Lavish Monaco Yacht a Floating City

Monaco Yacht a Floating City costs $1bn

A LAVISH new yacht recreating the billionaire's playground of Monaco is set to become the world's most expensive.

The staggering 155m Streets of Monaco yacht is expected to cost over $1.1 billion to build and is modelled on a section of Monte Carlo.

Currently in the design stage, the super-ship will feature smaller versions of the state’s famous landmarks such as the Monte Carlo Casino and racetrack, as well as swimming pools, tennis courts, a cinema, a go kart track and a Hotel de Paris.

Instead of traditional decks the one-of-a-kind ship will have buildings, and instead of a swimming platform it will have a beach.

Travellers will also spot waterfalls, a swim-in Jacuzzi-bar, helicopters and submarines on board.

The one-of a kind ship could be home to 16 guests and 70 crew with the main apartment spread over three floors and 445 sq m.

Linking upper and lower living areas is the Atrium – featuring seven guest suites, a bathroom, bedroom, dressing room, reception and balcony.

The idea for the super-boat, designed by Yacht Island Design, was sparked by car racing and developed into something more innovative.

"It is basically a floating city,” company director Rob McPherson said.

"The design theme called for a unique yacht that reflected the style and sophistication of the principality.

"We want to create a truly unique environment that could take the principality of Monaco to the ocean."

The ship will exceed the $1 billion price tag reportedly paid by Roman Abramovich for his Eclipse yacht.

A second creation by Yacht Island Design will be a smaller 85-metre yacht based on a Pacific Island theme.

Solar Mega Yacht Visits Brisbane

$ 16m Turanor Planet Solar Mega Yacht Visits Brisbane
The world's largest solar boat, costing $16.7 million to build, has made an Aussie stopover.  The Turanor Planet Solar mega-yacht docked at the Riverside Centre Pontoon in Brisbane yesterday as part of its quest to become the first fully solar-powered vessel to circumnavigate around the world. The yacht, which has been compared to Star Trek’s Starship Enterprise and appears to have a shark-like shape when viewed from above, relies on the power of the sun – and its batteries – to achieve its around-the-world voyage.
At 31 metres long and 15 metres wide, the yacht has a solar surface area of over 537 square metres with 38,000 solar cells.
The 60-tonne vessel will be able to reach speeds of up to 25 kmh. Due to an array of lithium ion batteries, Turanor can sail for up to five nights without direct sunlight.
It has already broken two records since embarking from Monaco on September 27 last year – the fastest crossing of the Atlantic Ocean by solar boat and the longest distance ever covered by a solar electric vehicle. The boat was designed by a team of international engineers and built by the Knierim shipyard in Kiel, Germany.
It will return to Europe after its Brisbane stopover.

London 2012

London 2012 Olympic medals were unveiled by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal

London 2012 Olympic medals were unveiled by Her Royal Highness, The Princess Royal and London 2012 Organising Committee chair Seb Coe earlier, with a little under one year to go to the Opening Ceremony. IOC president Jacques Rogge and IOC coordination commission chairman Denis Oswald were also present at the special ceremony. The medals will be produced in Britain and have been designed by British artist David Watkins, who is an established artist in the field of decorative art. When creating the brief, the Victory Ceremonies team of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) worked closely with the British Museum’s keeper of coins and medals, Philip Attwood, to look at the symbolic history of medals in Europe in the last century. The LOCOG Athletes’ Committee, chaired by Olympic gold medallist Jonathan Edwards, was also heavily involved in its development. Following the initial tender, six artists were selected for the second stage of design and development. Based on their work, the panel – which comprised experienced creative leaders and sports personalities – felt that David Watkins’ design for the London 2012 Olympic medals.

Dubai Airport Record

Dubai International Registers Record Passenger Traffic

Dubai Airports today released mid-year traffic results which confirm Dubai International recorded the busiest six months in its 50 year history as 24.6 million passengers passed through the world’s fourth busiest airport for international passenger traffic during the first half of 2011, compared to 22.6 million in the corresponding period in 2010, an increase of 8.9 per cent.

In June, Dubai International handled a total of 4.07 million passengers up 10.4 per cent from the 3.68 million who passed through the airport in June 2010.  The average monthly passenger traffic recorded in the first half of 2011 stands at 4.09 million as compared to 3.76 million during the corresponding period in 2010. The year to date daily average passenger throughput at Dubai International reached 135,700 compared to 124,600 recorded during the first six months of 2010.

Aircraft movements in June totalled 26,101 up 5 per cent from 24,847 registered during the corresponding period in 2010. Year to date aircraft movements reached 159,372, an increase of 6.2 per cent compared to 150,095 recorded during the first half of 2010.

In terms of top destinations served by Dubai International, the five countries with the greatest passenger volumes year to date are India, U.K., Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and Iran. The fastest growing regions for passenger traffic during the first half of the year include Eastern Europe (+302.4%), AGCC (+28.2%), Russia & CIS (+20.8%), North America (+16.8%), Asia Pacific (+13.2%), and the Indian Subcontinent (+8.3%).

During the first half of 2011, air cargo volumes remained steady with 1.058 million tonnes of freight being processed through the facility compared to 1.055 million tonnes during the same period in 2010, an increase of 0.3 per cent. In June, Dubai International handled a total of 183,365 tonnes of cargo an increase of 3.4 per cent compared to 177,285 tonnes in June 2010.

“As the numbers clearly suggest, robust passenger traffic growth continues despite high fuel prices and growing economic uncertainty in Europe and the U.S.,” said Paul Griffiths, CEO, Dubai Airports. “This is being driven by the addition of new routes and frequencies, more wide-bodied aircraft as well as by the attractiveness of Dubai as a business and tourist destination and an efficient transit point. Our planned US$7.8 billion expansion of Dubai International is well-timed to accommodate the expected average annual growth of 7.2 per cent over the next ten years.”

Griffiths said that in the first half of 2011 over 200 new weekly flights were launched to 19 new destinations across Asia, Europe and Africa by different passenger carriers, including Emirates and flydubai. Dubai International currently serves 150 airlines flying to over 220 destinations across six continents.

ANA and AirAsia

All Nippon Airways join hands with AirAsia to launch a low Cost Carrier

All Nippon Airways has confirmed it will join with AirAsia to launch a low-cost carrier based at Narita International Airport in Japan.
In a move designed to allow access the developing budget market in Asia, AirAsia Japan – as the carrier will be known – is expected to launch in August 2012.
ANA confirmed the new carrier would initially be capitalised at 5 billion yen ($65 million), with Japan’s larger carrier holding 67 per cent of the carrier and AirAsia the remaining 33 per cent.
AirAsia said it expected the carrier to make a profit in its first year of operations.
“The presence of AirAsia Japan is to serve the highly lucrative travel market in Japan,” explained a statement.
“Air travel is deeply entrenched in the social and business life of the Japanese even under a high cost environment.”
AirAsia Japan will hope to replicate the success of European budget carriers, led by Ryanair.  However, Japan has long been considered a difficult market for budget carriers.
High labour costs and stiff landing fees, coupled with limited availability of airport slots kept, have to date kept new entrants out.
Shinichiro Ito, ANA president, said: “By combining AirAsia’s business model and brand with ANA’s depth of knowledge of the Japanese market, we aim to bring new value to our customers.”
Domestic rival Japan Airlines has signed up to a joint venture agreement with Qantas-owned Jetstar to create a new discount airline.
Singapore Airlines is also planning to set up a long-haul budget carrier by the middle of next year, with Campbell Wilson recently appointed to head up the venture.