Yachting News

According to the Sydney Morning Herald News Corp supremo Lachlan Murdoch has purchased a rather charming 1950s "superyacht" for $30M to possibly boat around Sydney Harbour,as one does. From photos in the prestige Yachting News online magazine the interiors seem a tad austere. No insult Lachlan- we mean that nicely (we know Lachlan puruses Whisper's pages occasionally). Certainly compared to the Superyachts of the world. There are a reputed just under 6000 yachts that fit the category. Perhaps this will just be his Sydney runabout as he has another larger yacht being built.

Whispers has had a short history with Superyatchs. In the early 80s we were a guest for 3 nights on Adnan Kashoggis Nabila when it was docked in Monte Carlo. Working on a European fashion magazine funded by Kashoggi, an extremely charming host, we were summonsed to cover a series of events and although we shared a "double cabin" the yacht was wonderfully luxurious and huge, a bit like a rather large country mansion in decor. Certainly not as glitzy as the Trump Princess which it became when Trump snapped up the ship for a knock down $30M.

There are several superyachts we actually missed out on visiting due to unforseen circumstances and prior committments. An invite to attend a party on the famed Aristotle Onansis yacht Christina O and Rupert Murdoch's NYC based Lady Ghislaine (as it was then called) when he was launching something or other (or was it his wedding to Wendi ?). Murdoch bought the yacht from the infamous Robert Maxwell.

These older yachts like Lachlan's and the Kashoggi yacht really look spectaular and in their day were considered huge. But they are dwarfed by monsters like Aussie billionaire James Packer's $200M IJE which, apparently after just one summer sailing the Medeterranean, is now for sale for $300M. No photos exist of the interior and apparently guests on that trip were forbidden to take any.

Still, it could be worse. Take the $700M Scheherazade said to be owned by Vlad Putin, invader of Ukraine. It's hard to see if it will ever set sail on the Med and may be doomed to cruise the Black Sea for eternity.

## You can charter the Onansis ship below with it's grand piano room and pool for aorund $1M a week for 20 guests!

Arise Sir Frank

Completely nu-noticed by the Mainstream Media possibly because No Kardashian was harmed during the making of this news, it didn't involve the late Princess Diana and Meghan Markle has nothing to do with it, but one of Australia's richest men has been knighted by Her Majesty, Queen of Australia,

Plain old Frank Lowy worth a reputed $8Billion who lives in Sydney's Bellevue Hill now becomes Sir Frank Lowy. Lowy is the mastermind of the giant Westfield Shopping plazas that now dot the landscape in Australia, the US and the UK. He was quietly knighted a month ago. One of Britain's largest Westfield is in the shadow of the dreadful Grenfeel building in West London. The Brits have taken to them like ducks to water.
And it was not for the services of confusing shoppers world-wide as to where they parked their car in a Westfield car-park, rather for his services to industry which have been considerable certainly in his adopted Australia where he arrived as a penniless refugee after WW2. You could read more of Sir Frank's fascinating history here.

Think Of The Children

A fleet of golf carts ferried guests up the winding Barford driveway

Hundreds did just that last night in the pouring rain. The Silver Committee threw one of it's legendary bashes at Barford, the magnificent hill-top home of Maggie and Ian Joye which seems to stretch over several acres of one of Australia's most exclusive suburbs, Bellevue Hill.

Camila Franks has the Serengeti look

The theme was Serengeti at Dusk and the decor and outfits reflected that but , well it is Sydney after all and at this time of year, when it rains it pours.

Did that dampen guest's enthusiasm ?. Not one bit as they dashed from one marquee to another under a sea of umbrellas with most deciding to settle in at the Moet & Chandon tent and sip champers out of silver goblets.

It was all in a good cause with funds raised going to the Sydney Children's Hospital in Randwick (patron : Nicole Kidman) and while the Shuttle only stayed for one hour, as we sauntered down the driveway we could hear an announcement proclaiming that over $375,000 had been raised so far. And the night was only young.

 Horns of the dilemna:
     political power broker
Michael Photios and wife Kristina

Gail Eliott, Anthony Minichiello &Terry Biviano

John Symond

Christian Lomas

Out Of Africa and at the Silver Party