Curvelle quaranta launched

On Saturday February 23rd at 3.30 am Motoryacht quaranta was taken out of the Tuzla shipyard shed on to the public road by a huge trailer capable of transporting goods up to three hundred tons. It was ready to commence the 3KM journey to the RMK shipyard for launching.

In the shed ready to leave

Leaving the shed

Leaving the shed

On the main road

The trailer was taken on to the main road which previously had been sealed off by the local police force. Some street lights and signs had to be removed in order to allow for the nine meter beam transport. The municipality workers were very kind to help us out at these early hours of the morning. A cherry picker crane was available to remove some branches of trees that were obstructing the path.

road to launch

In some places it was very tight with parked cars and street signs, some of which had to be temporarily moved.

Tight spot

Signs on the way

At 6AM Saturday morning the Curvelle quaranta arrived at RMK shipyard for the mounting of the Bimini top and mast.

At the entrance to RMK

The following day, on Sunday Morning 10.45 quaranta was christened by Susan Mackintosh, wife of Luuk V. van Zanten

christening of Curvelle "quaranta"

Christening of Curvelle “quaranta”

“quaranta” maiden voyage from RMK Shipyard to Pendik marina.

Curvelle would like to thank Logos Marine and the many other companies involved in the development and construction of this fantastic superyacht.
High Resolution Press images can be downloaded from
http://www.curvelle.com/Images_for_press.html

Curvelle quaranta Construction Progress

Curvelle quaranta Profile during construction July2012

Curvelle quaranta Profile, construction progress July2012

Construction on the Curvelle quaranta is progressing well. Now with all decks on, the quaranta‘s stylish exterior design is becoming a reality. The interior is also well on it’s way.

Several visitors to the yard this June have been lucky to take a full tour of the four decks including crew accommodations, galley and engine rooms in the hulls, spacious guest cabins on the main deck, impressive salon, wheelhouse and aft deck at the mid level and finally the private jacuzzi, bar and sunbathing area on the top deck. The basic framework, wiring, piping and machinery are in place.

Visitors have been extremely impressed with the meticulous planning of features and attention to detail that have gone into this yacht, surely the end result will be outstanding.

A fresh approach to sharing a superyacht – Curvelle Syndicate Ownership

First in-build Curvelle set for multi-owner use

There have been many attempts to launch shared ownership into the world of superyachting by everything from timeshare to fractional ownership, but Yachtmarketing Limited, who are behind the new ‘Curvelle’ luxury power ‘Super-Catamaran’, have taken a fresh approach (see the FAQs panel). Before exploring the benefits of the syndicate ownership programme let us look at the perfect superyacht to deliver this new approach.

First in the series, the Curvelle ‘quaranta’

The vision is fast taking shape at the Curvelle shipyard in Tuzla, Istanbul and on time for completion in early 2013. The first in a series, quaranta is a luxury superyacht that, as a catamaran, is more stable, cost effective to run, more spacious, more environmentally friendly, faster than a monohull yacht with the same engine power and above all extremely stylish. Everything about the quaranta is carefully thought out, maximising the deck spaces and the internal volume. Unusually large windows fill the guest cabins with light and the unique flexible accommodation areas can transform the yacht for each cruise or mix of guests. Take a ‘Curvelle quaranta virtual tour’ .
For more information on the Curvelle ‘quaranta’ see a specification


Flexible accommodation is the key for syndicate ownership

With a clean sheet of paper and a very clear set of business objectives, the Curvelle project began. First came the yacht design and importantly the configuration. It had to be roomy, fast, efficient and compact and deliver to its owners a truly luxurious yacht at an impressive price point. With syndicate ownership there is an optimum number of part owners that can take maximum advantage of the windows of operational time. This number is seven syndicate shares for a year-round, Mediterranean-plus-Caribbean operation. After careful market research into the overall costings for the syndicate operation, the figures settled on a syndicate share marketed at €1.4m each. This sum is equivalent to buying a typical new VAT paid and equipped 55ft motor cruiser. For the same cost a Curvelle syndicate participant can enjoy luxury yachting in a 33.7m superyacht and being a catamaran it is as big as a 40m performance monohull.

Curvelle quaranta swim/beach/tender platform

Curvelle quaranta swim/beach/tender platform

One of the smart features is the way the accommodation can be easily configured for each syndicate user. The two hulls create a wide platform for the four decks and the whole interior is very comparable to a 40-42m monohull especially if you look at the flexible accommodation on the main deck, something you will not find on any other 40m yacht. The twin hulls create a massive swim platform not found on yachts the size of the ‘quaranta’. When it is raised it is the tender deck and when lowered it becomes the beach club. It is big enough for a small submarine and perfect for easy wheelchair access.
The six generously sized double cabins can be re-configured into three VIP suites or more than twenty other combinations, with just a few hours notice for the crew. These main-deck cabins allow for huge windows, each 2.75m long and almost one metre high, making each cabin a virtual day-time suite if you want some personal time.

Curvelle quaranta cabin window

Curvelle quaranta panoramic cabin views

One of the key selling features of the ‘quaranta’ is the exceptionally large windows, see for yourself in the virtual tour (see link above). Unusually large for a 34m yacht, the RINA classification for the windows allows Atlantic passages with paying guests as opposed to a restriction to 50nm from the coast.

More information on the syndicate ownership scheme

FAQs

So what is syndicate ownership?
Let’s start with what it is not.

Not Timeshare:

In simple terms ‘timeshare’ is exactly that. You buy some time entitlement to a proposition. You have no ownership of assets or equity and are making a payment in advance for rental of asset units.

Not Fractional Ownership:

Fractional companies run schemes where the investor purchases a share in an asset that remains within the fractional organisation which then determines how an asset is used. The fractional owner has a relationship solely with the fractional company. Fractional companies are a for-profit operation.

Syndicate Ownership:

In the case of Curvelle Syndicate Ownership, the Syndicate yachts are ready prepared for syndicate purchasing and operation. Individual syndicate owners own an equal share in each yacht and determine how it will be used. The primary relationship in the syndicate is with the other owners. The syndicate is fully portable but can use the services and support of Yachtmarketing Ltd as required.

Curvelle quaranta – first hull constructed

Curvelle Yachts in collaboration with Istanbul based builder Logos Marine have completed the first hull of the new Curvelle quaranta. This is believed to be the largest carbon hybrid epoxy composite catamaran motor yacht in the world.

curvelle quaranta hull in construction

Curvelle quaranta carbon hybrid epoxy hull

The quaranta has been over four years in design development, resulting in a final product with many innovative design features and unique selling points. The yacht is being built on speculation with in-house funding. Delivery is scheduled for November 2012.
The quaranta is certified by RINA classification for commercial yachts with an unrestricted (ocean going) range and 3rd edition MCA, with a comfortable compliance for more crew space than required under these new crew accommodation demanding rules.

Due to two meters extra beam and four decks, the 33.70 x 9m power catamaran has the interior space equivalent to that of a 40m performance mono hull. The award winning design was a collaborative work, Lila Lou for interior and exterior styling, Incat Crowther as specialist catamaran naval architects. Luuk V. van Zanten, the main driver behind the project is the instigator behind some of the great practical ideas such as the flexible layout which allows the six double cabins to be converted to three suites, six twins or any combination of these.
Another unique feature is the limousine tender storage and launching facility from the main deck. This allows guests to board the tender on the main deck and be lowered into water. The lifting platform also serves as a beach and is ideal for less mobile guests to enjoy access to the water.

This performance motor yacht with a cruising speed of 23 knots and transatlantic range is offered for sale at a very competitive introductory price under ten million Euros. Whereas other mono hull yachts with similar volume, fit out and performance can cost just about double.

The Curvelle quaranta can accommodate twelve guests in complete luxury with separate quarters for six crew. All guest cabins are on the main deck and provide exceptional views through extra large windows that the catamaran platform allows.
This new Curvelle flagship is now in full production within a large hangar in Tuzla, Istanbul. The yard still has capacity for a second quaranta to be constructed alongside.

Honey, I shrank the costs!

Super-yacht ownership, but small boat prices.

Everyone knows that keeping a yacht going is expensive – and a super-yacht is super-expensive.  Keeping a yacht with 6 crew on year-round, transatlantic cruising availability is something which was available only to the super-rich.  But Curvelle’s newly developed “fractional syndicate” ownership model makes it accessible to many more people, by relating what an owner pays for running expenses directly to the use they actually make of the yacht.

More high season use costs more. Less use, or off season = less cost. But in any case, it’s only a fraction of the total.

The owners are members of a private syndicate that owns the yacht, so can obviously split both the initial purchase and running costs between them.  But individuals have different needs and desires, not just to each other but personally from year to year.  A Curvelle syndicate starts with a budget for the actual cost of running the yacht which is known to every member, just as an individual owner knows his boat’s costs.  A pre-agreed formula distributes costs to owners, with some costs fixed according to shareholding in the syndicate, and others according to usage. Low users also see their costs fall as any otherwise unused time may be chartered out.

The result – super-yacht cruising that gives the best of all worlds.  Typical costs for ownership of a super-yacht fall to those of a self-catered motor cruiser, and are way below that of chartering equivalent cruising vacation time.

With of freedom of choice of over your personal schedule and division of the big numbers between all the partners, a Curvelle syndicate member has an unparalleled combination of maximum owner benefits, and costs that are both predictable and controllable.  Curvelle shrank the cost of super-yachting – not the enjoyment!

 

Fractional syndication – leverage for your yachting investment

Curvelle has been pioneering a new approach to yacht ownership – the fractional syndicate.  So what’s that all about?

Essentially, it’s a refined form of the long-established fractional ownership model, but with a twist. It’s designed entirely from the perspective of the buyer, rather than as a way of maximising sales revenue by subdividing the sale of a costly asset like a super-yacht. The key difference lies in setting up an owners syndicate for each yacht that is legally independent of Curvelle – or any other business.

What’s the overwhelming advantage of a fractional syndicate for large yacht ownership? LEVERAGE.  You work hard for your money. Today, with minimal investment returns and shrinking margins, your money needs to work even harder to provide you and your family with the hard-earned relaxation you deserve. That’s where the leveraging power of a syndicate comes into its own. With Curvelle, you combine the buying power of eight shareholders with a syndicate agreement specifically drawn up to maximise your personal freedom of control and usage. You own a yacht with a far higher specification than you would otherwise obtain at the same cost, eliminate ownership chores, get the usage you personally want, and retain the same control as you’d have with a smaller boat on your own.

Leverage your capital outlay – get far more yacht for your money. Imagine eight people each spending a million Euros on an 18 metre motor yacht. Each of those 8 yachts will probably be left in a marina most of the time – maybe as much as 50 weeks a year. But for the same total capital, together the eight can buy a Curvelle super-yacht. Each individual 18m. yacht will have comfortable berths for maybe 6 people, and possibly a couple of bunk spaces. A Curvelle has 6 double staterooms for 12 guests, plus below-decks accommodation for 6 crew. If you double the length of a conventional boat you get about 4 times the deck spaces. Add decks and you double it again each time. Because Curvelle is a catamaran, its guest spaces go up fast  – our 33m catamaran has 4 decks and is roughly equivalent to a 40m mono-hull.  So the ratio of space from an individual-owned 18m. yacht to a syndicate-owned Curvelle is typically between six and eight to one. Eight times the space for the same capital? That can’t be bad. Alternatively, you might be in a position to order a super-yacht outright. To accommodate 12 guests in 6 full staterooms and have a maximum cruising speed of 25 knots will probably cost upwards of 16 million Euros, even in the current “buyer’s market”. In which case, wouldn’t putting 15 million of that to work elsewhere be useful? The same facilities, for only 7% of the investment? Now that’s real leverage!

Traveling Wilburies on Curvelle yacht

A parody of the group of oldies but goodies “The Travelling Wilburys” that the crazy guys at 3D Yachts did for fun, research and training using a re-recorded soundtrack of the song “Handle me with care” by karaoke-version.com, and the 3D model of a Curvelle  catamaran

Curvelle wins best concept yacht under 50m

winners yacht awards 2011

Best concept yacht under 50m

Curvelle power catamarans were rewarded recently by winning the best concept yacht design under 50m at the International Yacht Awards 2011, organised by Design et al Magazine. The event, hosted at the newly refurbished Savoy Hotel in London was attended by many of the top designers and naval architects. LILA-LOU LONDON was responsible for the outstanding exterior styling and interior design of the Curvelle 33×9, now renamed the quaranta. The vote was open to all online and therefore a true reflection of what appeals to the general public with an interest in yachts, design & architecture. Alex Isaac of Lila-Lou collected the award plaque at the ceremonies on behalf of the Curvelle Lila-Lou team effort.

Curvelle award received by alex of LILA-LOU

Curvelle award received by Alex of LILA-LOU.

This spacious performance yacht is now under construction at the Curvelle- LOGOS shipyard in Istanbul. She features a flexible layout of six double cabins, easily convertible by the crew to three suites or any combination, with accommodation up to 12 guests. The new type name quaranta (forty in Italian) evolved due to space similarities of monohulls in the forty meter range. Coincidentally, 35m MY Meya Meya, designed by H2O and constructed in Istanbul by Logos marine, won the award of best Power Yacht 25-40 metres.

The design of the Curvelle quaranta developed over a four year period and is a modern interpretation of the Curvelle 33×9 Classic from the board of Naval Architects Incat Crowther in Sydney and Luc Vernet of 3D Yachts.

Curvelle opens a new shipyard

We are very pleased to announce the opening of our new Curvelle -LOGOS shipyard, located in Tuzla, Istanbul, Turkey, where we have started construction of the Curvelle quaranta (33x9m).

Ideally located on the Mediterranean and with a highly skilled work force, Turkey is rated fourth on the global scale for superyacht construction and rapidly moving toward number three. Tuzla is the premier superyacht production area in Turkey. The Curvelle yard, located close to the renowned superyacht yards of Proteksan, Dunya Yachts, RMK-Dubois and Perini Navi, will be able to take advantage of all the specialised subcontractors in that area, also used by the other superyacht yards.

The Curvelle yard is operated by LOGOS Marine, a management team of Naval Architects with  over 50 years of  combined yacht experience. LOGOS specializes in the design, project management,  and construction of yachts from the 12 to 70m. They were recently responsible for the award winning 35 m, (115′)  motoryacht Meya Meya.  The Curvelle-LOGOS shipyard offers 2,400 m2 of  production area and offices.

Welcome to our new Curvelle Yachts blog

Watch this space for lots of good stuff about power catamarans,  solar yachts, fractional yacht ownership, cruising and whatever we find interesting at the moment. As we progress with the construction of the new Curvelle quaranta in Istanbul, Turkey we’ll keep you posted with great photos and updates. We welcome your comments.