pride mega yachts china

76M san bao

94.7m red star, 88.5m illusion plus, 92m ninetytwo, 108.8m tomorrow, 115m estatement, unlimited technology.

Pride Mega Yachts are world-class, competitive mega yacht builders, located in China’s Yantai Peninsula in the Bohai Gulf. Pride Mega Yachts designs and builds its yachts with an experienced, international team of world-class consultants and designers according to European standards. The use of tested, state-of-the art technologies allows for an unwavering focus on innovation and sustainability.

UNLIMITED PERFECTION

With more than 25 years of experience working in the superyacht industry, luxury shipbuilders Pride Mega Yachts have numerous high-quality international projects to their name. China is traditionally not associated with the global yachting industry but that is changing fast. Both country and Pride Mega Yachts have an obsession with perfectionism and a strong drive to significantly contribute to the qualitative aspects of the world economy.

UNLIMITED PROFESSIONALISM

The unrivalled level of professionalism is reflected in the high levels of naval expertise in the fields of engineering, construction, methodology, research and development, design and production. The desire to consistently delivers the very best drives in the constant search for excellence that is required for the creation of superior-quality superyachts. Extraordinary and meticulous craftsmanship forms the indispensable basis for the realisation of the largest, finest, unlimited high-end super yachts.

UNLIMITED IN SERVICE PROVISION

Flexible and client driven, Pride Mega Yachts is constantly seeking the best product and the best solution for the client. From the design process to the construction phase and after completion, Pride Mega Yachts knows that the customer’s experience with the shipyard is as important as the end product. It is therefore always fully focused on realising client wishes, while maintaining the highest levels of quality and safety on board.

UNLIMITED CHOICE

Luxury yacht builders, Pride Mega Yachts knows how keen owners are to feel proud every time they step onto their yacht to enjoy maritime life with friends and family. In order to realise this aspiration as rapidly as possible, Pride Mega Yachts builds its yachts on the basis of a fully tested and engineered standard platform, with several superyachts in various stages of completion at all times. Owners can decide at which stage they want to step in, depending on their wishes regarding time, budget and specifications.

UNLIMITED CUSTOMISATION

From superyachts being under construction based on pre-designed lay-out and outfit to fully customised yachts, Pride Mega Yachts can accommodate all a future owner may require at any stage in the yacht building process. There is no limit to available possibilities in terms of nautical architecture, interior design or technical equipment. All yachts are developed with world-class consultants and designers, paying meticulous attention to Pride Mega Yachts exacting standards. The result is a yacht that meets European standards, while maintaining competitive prices.

UNLIMITED INNOVATION

At Pride Mega Yachts, our team of specialist yacht builders use innovative designs and the finest materials to manufacture our range of custom built yachts. We recognise the importance of customisation when purchasing your own private mega yacht. Therefore, our goal at Pride Mega Yachts is to realise clients’ dreams, transforming complex ideas into a reality, whilst ensuring an outstanding client-driven customer service. Our accomplished team of experts ensures the highest quality experience throughout the entire process and gives you the opportunity to customise any aspect of the project at any stage.

UNLIMITED FLEXIBILITY

Combining the latest state-of-the-art technology and our team of world-class consultants, designers and engineers, Pride Mega Yachts provides an unparalleled fully comprehensive service that gives owners the flexibility to personalise every aspect of their yacht, from the technical specifications, to the interior design and special features. We are committed to providing you with a complete service, resulting in a personalised unique superyacht at the most competitive price.

UNLIMITED DEDICATION

We pride ourselves on our high-quality, client-orientated services. As part of our custom yacht sales strategy, we give owners illimitable customisation options. From the outset, choose the preferred layout, the technical specifications and then personalise the interior design and furnishing. Owners collaborate with our experienced consultants to create the perfect yacht suited to their requirements and expectations. Buyers can also optimise the special features aboard their custom built yachts and influence the project according their budget and time.

88.5M illusion Plus

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A new dawn: Inside China's rising superyacht market

China emerged as the great new hope for superyachting after the 2008 crash. One spectacular false dawn later, could it finally be taking off?

If 1421 was the zenith of China’s long yachting history, when legendary eunuch admiral Zheng He purportedly led his “treasure fleet” of hundreds of junks around the world (in the process, according to one historical account, discovering America 70 years before Columbus), 2013 could be considered the nadir. For that was when President Xi Jinping – only months into office – began a crackdown on “tigers and flies”, a euphemism for those government officials and businessmen (the genres blur in China) whose greed and corruption had begun to stir public anger.

Part of his anti-corruption crusade was an eye-watering 44 per cent import tax on luxury goods and a clampdown on lavish hospitalities and personal spending. Ostentatious symbols of wealth – fast cars, lavish banquets, his-and-hers diamond-studded Rolexes, Learjet jaunts, $20,000 gift-wrapped bottles of Rémy Martin and 50-year-old Moutai rice wine, and, of course, superyachts – became highly conspicuous and drew the wrath of the Communist Party’s Central Commission for Discipline Inspection.

“We must uphold the fighting of tigers and flies at the same time, resolutely investigating law-breaking cases of leading officials and also earnestly resolving the unhealthy tendencies and corruption problems which happen all around people,” Xi said at the time. Dozens have been investigated, arrested and jailed, including top ministers – so many the Qincheng maximum security prison in Beijing for disgraced senior Communist Party officials ran out of cells last year, according to credible reports. Orders for status-symbol trappings dropped off a cliff; Western luxury retailers and manufacturers saw exports nosedive.

The yacht market was especially devastated. It’s far harder to hide a superyacht than a diamond ring or a Porsche, after all. Prior to the crackdown, China’s boating sector had been inching its way towards some kind of momentum after its once illustrious sailing heritage, having been all but erased along with much of the country’s four millennia of history during Chairman Mao Zedong’s Cultural Revolution, was resurrected for the 2008 Beijing Olympics.

Then the financial crisis struck the West, and China, with its seemingly armour-plated economy and near-double-digit growth, emerged as the great Eastern hope for leading yacht brands. Into the Chinese market sailed an international fleet of brokers and builders. The 14,500-kilometre coastline, stretching from the Bohai Gulf in the chilly north to the Gulf of Tonkin in the tropical south, was eyed as a prime playground for China’s new billionaire class, which grew to 338 individuals in 2017, according to data company Wealth-X. Estimates put the number of millionaires in the country at more than 1.5 million. China was about to go boating again.

Exhibitions were hastily organised, rendezvous booked and property developers broke ground on scores of prestige marinas, charging top-dollar membership and mooring fees, many starting at ¥1 million (£110,000) a year. Local boatyards followed, laying keels of copied foreign and home-grown designs, some in joint ventures with overseas shipyards, many without.

The image-conscious Chinese super-rich responded in kind and started buying foreign-branded trophy boats at up to three times the market price, and moored them in the expensive marinas. Cost was not an issue. What mattered was so-called “face” or mianzi: the projection, and protection, of one’s reputation and social standing. In the West we call it ego.

A 2012 report by the China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association found that there were 3,000 yachts of all sizes in China, and estimated that this figure would rise to 100,000 by 2020, in a market worth €10 billion. The international boating industry was washed along by this giddy, irrational wave of hyperbole. Across the board, orders for smaller superyachts went from zero – zoom! – skywards.

Local yards benefited. After years of being ignored by the domestic market, in 2010 Chinese yard Heysea received eight orders for its 82 model before it had even finished the mould. A year after the financial crash in the West, meanwhile, China recorded sales of ¥4.15 billion (£450 million), according to local media reports. “After 2008, the yacht market took off because the West’s financial crisis had negligible impact in China,” says Sunseeker Asia’s Gordon Hui from his office in Hong Kong. Jona Kan, from Australian yard SilverYachts , adds that demand suddenly grew for superyacht dayboats on which Chinese businesspeople could entertain clients.

But Icarus had flown too close to the sun. Within a couple of years, the world’s financial woes started to penetrate China’s economic model. Jobs were slashed and inflation was on the rise. Yet for the wealthy Communist Party cadres and their tycoon chums, it was business as usual. The restive masses looked expectantly – and threateningly – to Beijing to bring such conspicuous consumption to heel. President Xi responded with a dragnet that claimed scores of high-profile scalps, sending the message loud and clear: in-your-face luxury would no longer be tolerated.

Brokers’ phones stopped ringing, builders’ order books took a hit and showrooms became wastelands. All of those contacted by Boat International for this article echoed almost verbatim the sentiment expressed by Sunseeker’s Hui: “After more than three years of the anti-graft policy, the Chinese boating market has come to a halt, with a 95 per cent drop-off in sales. It has been all but dead since 2015.”

Sunseeker , bought in 2013 by China’s fourth-richest man, Wang Jianlin, has closed two of its three dealerships in mainland China. At one point, China accounted for 15 per cent of Sunseeker’s global sales. “Now it’s less than five per cent,” says Hui. Several Chinese yacht builders have gone bankrupt as hefty value added tax and duties on imported parts such as engines rendered operations unviable. Marinas have battened down the hatches, slashing their prices by half to avoid the fate of Xiangshan Yacht Club in Fujian province; billed as Asia’s largest marina when it opened, it went bust in 2014.

Yet to solely blame the anti-corruption drive and the global financial crash for China’s slumbering boating market is misguided. Prior to Xi’s clean-up, there had been attempts to build a culture of private boating after the former leader Deng Xiaoping launched economic reforms in 1981. But those attempts failed, says Hong Kong-based yacht broker Mike Simpson, of Simpson Marine, one of the region’s biggest boat dealers. Simpson agreed the import tax on foreign boats has had a near fatal impact, but he says there were already major hurdles to developing the fledgling market. “We have to remember China is relatively new to boating,” says Simpson, who set up his company in Hong Kong in 1983. “It’s been developing in fits and starts. An obvious curb on its development has been the import ban on second-hand boats, which was there before the luxury goods tax.”

He adds: “The last two to three years have been pretty desperate. I don’t think anyone has made money. Everyone’s been spending money just to stay in business in China over the past few years.”

The lack of a boating culture is also commonly cited as one reason that’s holding back the Chinese market. In the West, yachting is all about relaxing fun in the sun, a weekend jaunt from one marina to a secluded cove or island, or for sailing boat owners, the thrill of stealing an opponent’s wind during a regatta. In China, owning a yacht has been all about the optics, or “face”, and viewed by the public as the exclusive preserve of the ultra-rich. But even among this demographic, interest is limited. According to Wealth-X, just two per cent of all Chinese UHNW individuals own or even have an interest in yachting, compared to 6.7 per cent globally.

“The perception among the Chinese is that boating is for the very wealthy,” says Rocky Wang, chief representative of Burgess in China. “Many Chinese have yet to grasp what boating is all about. Boating culture remains in its very early stages. Yachting is very new to them. Those Chinese who think about buying yachts continue to do so with mainly a business objective in mind. Buyers are business owners, investors and entrepreneurs, who use the yachts as dayboats to entertain, rarely overnighting on board.”

Of the 200 yachts in the southern boom city of Shenzhen, where Deng Xiaoping launched China’s opening up and reforms half a century ago, about 70 per cent never leave the yacht club. Instead, they serve as venues to host wealthy clients and government officials; one pontoon legend has it that some boats were bought without engines because their owners never entertained the idea of going to sea.

In China, building a $30 million marina with a plush clubhouse and spa is the easy part. Not so easy is attracting the essential supplemental services: repair yards and chandlers, navigation aids, charts, a coastguard service willing to assist the stranded sailor, sail training schools and so on. A lack of trained Chinese crew is also a major problem. In China there are an estimated 60,000 sailors, mostly of school age, attending small sailing centres and learning in dinghies. Crews experienced enough to handle a 60-metre-plus seagoing vessel are a rarity. “Chinese yacht owners must, therefore, import foreign crews with the expertise to maintain and sail boats, and this comes with visa application headaches,” says Simpson.

Then there is the maddening red tape. China guards its coastal waters like a hawk; try to sail a nautical mile off Qingdao beach or a cable or two up the coast from Sanya and you’ll have patrol boats stuffed to the gunnels with uniformed boarding parties bearing down on you demanding papers; a day’s sail is treated like an invasion or a desperate escape with state secrets.

“It’s true,” concedes William Ward, CEO of the biannual round-the-world Clipper Race, which during its last edition stopped twice in China, in Sanya in the south and Qingdao in the north. “The government protects the inshore waters as it would an inland military installation. It’s overbearing, there’s too much red tape, and you just don’t need that. You need to be able just to hop on your boat, slip your lines and head out for some safe fun and relaxation, just as we can in the UK, or in the Med and everywhere else,” he says.

Then there’s China’s geography. Part of the appeal of cruising is exploring idyllic archipelagos or mooring off a chic seaside town. Only in the south, around the island of Hainan, can you find good cruising with accommodating marinas. Even then, as Ward recently experienced, just heading out for a day’s jaunt demands official clearance to slip your lines, which may or may not be granted.

Little wonder those Chinese who own a superyacht, or are still in the market for one, seek to moor their pride and joy outside China, in places like Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Australia, while the ultra-wealthy look to the US and the Med.

Not for the first time, there might be signs of a new dawn appearing for China’s boating market. In April, the Pride Mega Yachts shipyard in Yantai, China, rolled out the spec-built 88.5 metre superyacht Illusion Plus , which later appeared at the Monaco Yacht Show. She’s now listed for sale , asking $145 million. If she sells well, it will be a sign of faith in Chinese yacht building.

Chinese conglomerates are once more seeking to own international superyacht brands. China Zhongwang, the world’s second-largest producer of industrial aluminium extrusion products, recently acquired a controlling interest in Australia’s SilverYachts, which builds high-speed, fuel-efficient superyachts from high-grade aluminium. The yard’s commercial director, Jona Kan, says the boatbuilder will soon announce the acquisition of a shipyard in the Pearl River Delta.

Sunbird, a Chinese conglomerate with five shipyards including a large commercial facility, added IAG Yachts to its varied portfolio in 2015, and turned out to solid reviews the 42.7 metre  King Baby , the largest fibreglass motor yacht ever produced in China.

Heysea Yachts, founded in 2007 and one of China’s largest yacht builders, was a new entry in the Boat International Global Order Book’s Top 20 builders in 2018 and holds its place in this year’s report. Chairman Allen Leng says the company is seeing more interest from domestic buyers because it is adapting to local tastes, by placing the galley down below and including more living and entertainment space, with fewer cabins. “There is an increased number of Chinese clients who better understand the culture of boating and the lifestyle it offers; that boat ownership is more than having a floating platform for business and to boost one’s image,” says Leng. “More Chinese customers are accepting that China-made yachts offer quality and the same after-sales service as foreign brands. We’re also noticing a demand for smaller yachts, which shows the link between sailing and sport and leisure, and that boating is not just a rich person’s pursuit.”

Horizon Yachts says its product range, including new projects such as the FD series, are proving popular with Chinese clients, who are becoming more sophisticated in their tastes. “For example, a buyer in Shanghai or in Sanya will moor their yacht in a yacht club and let the club manage it. In the past five years, we have delivered a 120ft [36.5 metre] superyacht and 145ft [44.2 metre] superyacht, both to clients in Shanghai,” says Horizon Yachts’ chief marketing officer, Lily Li.

Simpson Marine’s Mike Simpson estimates that around 50 per cent of yachts being bought in China are now locally built. “The standard is improving,” he says. “Sometimes you have to do a double-take when you see yachts coming: you think it’s a well-known foreign brand. Then you look again and it’s actually a locally made boat.”

Sunseeker’s Hui also expresses modest optimism. “I think the market overall is getting better, albeit slowly,” he concedes. “I can say 70 per cent of our 2015 to 2018 customers are mainland Chinese with overseas-listed companies. But their boats are all outside China.”

Grassroots sailing and crew training recently received a much-needed boost. In April, the UK’s then deputy ambassador to China, Martyn Roper, and the president of the Chinese Yachting Association, Qu Chun, signed deals to open three training centres to bring Chinese seamanship up to British standards. The centres will offer the UK’s Royal Yachting Association courses. In the UK, seven per cent of the population goes boating. If the same percentage could be replicated in China, that would mean 80 million people taking confidently to the water.

Simpson says a new initiative called the Greater Bay Area development scheme is seeking to unify nine mainland coastal cities to allow yachts licensed in Hong Kong and Macau to cruise in the good southern cruising areas around Hainan without paying a hefty tax. And there is quiet and determined diplomacy afoot calling for Beijing to relax and standardise coastal regulations. Ward, the Clipper Race CEO, says he has been speaking to officials at city and provincial levels who understand the benefits of rationalising China’s sailing industry and its associated tourist trade. “I have spoken with many officials and they get this point. They understand the [stifling red tape] situation, and they’re passing these concerns up to Beijing, that leisure sailing is a different culture and is good for local and regional business,” he says.

There are signs of a cultural shift, too. At the 2018  Shanghai Boat Show , many of the exhibitors were proposing something different – more accessible yachting, with small fishing boats and cruisers standing cheek by jowl with the bigger craft, says Delphine Lignières, co-founder of the Hainan Rendez-Vous. “Contrary to myth, many Chinese enjoy watersports, including sailing and fishing. What I have seen now is more and more people boating on inland freshwater lakes in smaller-sized boats.

“That’s where I see the market developing this time, with smaller recreational boats being bought for use on lakes, rivers and estuaries. This will help establish a boating culture, and over time, the boats will again get bigger and bigger. And not in such a conspicuous way.”

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By SuperyachtNews 16 Aug 2018

Made in China and built with Pride

After a lengthy construction, the $145m m/y illusion plus is set to make her maiden voyage to europe for the mys….

It’s approaching eight years since the keel for an 80m-plus superyacht was laid by CIMC Raffles Yacht Ltd in China’s Yantai Peninsula – a project that was to be built for the owner of the company, despite it being something of a foray into unfamiliar territory for a specialist container ship and oil rig builder.

The rest, as they say, is history – and rather a lot of it. “The owner of the shipyard started building the vessel for himself and then sold it, along with the shipyard, to a new owning entity which decided that it didn’t fall into the bracket of business they were in,” recalls Y.CO sales broker, Max Bulley, in an exclusive conversation with SuperyachtNews .

Consequently, the hull was put on hold and listed for sale in October 2011 while the shipyard pursued other commercial endeavors. However, this soon changed – an internal management reshuffle at the company led to the shipyard kneading its focus back to completing the project.

2013 proved to be a milestone year for the project’s progression – the hull and superstructure were joined; the company completed its rebrand as Pride Mega Yachts to better assert its interest in superyachts; and Jan-Jaap Minnema of Fraser listed the incomplete vessel for sale at $89.5 million.

In August 2014, Fraser completed the sale of the vessel, with bluewater introducing the buyer, although hopes of a cut-and-dry transaction were quickly dashed. In fact, the project ended up back in the shipyard's ownership after some alleged friction between the shipyard and the client. She is, therefore, a ‘spec’ boat, built to an exterior design by Rainsford Saunders Design.

Y.CO was appointed by the shipyard in January 2018 to market the vessel, which was eventually renamed by the shipyard as Illusion Plus , for sale. Now (August 2018), almost exactly four months after her launch, Illusion Plus is ready to set sail and embark on her maiden voyage to Europe for the Monaco Yacht Show in September, however she will remain privately operated to maintain her condition. 

The asking price of $145 million for Illusion Plus is difficult to ignore, but as Bulley and I discuss the numbers, he is right to point out that, with a volume of 3,642 gross tons, it equates to €35,000/gross ton, which is competitive. “If you’re looking at a Benetti yacht of about the same size, you’re likely to see asking prices between €42,000–45,000 per gross ton and then any Northern European shipyard is €50,000–60,000 per gross ton – sometimes, they may even be beyond €65,000 per gross ton,” continues Bulley.

“If you’re looking at a Benetti yacht of about the same size, you’re likely to see asking prices between €42,000–45,000 per gross ton.”

As a commercial builder by trade, Bulley says the yard has built the vessel to an excellent technical specification, and has discerningly outsourced to a knowledgeable foreign build team for solutions and advice, rather than trying to reinvent the wheel.

“When you go through all the engineering spaces; the engine room and the pump rooms, it’s well thought out and built to a high standard. It has Heinen & Hopman HVAC and a Rolls-Royce diesel-electric propulsion package, which incorporates a high degree of redundancy and an energy-efficient operation,” he explains.

The interior of the vessel was created by Sinot Yacht Design, although the build team for the interior was based in Dubai. Bulley describes it as “very modern” and “clean”, adding: “It does have some Asian highlights and features but nothing too heavy. It’s a great design for someone to come in and add artwork or change furnishings and just make it your own.”

Understandably, there has reportedly been a lot of interest from Asian clients due to the  prestige of Illusion Plus having been built on home turf. But she remains very much for sale through Y.CO and she will be undoubtedly worth a visit when she makes her debut at the Monaco Yacht Show in September.

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“Illusion” Largest Megayacht Ever Built in China is Launched

August 7, 2014 10:48 am

Pride Mega Yachts announced this week that the company has sold its nearly 300-foot vessel, “Illusion.”

The buyer and purchase price weren’t mentioned in the company’s announcement. But this is the biggest megayacht ever built in China, a country that the industry is eyeing for its growing population of luxury consumers. China’s wealth is expanding rapidly, but the country has — so far — very few owners of high-end pleasure craft, relative to other rich nations.

“Illusion demonstrates that Pride Mega Yachts can create superior-quality yachts of the highest standards,” the company said in a statement. “This showpiece, one-of-a-kind yacht represents our dedication and continued ambition in pursuing and discovering new ideas in the development of high-end superyachts .”

Pride Mega Yachts used to be called “Pryde,” and before that “Raffles Yacht.” Owned by China International Marine Containers, Pride hopes to join the first rank of the world’s mega-yacht builders.

Illusion’s prow can slice through waves, and there’s a helicopter landing pad, to ferry passengers to and from shore.

Illusion combines the beauty of space with a contemporary, light and modern look. The Ocean Lounge on the lower deck is large. The proximity to the sea allow owner and guests to enjoy the pleasures of maritime life. The tranquil atmosphere of the Spa provides an intimate atmosphere dedicated to the relaxation of body and soul.

The Main Deck Lounge is like something out of a chic boutique hotel. Note the staircase that connects to the upper decks.

Illusion’s interior is designed to suit the tastes of a new generation of modern owners. They value discrete, private luxury and memorable times spent on board. This is emphasized by the vides that draw the main deck Lounge together with the upper deck Lounge. This marks the yacht’s social character and its suitability for informal and formal gatherings.

VIP and Guest Suites were designed to deliver the utmost on modern luxury and relaxation.

On Illusion, maritime life and true luxury are experiences to share with loved ones, friends and family. The two luxurious VIP Suites are exclusively decorated and have an open-space bathroom, creating an authentic loft feeling. The generously sized Guest Suites are equipped with natural stone bathrooms and large storage spaces. In addition to the yacht’s modern outlines the Suites are designed with optimal user-friendliness and convenience in mind.

Spacious, with a private deck and private spa in Owner State Room.

Illusion’s Owner State Room features a private outside deck space, a fully equipped private spa, bathrooms for him and for her, a spacious dressing room and a state-of-the-art private office. The owner’s Spa is entirely aimed at promoting spiritual and physical health, with a carefully designed sauna that inspires calm tranquility.

The Panorama Lounge allows passengers to observe the yacht’s wheel house, from which the vessel is piloted.

The Panorama Lounge offers ample space for relaxation, meeting and discussion and provides access to the sun deck. The rich choice of materials accentuates Illusion’s serene, livable and accommodating atmosphere. At the front, the Wheel House is equipped with state-of–the art Rolls Royce equipment that controls all instruments on board.

SPECIFICATIONS

Overall length 88.8 m

Maximum beam 15.8 m

Gross tonnage 3,600 GRT

Hull material Steel

Superstructure material Aluminum

Delivery date 2015

Main engines  Rolls Royce diesel electric propulsion  2  Azipull Thruster pods

Generators  Rolls Royce

Stabilizers Rolls Royce Aquarius 100 Zero speed retractable fins

Builder  Pride Mega Yachts

Naval Architecture  Azure Naval Architects

Exterior Design  Rainsford Saunders Design

Interior Design Sinot Exclusive Yacht Design

Source: Business Insider

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Seattle Boats Afloat Fall Show [New & Used Boats On Display] Thursday-Sunday | September 12-15, 2024 Denison invites you to view a number of available new and brokerage boats at the 2024 Seattle Boats Afloat Fall Show. Since its inception in Seattle in 1978, the Pacific Northwest’s largest floating boat show, the Boats

Superyacht News

China’s PRIDE Megayachts at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show

Pride Mega Yachts to exhibit at 2016 Monaco Yacht Show Building on their growing global presence and reputation as the ... read more

Pride Mega Yachts to exhibit at 2016 Monaco Yacht Show

Building on their growing global presence and reputation as the world’s leading Chinese superyacht builder, Pride Mega Yachts is delighted to confirm their presence at the upcoming Monaco Yacht Show (MYS).

The company will be exhibiting on a new stand, QH2 5 , on the Quai d’Hirondelle in close proximity to the Monaco Yacht Club. A strong yard team will attend MYS and will be able to answer any queries from clients, brokers, crew members or visitors may have about their company .

Since re-launching their brand at the 2013 MYS the company has gone from strength to strength. Based on the Chinese Yantai Peninsula, the yard has invested heavily in its facilities, such as a state of the art 4,500sqm facility that includes building sheds, offices, workshops and stores completed in 2014, the shipyard has further invested in 2015 into a fully climate controlled warehouse covering a surface of 2500sqm on two floors including a mezzanine to store relative yacht equipment and owner’s supplies.

The shipyard will present a new 90m+ concept design and welcomes all new build enquiries. With its unlimited capacity and European-quality standard, the yard offers an attractive building proposition for any discerning superyacht owner.

Visit Pride Mega Yachts website

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Nepal’s 2024 Pride Parade: Thousands join vibrant rally in support of LGBTQ+ rights

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Same-sex couples and LGBTQ+ activists rally in Nepal’s capital during the annual Pride parade

The Associated Press

August 20, 2024, 7:02 AM

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KATHMANDU, Nepal (AP) — Hundreds of LGBTQ+ people and their supporters rallied in Nepal’s capital Tuesday during the annual Pride parade, the first since gay couples were able to register same-sex marriages officially in the Himalayan nation following a Supreme Court order in Nov 2023.

The annual event brings together the sexual minority community and their supporters in Kathmandu during the Gai Jatra festival.

Tuesday’s rally was participated by a government minister, diplomats and officials, which began at the city’s tourist hub and went around its main streets.

“Gai Jatra festival is a festival that is a long tradition that has been carried for years and we all are here to help preserve and continue the tradition, and as a sexual minority are doing our part to save the tradition. We also celebrate the day as a pride parade,” said Bhumika Shrestha, a gay rights activist who was at the parade.

The Gai Jatra festival is celebrated to remember family members who have passed away during the year but has long had colorful parades that brought in sexual minorities to join the parade.

After years of struggle, gay couples were able to register same-sex marriages for the first time in Nov 2023 following a Supreme Court order that directed the government to make arrangements for the registration of marriages for same-sex couples.

Sexual minority rights activists have long sought to amend laws to permit same-sex marriage and end provisions that limit marriage to heterosexual couples.

Nepal has undergone a transformation since a court decision in 2007 asked the government to make changes in favor of LGBTQ+ people. People who do not identify as female or male are now able to choose “third gender” on their passports and other government documents. The constitution, adopted in 2015, also explicitly states that there can be no discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation.

Copyright © 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, written or redistributed.

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The Hidden Russia

Tomsk has none of the historical pomp and circumstance of Russia's two major tourist destinations, Moscow and St. Petersburg . For the traveler who hankers for something besides glittering churches and postcard-familiar scenery, Tomsk offers something more subdued. Wooden houses, like those out of a favorite Russian fairy tale, line the streets in various stages of repair or renovation. The many universities give the town a learned, serious atmosphere. And the museums are heavy with the gravity of Siberian history. Set in the midst of miles of taiga, Tomsk has a quiet dignity.

Tomsk Attractions and People

The best time to visit Tomsk is in the summer: June, July, or August. The sunny, warm days are perfect for taking walks in Lagerny Sad, the war memorial park that looks over the River Tom. The residential neighborhoods are full of points of interest, and the downtown area is great for shopping and eating. However, even on rainy days, you can find something to do. Not only is there a recently established art museum, but the Tomsk Regional Museum gives an in-depth look at how the peoples of Siberia once lived.

For those who want something special, it's imperative to check out the KGB Memorial Museum. Located in the original Tomsk KGB headquarters, it is a reminder of the terror of the Communist years and the many labor and concentration camps that were set up in the Tomsk region. The holding cells for prisoners also contain their stories of survival; a rotating exhibit honors the art, literature, and lives of those who were brave enough to fight against and tell about their experiences at the hands of the KGB. The museum is the only one like it in the country, and visitors can see Solzhenitsyn's signature in its guestbook.

The wooden houses are a point of pride for the people of Tomsk. Many of the more elaborate ones have become symbols of the city. The windows are bordered with elaborately carved wooden decorations, some in themes depicting birds or dragons. Some of these buildings are still inhabited, which seems a decent metaphor for the way the past in Siberia maintains a symbiont relationship with the present.

The rare Westerner in Tomsk will be met with wariness and curiosity, though seldom hostility. Anyone who shows interest in Tomsk or the Siberian way of life will make friends quickly. Tomichi, the citizens of Tomsk, love to have guests and to share their warm Russian hospitality with foreigners. Their knowledge of their city and of Siberian history can make a stay in this town especially meaningful. You can meet them at the American Center near Tomsk State University, at the central fountain where many Tomichi congregate during the evening, over drinks at one of the many bars, or even on the bus. Any foreigner tends to stand out, but this can be an advantage when trying to make friends.

Eating in Tomsk

One of the most delightful aspects of a Siberian summer is the food. The markets are full of delicious fruits and berries, all of which are at premium pricing for the traveler who is used to paying an arm and a leg for sub-par produce. There is an extensive variety of cheese and other dairy products, free from the processes that often make US diary bland and lacking consistency. At certain times of the week, you can visit stalls that sell meat freshly butchered or fish freshly caught. Be sure to be aware of any old woman by the side of the road with vegetables for sale  - they're almost always home-grown and delicious.

Tomsk is a part of Russia that is unique for the Eastern European traveler. Its small size and community atmosphere, along with its proximity to vast pine forests, make it an escape from the big city Russia that most tourists are familiar with. Fourteen hours by train will take you to a bigger city, Krasnoyarsk, and then you can ride the Trans-Siberian railroad on to Novosibirsk. However, given Tomsk's character and quality, it is unlikely any visitor will be in a hurry to leave.

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China is backing off coal power plant approvals after a 2022-23 surge that alarmed climate experts

Associated Press

BEIJING (AP) — Approvals for new coal-fired power plants have dropped sharply in China after a flurry of permits in the previous two years raised concern about the government’s commitment to limiting climate change. An analysis released Tuesday by Greenpeace East Asia and the Shanghai Institutes for International Studies found that 14 new plants were approved in the first half of this year with a total capacity of 10.3 gigawatts, down 80% from the same period last year. China leads the world in solar and wind power installations but the government has said that coal plants are still needed for periods of peak demand because wind and solar power are less reliable.

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