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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].

Published in MGM Boats

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].

Published in MGM Boats

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].

Published in MGM Boats

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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Irish Olympic Sailing Team

Ireland has a proud representation in sailing at the Olympics dating back to 1948. Today there is a modern governing structure surrounding the selection of sailors the Olympic Regatta

Irish Olympic Sailing FAQs

Ireland’s representation in sailing at the Olympics dates back to 1948, when a team consisting of Jimmy Mooney (Firefly), Alf Delany and Hugh Allen (Swallow) competed in that year’s Summer Games in London (sailing off Torquay). Except for the 1968 Olympics in Mexico City, Ireland has sent at least one sailor to every Summer Games since then.

  • 1948 – London (Torquay) — Firefly: Jimmy Mooney; Swallow: Alf Delany, Hugh Allen
  • 1952 – Helsinki — Finn: Alf Delany * 1956 – Melbourne — Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1960 – Rome — Flying Dutchman: Johnny Hooper, Peter Gray; Dragon: Jimmy Mooney, David Ryder, Robin Benson; Finn: J Somers Payne
  • 1964 – Tokyo — Dragon: Eddie Kelliher, Harry Maguire, Rob Dalton; Finn: Johnny Hooper 
  • 1972 – Munich (Kiel) — Tempest: David Wilkins, Sean Whitaker; Dragon: Robin Hennessy, Harry Byrne, Owen Delany; Finn: Kevin McLaverty; Flying Dutchman: Harold Cudmore, Richard O’Shea
  • 1976 – Montreal (Kingston) — 470: Robert Dix, Peter Dix; Flying Dutchman: Barry O’Neill, Jamie Wilkinson; Tempest: David Wilkins, Derek Jago
  • 1980 – Moscow (Tallinn) — Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson (Silver medalists) * 1984 – Los Angeles — Finn: Bill O’Hara
  • 1988 – Seoul (Pusan) — Finn: Bill O’Hara; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; 470 (Women): Cathy MacAleavy, Aisling Byrne
  • 1992 – Barcelona — Europe: Denise Lyttle; Flying Dutchman: David Wilkins, Peter Kennedy; Star: Mark Mansfield, Tom McWilliam
  • 1996 – Atlanta (Savannah) — Laser: Mark Lyttle; Europe: Aisling Bowman (Byrne); Finn: John Driscoll; Star: Mark Mansfield, David Burrows; 470 (Women): Denise Lyttle, Louise Cole; Soling: Marshall King, Dan O’Grady, Garrett Connolly
  • 2000 – Sydney — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, David O'Brien
  • 2004 – Athens — Europe: Maria Coleman; Finn: David Burrows; Star: Mark Mansfield, Killian Collins; 49er: Tom Fitzpatrick, Fraser Brown; 470: Gerald Owens, Ross Killian; Laser: Rory Fitzpatrick
  • 2008 – Beijing (Qingdao) — Star: Peter O’Leary, Stephen Milne; Finn: Tim Goodbody; Laser Radial: Ciara Peelo; 470: Gerald Owens, Phil Lawton
  • 2012 – London (Weymouth) — Star: Peter O’Leary, David Burrows; 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; Laser Radial: Annalise Murphy; Laser: James Espey; 470: Gerald Owens, Scott Flanigan
  • 2016 – Rio — Laser Radial (Women): Annalise Murphy (Silver medalist); 49er: Ryan Seaton, Matt McGovern; 49erFX: Andrea Brewster, Saskia Tidey; Laser: Finn Lynch; Paralympic Sonar: John Twomey, Ian Costello & Austin O’Carroll

Ireland has won two Olympics medals in sailing events, both silver: David Wilkins, Jamie Wilkinson in the Flying Dutchman at Moscow 1980, and Annalise Murphy in the Laser Radial at Rio 2016.

The current team, as of December 2020, consists of Laser sailors Finn Lynch, Liam Glynn and Ewan McMahon, 49er pairs Ryan Seaton and Seafra Guilfoyle, and Sean Waddilove and Robert Dickson, as well as Laser Radial sailors Annalise Murphy and Aoife Hopkins.

Irish Sailing is the National Governing Body for sailing in Ireland.

Irish Sailing’s Performance division is responsible for selecting and nurturing Olympic contenders as part of its Performance Pathway.

The Performance Pathway is Irish Sailing’s Olympic talent pipeline. The Performance Pathway counts over 70 sailors from 11 years up in its programme.The Performance Pathway is made up of Junior, Youth, Academy, Development and Olympic squads. It provides young, talented and ambitious Irish sailors with opportunities to move up through the ranks from an early age. With up to 100 young athletes training with the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway, every aspect of their performance is planned and closely monitored while strong relationships are simultaneously built with the sailors and their families

Rory Fitzpatrick is the head coach of Irish Sailing Performance. He is a graduate of University College Dublin and was an Athens 2004 Olympian in the Laser class.

The Performance Director of Irish Sailing is James O’Callaghan. Since 2006 James has been responsible for the development and delivery of athlete-focused, coach-led, performance-measured programmes across the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway. A Business & Economics graduate of Trinity College Dublin, he is a Level 3 Qualified Coach and Level 2 Coach Tutor. He has coached at five Olympic Games and numerous European and World Championship events across multiple Olympic classes. He is also a member of the Irish Sailing Foundation board.

Annalise Murphy is by far and away the biggest Irish sailing star. Her fourth in London 2012 when she came so agonisingly close to a bronze medal followed by her superb silver medal performance four years later at Rio won the hearts of Ireland. Murphy is aiming to go one better in Tokyo 2021. 

Under head coach Rory Fitzpatrick, the coaching staff consists of Laser Radial Academy coach Sean Evans, Olympic Laser coach Vasilij Zbogar and 49er team coach Matt McGovern.

The Irish Government provides funding to Irish Sailing. These funds are exclusively for the benefit of the Performance Pathway. However, this falls short of the amount required to fund the Performance Pathway in order to allow Ireland compete at the highest level. As a result the Performance Pathway programme currently receives around €850,000 per annum from Sport Ireland and €150,000 from sponsorship. A further €2 million per annum is needed to have a major impact at the highest level. The Irish Sailing Foundation was established to bridge the financial gap through securing philanthropic donations, corporate giving and sponsorship.

The vision of the Irish Sailing Foundation is to generate the required financial resources for Ireland to scale-up and execute its world-class sailing programme. Irish Sailing works tirelessly to promote sailing in Ireland and abroad and has been successful in securing funding of 1 million euro from Sport Ireland. However, to compete on a par with other nations, a further €2 million is required annually to realise the ambitions of our talented sailors. For this reason, the Irish Sailing Foundation was formed to seek philanthropic donations. Led by a Board of Directors and Head of Development Kathryn Grace, the foundation lads a campaign to bridge the financial gap to provide the Performance Pathway with the funds necessary to increase coaching hours, upgrade equipment and provide world class sport science support to a greater number of high-potential Irish sailors.

The Senior and Academy teams of the Performance Pathway are supported with the provision of a coach, vehicle, coach boat and boats. Even with this level of subsidy there is still a large financial burden on individual families due to travel costs, entry fees and accommodation. There are often compromises made on the amount of days a coach can be hired for and on many occasions it is necessary to opt out of major competitions outside Europe due to cost. Money raised by the Irish Sailing Foundation will go towards increased quality coaching time, world-class equipment, and subsiding entry fees and travel-related costs. It also goes towards broadening the base of talented sailors that can consider campaigning by removing financial hurdles, and the Performance HQ in Dublin to increase efficiency and reduce logistical issues.

The ethos of the Performance Pathway is progression. At each stage international performance benchmarks are utilised to ensure the sailors are meeting expectations set. The size of a sailor will generally dictate which boat they sail. The classes selected on the pathway have been identified as the best feeder classes for progression. Currently the Irish Sailing Performance Pathway consists of the following groups: * Pathway (U15) Optimist and Topper * Youth Academy (U19) Laser 4.7, Laser Radial and 420 * Development Academy (U23) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX * Team IRL (direct-funded athletes) Laser, Laser Radial, 49er, 49erFX

The Irish Sailing performance director produces a detailed annual budget for the programme which is presented to Sport Ireland, Irish Sailing and the Foundation for detailed discussion and analysis of the programme, where each item of expenditure is reviewed and approved. Each year, the performance director drafts a Performance Plan and Budget designed to meet the objectives of Irish Performance Sailing based on an annual review of the Pathway Programmes from Junior to Olympic level. The plan is then presented to the Olympic Steering Group (OSG) where it is independently assessed and the budget is agreed. The OSG closely monitors the delivery of the plan ensuring it meets the agreed strategy, is within budget and in line with operational plans. The performance director communicates on an ongoing basis with the OSG throughout the year, reporting formally on a quarterly basis.

Due to the specialised nature of Performance Sport, Irish Sailing established an expert sub-committee which is referred to as the Olympic Steering Group (OSG). The OSG is chaired by Patrick Coveney and its objective is centred around winning Olympic medals so it oversees the delivery of the Irish Sailing’s Performance plan.

At Junior level (U15) sailors learn not only to be a sailor but also an athlete. They develop the discipline required to keep a training log while undertaking fitness programmes, attending coaching sessions and travelling to competitions. During the winter Regional Squads take place and then in spring the National Squads are selected for Summer Competitions. As sailors move into Youth level (U19) there is an exhaustive selection matrix used when considering a sailor for entry into the Performance Academy. Completion of club training programmes, attendance at the performance seminars, physical suitability and also progress at Junior and Youth competitions are assessed and reviewed. Once invited in to the Performance Academy, sailors are given a six-month trial before a final decision is made on their selection. Sailors in the Academy are very closely monitored and engage in a very well planned out sailing, training and competition programme. There are also defined international benchmarks which these sailors are required to meet by a certain age. Biannual reviews are conducted transparently with the sailors so they know exactly where they are performing well and they are made aware of where they may need to improve before the next review.

©Afloat 2020