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Leading motor yacht marque Prestige is celebrating the win of major awards at leading boat shows in Cannes and Genoa for two yachts making their world-premiere appearances.

In the World Yachts Trophies ceremony on Saturday 16 September at the Cannes Yachting Festival, the Prestige F4 — the first of the all-new generation of the F-Line — won the prize for Best Interior Design in the category of yachts from 45 to 64 feet, while the flagship Prestige M8 was declared best among Power Driven Catamarans.

The following week at the Genoa International Boat Show, the M8 was named winner of the 2023 Design Innovation Award in the Multihull category.

“Both the new Prestige F4 and flagship Prestige M8 are important milestones in the evolution of the brand today,” said Erwin Bamps, vice president of the Franco-Italian yacht builder.

The multihull Prestige M8 “embodies [the marque’s] ability to cater to a sophisticated, discerning clientele” | Credit: PrestigeThe multihull Prestige M8 “embodies [the marque’s] ability to cater to a sophisticated, discerning clientele” | Credit: Prestige

“The F4 is the first model of our third-generation flybridge line-up and features many new attributes that reflect our vision for the ideal family yacht of tomorrow.

“At the same time, the multihull M8 embodies our ability to cater to a sophisticated, discerning clientele, marrying French industrial excellence and an Italian heritage of personalisable, large yacht construction at our Monfalcone shipyard.

“Being recognised for both ends of the Prestige spectrum with international awards is a beautiful accolade of our achievements.”

MGM Boats are the Irish agents for Prestige and you can express your interest in the F4 and M8 at [email protected].

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This past weekend at boot Düsseldorf was a big one for Dun Laoghaire-based agents MGM Boats, with the world premiere of Jeanneau’s new DB/37 and the launch of the electric Delphia 10 Lounge — as well as the reveal of the new flagship of Prestige’s M-Line in the M8.

Following the M48, the first in the M-Line that was launched last year, the multihull M8 promises an unprecedented experience: to live in perfect harmony with the sea on smooth, serene cruises, more respectful of the environment with a reduced fuel consumption.

The M8 also aims to redefine the onboard experience with a living area of more than 270 sq m “unequalled in its category” and twin hulls ensuring natural stability and excellent seaworthiness.

The M8 is being touted as ‘a true villa on the sea’, to which this artist’s impression of the interior can testify | Credit: Prestige YachtsThe M8 is being touted as ‘a true villa on the sea’, to which this artist’s impression of the interior can testify | Credit: Prestige Yachts

“The M8, flagship of the M-Line by Prestige, represents the quintessence of our savoir-faire in terms of design, elegance, and fit and finish,” says Erwin Bamps, vice president of Prestige.

“I would like to underscore the unique character of Prestige, the only Franco-Italian yacht builder in the world, today, combining the French mastery of serial production and Italian heritage in large yacht construction.”

While remaining faithful to Prestige’s identity, the M8 features a distinctive hull, designed from the start uniquely for a motor yacht.

Living is easy onboard the M8, its creators promise | Credit: Prestige YachtsLiving is easy onboard the M8, its creators promise | Credit: Prestige Yachts

The result is a multihull that is less wide but taller than a sailing catamaran, offering unequalled surface area and dimensions, which Prestige says is never before seen in existing monohulls and multihulls on the market.

“The M8 is a true villa on the sea,” says its designer, Camillo Garroni. “The layout, living spaces, ease of movement and safety on board have been designed to optimise the experience of the owners and their family.”

Discover new horizons, get closer to nature and reconnect with yourself and others in a spacious, refined, bright environment with the M8 from Prestige. There’s more on the Prestige website — and if you’re at boot Düsseldorf this week, meet the team from MGM Boats for details.

Published in MGM Boats

The recently debuted M48 from Prestige received a prestigious Design Innovation Award in the multihull category at last month’s Genoa International Boat Show.

The Design Innovation Award 2022, created by the Italian Marine Industry Association and by the company I Saloni Nautici, was presented during a special ceremony on Friday 23 September.

Every year an international jury assigns the award to one of the new models present at the Genoa International Boat Show with the aim of supporting and encouraging innovation and excellence in the world of nautical design.

The M48 was recognise by the jury thanks to the Prestige power cat’s “search for a new typology that combines comfort and efficiency in performance”.

“We worked on an entirely new base to offer a new ‘art de vivre’ in harmony with nature. One that is 100% motor yacht, without any of the constraints inherent to sailboats,” said Rosalie Le Gall, Prestige product marketing manager.

“We decided to apply and exclusively motor yacht design. This design concept enabled us to offer a multihull that is not as wide as a sailing catamaran, but taller.”

Touted by Prestige as unique in its market segment, the M48 features “unparalleled freedom of movement and stability to experience serene moments at sea”.

Prestige designer Camillo Garroni sums it up succinctly: “The M48 is a villa that opens on to the sea.”

Meanwhile, the M48 is also nominated for the prestigious title of European Powerboat of the Year 2023, which is awarded each year by the German magazine Boote recognising outstanding new boat models on the European market.

The winner is expected to be announced at boot Düsseldorf in January 2023.

For more on the M48, get in touch with Prestige’s Irish agents MGM Boats at [email protected].

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Prestige Motor Yachts are offering yachting journalists two exclusive sea trial days aboard their first power catamaran, the Prestige M48, at Port Ginesta in Spain later this month as part of a big showcase for Group Beneteau boating brands.

It follows the power cat’s debut alongside the Prestige X60 at last month’s Cannes Yachting Festival, as previously noted on Afloat.ie.

Taller than others of its kind on the market, the M48 has a deep bridge deck linking the two hulls, promoting a similar look and feel as a monohull below deck.

The results are generous, brightly lit refined living spaces and full beam cabins, affording the ultimate in comfort.

For more on the M48, get in touch with Prestige’s Irish agents MGM Boats at [email protected].

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The new Prestige X60 has been awarded the prize for Best Innovation of the Year 2022 at the prestigious World Yachts Trophies ceremony during the Cannes Yachting Festival.

“This award, two years after the X70 won the award for Best Layout, illustrates once again the savoir-faire of Prestige and the unique, revolutionary design of the X-LINE,” the leading motor yacht brand said.

As previously noted on Afloat.ie, the Prestige X60 has its world debut at Cannes last month and comes with a design “guided by the core concepts of voluminous living spaces, natural light and easy flow of movement onboard”. 

For more on the X60, get in touch with Prestige’s Irish agents MGM Boats at [email protected].

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Following a successful stint in Cannes last week, MGM Boats will be on the Prestige and Jeanneau stands for the duration of the Southampton International Boat Show which kicks off this Friday 16 September.

The Dun Laoghaire-based boat sales agents will have a full sales team working the show and available to show a host of new boats from its ranges.

For the Prestige marque, that means the 420F, 460F, 520F and 590F motor yachts, alongside Jeanneau’s Sun Odyssey (380, 410, 440 and 490) and Sun Fast 3300 sail boats.

Powerboats from Jeanneau on show include the Cap Camarat (7.5 WA Série3, 9.0 WA and 10.5 WA Série2), Merry Fisher (795 Série2, 795 Sport Série2, 895, 895 Sport an1095) and NC37.

And the Lagoon Catamarans brand will be represented by the Lagoon 46 and Lagoon 42.

The MGM Boats sales team looks forward to seeing you in Southampton. For more details, get in touch with [email protected].

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Leading motor yacht brand Prestige will make a double world debut at the Cannes Yachting Festival next month — presenting the Prestige X60 and M48 to the public for the first time at the show from 6-11 September.
 
The Prestige X60 comes with a design guided by the core concepts of voluminous living spaces, natural light and easy flow of movement onboard. 
 
The result is a yacht that offers an exceptional level of comfort, with multiple areas for relaxation and an entirely open ‘infinity cockpit’ that affords incredible views of the ocean and creates easy access through a large electric sliding door to the saloon.

The Prestige M48 is the first power catamaran from the leading motor yacht brand | Credit: Prestige Motor YachtsThe Prestige M48 is the first power catamaran from the leading motor yacht brand | Credit: Prestige Motor Yachts
 
The Prestige M48, meanwhile, is the first power catamaran from Prestige Yachts. Taller than other power cats on the market, the M48 has a deep bridge deck linking the two hulls, promoting a similar look and feel as a monohull below deck, creating generous, brightly lit refined living spaces and full beam cabins, affording the ultimate in comfort.
 
Twin 320hp Volvo Penta D4s give the Prestige M48 a maximum speed of 20 knots with the reduced wet surface area of this multihull design making it 20% more efficient than a similar-sized monohull — giving a range of 250nm at 18 knots or 600nm at 8 knots from the 1,200-litre tank.

Both will make their public debut at Cannes alongside other Prestige motor yachts on display, namely the 420F, 460F, 520F and 590F. For more details get in touch with Prestige’s Irish agents MGM Boats at mgmboats.com.

Published in MGM Boats

Leading motor yacht brand Prestige has launched the M48 as the first model of its new M-Line.

The M48 is a luxury power catamaran described as “a major step” for the French company and is positioned as “an all-new experience in the art of living well”.

Space is of the utmost importance, with the M48 being cast as “a villa that opens onto the sea”. That means a generous, brightly lit interior with a 20sqm flybridge, and extra-large sun lounge and a volume equivalent to a 60ft yacht in a 50ft vessel.

And the inverted bow design helps “contribute to a unique and harmonious design signature”, says designer Camilo Garroni.

Visits and sea trials are scheduled in Cannes on 9-10 June, ahead of the M48’s premiere at the Cannes Boat Show in September.

Prestige’s Irish agents MGM Boats will have more details in the coming weeks.

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Dun Laoghaire yacht broker MGM Boats be exhibiting on the Prestige Yachts, Lagoon Catamarans and Jeanneau Sail & Powerboat stands for the full duration of the show from 7-12 September.

Gerry Salmon, Ross O’Leary and Joss Walsh will be available to show over a host of new models for 2022 at the event, which will cover two exhibition spaces at the Vieux Port and Port Canto.

As the Cannes boat show promises as usual to be a very busy boat sales event, the MGM Boats team advises making a prior appointment to view your choice of boat:

  • Prestige: 420, 520, 590, 460 S, 690 X70
  • Lagoon: Seventy7, Sixty5, 55, 46, 42, 40
  • Jeanneau Sail: Sun Odyssey 410, Sun Odyssey 440, Sun Odyssey, 490, 54, 60
  • Jeanneau Power: Leader 36, Merry Fisher 1095 Fly, Cap Camarat 12.5 WA, NC 37, Merry Fisher 10.95, Cap Caramat 10.5 WA

To make an appointment or if you would like to receive further information on the boats displayed, contact the sales team at [email protected]

Published in MGM Boats

Irish dealers MGM Boats were on hand this morning when the new Prestige X70 was launched at boot Dusseldorf today, the first in the new crossover range from Prestige Yachts.

The X70 has been developed with space, light and luxury in mind, and materials have been hand-selected to ensure exceptional fit and finish. Prestige Yachts and Garroni Design have been innovative in their use of space, enhancing circulation and optimising room on the main deck by moving the side decks to the flybridge.

"The X70 is the most innovative yacht of her category and her generation, enabling people to experience an entirely new way to live on the water", MGM's Gerry Salmon said at the launch today.

Greatly increasing the size of the cockpit has resulted in the redistribution and bringing together of interior and exterior living spaces, ensuring entertainment areas flow throughout the vessel.

The single-story nature of the X70 offers an infinite choice of main deck and cockpit layouts, and the interior is furnished with high-quality fabrics and designer furniture from prestigious brands including RODA and Duvivier.

There is also a Beach Club fully integrated into the aft platform providing further entertainment space and proximity to the water.

Prestige DusseldorfThe Prestige stand at Boot Dusseldorf

The X70 is the first boat to be produced in the new X-Line range from Prestige. This groundbreaking new 70-foot mini superyacht will start sea trials in early summer and then have its world debut at Cannes the following month.

This flagship yacht of the X-Line range is designed to take you where you want to go. The Volvo IPS technology provides smooth, fuel-efficient cruising with exceptional manoeuvrability.

In due course, the X70 will be joined by smaller and larger models complementing the state-of-the-art the Prestige X-Line range.

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Ireland's Offshore Renewable Energy

Because of Ireland's location at the Atlantic edge of the EU, it has more offshore energy potential than most other countries in Europe. The conditions are suitable for the development of the full range of current offshore renewable energy technologies.

Offshore Renewable Energy FAQs

Offshore renewable energy draws on the natural energy provided by wind, wave and tide to convert it into electricity for industry and domestic consumption.

Offshore wind is the most advanced technology, using fixed wind turbines in coastal areas, while floating wind is a developing technology more suited to deeper water. In 2018, offshore wind provided a tiny fraction of global electricity supply, but it is set to expand strongly in the coming decades into a USD 1 trillion business, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA). It says that turbines are growing in size and in power capacity, which in turn is "delivering major performance and cost improvements for offshore wind farms".

The global offshore wind market grew nearly 30% per year between 2010 and 2018, according to the IEA, due to rapid technology improvements, It calculated that about 150 new offshore wind projects are in active development around the world. Europe in particular has fostered the technology's development, led by Britain, Germany and Denmark, but China added more capacity than any other country in 2018.

A report for the Irish Wind Energy Assocation (IWEA) by the Carbon Trust – a British government-backed limited company established to accelerate Britain's move to a low carbon economy - says there are currently 14 fixed-bottom wind energy projects, four floating wind projects and one project that has yet to choose a technology at some stage of development in Irish waters. Some of these projects are aiming to build before 2030 to contribute to the 5GW target set by the Irish government, and others are expected to build after 2030. These projects have to secure planning permission, obtain a grid connection and also be successful in a competitive auction in the Renewable Electricity Support Scheme (RESS).

The electricity generated by each turbine is collected by an offshore electricity substation located within the wind farm. Seabed cables connect the offshore substation to an onshore substation on the coast. These cables transport the electricity to land from where it will be used to power homes, farms and businesses around Ireland. The offshore developer works with EirGrid, which operates the national grid, to identify how best to do this and where exactly on the grid the project should connect.

The new Marine Planning and Development Management Bill will create a new streamlined system for planning permission for activity or infrastructure in Irish waters or on the seabed, including offshore wind farms. It is due to be published before the end of 2020 and enacted in 2021.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE.

There are a number of companies aiming to develop offshore wind energy off the Irish coast and some of the larger ones would be ESB, SSE Renewables, Energia, Statkraft and RWE. Is there scope for community involvement in offshore wind? The IWEA says that from the early stages of a project, the wind farm developer "should be engaging with the local community to inform them about the project, answer their questions and listen to their concerns". It says this provides the community with "the opportunity to work with the developer to help shape the final layout and design of the project". Listening to fishing industry concerns, and how fishermen may be affected by survey works, construction and eventual operation of a project is "of particular concern to developers", the IWEA says. It says there will also be a community benefit fund put in place for each project. It says the final details of this will be addressed in the design of the RESS (see below) for offshore wind but it has the potential to be "tens of millions of euro over the 15 years of the RESS contract". The Government is also considering the possibility that communities will be enabled to invest in offshore wind farms though there is "no clarity yet on how this would work", the IWEA says.

Based on current plans, it would amount to around 12 GW of offshore wind energy. However, the IWEA points out that is unlikely that all of the projects planned will be completed. The industry says there is even more significant potential for floating offshore wind off Ireland's west coast and the Programme for Government contains a commitment to develop a long-term plan for at least 30 GW of floating offshore wind in our deeper waters.

There are many different models of turbines. The larger a turbine, the more efficient it is in producing electricity at a good price. In choosing a turbine model the developer will be conscious of this ,but also has to be aware the impact of the turbine on the environment, marine life, biodiversity and visual impact. As a broad rule an offshore wind turbine will have a tip-height of between 165m and 215m tall. However, turbine technology is evolving at a rapid rate with larger more efficient turbines anticipated on the market in the coming years.

 

The Renewable Electricity Support Scheme is designed to support the development of renewable energy projects in Ireland. Under the scheme wind farms and solar farms compete against each other in an auction with the projects which offer power at the lowest price awarded contracts. These contracts provide them with a guaranteed price for their power for 15 years. If they obtain a better price for their electricity on the wholesale market they must return the difference to the consumer.

Yes. The first auction for offshore renewable energy projects is expected to take place in late 2021.

Cost is one difference, and technology is another. Floating wind farm technology is relatively new, but allows use of deeper water. Ireland's 50-metre contour line is the limit for traditional bottom-fixed wind farms, and it is also very close to population centres, which makes visibility of large turbines an issue - hence the attraction of floating structures Do offshore wind farms pose a navigational hazard to shipping? Inshore fishermen do have valid concerns. One of the first steps in identifying a site as a potential location for an offshore wind farm is to identify and assess the level of existing marine activity in the area and this particularly includes shipping. The National Marine Planning Framework aims to create, for the first time, a plan to balance the various kinds of offshore activity with the protection of the Irish marine environment. This is expected to be published before the end of 2020, and will set out clearly where is suitable for offshore renewable energy development and where it is not - due, for example, to shipping movements and safe navigation.

YEnvironmental organisations are concerned about the impact of turbines on bird populations, particularly migrating birds. A Danish scientific study published in 2019 found evidence that larger birds were tending to avoid turbine blades, but said it didn't have sufficient evidence for smaller birds – and cautioned that the cumulative effect of farms could still have an impact on bird movements. A full environmental impact assessment has to be carried out before a developer can apply for planning permission to develop an offshore wind farm. This would include desk-based studies as well as extensive surveys of the population and movements of birds and marine mammals, as well as fish and seabed habitats. If a potential environmental impact is identified the developer must, as part of the planning application, show how the project will be designed in such a way as to avoid the impact or to mitigate against it.

A typical 500 MW offshore wind farm would require an operations and maintenance base which would be on the nearby coast. Such a project would generally create between 80-100 fulltime jobs, according to the IWEA. There would also be a substantial increase to in-direct employment and associated socio-economic benefit to the surrounding area where the operation and maintenance hub is located.

The recent Carbon Trust report for the IWEA, entitled Harnessing our potential, identified significant skills shortages for offshore wind in Ireland across the areas of engineering financial services and logistics. The IWEA says that as Ireland is a relatively new entrant to the offshore wind market, there are "opportunities to develop and implement strategies to address the skills shortages for delivering offshore wind and for Ireland to be a net exporter of human capital and skills to the highly competitive global offshore wind supply chain". Offshore wind requires a diverse workforce with jobs in both transferable (for example from the oil and gas sector) and specialist disciplines across apprenticeships and higher education. IWEA have a training network called the Green Tech Skillnet that facilitates training and networking opportunities in the renewable energy sector.

It is expected that developing the 3.5 GW of offshore wind energy identified in the Government's Climate Action Plan would create around 2,500 jobs in construction and development and around 700 permanent operations and maintenance jobs. The Programme for Government published in 2020 has an enhanced target of 5 GW of offshore wind which would create even more employment. The industry says that in the initial stages, the development of offshore wind energy would create employment in conducting environmental surveys, community engagement and development applications for planning. As a site moves to construction, people with backgrounds in various types of engineering, marine construction and marine transport would be recruited. Once the site is up and running , a project requires a team of turbine technicians, engineers and administrators to ensure the wind farm is fully and properly maintained, as well as crew for the crew transfer vessels transporting workers from shore to the turbines.

The IEA says that today's offshore wind market "doesn't even come close to tapping the full potential – with high-quality resources available in most major markets". It estimates that offshore wind has the potential to generate more than 420 000 Terawatt hours per year (TWh/yr) worldwide – as in more than 18 times the current global electricity demand. One Terawatt is 114 megawatts, and to put it in context, Scotland it has a population a little over 5 million and requires 25 TWh/yr of electrical energy.

Not as advanced as wind, with anchoring a big challenge – given that the most effective wave energy has to be in the most energetic locations, such as the Irish west coast. Britain, Ireland and Portugal are regarded as most advanced in developing wave energy technology. The prize is significant, the industry says, as there are forecasts that varying between 4000TWh/yr to 29500TWh/yr. Europe consumes around 3000TWh/year.

The industry has two main umbrella organisations – the Irish Wind Energy Association, which represents both onshore and offshore wind, and the Marine Renewables Industry Association, which focuses on all types of renewable in the marine environment.

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