Rare eiderdown feathers create world’s most expensive superyacht duvet
Now you know I really could not let this story pass by without comment. Everyone knows the sky’s the limit when it comes to the superyacht sector, but this one blew me away – a $60,000 duvet. Really? Are they serious? Yep, they most certainly are.
Well, it seems they are deadly serious. Yacht bedding specialist CC Design is producing what it believes to be the world’s most luxurious tailored duvet for clients in the superyacht industry, costing $62,535.
Christophe Cotte, an artisan and master craftsman at CC Design, says the price tag is due to its luxurious eiderdown filling, the soft under feather of the eider duck. More expensive per gram than white truffles, Crème De La Mer, Saffron, and the world’s most expensive To’ak chocolate, eiderdown feathers cost a staggering $15.90 per gram. On average, an eider duck produces just two grams of down per year, making it scarcer than gold, platinum, and diamonds combined. Each duvet contains 380g of eiderdown per square metre to provide exceptional warmth and comfort.
Culinary excellence dished up at 5th Superyacht Chef Competition
Let me linger with the superyacht sector a while longer. To my amazement, the Superyacht Chef Competition is now in its fifth edition. The event, organised by Yacht Club de Monaco and Bluewater, took place in Monaco on Thursday 4th April 2024. Held as part of the YCM’s La Belle Classe Academy training centre, the event spotlighted the talents of top-tier chefs within the superyacht industry.
“This event gathers professionals passionate about their art, ready to take on the challenge of producing refined dishes in restricted workspaces characteristic of a galley,” remarked Bernard d’Alessandri, general secretary of YCM, underscoring the significance of the competition in highlighting the often-overlooked culinary aspect of yachting professions.
Paulo Ucha Longhin of M/Y Hercules emerged victorious with his inspired recipe featuring glazed lobster, hazelnut butter, and bisque, earning praise for his meticulous execution and innovative flavour combinations. Notably, this year’s competition emphasised sustainability, with chefs mandated to minimise food waste under the watchful eye of chef Duncan Biggs, aligning with the Yacht Club de Monaco’s commitment to corporate social responsibility. Suddenly I feel hungry!
The shocking truth about how long you have once you enter the water
I wanted to highlight this story as it is a reminder to anyone reading it of the perils should you be unlucky enough to go overboard. We are reminded that time is of the essence, but so is wearing the right equipment. Statistics prove that commercial fishing and trawlers feature highly in incidents and accidents, not surprising given the dangerous nature of the work. So, I applaud a recent course which was designed to highlight the issues.
Fishing crews were encouraged to attend a course recently designed to save their lives at sea, after one man expressed his shock at ‘just how serious’ trawling can be when someone falls in the water.
“The RNLI has been launching to the aid of fishing crews for 200 years,” said Frankie Horne, RNLI commercial fishing safety manager. “In 2023, RNLI lifeboat volunteers launched to commercial fishing vessels 272 times, saving 13 lives. We can’t always reach everyone in time though and commercial fishing remains one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. Research has proven that wearing a lifejacket can increase your chances of survival by up to four times if immersed in cold water.”
Skipper Colin Mitchell, who attended a course previously, says: “I’m glad I’ve done it because if I hadn’t then I would have never realised just how serious it can get. I was shocked how little time I would have survived without a personal floatation device and how hard it is without one when fully clothed.”
The free course was hosted by the Seafish Industry Authority and delivered by the RNLI.
Mother and son ordered to pay more than £5,000 for obstructing work of MCA surveyors
It struck me that this story is unusual, which is why I have decided to feature it. Not often do we learn about vessel owners wilfully obstructing access to their craft by a regulator, although doubtless this is an issue.
On 3rd March 2022, Rhys Wonnacott, of Milford Haven, prevented MCA surveyors from boarding the fishing vessel Provider, moored at Milford Haven Harbour. Because of this, surveyors were unable to complete an inspection of the vessel as part of a Fishing Vessel Concentrated Inspection Campaign that was taking place. Obstructing an MCA surveyor from their duties is against the law, under Section 258 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
At a court hearing, Mr Wonnacott was fined £800 and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £320 and costs of £1,000.
Following the incident in 2022, Louise Wonnacott, Rhys’ mother also of Milford Haven, repeatedly failed to provide the MCA with the required documentation as part of an ongoing investigation after claiming she and Rhys Wonnacott were not responsible for Provider. She did not respond to the MCA for around 7 months. Not supplying the required documents is an offence under Section 260 of the Merchant Shipping Act 1995.
At the same court hearing, Ms Wonnacott was fined £2,000 and was ordered to pay a victim surcharge of £800 and costs of £1,000.
More news nuggets next month.
Mike Schwarz
