August 10-14: the top 8 yachting stories you can't afford to miss

Superyachts have been splashed across the news headlines this week, with two of the biggest stories of the criminal variety.

It was reported this week that a Picasso painting seized from a superyacht in Corsica has been returned to Spain and is sitting in a museum in Madrid until the fate of the artwork is determined.

At the same time, the yacht of the murdered gangster John “Goldfinger” Palmer was reported to be “discovered” in a marina in Tenerife, but her crew is still on board keeping her in shipshape. Palmer’s yacht, Brave Goose of Essex, formerly called Brave Goose, was once owned by Sir Donald Gosling.

In a more positive light, the first unmanned superyacht-size ship to cross the Atlantic, MARS is being developed and is due to make her pilgrimage in less than five years – accompanied only by drones as her “crew”.

Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen continues to hunt for shipwreck treasure from Octopus, the world’s largest expedition yacht. Last time he found the shipwreck of a WWII warship, Musashi, this time he found the bell from battlecruiser HMS Hood, which sunk in 1941 during WWII.

Notable superyachts were making refit news this week. The super-techy superyacht built for Apple founder Steve Jobs, superyacht Venus is in for a refit in France. Photographs of Venus hauled out and on the hard show off her unique, glass-filled exterior design.

Meanwhile, charter yacht star Lazy Z has emerged from a refit at Derecktor. The Oceanco-built yacht had an extensive refit that included opening up her hull in order to remove her old engines and replace them with brand new MTU 16V 2000s. She also has been spruced up with a paint job, and her sun deck was redesigned, which could make her an even more popular charter yacht than she already is.

Famed Feadship yacht  Falcon Lair also emerged from a refit at Compositeworks in La Ciotat, France, showing off a cool new deep blue hull colour and exterior updates by Olesinski Ltd. What makes this yacht so special? She was the first yacht launched at Feadship’s Van Lent yard in 1983, then called New Horizon L, and her design team included the legendary Jon Bannenberg.

As summer wanes, attention turns to boat show season. No better time to start prepping for the Monaco Yacht Show by studying our list of the Top 25 new yachts to see at the Monaco yacht show 2015 and the top tenders and day boats.

Stock your yacht's toy box, too, and see our guide to the best toys and submarines at the Monaco Yacht Show.

Want to look your best as you amble around Port Hercules shopping for yachts? Check out our what to wear to the Monaco Yacht Show style guides for men and women.

But first, find a place to lay your hat with the best hotels in Monaco, and seek out reservations to the best restaurants in Monaco.

There have been nine superyacht sales reported so far this week so far.

• The 65 metre Codecasa motor yacht Lady Lau, listed by Worth Avenue Yachts and Merle Wood & Associates, is sold with Peter Thompson at Worth bringing the buyer. Lady Lau was asking €39.5 million.
• Ocean Independence has sold a partially built 49.75 metre explorer motor yacht to a direct client. She was asking €4.4 million.
• Grace, the 48.4 metre explorer motor yacht with classic looks, has been sold with Burgess acting for the buyer and seller.
• The 47.5 metre ISA yacht Amoixa has been sold.
• The 43.3 metre Trinity Chevy Toy, is sold by International Yacht Collection with 26 North Yachts bringing the buyer. Chevy Toy was asking $11.9 million.
• A new sale and a new name: 39.6 metre motor yacht Centium has been sold and renamed Silentworld II.
• 28.3 metre Benetti yacht Maca, listed by Camper & Nicholsons, is sold.
• Sojourn, a 25.97 metre motor yacht, has been sold.
• One sale came in under a million dollars: 24.3 metre motor yacht Libro d’Oro was sold, asking $895,000.

One of the yachts sold this week was a partially built 50 metre explorer yacht, that will now be finished at a Greek shipyard.

With VAT increased on luxury yacht charters in Greece, there have been questions over how the current political situation in Greece might further affect yachting there.

This news of work on the part-built sister ship to I-Nova being completed at the MegaTechnica Ltd shipyard in Greece – with build commencing immediately and due to launch in 2016 – is a good sign for Greek yacht building. ( I-Nova is also currently for sale.)

Want to make your own contribution to the Greek economy? Here are six things you can buy to help bailout Greece.

RIB-style superyacht tenders have been in the news this week. First, F1 legend Eddie Jordan took delivery of a new superyacht tender customised to match Blush.

Then Dubois Naval Architects showed off the unusual tender they worked on with Ocean 398 that looks like a wooden day boat but is really a RIB.

Long-gone are the days when simply floating in a li-lo off the swim platform would satiate as water fun, as these far-out toys and extreme watersports prove.

Kids and big kids on board will be clamouring to try out some the latest crazy contraptions and sports, such as the incredible custom toy that looks like a swordfish, synchronised flyboarding and kitefoiling.

Or, for the thrill seeker who has done it all, how about try surfing on a motor bike?

Ocean Alexander announced it will start building the first of its new 70E series yachts. Notably, the yacht will be built in Florida instead of its usual breeding grounds in Taiwan. Designed by Evan K. Marshall, the yacht will make its debut at the Miami boat show in 2016. Ocean Alexander's previously launched its OA120s – see one for sale here – in the US, but those were built by US yard Christensen, which recently got back to business.

Up the Eastern Seaboard in New Jersey, sportfishing yacht builder Viking Yachts will be celebrating the launch of its Viking 80.