Catamarans have become increasingly popular over the last year or so. This one is the creation of Swedish design and engineering firm Vizualtech (designer : Bo Zolland), which was contacted by a customer from Dubai who was seeking a new design for a race boat. Starting with an R8 as its inspiration, Vizualtech set about creating what it is now named the Biocat R8 racing catamaran.

According to the Swedish designer, the 8.8 meter long R8 speedboat has been designed to use a V10 biodiesel marine engine or two smaller 320 HP diesel units helping it to achieve a theoretical top speed of 110 MPH.

The R8 Catamaran has an Audi inspired design and equally impressive technology that goes with it. The boat comes in a number of cool colors like metallic gray, black and red.

Vizualtech exec Bo Zolland is yet to confirm whether the Biocat will be produced but states that the original customer that commissioned the design is very happy with the initial concept.

Source : motorauthority

By international convention, a superyacht is any private vessel more than 30 metres (98ft) in length. A few years ago, there were only a handful but today, there are thousands of them and, amazingly, demand is on the up.

After a few years, the owner of a 30-metre yacht wants 40 or 50 metres of yacht and, right now, there are not enough quality shipyards in the world to cope with the demand.

Every year, buyers and sellers congregate in Monaco, and this year was busier than ever. At the Monaco Yacht Show this past weekend in Monte Carlo, there was an estimated $4.5 billion worth of yachts on display, and none of the 98 craft on exhibit were under 100 ft. !

Made by CrossCurrent Marine, the U.23 Carbon is the market’s first rigid inflatable boat constructed of proprietary carbon and Kevlar epoxy composite. Lightweight and ultra-durable, the U.23 Carbon is well equipped for coastal cruising or excursions in open water.

Designed for the elite individuals seeking acquisitions of the highest caliber, the U.23 Carbon is the ultimate in luxury inflatables. Capable of achieving speeds of 45-knots, the U.23 maintains stability and a comfortable ride at high speeds under reasonable load and conditions.

The U.23 Carbon is currently available for order directly from CrossCurrent Marine, and has a boat and motor starting price of $109,000. A list of custom options is available.

Porsche Design Group on Wednesday announced the signing of a design and marketing agreement with Singapore-based yacht builder, Royal Falcon Fleet.

Under this agreement Porsche Design will design luxury catamarans and mega-yachts for Royal Falcon Fleet on an exclusive basis in addition to developing a marketing concept for the yachts.

The first project is what you see in the photo above, a motor catamaran that is over 40 meters (135 feet) long. Porsche Design will design both the hull exterior and interior of the catamaran.

Pictured above: Guilty, a 115-foot yacht designed by Jeff Koons and commissioned by Greek billionaire Dakis Joannou, who owns one of the world’s finest collections of contemporary art.

The exterior design was created by international art star Jeff Koons, famous for his basketball in perspex case, three-storey high “Puppy” made of flowers, and the “Made in Heaven” erotic series of photographs with Italian ex-wife and porn-star-member-of-parliament La Cicciolina.

Koons based his design on a WWI camouflage pattern. complemented by architect Ivana Porfiri’s jagged shapes.

Guilty is likely to appear in next month’s Italian Vogue.

French luxury products group LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton said Monday it has signed an exclusive agreement with Dutch investment company Egeria to acquire Royal van Lent, the Dutch designer and builder of luxury custom mega-yachts sold under the Feadship brand.

The talks with owner Egeria, a Dutch investment firm, are based on an acquisition price worth approximately 11 times net profit. The estimated price equates to a transaction value of less than 500 million euros, a source familiar with the talks said.

This acquisition will enable LVMH to enlarge its scope of activities and to expand its presence in products and services at the top of the luxury market.

Royal van Lent’s yachts target an ultra-exclusive clientele and are built to the highest quality standards using specific know-how. Feadship’s attributes of creativity, craftsmanship, innovation, quality and exclusive positioning are shared by all the luxury businesses operated by LVMH.

Founded 160 years ago, Royal van Lent enjoys a leading market position. It designs and builds custom mega-yachts under the Feadship brand, one of the most exclusive and prestigious brands in the world for motor-yachts measuring over 50 meters.

The custom-built ultra-luxury mega-yacht sector offers strong global growth prospects. By targeting exclusively ultra-high net worth individuals, Royal van Lent offers an outstanding growth opportunity that is resistant to economic cycles. Since 2000, the worldwide order book for custom-built luxury yachts measuring over 50 meters has grown by more than 20% per annum.

Those luxury watch sell for an average 30 million euros ($44 million) each. (source)