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By SuperyachtNews 06 Jun 2018

Ray Dalio announces OceanX and M/V ‘Alucia2’

New initiative and vessel aim to revolutionise ocean research and media….

Superyacht owner and philanthropist Ray Dalio, with his son Mark, director James Cameron and a number of other leading scientific partners, announced the launch of OceanX yesterday. This initiative, to further explore the ocean for educational and scientific purposes, will be undertaken by a brand new vessel, 85m M/V Alucia2 . The project aims to follow the huge success of ocean exploration carried out by Dalio’s existing research vessel, 56m M/V Alucia .

In a statement about Alucia2 and OceanX, Dalio illustrated his passion for conservation and understanding more about our oceans. "I believe that ocean exploration is more exciting and important than space exploration [and] we are on a mission to show people that." The Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation is among the many philanthropic partners of the project.

Alucia2 will be delivered in 2019 and was originally built as a deep-sea diving survey vessel in 2010. According to reports, she will be “the most advanced science and media vessel ever built” and her refit has been designed by Gresham Yacht Design. Features of the vessel include marine research labs, media equipments (and an entire media centre), manned and autonomous deep-sea submersibles, as well as a range of helicopters and drones. James Cameron, known for his filmography and ocean exploration, was consulted throughout the development of the media centre. "With OceanX and Alucia2 , we will reignite global passion for and curiosity about the ocean in our global, digitally-connected age,” said Cameron. In addition to hosting scientists and media teams, OceanX will conduct virtual classes and museum exhibitions for people across the world.

"With OceanX and Alucia2, we will reignite global passion for and curiosity about the ocean in our global, digitally-connected age.”

Ray Dalio is founder of OceanX and the president of Dalio Philanthropies. His son, Mark, is the founder and creative director of OceanX Media, who worked with the BBC team behind the Blue Planet II series. In a conversation with The Superyacht Report last year, Alex Flemming, co-CEO of marine operations for the family office that operates M/V Alucia, revealed the driving force behind Dalio’s entrance into the yacht market. “He is a very intelligent man and he was always fascinated by the scientific community. He was introduced to Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and he was so fascinated and taken aback by what they do – and what they achieve – that he had the idea to buy a boat.”

Flemming also echoed the importance of Dalio’s focus on ocean – not space – exploration through engaging media content. “We are trying to make it interesting, and fun, so that it makes difference and people actually say, ‘that’s cool’. Not only promoting the project and the idea, but also make people aware of what is going on. 70 per cent of our planet is ocean, and we only know about 15 per cent of it, how does that make sense? We’re spending more money trying to populate the moon than we are in our ocean backyard.” The impact of Dalio on the superyacht industry’s attitude to ocean conservation and scientific research is undeniable. Hopefully, his commitment to these causes will inspire more owners to follow his example. And as M/V Alucia has been at the forefront of many exciting ocean discoveries in recent years, we eagerly await the successes of OceanX and M/V Alucia 2 .

All images courtesy of OceanX

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REV Ocean // Research Yacht // 182m

Rev ocean is an inspiring project - not just about the concept of a superyacht respectively gigayacht with purpose - the yacht is longer than azzam ..

With a length of 182 meters, REV OCEAN overtakes the current longest yacht in the world, the 180m AZZAM. Moreover, the explorer yacht has the purpose of research and works together with the science to help to protect the oceans. The construction features Polar Class 6 to break the ice in colder regions.

Espen Øino created the exterior design of the yacht, while H2 Yacht Design made the interior design of REV OCEAN. VARD (belongs to Fincantieri) made the naval architecture.

Norwegian billionaire Kjell Inge Røøke founded the non-profit project. Any profits that result will be reinvested to finance the work. It is also possible to charter the yacht .

The last stage of the outfitting will be in 2020 at the Lloyd Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany.

Yacht designer Espen Øino comments :

“This was very much the brainchild of the owner, he called me to tell me about this project which is unlike any other vessel in the world – a yacht with a purpose, a noble purpose. The whole rhetoric is kind of a showcase of state-of-the-art marine equipment and I think it will be the best equipped scientific ship on the sea. It is probably the most important project we will ever have the chance to work on.”

REV Ocean in Service for Science

The vessel carries a lot of technology to investigate the oceans. Alongside the crew of 30 people, REV OCEAN accommodates up to 55 scientists . They can use many pieces of equipment like scientific trawls, sonar systems, laboratories, auditorium and classrooms, moonpool, AUV and submarine, an ROV that operates in depths of 6000 meters, and advanced communication equipment.

The métier of the vessel is plastic, pollution, climate change, ocean acidification, overfishing, and bycatch .

REV OCEAN has two helipads. One is on the bow; the other one is at the aft. Here is also a big crane to move (reefer) overseas container to extend the self-reliance up to 114 days for 90 persons.

Hybrid Propulsion system

The diesel-electric propulsion contains four Wärtsilä 8L26 generators to produce 2.7 MW and two 3,200 kW electric motors with SILENT R notation to reduce the underwater noise emissions. A dynamic position holds the position automatically without using the anchor to take care of the ocean’s floor. The propulsion meets TIER III regulations .

The maximum speed is 17.8 knots with the opinion of full-electric mode at two knots when the yacht collects samples. At the rate of eleven knots, the operating range is over 21,000 nautical miles .

The vessel uses the Vard SeaQ ”Green Pilot” system to monitor CO2, SOx and NOx emissions.

Main Specifications REV OCEAN

Length Overall

Range at 11 Knots

NAUTICAL MILES

August 2019: First water touch

The hull of REV OCEAN is finished and touched the water at the VARD shipyard in Romania. The hull is on the way to Brattvag, Norway for the outfitting phase. You can follow the tug that tows the vessel from Romania to Norway here .

Photos: Bogdan Vasilescu

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Superyachts aren’t just for the super-rich: Hundreds of scientists have used them for ocean research

For almost two years, Robert Brewin collected data from the bow of a superyacht as it sailed pristine waters from the Caribbean Sea to the Antarctic Ocean. 

The  Archimedes , a 222-foot (68-meter) “adventure” yacht then owned by the late hedge funder James Simons, boasts a gym, a jacuzzi and an elevator. But between 2018 and 2020, Brewin was concerned only with the boat’s Sea-Bird Scientific Solar Tracking Aiming System, installed to measure light reflecting off of the water. A senior lecturer at the UK’s University of Exeter, Brewin and his colleagues were analyzing microplankton — microscopic organisms at the base of the marine food chain — by studying the ocean’s color. The Sea-Bird’s readouts helped them verify satellite imagery. 

Brewin’s was not your typical superyacht itinerary, but he is one of hundreds of scientists to have used an adventure yacht — also known as expedition or explorer yachts — to conduct research on the ocean. In a  paper  published in January, Brewin and his co-authors touted the potential of “harnessing superyachts” for science, concluding that “reaching out to wealthy citizen scientists may help fill [research capability] gaps.” 

It’s a view shared — and being pushed — by the Yacht Club of Monaco and the Explorers Club, a New York City-based organization focused on exploration and science (of which, full disclosure, I am a member). In March, the groups co-hosted an environmental symposium that included an  awards ceremony  for yacht owners who “stand out for their commitment to protecting the marine environment.” The  Archimedes  won a “Science & Discovery” award. 

“If a yacht is operating 365 days a year, rather than having it sit idle it’d be much better for it to contribute a positive return through science and conservation,” says Rob McCallum, an Explorers Club fellow and founder of US-based EYOS Expeditions, which runs adventure yacht voyages. 

EYOS charters yachts from private owners for its excursions, and is a founding member of Yachts for Science, a four-year-old organization that matches privately owned yachts with scientists who need time at sea. (Other members include yacht builder Arksen, media firm BOAT International, and nonprofits Nekton Foundation and Ocean Family Foundation.) Yachts for Science will enable about $1 million worth of donated yacht time this year, McCallum says, a figure he expects to hit $15 million by 2029. 

“There’s a personal satisfaction that we are contributing to something that is bigger than us,” says Tom Peterson, who co-owns an insurance underwriting company in California and has what he jokingly refers to as a “mini superyacht.” Every year for the past decade, Peterson has donated about 15 to 20 days of time and fuel on the 24-meter  Valkyrie  to scientists, who he takes out himself as a licensed captain and former scuba dive operator. He often works with the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, and allows researchers to stay aboard for days at a time instead of having to constantly make the 1.5-hour trip to and from shore. 

To link up with scientists, Peterson works with the International SeaKeepers Society, a Florida-based nonprofit that engages the yachting community to support ocean conservation and research. “The more we understand things about the ocean in general, the better we all are in the long run,” he says. 

When “superyacht” and “the environment” appear in the same sentence, it’s usually in a different context. In 2019,  one study estimated  that a single 71-meter superyacht has the same annual carbon footprint as about 200 cars. In 2021, another  paper  found that superyachts were the single greatest contributor to the carbon footprint of 20 of the world’s most prominent billionaires, accounting for 64% of their combined emissions.

“If you really want to respect the environment, you can just go surf,” says Grégory Salle, a senior researcher at the French National Centre for Scientific Research and author of the book  Superyachts: Luxury, Tranquility and Ecocide . Salle is open to the idea that superyachts could be used to advance scientific research, but says it’s contradictory for anyone to buy a superyacht and claim to be truly concerned about the environment.

McCallum says people who own adventure yachts tend to be younger than your standard superyacht owner, and have a particular interest in remote and pristine places. “They’re not the sort of people that are content to just hang out in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean,” he says. “Antarctica, the Arctic, the remote Indian Ocean, the remote Pacific Ocean, the Subantarctic islands… that’s where you’re going to find us delivering our services.”

Explorer yachts aren’t the only way scientists can reach those destinations, but demand for dedicated research vessels does outstrip available supply. The US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), arguably the world’s greatest collector of oceanographic data, has a fleet of  15 research and survey vessels  for the use of its scientists. Academic researchers can also apply to use the fleet, often at a subsidized rate. But scientists request roughly 15,000 to 20,000 days of boat time every year. In 2019, NOAA was able to fill just 2,300 of them, according to an internal study.

That gap is particularly problematic as the planet warms. Oceans provide services that scientists call “ existentially important ,” producing more than  half of the oxygen we breathe  and serving as the world’s  largest carbon sink . They also absorb  30% of our carbon emissions  and  90% of the excess heat generated by them .

G. Mark Miller, a retired NOAA Corps officer who was in charge of several of the agency’s research vessels, has a different solution in mind when it comes to bolstering ocean research: smaller boats, fit for purpose. Superyachts can cost north of $500 million, he says; “why don’t we build a hundred $5 million vessels and flood the ocean science community?” 

After leaving NOAA, Miller in 2021 launched Virginia-based Greenwater Marine Sciences Offshore with a vision of building a global fleet of research vessels and offering their use at affordable prices. He says hiring a NOAA boat can cost scientists between $20,000 and $100,000 per day. GMSO plans to charge less than $10,000 a day for most missions. The company says it’s close to acquiring its first three vessels.

Miller hopes his business model will help scientists conduct the work they need to — particularly in under-served regions like the Asia-Pacific — without worrying about getting a luxury yacht covered in “muddy worms, plankton goo, dead fish [and] whale snot.” He describes yacht owners donating boat time to scientists as “better than nothing,” and says it can help get regular people interested in science and exploration. 

Christopher Walsh, captain of the  Archimedes , says he and his crew love taking part in science initiatives, especially when there’s an educational component. “I get a real thrill when we can stream to the classrooms — you can’t imagine the enthusiasm the kids display,” Walsh says. “That gives me a lot of hope for the future.”

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To boost ocean research, some scientists are turning to superyachts

by Laurel Chor, Bloomberg News

For almost two years, Robert Brewin collected data from the bow of a superyacht as it sailed pristine waters from the Caribbean Sea to the Antarctic Ocean.

The Archimedes, a 222-foot "adventure" yacht then owned by the late hedge funder James Simons, boasts a gym, a jacuzzi and an elevator. But between 2018 and 2020, Brewin was concerned only with the boat's Sea-Bird Scientific Solar Tracking Aiming System, installed to measure light reflecting off of the water. A senior lecturer at the UK's University of Exeter, Brewin and his colleagues were analyzing microplankton—microscopic organisms at the base of the marine food chain—by studying the ocean's color. The Sea-Bird's readouts helped them verify satellite imagery.

Brewin's was not your typical superyacht itinerary, but he is one of hundreds of scientists to have used an adventure yacht—also known as expedition or explorer yachts—to conduct research on the ocean. In a paper published in Frontiers in Remote Sensing , Brewin and his co-authors touted the potential of "harnessing superyachts" for science, concluding that "reaching out to wealthy citizen scientists may help fill [research capability] gaps."

It's a view shared—and being pushed—by the Yacht Club of Monaco and the Explorers Club, a New York City-based organization focused on exploration and science (of which, full disclosure, I am a member). In March, the groups co-hosted an environmental symposium that included an awards ceremony for yacht owners who "stand out for their commitment to protecting the marine environment ." The Archimedes won a "Science & Discovery" award.

"If a yacht is operating 365 days a year, rather than having it sit idle it'd be much better for it to contribute a positive return through science and conservation," says Rob McCallum, an Explorers Club fellow and founder of US-based EYOS Expeditions, which runs adventure yacht voyages.

EYOS charters yachts from private owners for its excursions, and is a founding member of Yachts for Science, a four-year-old organization that matches privately owned yachts with scientists who need time at sea. (Other members include yacht builder Arksen, media firm BOAT International, and nonprofits Nekton Foundation and Ocean Family Foundation.) Yachts for Science will enable about $1 million worth of donated yacht time this year, McCallum says, a figure he expects to hit $15 million by 2029.

"There's a personal satisfaction that we are contributing to something that is bigger than us," says Tom Peterson, who co-owns an insurance underwriting company in California and has what he jokingly refers to as a "mini superyacht."

Every year for the past decade, Peterson has donated about 15 to 20 days of time and fuel on the 24-meter Valkyrie to scientists, who he takes out himself as a licensed captain and former scuba dive operator. He often works with the Shark Lab at California State University Long Beach, and allows researchers to stay aboard for days at a time instead of having to constantly make the 1.5-hour trip to and from shore.

To link up with scientists, Peterson works with the International SeaKeepers Society, a Florida-based nonprofit that engages the yachting community to support ocean conservation and research. "The more we understand things about the ocean in general, the better we all are in the long run," he says.

When "superyacht" and "the environment" appear in the same sentence, it's usually in a different context. In 2019, one study estimated that a single 71-meter superyacht has the same annual carbon footprint as about 200 cars. In 2021, another paper found that superyachts were the single greatest contributor to the carbon footprint of 20 of the world's most prominent billionaires, accounting for 64% of their combined emissions.

"If you really want to respect the environment, you can just go surf," says Grégory Salle, a senior researcher at the French National Center for Scientific Research and author of the book Superyachts: Luxury, Tranquility and Ecocide. Salle is open to the idea that superyachts could be used to advance scientific research, but says it's contradictory for anyone to buy a superyacht and claim to be truly concerned about the environment.

McCallum says people who own adventure yachts tend to be younger than your standard superyacht owner, and have a particular interest in remote and pristine places. "They're not the sort of people that are content to just hang out in the Mediterranean or the Caribbean," he says. "Antarctica, the Arctic, the remote Indian Ocean, the remote Pacific Ocean, the Subantarctic islands… that's where you're going to find us delivering our services."

Explorer yachts aren't the only way scientists can reach those destinations, but demand for dedicated research vessels does outstrip available supply. The U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), arguably the world's greatest collector of oceanographic data, has a fleet of 15 research and survey vessels for the use of its scientists.

Academic researchers can also apply to use the fleet, often at a subsidized rate. But scientists request roughly 15,000 to 20,000 days of boat time every year. In 2019, NOAA was able to fill just 2,300 of them, according to an internal study.

That gap is particularly problematic as the planet warms. Oceans provide services that scientists call "existentially important," producing more than half of the oxygen we breathe and serving as the world's largest carbon sink. They also absorb 30% of our carbon emissions and 90% of the excess heat generated by them.

G. Mark Miller, a retired NOAA Corps officer who was in charge of several of the agency's research vessels, has a different solution in mind when it comes to bolstering ocean research: smaller boats, fit for purpose. Superyachts can cost north of $500 million, he says, "why don't we build a hundred $5 million vessels and flood the ocean science community?"

After leaving NOAA, Miller in 2021 launched Virginia-based Greenwater Marine Sciences Offshore with a vision of building a global fleet of research vessels and offering their use at affordable prices. He says hiring a NOAA boat can cost scientists between $20,000 and $100,000 per day. GMSO plans to charge less than $10,000 a day for most missions. The company says it's close to acquiring its first three vessels.

Miller hopes his business model will help scientists conduct the work they need to—particularly in under-served regions like the Asia-Pacific—without worrying about getting a luxury yacht covered in "muddy worms, plankton goo, dead fish [and] whale snot." He describes yacht owners donating boat time to scientists as "better than nothing," and says it can help get regular people interested in science and exploration.

Christopher Walsh, captain of the Archimedes, says he and his crew love taking part in science initiatives, especially when there's an educational component. "I get a real thrill when we can stream to the classrooms—you can't imagine the enthusiasm the kids display," Walsh says. "That gives me a lot of hope for the future."

Journal information: Frontiers in Remote Sensing

2024 Bloomberg News. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

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Matching private vessels with marine research

The goal of Yachts For Science is to bring together yacht owners and crew with marine scientists, researchers and content creators and provide access to the oceans. This is achieved by utilising the thousands of yachts that are travelling the globe as platforms for research.

Yacht owners and crew - the oceans need you!

The world’s oceans make up the largest ecosystem on Earth. They cover almost three-quarters of the Earth’s surface and produce half of the oxygen we breathe. Oceans regulate climate and their chemistry is vital for planetary health.

Even so, it is estimated that less than 10% of marine life has been discovered and only a fraction of the ocean floor has been mapped. This means that there is no scientific baseline for monitoring the health of the oceans which are so critical for the future of humanity.

The fundamental reason for the lack of oceanic knowledge is the difficulties that marine scientists face in gaining access to the oceans to undertake research. Traditional research vessels are often large and expensive to run, unavailable or in a different location. This is where Yachts For Science can play a part.

The goal of Yachts For Science is to bring together yacht owners and crew with marine scientists, researchers and content creators and provide access to the oceans.

This is achieved by utilising the thousands of yachts that are travelling the globe as platforms for research. These partnerships will provide the vital information required for decision-makers to bring about the protection and recovery of our oceans.

If you own, manage, or are crew aboard a vessel that could provide berths for scientists get in touch now.

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Boat of the Week: This 182-Foot Shadow Vessel Doubles as a Fully Functioning Science Lab

When the pandemic hit in 2020, "gene chaser" became a floating research center where a reliable, low-cost covid-19 home testing kit was created., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

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It’s not often you see a white-coated scientist, test-tube in hand, carrying out experiments in the middle of a big international boat show. But work never stops aboard the stealthy-gray Damen -built support yacht Gene Chaser .

The yacht is the newest acquisition by Connecticut-based DNA sequencing specialist, Dr. Jonathan Rothberg. Back in 2015, the entrepreneur bought the 180-foot Amels superyacht Engelberg , changed the name to Gene Machine and converted her into part world-girding luxury superyacht, part laboratory on water.

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When Covid-19 hit in 2020, Rothberg, together with an ever-growing team of scientists, spent most of the year aboard the yacht, throwing their efforts into developing a reliable, low-cost, coronavirus home testing kit.

Gene Chaser with mothership Gene Machine . The two will travel together through the end of the summer.  Courtesy Damen

Fast forward to 2021, and with Gene Machine turning into more of a floating science lab, and less of a family yacht, it seems Rothberg decided he needed a dedicated support yacht. He found it at Damen Yachting’s Vlissingen yard on Holland’s windswept North Sea coast.

Damen—which acquired Amels in 1991—had built the steel-hulled 182-footer on spec as part of its YS 5009 Yacht Support range, and launched it in late 2020. Rothberg bought her, renamed her Gene Chaser and asked for changes that included converting spaces inside and out into laboratories and hubs for ongoing scientific projects.

After crossing the Atlantic in March last year, the two “Genes” met up in New York Harbor to celebrate the launch of one of Rothberg’s latest ventures—the 58-year-old has founded no fewer than eight key tech companies in the last decade and holds over 100 patents.

One of the labs aboard Gene Chaser is an active center for scientific research.  Courtesy Damen

We caught up with both yachts at last month’s Miami International Boat Show where they were moored stern-to-stern, showcasing Amels’ and Damen Yachting’s design and construction techniques.

“They complement each other perfectly. They really show how science, business and family experiences can work together,” Moena Maggi, Damen Yachting designer told Robb Report as she took us on a tour of Gene Chaser .

Maggi explains that what the support yacht does so well is “go fast.” A quartet of Caterpillar diesels packing a combined 5,600 horsepower can punch the yacht to a top speed of 26 mph.

It also fills its role as a shadow vessel to carry Gene Machine ‘s tenders, toys and lab equipment.  Courtesy Damen

“It means she can leave port after the mothership and arrive at the next destination well ahead. And the boat is quite beautiful at speed, with that distinctive bow cutting through the waves. She’s extremely stable,” says Maggi.

Yet what makes Gene Chaser the perfect support vessel is the size and versatility of her expansive rear deck. There’s space here to land a helicopter, carry a fleet of tenders and toys, and stow a converted shipping container full of ATVs and motorbikes.

With her massive, Transformer-like, 13-ton-capacity crane extended, the yacht’s Fjord 42 tender, 28-foot OXpro AL8 landing craft, 20-foot Zodiac RIB and a fleet of jet skis can be hoisted and stowed on the deck.

Four scientists have permanent staterooms aboard Gene Chaser , with another three slated for visiting scientists.  Courtesy Damen

“The yacht usually sails with eight crew aboard, simply because it takes a lot of hands to move all those toys around and get them on and off the boat,” says Maggi.

On the same deck, the traditional workshop has been converted into an open-air laboratory and a showcase for some of Rothberg’s latest technologies.

In the Damen refit, the former main deck lounge was reconfigured into the primary laboratory and is now the nerve-center for visiting scientists. They’re accommodated in Gene Chaser’s three guest cabins with beds for eight. Below decks are also cabins for the yacht’s four fulltime scientists.

Courtesy Damen

Don’t expect lavish superyacht-style accommodations here. As Rothberg likes to describe the comfort level: “Think of Gene Machine as the Four Seasons and Gene Chaser as the Holiday Inn Express.”

According to the yacht’s chief engineer Malcolm Fordham, Gene Chaser’s real comfort comes when she’s out in bad weather. “We were in the Caribbean last year in some pretty rough conditions. What makes the boat different is that in big waves you just don’t slow down, that X-bow design just slices through the water like a knife,” said Fordham. “It takes a little getting used to, with lots of water coming over the boat, but the speed and stability is impressive.”

For the next few months, Gene Chaser will likely be shadowing Gene Machine for Rothberg family trips to the Bahamas and Caribbean, moving north to Maine and Connecticut for the summer, along the way conducting scientific experiments.

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1,000 rounds of ammunition and fireworks were onboard yacht that burned in Marina del Rey: Owner

MARINA DEL REY, Calif. (KABC) -- The owner of a luxury yacht that erupted in flames and sank in Marina del Rey said 1,000 rounds of "unspent ammunition and fireworks" were onboard the vessel, according to fire officials.

The Los Angeles County Fire Department provided an update on the incident in a social media post Thursday morning.

The fire was reported shortly after 8:30 p.m. Wednesday at 211 Basin A, where flames engulfed the multi-level, 100-foot boat, the agency said.

Residents in the area said they heard multiple explosions resonating throughout the harbor as yacht was consumed by flames. Fire officials said two people were able to get off the boat uninjured.

Fire crews poured water onto the burning vessel, which later sank into the harbor.

An environmental hazard team was expected to arrive in Marina del Rey Thursday to assist with the cleanup of the burned vessel.

A United States Coast Guard Incident Management Team from Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach is monitoring the cleanup efforts, according to the Coast Guard, which said that the yacht "caught fire and discharged red-dye diesel."

"The fire did not appear to damage any other vessels in the harbor," the USCG said in a statement Thursday. "The Coast Guard is working with Patriot Environmental Services and Clean Harbors organizations to contain and recover the discharge from the yacht."

The yacht's fuel capacity was reported to be 6,000 gallons, according to the Coast Guard. Crews from California Department of Fish and Wildlife's Office of Spill Prevention and Response and the L.A. County Sheriff's Department are also assisting in the efforts.

The Oiled Wildlife Care Network was also notified and was on standby for wildlife response. "No observations of oiled wildlife have been reported at this time," the Coast Guard said Thursday morning. "For your safety and the safety of the animals, do not attempt to capture oiled animals." Witnesses were urged to report oiled wildlife to (877) 823-6926.

City News Service contributed to this report.

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7 of the largest yachts owned by American sports billionaires, ranked: From Dan Snyder’s Lady S, which has an IMAX theater, to the Dallas Cowboys owner’s $225 million superyacht. The most expensive vessel belongs to an immigrant who once washed dishes for $1.20 an hour.

7. Steve Bisciotti, Baltimore Ravens – Winning Drive, 130 feet-

Yachts are an extension of their owner’s personality, and the 130-footer Westport yacht is no different. As a young boy, the tycoon, who is worth $7.5 billion today according to Forbes, witnessed his father’s demise and the struggles of his middle-class Italian-American household. It was a winning drive that led 23-year-old Bisciotti to Aerotek, a staffing company in the aerospace and technology sectors, with his cousin Jim Davis.

6. Terry Pegula, Buffalo Sabres – Top Five Yacht, 200 feet-

The son of a truck driver from Quebec relied on his science degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering and $7,500 from family and friends in 1983 to start his natural gas drilling company. The 73-year-old made a fortune in oil and gas before transforming it into a sports empire that includes the Buffalo Bills and Buffalo Sabres. The father of famous professional tennis player Jessica Pegula saw many highs, but the one we like most is the $75 million Royal Hakvoort vessel named after the owner’s five kids. The tycoon, worth $10.8 billion according to Forbes, has shown the world how to have a fun time with family when you can splurge $500,000 per week.

5. Stanley Kroenke, Los Angeles Rams – Aquila yacht, 281 feet-

This 77-year-old sports mogul has been honing his business acumen since childhood. Raised in Mora, Missouri, he started sweeping floors at his father’s lumber yard and managing the company’s books by age ten. After earning his MBA in 1973, he met Wal-Mart heiress Ann Walton in Aspen and married her a year later. In 1985, he launched his own real estate development company, and by 1994, he ventured into sports team ownership. With a net worth of $16.9 billion, the billionaire now commands an impressive portfolio, including the Denver Nuggets, Colorado Avalanche, Colorado Rapids, and the U.K.’s Arsenal soccer club. A major landowner, with over 1.6 million acres of ranches across the U.S. and Canada also owns the majestic Aquilla superyacht with his wife, Walmart heiress Ann Walton.

4. Arthur Blank, Atlanta Falcons – Dreamboat, 295 feet

This 81-year-old New York-born businessman founded Home Depot after being fired from a hardware store. As it turned out, this setback led to a revolutionary success, transforming the home improvement industry and making the Babson Institute graduate a billionaire . Worth $9.1 billion today, the father of nine from three marriages retired as Home Depot’s co-chairman in 2001 and purchased the NFL’s Atlanta Falcons for $545 million in 2002. He also commissioned the massive ‘DreAMBoat,’ highlighting his initials (Arthur Morris Blank), built by Oceanco with interiors designed by Terence Disdale.

3. Daniel Snyder, Washington Commanders – Lady S, 305 feet

Snyder is an enterprising businessman worth $4.5 billion who, as a 20-year-old college dropout, made his first million leasing jets to fly college students to spring break in Fort Lauderdale and the Caribbean. The 59-year-old operated that business out of his parents’ apartment. With a successful business called Snyder Communications, he had enough wealth to buy the NFL’s Washington Commanders for $750 million in 1999. Ten years later, the boy who mopped the floors at the cafeteria inside the National Institutes of Health as a high school student splurged on a whopping $192 million yacht, Lady S.

2. Jerry Jones, Dallas Cowboys – Bravo Eugenia, 358 feet

From co-captaining Arkansas’ 1964 national championship football team to acquiring the Cowboys from H. R. “Bum” Bright for $140 million in 1989 (now valued at a staggering $9 billion), the 81-year-old billionaire worth $14.5 billion has showcased that sports run deep in his veins. His passion extends to art, with a collection that includes masterpieces by Picasso, Renoir, and Matisse. His $225 million Oceanco-built superyacht stands as a testament to luxury, adorned with art, bespoke furniture, and Swarovski details, all reflecting his wife Gene’s exquisite taste.

1. Shahid Khan, Jacksonville Jaguars – Kismet, 400 feet

The poster boy for rags-to-riches tales, billionaire Shahid Khan went from washing dishes for $1.20 an hour to taking delivery of one of 2024’s largest yachts. The $360 million superyacht Kismet , meaning ‘destiny,’ is a lavish Lürssen vessel that comes with exciting features like a Balinese spa, a gym, two movie theaters, and three swimming pools. The Reymond Langton-designed floating palace, dubbed a cathedral of design in his own words, is a huge leap from a teenage migrant boy grinding away in a YMCA kitchen.

Frank Fertitta III, Former UFC owner – Viva, 308 feet-

The fabulous Feadship mammoth, the Viva yacht , which won accolades like Motoryacht of the Year in 2022, deserves a mention despite her owner, Frank Fertitta III, having sold his stake to an investment group led by WME/IMG for $4 billion in 2016.

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Titan submersible's scientific director says the sub malfunctioned just prior to the Titanic dive

The scientific director for the company that owned the Titan submersible that imploded last year while on its way to the Titanic wreckage testified that the sub had malfunctioned just prior to the fatal dive

The scientific director for the company that owned the Titan submersible that imploded last year while on its way to the Titanic wreckage testified Thursday that the sub had malfunctioned just prior to the fatal dive.

Appearing before a U.S. Coast Guard panel, Steven Ross told the board about a platform issue the experimental submersible experienced in June 2023, just days before it imploded on its way to the Titanic site. The malfunction caused passengers onboard the submersible to “tumble about,” and it took an hour to get them out of the water.

The submersible pilot, OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush, crashed into bulkheading during the malfunction, Ross said. No one was injured in the incident, Ross said, though he described it as uncomfortable.

“One passenger was hanging upside down. The other two managed to wedge themselves into the bow end cap,” Ross said, adding that he did not know if a safety assessment of the Titan or an inspection of its hull was performed after the incident.

An investigatory panel has listened to three days of testimony that raised questions about the company's operations before the doomed mission. Rush was among five people who died when the submersible imploded en route to the site of the Titanic wreck in June 2023.

Earlier Thursday, Renata Rojas, a mission specialist for the company, told the Coast Guard the firm was staffed by competent people who wanted to “make dreams come true.” Rojas' testimony struck a different tone than some of the earlier witnesses, who described the company as troubled from the top down and focused more on profit than science or safety.

“I was learning a lot and working with amazing people,” Rojas said. “Some of those people are very hardworking individuals that were just trying to make dreams come true.”

Rojas also said she felt the company was sufficiently transparent during the run-up to the Titanic dive. Her testimony was emotional at times, with the Coast Guard panel proposing a brief break at one point so she could collect herself.

Rojas is a member of the Explorers Club, which lost members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet in the Titan implosion. The club described Rush as “a friend of The Explorers Club” after the implosion.

“I knew what I was doing was very risky. I never at any point felt unsafe by the operation,” Rojas said in testimony Thursday.

Earlier this month, the Coast Guard opened a public hearing that is part of a high-level investigation into the cause of the implosion. The public hearing began Sept. 16 and some of the testimony has focused on problems the company had prior to the fatal 2023 dive.

Investigators also released underwater footage of the submersible wreck. The footage shows the submersible's tail cone and other debris on the ocean floor.

During the hearing, former OceanGate operations director David Lochridge said Tuesday he frequently clashed with Rush and felt the company was committed only to making money.

“The whole idea behind the company was to make money,” Lochridge testified. “There was very little in the way of science.”

The hearing is expected to run through Friday with more witnesses still to come and resume next week.

Lochridge and other witnesses have painted a picture of a company led by people who were impatient to get the unconventionally designed craft into the water. The deadly accident set off a worldwide debate about the future of private undersea exploration.

Coast Guard officials noted at the start of the hearing that the submersible had not been independently reviewed, as is standard practice. That and Titan’s unusual design subjected it to scrutiny in the undersea exploration community.

OceanGate, based in Washington state, suspended its operations after the implosion. The company has no full-time employees currently, but has been represented by an attorney during the hearing.

During the submersible’s final dive on June 18, 2023, the crew lost contact after an exchange of texts about the Titan’s depth and weight as it descended. The support ship Polar Prince then sent repeated messages asking if the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display.

One of the last messages from Titan’s crew to Polar Prince before the submersible imploded stated, “all good here,” according to a visual recreation presented earlier in the hearing.

When the submersible was reported missing, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to an area about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Four days later, wreckage of the Titan was found on the ocean floor about 330 yards (300 meters) off the bow of the Titanic, Coast Guard officials said.

No one on board survived. Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman were the other two people killed in the implosion.

OceanGate said it has been fully cooperating with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations since they began. The Titan had been making voyages to the Titanic wreckage site going back to 2021.

Related Topics

• Titanic submersible

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Titan submersible’s scientific director says the sub malfunctioned just prior to the Titanic dive

This June 2023 United States Coast Guard still frame from video provided by Pelagic Research Services, shows remains of the Titan submersible, center, on the floor of the Atlantic Ocean. (U.S. Coast Guard Video courtesy Pelagic Research Services via AP)

The scientific director for the company that owned the Titan submersible that imploded last year while on its way to the Titanic wreckage testified Thursday that the sub had malfunctioned just prior to the fatal dive.

Appearing before a U.S. Coast Guard panel, Steven Ross told the board about a platform issue the experimental submersible experienced in June 2023, just days before it imploded on its way to the Titanic site. The malfunction caused passengers onboard the submersible to “tumble about,” and it took an hour to get them out of the water.

The submersible pilot, OceanGate co-founder Stockton Rush, crashed into bulkheading during the malfunction, Ross said. No one was injured in the incident, Ross said, though he described it as uncomfortable.

“One passenger was hanging upside down. The other two managed to wedge themselves into the bow end cap,” Ross said, adding that he did not know if a safety assessment of the Titan or an inspection of its hull was performed after the incident.

An investigatory panel has listened to three days of testimony that raised questions about the company’s operations before the doomed mission. Rush was among five people who died when the submersible imploded en route to the site of the Titanic wreck in June 2023.

Earlier Thursday, Renata Rojas, a mission specialist for the company, told the Coast Guard the firm was staffed by competent people who wanted to “make dreams come true.” Rojas’ testimony struck a different tone than some of the earlier witnesses, who described the company as troubled from the top down and focused more on profit than science or safety.

“I was learning a lot and working with amazing people,” Rojas said. “Some of those people are very hardworking individuals that were just trying to make dreams come true.”

Rojas also said she felt the company was sufficiently transparent during the run-up to the Titanic dive. Her testimony was emotional at times, with the Coast Guard panel proposing a brief break at one point so she could collect herself.

Rojas is a member of the Explorers Club, which lost members Hamish Harding and Paul-Henri Nargeolet in the Titan implosion. The club described Rush as “a friend of The Explorers Club” after the implosion.

“I knew what I was doing was very risky. I never at any point felt unsafe by the operation,” Rojas said in testimony Thursday.

Earlier this month, the Coast Guard opened a public hearing that is part of a high-level investigation into the cause of the implosion. The public hearing began Sept. 16 and some of the testimony has focused on problems the company had prior to the fatal 2023 dive.

Investigators also released underwater footage of the submersible wreck. The footage shows the submersible’s tail cone and other debris on the ocean floor.

During the hearing, former OceanGate operations director David Lochridge said Tuesday he frequently clashed with Rush and felt the company was committed only to making money.

“The whole idea behind the company was to make money,” Lochridge testified. “There was very little in the way of science.”

The hearing is expected to run through Friday with more witnesses still to come and resume next week.

Lochridge and other witnesses have painted a picture of a company led by people who were impatient to get the unconventionally designed craft into the water. The deadly accident set off a worldwide debate about the future of private undersea exploration.

Coast Guard officials noted at the start of the hearing that the submersible had not been independently reviewed, as is standard practice. That and Titan’s unusual design subjected it to scrutiny in the undersea exploration community.

OceanGate, based in Washington state, suspended its operations after the implosion. The company has no full-time employees currently, but has been represented by an attorney during the hearing.

During the submersible’s final dive on June 18, 2023, the crew lost contact after an exchange of texts about the Titan’s depth and weight as it descended. The support ship Polar Prince then sent repeated messages asking if the Titan could still see the ship on its onboard display.

One of the last messages from Titan’s crew to Polar Prince before the submersible imploded stated, “all good here,” according to a visual recreation presented earlier in the hearing.

When the submersible was reported missing, rescuers rushed ships, planes and other equipment to an area about 435 miles (700 kilometers) south of St. John’s, Newfoundland. Four days later, wreckage of the Titan was found on the ocean floor about 330 yards (300 meters) off the bow of the Titanic, Coast Guard officials said.

No one on board survived. Shahzada Dawood and his son Suleman were the other two people killed in the implosion.

OceanGate said it has been fully cooperating with the Coast Guard and NTSB investigations since they began. The Titan had been making voyages to the Titanic wreckage site going back to 2021.

previous coverage

• The Coast Guard will hear from former OceanGate employees about the Titan implosion
• Ex-employees of Titanic submersible’s owner to testify before Coast Guard panel
• Coast Guard recovers debris, possible human remains from sub that imploded during Titanic trip

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Pearl Yachts delivers first 25m model with private owner's terrace

The first unit in Pearl Yachts ' 25.3-metre series, christened Pearly Spencer , has been delivered following her debut at this year's Cannes Yachting Festival . According to BOATPro , she is now anchored in Port de Portals Nous in Palma, Mallorca.

The Pearl 82 model sits between the shipyard's Pearl 95 and Pearl 72 offerings and features a raised pilothouse design with two aft deck configurations and a semi-walkaround deck with a forward master suite and private forepeak terrace. 

The company claims this model is the only yacht in its class to offer this type of configuration, and Pearl Yachts managing director, Iain Smallridge, called the 82 "the most compact superyacht on the market".

The Pearl 82 builds on the collaboration between the shipyard and Bill Dixon whose studio, Dixon Yacht Design , created the exterior profile and naval architecture. Naturally, the model shares a sporty profile with the rest of the Pearl range with an exterior defined by four bands of dark glass.

Owners are offered the choice between two aft deck arrangements: the "Riviera" configuration with aft-facing sunpads behind the table and a sofa set up, and the "Veranda" layout with pivoting seating that can be used for dining or for observing activities at sea. Fold-down bulwarks at this level expand the aft cockpit, while a tender garage offers storage for a Williams 345 tender – or similar – and a Jet Ski.

All the outdoor areas can be protected by a foredeck Bimini, electric shades and the hard top on the flybridge, which can be set to full shade, adjustable louvres and full sun at the touch of a button. The owner's foredeck lounge is also connected to the flybridge deck and benefits from a full-sized dining table, a bar, a sunpad and a spa pool.

Kelly Hoppen, another long-time Pearl Yachts collaborator, is responsible for the interior which accommodates up to 10 guests with a forward master suite that has access to a private bow terrace through a glass door. The remaining guest accommodation is found on the lower deck, configured as two twins and two doubles.

"We've used beautiful materials, and the joinery and the detailing are absolutely intricate, but the feel of when you are on board is quite open plan, with these wonderfully enlarged windows, which make you feel that you are really out at sea, rather than being enclosed inside of a yacht," said Hoppen.

Other interior highlights include a main saloon with floor-to-ceiling windows which, together with cut-out bulwarks, allow an abundance of natural light to fill the space. Forward is dining for all 10 guests with galley access to port.

Engine room access, galley access and foredeck access are all positioned on the port side of the yacht, ensuring privacy for guests and crew.

"The design revealed in Düsseldorf set the stage for what will be a truly spectacular world premiere at Cannes next September," Smallridge said at the yacht's launch in July 2024 . "This yacht is a testament to our feature-focused philosophy and innovative spirit, and to our dedication to pushing the limits of yacht design and flawless quality."

The Pearl 82 offers owners a choice of three propulsion packages with twin MAN V12 engines ranging from 1,650hp to 2,000hp, with the most powerful engines delivering a top speed of 33 knots.

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