Brazil

Seakeeper Opens Dealer Training Site in Italy

Seakeeper, a developer of marine motion control systems, has launched a new training facility in San Salvatore, Italy. This European location will enhance training access for partners outside North America, helping to build a global network of skilled technicians to support Seakeeper’s expanding customer base.“Our dedication to continuous improvement goes beyond our products; it’s also about the people who support them,” said Seakeeper president and CEO Andrew Semprevivo. “Our new training facility in Italy is part of our commitment to ensuring our partners are the best in the industry.

Interview: Davide Breviglieri, CEO of Azimut Yachts do Brasil

With 50 years of history, the Azimut | Benetti Group is recognized as the world’s largest motor yacht builder (global orderbook 2019). For nearly 10 years Azimut has been producing a wide range of luxury motor yachts in Brazil. Maritime Reporter´s correspondent in Brazil interviewed Italian executive Davide Breviglieri, CEO of Azimut Yachts do Brasil.Founded in 1969 by Paolo Vitelli, still the main shareholder, the group is present in 70 countries and has a network of 138 sales and service offices, bringing together the successful brands Azimut Yachts and Benetti, each serving different market segments.

Sanlorenzo Americas Names New CEO

Marco Segato has been appointed CEO of Sanlorenzo Americas, the division that has aided in the Italian superyacht-builder’s expansion in North, Central and South America for the last 10 years.The  Italian shipbuilding company company said that Marco Segato, formerly Vice President of Sales of Sanlorenzo Americas since 2014, held important positions in the field of strategic consulting and business development Having developed a great wealth of experience in the boating sector, Segato has also been made a shareholder of the US company and will further build upon the growth achieved by Sanlorenzo Americas.Sanlorenzo Americas…

Containership Tows Disabled Sailboat to Safety

The Amver participating containership CMA CGM Brazil towed a 46-foot sailboat with two sailors aboard to safety in St. Marten after the sailboat reported they were taking on water and disabled approximately 315 miles east north east of San Juan, Puerto Rico on Thursday, May 24, 2018.U.S. Coast Guard rescue authorities in San Juan were notified by two sailors who's boat was taking on water through the rudder shaft. While they were able to keep up with the flooding with pumps, they…

Volvo Leaders MAPFRE Suspend Racing for Repairs

Volvo Ocean Race overall leaders MAPFRE have been forced to suspend their race on the seventh leg from Auckland to Itaji in Brazil to undergo repairs to a damaged mast track, organisers said on Friday. A section of the mast track came unglued from the mast about five days ago and while the team had managed to keep racing with jury-rig solutions, skipper Xabi Fernandez decided to suspend racing to make proper repairs. The yacht was about six miles west of Cape Horn when they decided to suspend racing, organisers said. They were about 2,000 miles from the finish line.

British Volvo Ocean Race Crewmember Lost at Sea

A British Volvo Ocean Race crew member who fell overboard in the Southern Ocean is presumed lost at sea, organisers said on Tuesday. John Fisher, 47, had been competing with Hong Kong entry Team Sun Hung Kai/Scallywag on leg seven of the race from Auckland to Itajai in Brazil and was reported missing in extremely rough seas on Monday. The 65-foot yacht's location was some 1,400 nautical miles west of Cape Horn, and 1,200 miles from the nearest safe landfall in South America. The nearest competitors were 200 miles away downwind.

Speedcast, Inks Comms Deal with Diamond Offshore

Speedcast International Limited has secured a long-term contract with Diamond Offshore, who will leverage Speedcast’s managed communications services across 10 offshore rigs and one shore-based facility. “Diamond Offshore continues to adapt to the competitive nature of the industry,” said Tim Osburn, CIO, Diamond Offshore. “Through this agreement with Speedcast, Diamond Offshore increases its operational agility, benefiting from Speedcast’s world-class global customer support network. Under the terms of the new agreement, Speedcast’s…

GAC Pindar Returns as Official Logistics Provider for Volvo Ocean Race

Once again, GAC Pindar and GAC companies around the world will be put to the test by the Volvo Ocean Race. The 2017-18 edition will be the second consecutive time that GAC serves as the official logistics provider for the premier offshore round-the-world race, after its successful collaboration in 2014-15. The group’s marine sport and leisure logistics specialist, GAC Pindar, will work closely with GAC offices around the world to provide a wide range of services for the Race which kicks off in Alicante, Spain, on October 22.

GAC Host Sport Relief Celebrities for Safety at Sea Training

Six celebrities swapping the comforts of the studio for five days at sea, as they attempt to sail around the UK on the BT Sport Relief Challenge: Hell on High Seas, have been prepared for the challenge at the National Maritime College of Ireland (NMCI). Captained by Ian Walker, the first British skipper to win the Volvo Ocean Race, the crew consists of BBC1’s The One Show presenter Alex Jones, Angellica Bell, Hal Cruttenden, Doon Mackichan, Ore Oduba and Suzi Perry. They set off from Belfast Harbour on Monday and are due to arrive in London on Friday.

Mercury Marine Opens Training Center in Brazil

Mercury Marine, a manufacturer of recreational marine propulsion engines, has opened a new million-dollar training center in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, designed to offer a learning environment for Mercury Marine dealer and service center technicians. The new 5,300-square-foot (500 square meters) facility is equipped with electronic diagnostic tools, computers and processes that highlight the company’s commitment to the environment. The new training center can accommodate 16 students at a time and will host approximately 20 classes per year.

Gothenburg Prepares for Volvo Ocean Race Finale

As the port of Gothenburg prepares to welcome the Volvo Ocean Race fleet of racing yachts and their entourage ending their round-the-world challenge next week, there’s one group of Swedes with especially good reason to celebrate the successful conclusion of the race - the management of the GAC Group. Through its sailing logistics specialist company GAC Pindar, the GAC Group with roots in Sweden has been charged with handling the complex logistics demands involved in getting everything delivered to the 11 stopovers at ports in Africa…

Volvo Ocean Race Sails Again after Cyclone Pam delay

The fifth leg of the Volvo Ocean Race in New Zealand finally got underway on Wednesday following a three-day delay to avoid the worst of Cyclone Pam. The nine-month round-the-world yacht race was scheduled to leave Auckland for Itajai, Brazil on Sunday. The 6776 nautical mile race from Auckland to Itajai in Brazil will take roughly three weeks to complete. It will take the fleet back into the Atlantic for the closing stages of the leg for the first time since November before passing Cape Horn. Abu Dhabi Ocean Racing, skippered by Britain’s Ian Walker…

Kiwi Joins Volvo Ocean Race Crew

Kiwi Volvo Ocean Race veteran Stu Bannatyne has joined Team Alvimedica for leg five of the race from Auckland to Brazil, says a statement from the Team. Bannatyne has done the Volvo Ocean Race six times, winning three of them. The New Zealander will start preparing with the crew tomorrow ahead of the leg start from Auckland on March 15. "Stu brings incredible experience to us for the tough Southern Ocean leg ahead," said Team Alvimedica skipper Charlie Enright. “The leg that we are about to embark on is like nothing we have seen in this race so far.

Australian Tall Ship Rounds Cape Horn

The Royal Australian Navy operated Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour rounded Cape Horn on Australia Day, 36 days into a 12-month circumnavigation of the world. Chief of Navy Vice Admiral Tim Barrett AO, CSC, RAN congratulated the 36 seafarers on board the square-rigged tall ship, including 12 Royal Australian Navy crew and 24 alumni crew specially selected for the passage. Vice Admiral Barrett said the passage around the southernmost tip of South America remained one of the most challenging nautical routes on the planet, and was a significant achievement for the crew of Young Endeavour.

Young Endeavour Sets Sail on World Voyage

The Royal Australian Navy operated Sail Training Ship Young Endeavour set sail from Sydney today for a 12-month voyage, circumnavigating the globe. Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister for Defence, Darren Chester, attended the departure from Fleet Base East, and spoke with members of the Royal Australian Navy crew and the 24 young Australians who will sail the ship on the first leg, to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. "The navy crew and young Australians who set sail from Sydney today represent every Australian state and territory.

KVH Boosts Mini-VSAT Capacity in S. America

KVH Industries, Inc. announced major capacity increases for its mini-VSAT Broadband network at the OilComm conference in Houston today. The capacity upgrades on key South American beams have resulted in as much as three times the forward and return link capacity for KVH’s maritime VSAT customers in the area. One upgrade has boosted coverage and performance for several key markets in Brazil: the oil and gas industry, whose major production and exploration activities are centered offshore…

Ebola Fears Hit the Maritime Market

Brazil, Argentina and the United States have tightened port entry procedures for ships that have sailed from West Africa in a bid to control the potential spread of the deadly Ebola virus. Ebola has killed more than 3,400 people in Guinea, Sierra Leone and Liberia, and its spread has become a global concern -- with worries for trade, which could affect the airline and tourism industries together with seaborne activity. The virus is already threatening to disrupt logistics activity…

Piracy Offshore Africa: Securing a Continent

The late Nelson Mandela once said: “I dream of an Africa which is in peace with itself.” At the EU-Africa summit in Brussels last month, European leaders urged their African counterparts to facilitate that dream by shouldering more of the security burden in their countries, both onshore and offshore. The summit coincided with reports of renewed piracy activity in the Gulf of Aden; ongoing attacks on shipping in the Gulf of Guinea, and explosions and mass arrests in Kenya, all serving to underline the scale of that challenge.

Outer Reef Yachts to Open Cartagena Retail Center

Designers, constructors and sales source for long range motor yachts, Outer Reef Yachts, says it will have a premier sales center located in Cartagena de Indias - the Colombian seaport area, and heart of Caribbean commerce and tourism. Outer Reef’s Latin American sales team, located in this new retail center, will be led by the area’s representative and active community leader, Jaime Borda. The Cartagena area was particularly attractive to Outer Reef as it is a growing center for business, tourism, and the hub of the Caribbean yachting community, as it is close to turnkey service facilities and overall commerce.