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The x-yachts difference.

A yacht which delivers  Superior Sailing Pleasure  is a yacht which sails well in a variety of wind conditions and sea states, offers luxurious comfort, is safe and reliable and provides pure enjoyment when at sea.

Every detail of an X-Yacht, from the hull lines through to the world-class craftsmanship, stem from this idea.

The difference between X-Yachts and other yacht builders comes from how the yachts are designed, built and specified technically. Production cost is not the main priority at X-Yachts, instead features and equipment are chosen, no matter the cost, to ensure all models excel in key areas.

Steel frame

Vacuum infusion technology, rod rigging, quality by design.

The pleasure of ownership is unbeatable and X-Yachts exists to make your dream come true. Allow us to introduce to you the X-Yachts qualities and attention to details that make them so distinct in the premium and performance sailing yachts category. Building your own X-Yachts according to your exact wishes and specifications will be a smooth process when working with our experienced team. There is a wide range of models for all tastes and needs and we will help you discover which is the right one for you. Immerse in the new range of contemporary performance cruisers and live the dream.

Searching for the perfect pre-owned X-Yacht? We have hand-picked second-hand X-Yachts that tick all or most of the boxes. Our well experienced and brand specific X-Yachts Service Hub team will guarantee that you get all the support you need, in a level equivalent to the values of the brand.  F rom the initial market research, yacht viewing and survey, technical and financial appraisal, troubleshooting, maintenance works, refit projects, legal support and delivery. We will cater for all needs and budgets and help you enjoy the performance, qualities and safety that all X-Yachts offer. 

With more than 40 years of experience in high-performance sailing boats, X-Yachts has now introduced a new and extraordinary initiative, based on the deep experience accumulated over these years: a 33 foot open powerboat for quality-conscious boaters with the same well-proven X-Yacht Ethos. Fast and safe on the water, pride of ownership, innovative development and design.

The X-Power 33C is designed and built with one overall strategy – to comply with what is expected by X-Yachts – Ease of Use. The technical equipment provides an intuitive experience; you only need to push one button, and then you are ready to drive!

Available to the X-Yachts dealers network and to prospective buyers, our Floating Boat Show consists of the largest and most updated fleet of X-Yachts worldwide and is open to welcome you from March to November. You will be able to enjoy the latest X-Yachts series of high-end, brand new, luxury performance boats and take them for a sea trial.

Just 35 minutes away from the Athens International airport El. Venizelos and 45 minutes from downtown Athens, the location is of key importance. Olympic Marine is the home of our X-Yachts, from which you are able to venture to the hundreds of Greek islands and the Mediterranean when the season starts. 

Gain a true impression as to how your X-Yacht will perform by helming one of our X-Yachts in all wind directions and conditions, starting from our base. Accompanied by our X-Yachting team, you can expect an all around demonstration of the X-Yachts model that interests you. Our in-depth knowledge and experience around X-Yachts will provide you with all the information you need, ranging from technical aspects to sailing performance and how this will ultimately translate to your personal lifestyle and living on board. This service is dedicated to helping you make a responsible and informed decision while getting to know the X-Yachts Qualities first hand.

A different kind of worry-free ownership for your new yacht is available at our base in Olympic Marine, 35min from Athens International Airport. Our program portfolio includes the exclusive X-Yachts Care program and the X-Yachts Charter program. All these programs are embraced by our X-Yachts Service Hub, offering high end in-house after sales and  technical support, as well as emergency and concierge services. The final scope is to always remove any stress and allow you enhance your time on board by creating positive memories with your beloved ones in an uncompromised manner. 

Olympic Marine, Lavrio 77th km Athinon-Souniou, 19500 [email protected] +302292023916

• Xc 47 to join X-Yachting Sailing Center’s fleet in 2025
• X-Yachting Marks Successful Participation at boot Düsseldorf 2024

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See Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg's brand new 287-foot superyacht

The 287-foot yacht, called 'launchpad' cost $300m.

SEE IT: Mark Zuckerberg’s $300 million new superyacht

Billionaire Mark Zuckerberg, founder and CEO of Facebook parent Meta, gifted himself a $300 million superyacht named ‘Launchpad’ as his net worth nears $200 billion. Credit: Dutch Yachting

Mark Zuckerberg reportedly rewarded himself with a luxurious gift: a $300 million super yacht.

The billionaire Meta Platforms CEO reportedly purchased the 287-foot vessel with the name Launchpad, according to The Sun and New York Post. 

FOX Business reached out to Meta Platforms and a Zuckerberg personal spokesperson for comment on the vessel.

Mark Zuckerberg's 387-foot long superyacht, Launchpad, sits at Port Everglades in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, this week. (Romain Maurice/MEGA / Mega)

The vessel reached America a few days ago, cruising into Fort Lauderdale’s port in the Sunshine State, according to Business Insider. Prior to that, it had recently completed its first-ever official sailing.

MARK ZUCKERBERG RAISING CATTLE WITH DIET OF BEER AND NUTS

In photos, the dark blue-hulled Launchpad appeared to have multiple decks.

Superyacht Times pegged its gross tonnage at about 5,000. It can reportedly sail as fast as 24 knots.

A view of the side of the Launchpad superyacht. (Dutch Yachting)

Feadship, a well-known yacht builder headquartered in the Netherlands, constructed the superyacht.

Only 70 motor yachts measuring over 100 meters currently exist, according to BOAT International. Some are believed to belong to other members of the three-comma club.

JEFF BEZOS, LAUREN SANCHEZ ENJOY SUN, SUPERYACHT

The Sun reported the 118-meter Launchpad came at a nine-figure cost.

The Launchpad superyacht sailing.

Zuckerberg has amassed a personal fortune that, according to Forbes, sat around $178 billion as of Thursday evening.

He has Meta Platforms, the corporate parent of Facebook, Instagram, Whatsapp and Threads, to thank for that. He co-founded Facebook about 20 years ago.

MARK ZUCKERBERG'S HAWAII PROPERTY TO FEATURE GIANT UNDERGROUND BUNKER, TREEHOUSES: REPORT

"20 years ago I launched a thing," he wrote on the platform in early February. "Along the way, lots of amazing people joined and we built some more awesome things. We’re still at it and the best is yet to come."

He has identified artificial intelligence and the metaverse as long-term focuses of Meta Platforms.

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8 Fascinating Facts About ‘Nero,’ a 295-Foot Superyacht Inspired by a 1930s Classic

We step aboard the star of this week's palm beach international boat show to glimpse behind the curtains of yachting's most interesting build., howard walker, howard walker's most recent stories.

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It’s described as the “most head-turning yacht on the planet,” and this week, the classically styled Corsair Yachts Nero is the undisputed headliner at Palm Beach International Boat Show.

At just under 300 feet long, the beautiful hull is too lengthy for the docks at the main show area on the West Palm Beach waterfront, so it is being displayed to potential charter clients in the nearby Safe Harbor Rybovich superyacht marina.

Nero is at the show to entice charter clients (through Burgess Yachts) for summer cruises in the Med and winters in the Caribbean. With Nero’s British captain David McMorrow as our guide, Robb Report took a tour of this iconic superyacht, discovering fascinating facts about this so-called “Spirit of Corsair,” based on financier J.P. Morgan Jr.’s series of Corsair yachts in the 1920s and 30s.

Here are eight unknown facts about this remarkable vessel.

One Man’s Success Leads to Another Man’s Dream

Back in 2004, the British videogame entrepreneur and yachtsman Neil Taylor set out to find and restore a classic motoryacht in the style of American banking legend J.P. Morgan Jr.’s series of yachts named Corsair . Unable to find a suitable candidate, he took the bold decision to build his own, styled on Morgan’s last Corsair, the 350-foot Corsair IV (above) launched in 1930. Such was Taylor’s commitment and passion to the project that he designed both the yacht’s exterior and interior layout himself, only turning to U.K.-based IMT Marine Consultants for the naval architecture and hull design. Built under tight secrecy, the steel-hulled Nero , as the yacht was christened, was launched in 2008.

A Shipyard Was Created to Build It

Taylor had hoped to use a European yard to turn his dream into reality. But in the end, he formed his own company, Corsair Yachts, and signed a deal with China’s Yantai Raffles Shipyard to rent its entire facility and 400-strong workforce. He also pulled together a team of 30 specialists who had previously worked with pedigreed builders Lürssen, Benetti, and OceanFast for the most technical work. It was not a quick process: Taylor micro-managed every stage of the yacht’s construction, which took over four years. 

Plenty of Power and a Fake Smokestack

Nero is powered by a pair of slow-spinning, commercial-grade MaK/Caterpillar diesels, rated 2,333 hp each. Flat out, it can run at 16 knots, though Capt. McMorrow prefers to cruise at a more sedate 11 knots. With the fuel tanks topped off with 46,000 gallons of diesel, the yacht has a range of over 4,500 nautical miles, burning just 118 gallons an hour at 14.5 knots. To keep it stable in those Atlantic swells, the yacht has four Naiad fin stabilizers, a full keel and extensive ballasting. “She’s incredibly stable even in the roughest of seas, and remarkably quiet,” says McMorrow. As for that distinctive yellow and black funnel on the top deck, it’s just for decoration.

A Fitness Lover’s Dream

As part of Nero ‘s major refit in Genoa, Italy, in 2021, the cozy sundeck den, or “snug,” was transformed into a state-of-the-art gym. It’s filled with the latest Technogym equipment, including a multi-function Kinesis machine, treadmill, cross-trainer and cardio bike. Steps away is the 18.7-foot-long resistance pool on the foredeck, along with a Jacuzzi at the stern. Naturally, one of the crew is a certified physical trainer. The previous location of the gym is now a beauty salon and massage area. Nero ‘s teak-covered top deck, at over 200 feet long, makes a perfect jogging track. And when the yacht is under way, that forward pool is drained and becomes a garage for the yacht’s 16-foot Nautica RIB. 

The 2016 Refit That Changed Everything

When Neil Taylor sold Nero in 2014, reportedly to Irish billionaire and Digicel telecommunications founder Denis O’Brien, the yacht headed to the MB92 shipyard in Barcelona for an eight-month major interior refit. The yacht’s original interior designer, Laura Pomponi of Italy’s Luxury Projects, oversaw the process, and it involved an exhaustive process of refinishing all the golden, high-gloss walls, ceilings, furniture, and joinery to a more contemporary, Hamptons-beach-house style. That meant many months of varnish removal and complex lime-washing. The refit also included stripping over 4,000 pieces of brass hardware and refinishing them in silver. Reupholstering Nero ‘s multitude of chairs and sofas involved well over a mile of new fabrics.

Toppled Over in a Drydock

Preparing for routine maintenance work at the Amico & Co dry-dock in Genoa, Italy, in 2019, Nero tipped over on to its port side while the dry-dock chamber was being emptied. According to a report at the time by Italy’s Liguria Nautica website, six crew members suffered minor injuries after a hull support in the dry dock collapsed under the strain of Nero ‘s weight. Despite the 30-degree angle, the vessel was said not to have touched the concrete walls and was successfully refloated.

The Owner’s Suite Spans Two Levels

“It really is fit for a king, and to me it’s the jewel in Nero ‘s crown,” says McMorrow, describing the vessel’s sprawling owner’s suite. Located on the main deck, it spans the yacht’s full beam and features an adjoining lounge on one side with a big-screen TV, and, on the other, twin, over-stuffed sofas, and a private den with a desk and conference table. Separate his-and-hers marble-lined bathrooms have huge walk-in closets and dressing rooms. A staircase leads up into Nero ‘s private observation lounge with access to the pool on the foredeck.

The Mini-Me Tender

A classically styled yacht requires a classically styled tender. So Nero ‘s elegant 31-foot ’30s-style wooden launch was built by Corsair Yachts in China by the same craftsmen who constructed the mothership. And when Nero went in for its latest refit in 2021, the tender also got a new coat of paint and varnish, new upholstery and a mechanical overhaul. “It’s a piece of art. Guests love seeing this tender as it approaches a dock for pick-up,” says McMorrow, noting top speed is an impressive 30 knots. The launch features mahogany construction, teak decks, and a low-profile cabin to keep guests protected from the elements.

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Facebook owner, Microsoft, X and Match side with Epic Games in Apple lawsuit

Meta Platforms, Microsoft, Elon Musk's X and Match Group on Wednesday joined "Fortnite" video game maker Epic Games' protest that Apple has failed to honor a court-ordered injunction governing payments in its lucrative App Store.

The technology companies, which developed some of the most popular apps in the App Store, said Apple was in "clear violation" of the Sept. 2021 injunction by making it difficult to steer consumers to cheaper means to pay for digital content.

Apple declined to comment specifically on the accusation, which was contained in a filing with the Oakland, California, federal court.

It referred to its Jan. 16 statement that it had fully complied with the injunction, which it said would protect consumers and "the integrity of Apple's ecosystem" while ensuring that developers do not get a free ride.

Epic had sued Apple in 2020 , saying it violated antitrust law by requiring consumers to obtain apps through the App Store and charging developers up to 30% commissions on purchases.

The injunction required Apple to let developers provide links and buttons to direct consumers to alternative payment options.

Last week, Epic demanded that Apple be  held in contempt , saying new rules and a new 27% fee on developers made the links effectively useless.

In Wednesday's filing, the technology companies said Apple's conduct "for all practical purposes" entrenches anti-steering rules that the court found illegal, propping up Apple's "excessive" commissions and harming consumers and developers.

"Apple's restrictions on where and how developers can communicate with their users about their options for purchasing in-app content create significant barriers to competition and artificially inflate prices," the filing said.

TikTok ban: House passes TikTok bill. Are TikTok's days numbered? What you need to know.

In January, the U.S. Supreme Court  decided not to hear  Apple's appeal from the injunction. It also decided against hearing Epic's appeal of lower court findings that Apple's policies did not violate federal antitrust law.

Apple has until April 3 to formally respond to Epic's filing. The company is based in Cupertino, California, while Epic is based in Cary, North Carolina.

The case is Epic Games Inc v Apple Inc, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California, No. 20-05640.

Reporting by Jonathan Stempel in New York. Editing by Bill Berkrot .

X-YACHTS PRESENTS NEW RACER IN KIEL!

Press Release

Friday 11th August 2023

Press release

11 august 2023, x-yachts presents new xr model in kiel.

X-Yachts revealing plans for the most dedicated racing project for decades.

The first sketches and thoughts were presented in front of racers and media taking part in the ORC Worlds in Kiel .  

X-Yachts is one of the most race winning brands of all times, and after 44 years as leading brand they do indeed have the expertise and the momentum it takes to create another global winner.

Racing is an integrated part of X-Yachts heritage, and the yard has a long history in racing since the early days with the first model, X-79, which won races all over the world. Many racing models later, X-Yachts is now ready to launch the next winning racer in the family.

It is still early days in the project, but it will be a racer for ORCi Class B. It will not be a One Design.

The hull length is expected to be 42-44 feet.

The design of the XR will be focused on creating an Out-of-the-box Winner. X-Yachts are bringing all the knowledge and experience from the previous racers. As always X-qualities will be a key part in the design process.

X-Yachts are teaming up with the best partners in the business, and together they will design and build the fastest racer in its class.

Some of the partners are Bouwe Bekking, Jesper Radich, North Sails, C.Performance and Max Gurgel (VmaxYachting).

The XR will be launched early 2025.

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The owner of a $3.4 million Lamborghini yacht screamed 'I will kill you' and threw $100 bills into the water when told he couldn't use a private dock

• The owner of a Lamborghini yacht threatened a private dock employee, per CBS8.
• The employee said Ajay Thakore mooned and threw cash at him after being told he couldn't use the dock.
• Thakore, the CEO of Doctor Multimedia, issued an apology through his public relations team.

The owner of a $3.4 million Lamborghini yacht threatened a private dock employee after being told he couldn't be there, the San Diego-based broadcaster CBS8 reported on March 11.

Joseph Holt, a 21-year-old employee at Marriot Marina in San Diego, told CBS8 that he spotted the yacht sailing into the private dock. The owner, whom CBS8 identified as Ajay Thakore, tried to pick another person up at the dock, Holt said.

"I told him respectfully that he couldn't be there, and I honestly was hoping to have a conversation with him about his cool boat," Holt told CBS8.

In a YouTube video posted by @SM-wc9eq on March 10, a dark blue Tecnomar for Lamborghini 63 is seen sailing out of a dock. A man in a gray T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and a cap was shown standing on the yacht. The man appeared to be Thakore, per CBS8.

Thakore was shown shouting at Holt. "I will kill you, you know I will kill you!" he can be heard saying multiple times in the video

Thakore was later shown pounding his fist on his palm and pointing his thumb down before telling Holt: "To your face!" Holt was shown responding by pointing his middle finger at Thakore.

"I really was trying to restrain myself from getting fired from my job or stepping out of line. The only thing I did was give him the bird," Holt told CBS8.

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Holt said Thakore then took $100 bills from his wallet and threw them at him. He added that Thakore mooned him. This exchange was not shown in the video.

"He was saying I'm nobody, I'm nothing, I work a silly job. He said that he knows people, he has connections, he can change my life and ruin it," Holt said. Holt did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for comment.

The San Diego Harbor Police arrived at the marina 10 minutes after Thakore's yacht exited the dock, per CBS8.

The Harbor Police told Business Insider that Holt decided to press charges against Thakore and that they are investigating the incident.

According to Thakore's LinkedIn page , he's the CEO of Doctor Multimedia. The company's website shows that it's a healthcare marketing firm based in San Diego. Thakore appears to go by the name Ace Rogers on Instagram and TikTok, where he's noted as being a professional gambler.

Thakore, through his public relations team, told CBS8 in a statement that his altercation with Holt was "regrettable."

"What started as a minor misunderstanding escalated into an argument, and I apologize for my actions and to those who witnessed the unfortunate exchange," the statement said. Thakore did not immediately respond to a request for comment from BI.

Thakore isn't the only CEO who's been called out for threatening another person. In November 2021, an Activision spokesperson told BI that its ex-CEO Bobby Kotick had previously apologized for telling his assistant he would have her killed. The spokesperson added that Kotick's threat was "obviously hyperbolic and inappropriate" and that "he deeply regrets the exaggeration and tone."

In June 2020, Lisa Alexander, the CEO of LaFace Skincare, a cosmetics company, apologized in a statement to the media after she had threatened to call the police on her neighbor for writing "Black Lives Matter" on his property. Alexander said in the apology that she was "disrespectful" and "should have minded my own business."

March 21, 2024: This story has been updated with Harbor Police's comments.

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Antisemitic american airlines passenger put in headlock, kicked off plane, american airlines antisemitic flyer in headlock ... kicked off plane, 205 3/22/2024 7:21 am pt.

An American Airlines flight descended into total chaos when an antisemitic passenger spewed a seriously hateful insult at a flight attendant before ending up in a headlock.

You gotta check out this wild clip -- the guy in the blue striped shirt totally loses it even before the flight from Tampa to Philadelphia takes off Tuesday ... he's hurling hate left and right, accusing everyone of ganging up on him.

But, when he drops an antisemitic slur on a flight attendant, you can see the shock on everyone's faces ... but he doesn't care and goes on to yell, "I'm trying to get to my home country, and you all people made it harder for me to get to my home country!"

It gets even crazier when he gets into a scuffle with another passenger -- the guy in the blue hoodie -- accusing him of touching him. They get in each other's faces, and there's plenty of machismo posturing, before the dude in the hoodie takes charge and puts the antisemite in a headlock!

Further backup arrives with the woman in a backward hat trying to calm things down, saying she's a cop ... and turns out the hoodie guy is too.

As he applied the headlock, he yelled, "Now put your hands down and don't touch anybody" ... before escorting him to the plane's exit.

The Tampa International Airport Police Department says an arrest was made around 5:30 PM Tuesday, right outside the plane. He was reportedly arrested for disorderly intoxication and 2 counts of battery.

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Old news is old news be first.

• The Education Gradebook

Florida school elections come in August. Campaigns are starting now.

• Jeffrey S. Solochek Times staff

The big story: With Florida’s presidential primary now over, candidates for local election have begun to ramp up their campaigns for the fall.

In addition to school board seats across the state. superintendent jobs in about two thirds of the districts also are up for consideration. That includes a return to an elected superintendent in Lee County, which voters approved two years ago.

Pasco County remains the nation’s largest school district to have its chief executive selected at the ballot box rather than appointed by the board. It’s guaranteed a change at the top come November, as three-term incumbent Kurt Browning has decided to retire. Three people so far have entered the race to replace him. Read more here .

Artificial intelligence: The University of South Florida announced the creation of Florida’s first college of artificial intelligence and cybersecurity .

Charter schools: Documents reveal that a push to convert three Alachua County public schools into charters is more than a grassroots effort, paying parents to be the face of the movement , the Gainesville Sun reports.

College admissions: The University of Florida has added an “early action” option for applicants who want to know their admission status sooner than the spring, the Gainesville Sun reports.

Financial aid: The percentage of Florida high school seniors submitting a FAFSA form has dropped by nearly 40% from a year ago. That could mean millions in aid would be left unused. • USF and UCF joined the University of Florida in pushing back their enrollment deadlines because of delays in financial aid offers, WUSF reports. • The Biden Administration announced another round of student loan forgiveness , focusing on teachers, firefighters and other public service employees, USA Today Florida Network reports.

Funding: New College of Florida missed out on $2 million in state performance-based funding. It’s trying to secure a portion of the money with its new student success plan monitoring report, News Service of Florida reports.

Lunch menu: Hillsborough County students participated in the school district’s first-ever fully Florida sourced cafeteria lunch , WMNF reports. The district aims to more regularly use local foods , WFTS reports.

Solar eclipse: Though it’s a cool science lesson, the April 8 solar eclipse is not a school holiday , Florida Today reports.

Start times: Indian River County schools have begun preparing to shift high school start times in 2026. Officials said it will be a major endeavor, TC Palm reports.

Testing: Nearly 170 students at a Volusia County high school will have to retake their ACT after the school scheduled the test for the wrong day, WOFL reports.

From the police blotter ... A Columbia County private school operator was arrested on accusations of misusing more than $1 million in state funds, WJXT reports.

Don’t miss a story. Here’s a link to yesterday’s roundup .

Before you go ... Looking for a new guilty pleasure TV show? Check out “Somebody Feed Phil” on Netflix. This season he has an Orlando episode, including this clip from Crocante Restaurant.

Jeffrey S. Solochek is an education reporter covering K-12 education policy and schools. Reach him at [email protected].

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