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Displaying items by tag: Xyachts

Juno, an X-34 from 2010, is a new arrival to the brokerage market and now available to view by appointment at X-Yachts’ UK office in Hamble (details attached below).

It joins a selection of new and old X-Yachts that will be on display at the Southampton marina for the final ‘Experience the Brand’ showcase of 2020 next weekend, from Friday 9 to Sunday 11 October.

Private or guided viewings can be arranged following all necessary precautions via the links included HERE.

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL
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X-Yachts will join with Sailing Aarhus to host its next Gold Cup in Denmark’s second-biggest city next summer.

The dates to save are 21-23 May with registration, as well as a detailed programme of events, expected to go online soon.

And the celebration is set to be a big one, following last year’s 40th anniversary bash and the restrictions on sailing amid this year’s coronavirus crisis.

“It is of the essence that X-Yachts owners can meet and enjoy a couple of days with like-minded and to have fun on the water,” says X-Yachts chief executive Kræn Nielsen.

“These kinds of experiences will always be remembered, and Aarhus is a perfect place to meet and it is a charming city with many cultural attractions … something for everyone.”

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL
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X-Yachts has released a new video which showcases the yachts on display in Hamble from today, Friday 11 September.

The Danish builder is taking a relaxed, and safer, approach for prospective buyers to ‘Experience the Brand’ at its Hamble Point Marina base until 20 September, and again in October.

The X4⁹, X4⁰ and Xc 35 are among the newest arrivals, and private or guided viewings can be arranged following all necessary precautions.

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL

With large international boat shows either cancelled or postponed this season, X-Yachts GB & IRL istaking a relaxed, and safer, approach for you to ‘Experience the Brand’.

A selection of new and pre-owned X-Yachts will be available to explore in safety and comfort at the company’s base in Hamble Point Marina, Southampton.

You can choose to view privately, or with our guidance where we can showcase the features, on dates available from 28-30 August, 11-20 September and 9-11 October.

RSVP by the previous links for your appointment to view, and for more details contact Debbie Weldon of X-Yachts GB & IRL at +44 23 8045 3377 or [email protected]

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL

X-Yachts GB & Ireland’s original plan to travel to Denmark at the end of March for the handover of a brand new X4³ was not to be — but the business adapted to the change for its latest happy customers.

Despite the yacht being full rigged and ready to go, it quickly became apparent that collecting it from Denmark was not going to be as logistically easy as in 2019.

Instead, the X4³ was de-rigged, loaded to road transport, and brought back to Hamble for local commissioning.

During the period of lock-down, the vessel was slowly commissioned, and prepared until such times it could be launched and rigged.

After a day of systems handover, and test sailing, the X4³’s proud new owners Richard and Anne were delighted to be day sailing from Hamble, and getting to know their new yacht XETA in these perfect sailing conditions.

“We are so pleased to be out sailing at the end of May,” they said. “When lockdown started, we thought it would take months. Big thanks to the team at X-Yachts for getting the boat from Denmark, commissioning her, and ready for the first day lockdown was eased, and we can go sailing.”

All new build 2020 X-Yachts remain on time from the factory, as production in Denmark was not stopped, therefore the next British and Irish owners have the chance follow this delivery procedure and get sailing as soon as possible in 2020.

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL
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Take a tour through X-Yachts’ Pure X Range via its ‘Virtual X-perience’ VR guides for the stylish X4⁹, the European Yacht of the Year winner X4⁰, and the X5⁶, the new performance cruiser scheduled to launch later this year.

Using your computer, tablet or smartphone, you can step onboard and explore the important features of these luxury yachts both above and below deck.

Test your position at the helm, or go below into the saloon and discover the front and aft cabins, bath and heads.

X-Yachts encourages you to make yourself at home and feel the atmosphere the Pure X range in a new way — getting an insight into the spaciousness, acclaimed Scandinavian design and practical interior and exterior details that display what real comfort is.

What’s more, you can also contact X-Yachts Ireland for a personal online tour — and of course use the X-Configurator to outfit your choice of yacht to the specification you desire.

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL
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X-Yachts has posted a video tour of the 2006 model X-37, Vixen — one of many pre-owned and new yachts for purchase from the Dutch performance builder’s UK office at Hamble Point Marina.

Build number #65 was commissioned in 2006 and comes with a while hull with X-Yachts’ famous blue stripes, and a 2.3m L-shaped keel.

Other features include a standard aluminium, mast furling forestay, and race forestay option.

The cockpit is furnished in teak, as is the bathing platform (with white nonslip on side decks) and coachroof top.

Below decks, Vixen boasts two cabins with one heads, a classic layout with U-shaped galley and the owner’s berth forward.

Vixen has been owned three times previously, and the most recent owner based the boat in the Solent for short-handed cruises to the UK’s West Country, the Channel Islands and Brittany.

They added: “She is an elegant and very comfortable boat who looks after her crew in all conditions.”

Until current restrictions against coronavirus are relaxed to allow for in-person viewing, X-Yachts aims to provide more online video tours for a more in-depth look at its pre-owned and new yachts such as Vixen and the XC42 from 2014, Moonfish, which was presented earlier this month.

During the current movement restrictions, appraisal non-destruct surveys for pre-owned yachts (with no deposit payment) are being granted.

Purchase contracts can also be executed (both new or pre-owned) with a refundable deposit until yacht viewing or detailed survey where applicable.

Contact Stuart Abernathy for a PDF spec for Vixen HERE.

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL
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X-Yachts GB & IRL has announced that its Solent Cup event originally scheduled for this spring has been pushed back a year due to the ongoing concerns surrounding Covid-19.

In a statement, the Danish boat builder said: “Taking into consideration the feedback from all of you and given the uncertainty surrounding the current situation with COVID-19, we believe it is pertinent and prudent to postpone the 2020 X-Yachts Solent Cup.

“Therefore, we are rescheduling the event for 2021. New dates 30th April to 2nd May 2021 — please pencil this into your calendars now and let’s get as many of you as possible joined up so that we make it a great event next year.”

X-Yachts also confirmed its production facility in Denmark remains operating as normal, with added hygiene measures. Outdoor viewings continue onboard new and brokerage yachts. However, new yacht deliveries will not take place on its premises for at least the rest of this year.

Hamble-based yachts can also be viewed remotely via FaceTime or Skype; email [email protected] for details.

“Our focus at this time is to try to maintain our service schedules so we are asking that all physical contact with our staff is reduced to a minimum,” the statement added. “We love catching up with our X-Yachts family but ask that you call or email with your sailing plans and news.

“If works are being carried out on your yacht, we will continue to send updates via email and are happy to discuss progress on the telephone. If you have works that are not yet scheduled and wish to talk through with an engineer, this again can be done via email or telephone conversation as normal.

“We are working hard to meet the relaunch schedules for all our service boats, but it is important to note that we are unable to bring forward any launches.”

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL

X-Yachts is hosting an Open Weekend at its base in Haderslev, Denmark on the weekend of Saturday 7 and Sunday 8 March for prospective buyers to get up close with its growing range.

The performance builder’s indoor showroom will have a variety of award-calibre yachts on display — including recent European Yacht of the Year winner the X4⁰, alongside the X4³, X4⁶ and X4⁹ recognised in Cruising World’s Boat of the Year awards.

The firm’s new Xperformance and Xcruising lines will be represented by the Xp 44, Xc 45 and Xc 38 — lauded by Sailing World and in the European Yacht of the Year gongs.

And X-Yachts’ in-house naval architects and designers will show the latest developments with the newly announced X5⁶ project.

Be sure to RSVP on or before Saturday 29 February to confirm your spot among the limited places available.

Ryanair flies on Mondays and Fridays between Dublin and Billund, which is some 80km north of Haderslev (1 to 1.5 hours by car, or a 2.5-hour journey by coach via Kolding). Trains also run from Hamburg in Germany via Flensburg towards nearby Vojens (3 hours approx).

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL
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Hot on the heels of the European Yacht of the Year award win for the X4⁰, X-Yachts have revealed at boot Düsseldorf that their new X5⁶ is planned launch in November this year ahead of the 2021 show.

Chief designer Niels Jeppesen said: “Having developed the X4⁰ in 2019, it was an easy decision for X-Yachts to decide to meet the market’s request to fill the gap between the X4⁹ and the X6⁵.”

The 56ft performance cruiser and latest addition to the Pure X range is designed with serious cruising in mind — whether exploring the Mediterranean or crossing the Atlantic.

‘Light, strip and stuff’ is the maxim behind the X5⁶ design philosophy: weight saved via epoxy infusion constriction is used to increase stability for supreme comfort on board.

And the Danish brand’s clean, timeless style is expectedly reflected in its luxury, high-quality interior.

The X5⁶ will be available in a variety of configurations and the first boats are expected to hit the water this year. For more details contact X-Yachts Ireland.

Published in X-Yachts GB & IRL
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Aquaculture Information

Aquaculture is the farming of animals in the water and has been practised for centuries, with the monks farming fish in the middle ages. More recently the technology has progressed and the aquaculture sector is now producing in the region of 50 thousand tonnes annually and provides a valuable food product as well as much needed employment in many rural areas of Ireland.

A typical fish farm involves keeping fish in pens in the water column, caring for them and supplying them with food so they grow to market size. Or for shellfish, containing them in a specialised unit and allowing them to feed on natural plants and materials in the water column until they reach harvestable size. While farming fish has a lower carbon and water footprint to those of land animals, and a very efficient food fed to weight gain ratio compared to beef, pork or chicken, farming does require protein food sources and produces organic waste which is released into the surrounding waters. Finding sustainable food sources, and reducing the environmental impacts are key challenges facing the sector as it continues to grow.

Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.

Aquaculture in Ireland

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties.
  • Irish SMEs and families grow salmon, oysters, mussels and other seafood
  • The sector is worth €150m at the farm gate – 80% in export earnings.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming
  • Aquaculture is a strong, sustainable and popular strategic asset for development and job creation (Foodwise 2025, National Strategic Plan, Seafood
  • Operational Programme 2020, FAO, European Commission, European Investment Bank, Harvesting Our Ocean Wealth, Silicon Republic, CEDRA)
    Ireland has led the world in organically certified farmed fish for over 30 years
  • Fish farm workers include people who have spent over two decades in the business to school-leavers intent on becoming third-generation farmers on their family sites.

Irish Aquaculture FAQs

Aquaculture, also known as aquafarming, is the farming of aquatic organisms such as fish, crustaceans, molluscs and aquatic plants, and involves cultivating freshwater and saltwater populations under controlled conditions- in contrast to commercial fishing, which is the harvesting of wild fish. Mariculture refers to aquaculture practiced in marine environments and in underwater habitats. Particular kinds of aquaculture include fish farming, shrimp farming, oyster farming, mariculture, algaculture (such as seaweed farming), and the cultivation of ornamental fish. Particular methods include aquaponics and integrated multi-trophic aquaculture, both of which integrate fish farming and plant farming.

About 580 aquatic species are currently farmed all over the world, according to the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO), which says it is "practised by both some of the poorest farmers in developing countries and by multinational companies".

Increasing global demand for protein through seafood is driving increasing demand for aquaculture, particularly given the pressures on certain commercially caught wild stocks of fish. The FAO says that "eating fish is part of the cultural tradition of many people and in terms of health benefits, it has an excellent nutritional profile, and "is a good source of protein, fatty acids, vitamins, minerals and essential micronutrients".

Aquaculture now accounts for 50 per cent of the world's fish consumed for food, and is the fastest-growing good sector.

China provides over 60 per cent of the world's farmed fish. In Europe, Norway and Scotland are leading producers of finfish, principally farmed salmon.

For farmed salmon, the feed conversion ratio, which is the measurement of how much feed it takes to produce the protein, is 1.1, as in one pound of feed producing one pound of protein, compared to rates of between 2.2 and 10 for beef, pork and chicken. However, scientists have also pointed out that certain farmed fish and shrimp requiring higher levels of protein and calories in feed compared to chickens, pigs, and cattle.

Tilapia farming which originated in the Middle East and Africa has now become the most profitable business in most countries. Tilapia has become the second most popular seafood after crab, due to which its farming is flourishing. It has entered the list of best selling species like shrimp and salmon.

There are 278 aquaculture production units in Ireland, according to Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM) *, producing 38,000 tonnes of finfish and shellfish in 2019 and with a total value of €172 million

There are currently almost 2,000 people directly employed in Irish aquaculture in the Republic, according to BIM.

BIM figures for 2019 recorded farmed salmon at almost 12,000 tonnes, valued at €110 million; rock oysters reached 10,300 tonnes at a value of €44 million; rope mussels at 10,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; seabed cultured mussels at 4,600 tonnes were valued at €7 million; "other" finfish reached 600 tonnes, valued at €2 million and "other" shellfish reached 300 tonnes, valued at €2 million

Irish aquaculture products are exported to Europe, US and Asia, with salmon exported to France, Germany, Belgium and the US. Oysters are exported to France, with developing sales to markets in Hong Kong and China. France is Ireland's largest export for mussels, while there have been increased sales in the domestic and British markets.

The value of the Irish farmed finfish sector fell by five per cent in volume and seven per cent in value in 2019, mainly due to a fall on salmon production, but this was partially offset by a seven per cent increased in farmed shellfish to a value of 60 million euro. Delays in issuing State licenses have hampered further growth of the sector, according to industry representatives.

Fish and shellfish farmers must be licensed, and must comply with regulations and inspections conducted by the Sea Fisheries Protection Authority and the Marine Institute. Food labelling is a function of the Food Safety Authority of Ireland. There is a long backlog of license approvals in the finfish sector, while the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine says it is working to reduce the backlog in the shellfish sector.

The department says it is working through the backlog, but notes that an application for a marine finfish aquaculture licence must be accompanied by either an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) or an Environmental Impact Assessment Report (EIAR). As of October 2020, over two-thirds of applications on hand had an EIS outstanding, it said.

The EU requires member states to have marine spatial plans by 2021, and Ireland has assigned responsibility to the Department of Housing, Planning and Local Government for the National Marine Planning Framework (NMPF). Legislation has been drawn up to underpin this, and to provide a "one stop shop" for marine planning, ranging from fish farms to offshore energy – as in Marine Planning and Development Management Bill. However, the Department of Agriculture, Food and Marine confirmed last year that it intends to retain responsibility for aquaculture and sea-fisheries related development – meaning fish and shellfish farmers won't be able to avail of the "one stop shop" for marine planning.

Fish and shellfish health is a challenge, with naturally occurring blooms, jellyfish and the risk of disease. There are also issues with a perception that the sector causes environmental problems.

The industry has been on a steep learning curve, particularly in finfish farming, since it was hailed as a new future for Irish coastal communities from the 1970s – with the State's Electricity Supply Board being an early pioneer, and tobacco company Carrolls also becoming involved for a time. Nutrient build up, which occurs when there is a high density of fish in one area, waste production and its impact on depleting oxygen in water, creating algal blooms and "dead zones", and farmers' use of antibiotics to prevent disease have all been concerns, and anglers have also been worried about the impact of escaped farmed salmon on wild fish populations. Sea lice from salmon farmers were also blamed for declines in sea trout and wild salmon in Irish estuaries and rivers.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

BIM says over 95% of all salmon farmed in Ireland are certified organic. Organically grown salmon are only fed a diet of sustainable organic feed. They are also raised in more spacious pens than traditional farmed salmon. The need to site locations for fish farms further out to sea, using more robust cages for weather, has been recognised by regulatory agencies. There is a move towards land-based aquaculture in Norway to reduce impact on local ecosystems. The industry says that antibiotic use is declining, and it says that "safe and effective vaccinations have since been developed for farmed fish and are now widely used". Many countries are now adopting a more sustainable approach to removing sea lice from salmon, using feeder fish such as wrasse and lumpsucker fish. Ireland's first lumpsucker hatchery was opened in 2015.

Yes, as it is considered to have better potential for controlling environmental impacts, but it is expensive. As of October 2020, the department was handling over 20 land-based aquaculture applications.

The Irish Farmers' Association has represented fish and shellfish farmers for many years, with its chief executive Richie Flynn, who died in 2018, tirelessly championing the sector. His successor, Teresa Morrissey, is an equally forceful advocate, having worked previously in the Marine Institute in providing regulatory advice on fish health matters, scientific research on emerging aquatic diseases and management of the National Reference Laboratory for crustacean diseases.

BIM provides training in the national vocational certificate in aquaculture at its National Fisheries College, Castletownbere, Co Cork. It also trains divers to work in the industry. The Institute of Technology Carlow has also developed a higher diploma in aqua business at its campus in Wexford, in collaboration with BIM and IFA Aquaculture, the representative association for fish and shellfish farming.

© Afloat 2020

At A Glance - Irish Aquaculture

  • Fish and shellfish are farmed in 14 Irish coastal counties
  • Salmon is the most popular fish bought by Irish families. 
  • In Ireland, most of our salmon is farmed, and along with mussels and oysters, are the main farmed species in the country.
  • The industry sustains 1,833 direct jobs in remote rural areas – 80% in the west of Ireland
  • Every full-time job in aquaculture creates 2.27 other jobs locally (Teagasc 2015)
  • Ireland’s marine farms occupy 0.0004% of Ireland’s 17,500Km2 inshore area.
  • 83% of people in coastal areas support the development of fish farming

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