated Phi Beta Kappa, cum laude from the University of Vermont in 1983 with a degree in history and a great love of sailing. In 1987 she traveled to Antigua for Sailing Race Week , accepted a job delivering a sailboat to England and has never looked back. (This is the annual event that has changed the lives of many of my friends kids that I have sent to Race Week.) Barbara met Wayne six months later… and the rest is history.

When they are not chartering, Wayne and Barbara restore antique speedboats: the classic mahogany Chris Crafts and Garwoods. When they stumbled across Flame, a 1956 Feadship fallen into disrepair, it was love at first sight. Well, almost! Her restoration and reconfiguration took a full three years. They did all the work themselves: Wayne taught Barbara carpentry and expanded his own engineering talents. Flame is the culmination of their many years chartering and maintaining yachts.

Here are some specs of classic motor yacht “Flame”: 65′ long; 15′ wide; all cabins are fully air-conditioned; two person kayak; two color TVs with DVD and VCR; CD’s in the cabins; snorkel gear; 15′ outboard “dingy” for water skiing; dive plane; and much more!!!

Here is one of the quotes from their raving fans: “It was hard for me to believe that I could find new anchorages that I had not visited during the ten years we owned a charter boat! But, Wayne and Barbara dazzled us everyday.” Don and Bonnie - Ohio. Barbara and Wayne have been chartering together in the Virgin Islands for twenty years and these islands are their playground. Come aboard and let them show you all their secret spots. Contact me for more information. Until next time…your real estate and lifestyle detective continues his work…

By Jim Walberg of Caribbean Islands Realty

Every charter yacht attending this Boat Show is quietly saying, “Pick me as your favorite charter yacht to promote to your charter guests who book vacations this next season!”

Whether you hear those words this week or not, that is the reason why every detail has been attended to on each yacht so it is presented in it’s best possible condition. And you will notice that the crews look very sharp in their charter yacht “uniforms”. Some of the crews are new to this game called “a Boat Show”. So, VICL Director Erik and your Board of Directors took the time to provide each of the crews a suggested action list in preparation for a successful Boat Show. Randy and Shelly from Three Moons just passed this list on to me for your enjoyment. You will not believe what each of the crews have gone through to make sure their yacht sparkles and shines. Here is the crew’s suggested action list.

“First impressions at each Boat Show are critical. One charter yacht show does not a successful season make; a bad show appearance can hurt you for this season and seasons to come! Here are our best suggestions from years of preparing yachts for charter boat shows. Your preparation will be the best investment you will make all year to the success of your business.”

• Have the yacht “charter ready”. Make sure all the drawers and lockers in each cabin are clean. Brokers will check your standard for cleanliness and order aboard your yacht. There should be absolutely no loose gear in sight. This means everything unnecessary needs to be stowed away in lockers, moved off the boat, decks cleaned, etc. This means no hoses, lines, gear tackle, motor scooters, buckets, ex-wives/ex-husbands, etc. lying around. Get a storage locker if you have to!
• Provide brochures, crew profiles and menu inserts for the brokers visiting your yacht. Remind the Brokers that more are available through you clearing house. Also, have your guest book, letter and pictures from your past guests out for the Brokers to see.
• Fresh flowers are not required; but they are a nice touch.
• Linens on the beds should be crisp and smooth. Matching towels in the heads or on the beds are a nice touch. Set a dinner place for two to show off your beautiful diner settings. Be sure to leave space at the table for a Broker or two to sit around and use for note taking.
• Have your polishing, painting and varnishing DONE! Put all supplies away
• No laundry, towels, rags, etc. hanging on the life lines. No garbage on board or on the dock.
• No deliveries of provisions or equipment during the show. If you must provision, leave the show early.
• Make it easy to board as possible with a clear route from the boarding site to the cockpit and/or below.
• Ask a friend to take a “sniff test” of your yacht. There may be an odor you might not notice; but the Broker will.
• Speaking of scents, have something baking in the oven for a welcoming aroma. Be careful not to burn anything! The new little fans that circulate scents from an electrical outlet are great. You want the yacht to smell as good as it looks.
• Details count! Little folded points on the bathroom toilet tissue, a mint on the pillow, mock mementos with charter guest names are all little details that make a big impact. Have some recent photos of guest having fun. Make sure every light bulb works and have as many of them on as you can without heating up the yacht. Lighting will show the yacht off to its best advantage.

Other General Suggestions:

• Plan ahead. Think about what you want to emphasize about yourself/your yacht and crew. Decide what type of charters you want to promote. Do you want to do more charters with children, honey-mooners, hard-core divers, big time sailors or real high-end gourmet charters? The Brokers will want to know. Think about answers to the tough questions. Brokers will ask questions such as, “What was your worst charter? Tell me about a charter that didn’t turn out well. What did you learn from it? Why won’t happen again? What was your best charter?” Have the answers ready ahead of time.
• Smokers- Be discreet about smoking as possible. This includes smoking during social events. Remember than many restaurants stateside no longer allow smoking. If you allow smoking aboard the yacht, have clean ashtrays for the Brokers.
• Politics- Go easy! There are some strong opinions and this is not the time to get into a heated into a heated debate with a Broker.
• Non-Stop Hospitality- Offer coffee, tea or juice in the morning and cool drinks in the afternoon. Think about serving alcohol to Brokers and make your own decision. Hors d’oeuvres are fine. Prepare them ahead of time.
• Keep the yacht as cool as possible. If you don’t have air conditioning, keep the hatches open, use fans and get wind scoops. If you do have air conditioning, don’t remain down below all the time during the show. Brokers confronted with closed hatches may assume you are away, not showing or with another broker.
• Some Brokers will want to see the crew quarters to know how it affects the guest’s quarters. Some Brokers will ask to see your bilge. Keep both as clean and presentable as possible, but don’t stress too much about it.
• Be careful about promising to fix things. Brokers don’t want to hear too much “after a few charters, we’ll replace those old cushions.” If you can’t replace it now, do the best you can with throw pillows, accents or something. Make the best of what you have and don’t draw attention to the negatives.
• Emphasize your crew’s teamwork even if you only have a freelance chef or mate for the show. The Brokers was to see you function together as a team and be happy. If you have personality differences with your crew, you don’t need to be together. Some crews find one person on deck and one below allows them to cover twice as many Brokers, but the Brokers don’t get a chance to see you together. Charter yacht shows can be a stressful time. This is not the time to decide to divorce your chef or Captain. Let it wait until after the show.
• Collect business cards. As soon as possible after the Broker leaves the yacht, write something on the back of their business card so that you can remember them. Sending a Thank you note for their visit during the show or personalized email will go a long way in helping you grow your business. Follow up! Don’t be a pest; but do be persistent.

I don’t know about you, but I am exhausted from just reading this memo. And, the reason why all this work is done is so they can share the above beach with each of their delighted charter guests. I am off to interview more of the crews so stay tuned. After that I believe I will be taking a nap by the pool until the Hawaiian Luau tonight. Enjoy your afternoon! Your VICL Boat Show detectiveremains on duty…

By Robert Lockard

Ilya Moshenskiy, the Principal Photographer of Ilya’s Photography, recently came home from an eventful trip to Cannes for the International Boat & Yacht Show. He arrived with a whole bunch of beautiful photos highlighting the celebration of luxurious watercraft of all shapes and sizes. Check out his collection of photos here:

http://ilyaluxury.com/gallery/luxury/Cannes%20International%20Show/expl.php?user=Cannes%20International%20Show

Ilya is no stranger to covering big events with his keen eye for small details. Near the end of summer this year, he took time to photograph beautiful images at Seafair in Seattle. He has also been present at many Luxury Real Estate conferences, and he will be at the 13^th Annual Luxury Real Estate Fall Conference on Oct. 11-14, 2008. He’s such a hard worker and we definitely appreciate all of his efforts here at Luxury Real Estate.

Enjoy some of his amazing work below. Be sure to contact him at Contact him at ilya (at) ilyaestate.com or 425.883.2246 for all of your photography needs, including luxury homes, events, food and more.

Editor’s Note:
Robert Lockard is the Public Relations & Media Specialist with LuxuryRealEstate.com. I am Robert. I create all of Luxury Real Estate's newsletters, write the editorials in LuxuryRealEstate.com Magazine and much more. All of the photos in this blog entry are the copyright of Ilya’s Photography.