NEWS

Bill Dixon, the designer of the Performance Yachts range, is named Yacht Designer of the Year at Asian Marine and Boating Awards 2011.

After a very successful ‘awards’ year in 2010 Bill Dixon has got 2011 off to a flying start by being named ‘Yacht Designer of the Year’ at the Asian Marine and Boating Awards 2011.

Dixon, who has worked with companies in Asia for nearly thirty years, has now won prestigious awards two years running from a continent which is rapidly developing its leisure boat industry. He was one of the very first European exhibitors at the Shanghai Boat Show, having already developed very close ties with builders in Taiwan, and is now working with several fast growing Chinese builders who have been quick to appreciate, not only his understanding of their local markets but also the experience that he can bring to them of markets worldwide – Dixon being probably the only yacht designer who could claim to have yachts in build on five continents at the same time, as he did in 2008.

Set up to be truly independent of any possible influence from, ‘friends or customers’ the Asian Marine and Boating Awards judging co-ordinator Alistair Skinner, who is a member of the Yachting Journalists Association, made it very clear that he was determined, right from the start, that the panel would be strictly ‘neutral’ to ensure that the, ‘winners are indeed winners, rather than just recipients of gifts’.

Bill Dixon comments, “I am delighted that the work my team and I have put into Asia for so many years is being recognised. Working as we do with companys in China, Taiwan and South Korea we have been able to develop a very strong awareness of how our clients work and in return, we provide them with high quality European design which has strong local, as well as worldwide appeal.

Double awards success.

It was apparent from the moment that she was launched and started trials that Dixon Yacht Design had designed a very special yacht in the Performance Yachts PY-100, ‘Liara’. This has now been confirmed at the prestigious Showboats International Design Awards where last night Dixon Yacht Design picked up not one, but two, awards.

The awards, where in two of the most competitive and sought after categories and Bill Dixon was on hand to receive them. The first was the “Naval Architecture Award – sailing yachts” and the second was “The Design and Technology Award”, which was awarded to Dixon Yacht Design for the very innovative lifting keel fitted to ‘Liara’; a keel which does not intrude into the interior but allows the yacht to visit shallow anchorages and harbours and have a remarkable sailing performance for a yacht designed to be a fast cruising yacht, not an out and out racer.

The magnitude of Dixon Yachts Designs achievement in winning these two awards is best summed up by the words of the awards programme, “The judging criteria for this category explored how well the yachts perform at sea in all conditions, and it was ‘Liara’ that rose to the top of the class with her clean, well executed lines, telescopic keel that does not intrude on the accommodations, and unassailable combination of sailing performance and design.”

The Showboats Design Awards are judged by an independent jury which is comprised of yacht owners, senior yacht crew and acclaimed designers and stylists from within, as well as outside, the marine industry; all are experts in their specific fields.

Bill Dixon was understandably delighted with the awards, “To win one award is always special but to win two, and particularly these two for the same yacht, means a great deal. We always strive hard to design yachts which really satisfy our client’s ambitions while giving them the very latest technology. With the Performance Yachts range I am certain we have the balance absolutely right”.

'Liara' goes racing again, this time in St.Barths.

'Liara's' next 'public' outing will be in late March where she will be racing in the St. Barths Bucket series.

Talk to anyone about the 'Buckets', the other is in Newport during September, and they will tell you that these are fun races. Fun they might be before the start, and after each race, but you won't find many owners and skippers during the races who are not trying to get the very best out of their boats.

Currently there are 39 yachts entered for this year’s event and 'Liara' in one of the smallest; the average length of the boats in the fleet being 131 feet. It's a very high quality fleet and we obviously wish 'Liara' the best of luck – we will keep you posted!

'Liara' finalist in the Boat International Superyacht Awards

As 'Liara', our first PY-100, comes up to her first birthday we have heard that she has been selected as a finalist in the prestigious Boat International World Superyacht Awards; she is in one of the most fiercely contested categories between 30m and 44m.

She is also nominated for a special technology award and we are delighted that Performance Yachts the company, has been nominated as 'Newcomer of the year'.

Starting last, 'Liara' wins, the annual Nelson's Pursuit Race

Even if you are not a racing man or woman it would be very difficult not to be impressed by 'Liara', the Performance Yachts PY-100s latest race exploit. To start last in a pursuit race, and 90 minutes later than the first starter, on a course of only 15 miles, and to overtake the whole fleet and take line honours is pretty remarkable by anybodies standards.

You might find some of the 'techno' speak in this first hand report from Ross Applebey, Captain of the Performance Yachts 100 “Liara”, undecipherable if not into racing, but there is no disguising the message that comes through loud and clear – the PY-100 is a very fast, but, very manageable yacht.

PY 100 success at the Antigua Charter Show

The PY 100 is designed to be a fast cruising yacht and one which is also an attractive yacht for others to charter.

A PY-100 was present at the Antigua Charter Show and was extremely well received, to the extent that not only where bookings taken at the show but the yacht was also selected by Charterwave, the highly thought of yacht charter vacation website who selected the PY-100 to be their, 'Yacht of the Month', in February of this year.

It is a mark of the yachts potential as a charter yacht that, not only did she gain the respect of Charterwave, but the very first clients to charter her, enjoyed the experience so much that they extended their booking for several extra days.

Performance Yachts PY 100, a 'Star of the Show' at Monaco'

Monaco Superyacht Show saw the public début of the Performance Yachts brand in general and the Performance Yachts 100 in particular, in the shape of 'Liara'.

The show was a great success for both the company and the yacht, with literally hundreds of visitors to the vessel over the four days of the show. Many expressed their appreciation of the build quality of the yacht and the numerous innovative design features that she hides.

Not surprisingly, with the enormous interest that 'Liara' created, the show has generated a considerable number of serious enquiries for yachts in the Performance Yachts range and many successful sea trials have already taken place.

Liara’s Round the Island Success

In an extraordinary 'first outing', Performance Yachts PY-100, 'Liara', made her racing debut on 20th June. ''Liara”, a fast cruising yacht, and complete with all the comforts of home, took on some of the worlds top stripped out racing yachts and their skippers and came home ahead. The venue was this years 'Round the Island Race', one of the worlds biggest annual races and which, this year, attracted nearly 1800 entrants.

Most notable of the scalps taken was that of 'Leopard', a bare bones, no comfort, out and out racing yacht which managed to cross the finish line just 10 minutes before 'Liara' – the time difference should have been more like two hours. 'Liara' was the second monohull to complete the race and as if this was not enough to justify her incredible light air credentials 'Liara' beat everyone of the TP 52's and Open 60's on the water, and left many other purely racing yachts in her wake.

What is perhaps even more remarkable, and indicates that 'Liara' has even more to give, was the very limited time available to the Owner, and his crew to prepare the yacht for this event. Launched only 3 months ago, she spent some weeks doing trials in New Zealand before being shipped to Europe, arriving just two weeks ago. After a couple of days being rigged she came down the channel to Southampton Water where she will be based until after the Fastnet Race at the beginning of August. In fact the only race preparation that owner and full racing crew had was over last weekend; for most of them it was the first time that they had seen, let alone sailed, the yacht.

The owner is, not surprisingly, absolutely delighted with todays result, “ I wanted a yacht which would be supremely comfortable to cruise with my family and friends and for those who charter the yacht, but which, with my racing head on, would also be very competitive. Most people said I was asking for too much but today proves that the PY-100 is a very special yacht; 'Liara' really is giving us the best of both worlds”

Her success, coming so soon after her launch, and against such an impressive fleet, is confirmation if any was needed, that the superb light airs performance that the yacht showed in early trials in New Zealand was no one off, and that Performance Yachts have a winner with the PY-100 in more ways than one.

Performance Yachts appoint Azzura Marine to build new PY-125 & PY-115

Just weeks after the highly successful trials of Performance Yacht’s PY-100 in New Zealand, the company has announced the expansion of its range and appointed Azzura Marine, the premier Australian boat builder, as constructors of the PY-115 model, and its new flagship, the PY-125.

Established by four times America’s Cup helmsman, Olympian, and ten times World Champion sailor Iain Murray AM, Azzura Marine combines decades of boat building experience, world class facilities and state-of-the-art technology to produce quality custom motor and sail vessels and high performance racing yachts, to the same high standards as required to construct the PY-115 and PY-125.

“Azzura Marine has exactly the right pedigree to deliver the quality yachts expected by discerning Performance Yachts clients,” stated Performance Yachts Founder Adrian Nicolle.

Azzura Marine Principal, Iain Murray AM, said he was excited at the prospect of further expanding the group’s marine interests. “This agreement will effectively combine the knowledge and talents of Performance Yachts, Azzura Marine and Dixon Yacht Design to deliver a finely crafted, contemporary range of high performance sailing superyachts to the world,” he said.

The PY-115 and PY-125 will be built at Azzura Marine’s impressive superyacht new build and repair/ refit facility in Newcastle; just 70 nautical miles north of Sydney and en route to some of the world’s most stunning cruising destinations.

In arriving at his decision to appoint Azzura Marine, Adrian Nicolle pointed out the importance of finding a builder that was experienced in using the advanced construction materials and methods required to construct the Performance Yachts range. “With Southern Ocean Marine building our PY-100 and PY-109 models and Azzura Marine the PY-115 and PY-125, I am confident that Performance Yachts has two of the world’s top boat builders producing our yachts”.

Designed by Bill Dixon and his team at Dixon Yacht Design the PY-125, like her sisters, is a thoroughly modern, light but immensely strong fast cruising yacht, which offers sumptuous accommodation for owners, guests, and crew. Furthermore, she will be more than capable of making her presence felt at the world’s top superyacht regattas.

The PY-125 will be available with the unusual, but highly effective lifting keel option, as seen on the PY-100. Not a customary feature on such a sleek yacht, it does not intrude into, or compromise the yachts living accommodation, but succeeds in minimizing her draft to a shallow 3.75 metres with keel up and a hydro-dynamically efficient 5.25 metres with keel down.

Performance Yachts will announce its full 2010 range later this year.

Performance Yachts 100 #01 excels in trials

Bill Dixon of the Designers Dixon Yacht Design said that he was delighted with the initial sea trials carried out in New Zealand. “Even this short sea trial vindicated the performance credentials of Liara. Clearly the light displacement, large rig, and stability afforded by the deep keel, has made for a very sporty performance. A yacht that accelerates effortlessly is very close winded and has the ability to sail at wind speed in light/moderate winds. Liara is beautifully balanced and in 11 knots of boat speed sailed upwind at 10 knots, with a small amount of weather helm.”

The yachts captain, Ross Applebey, reports that “in early trials, during which the PY-100 has already experienced a range of conditions from very light airs, where she had no trouble sailing at ‘wind’ speed, to heavy conditions where she proved to be stiff and very manageable.”

Performance Yachts launch the exciting new PY-100

The launch of the first Performance Yachts 100, one of 2009's most eagerly awaited, took place on 4th February at the yard of builders Southern Ocean Marine, in Taurange, New Zealand.

Liara, as this first PY-100 is to be christened, comes with a quality of build and specification which will delight the most demanding yacht owner or skipper. From the bottom of her hydraulic lifting keel, to the top of her high modulus carbon Southern Spars built mast, the PY-100 has very fast cruising written all over her.

Industry First for Performance Yachts

The mainsheet on the Performance Yachts 100 is controlled by a WRC70-C hydraulic line management system from Onboard Systems, this is an industry first for captive reel winches with a composite Base, Car and Drum.

The captive reel winch features a 4-speed drive in two automatic or selectable ranges to achieve a better speed range for this application with Maximum speeds in excess of 60Meters/minute in first gear.

The first of these winches has already been installed on PY100-01 which is in build in Tauranga, New Zealand.

PY100 unveiled at Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show 2007

The Performance Yachts 100 was shown to an impressed American audience for the first time at Fort Lauderdale Boat Show 2007 when a model of the new 30 meter yacht was displayed.

Adrian Nicolle from Performance Yachts and Bill Dixon, the designer were at Fort Lauderdale to present the design of this exciting project with the second boat in the series of 65 to 128' high specification yachts under construction in New Zealand.

Warm welcome for PY100 at Monaco Yacht Show 2007

The design of the new Performance Yachts 100 was unveiled for the first time at Monaco Yacht Show 2007 when a model of the new 30 meter yacht was displayed to an admiring audience.

Adrian Nicolle from Performance Yachts and the design team from the Dixon studio were available to answer questions and many visitors to the stand were impressed by the up to the minute design and very high specification that the PY100 offers.

PY100-01 hull released from mould

The first Performance Yachts 100 hull, PY100-01 has been released from it's male mould at Southern Ocean Marine in Tauranga, New Zealand. This boat is due for delivery to it's European owner in November 2008.

PY65-01 wins first place in ARC race

PY65-01 won FIRST PLACE in the ARC race, RORC Racing Division II, Class A (a shake down cruise!), where the real potential was demonstrated.

This new high specification low profile centre cockpit performance cruising yacht which is built using the latest high tech composite construction has also achieved a string of 1st and 2nd places at Antigua Race Week.

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