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Winning Smile: Rafa Nadal on his 80 Sunreef Power (Part 1)

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Winning Smile: Rafa Nadal on his 80 Sunreef Power (Part 1)

September 4, 2020
1:19 pm

An island boy at heart, Nadal has spent his whole life in Mallorca, where the Spanish tennis icon now spends his free time on his new 80 Sunreef Power, Great White.

You can take the boy out of Mallorca, but you can’t take Mallorca out of the boy. Except that with Rafa Nadal, you couldn’t even take the boy out of Mallorca.

Rafa Nadal has lived his whole life on the island of Mallorca

Despite becoming one of the greatest tennis players of all time and one of the world’s most famous sportsmen, Nadal has lived his whole life on the Spanish island where he was born. He remains a home boy, attached to his friends and family, his beloved island and the sea.

Nadal, 34, has talked of wanting to get back to the tennis court since the ATP Tour was suspended in mid-March, less than two weeks after he won his 85th singles title with his third career win at the Mexican Open. However, the arrival of his new 80 Sunreef Power in June has enabled the energetic Spaniard to make the most of his time away from the court in the last few months.

Great White is based on the east coast of Mallorca, near Nadal’s house

Soon after Great White was delivered to Mallorca, Nadal boarded the huge powercat at Club Nautic Porto Cristo in Manacor with a group including his father Sebastian, younger sister Maria Isabel (Maribel) and wife ‘Xisca’, whom he married in Mallorca last October, the pair having been dating since they were teenagers.

The hard-working Spaniard – whose punishing training regime and phenomenal fitness helped take him to the top of the sport – was soon on board in a T-shirt, shorts and cap, among those cleaning the boat and scrubbing the decks before taking her out.

Great White has twin 1,200hp engines for a top speed of 23 knots

Covid-19 has enabled Nadal to spend spring and much of the summer at home for the first time since he became a touring pro, and his first forays with Great White were around Mallorca and fellow Balearic Islands Menorca, Ibiza and Formentera.

“Because I’m from an island, I find it difficult to imagine my life without the sea, so I’m very excited about this boat, also because I’ve never owned a catamaran before,” Nadal says in an exclusive interview with Yacht Style.

“I’ve been able to spend so much time with friends and family this year, so having the new boat here has been a great opportunity to stay together in a positive atmosphere.”

Great White proved a timely present for Nadal, with the ATP Tour suspended soon after Nadal
won his 85th singles title at the Mexican Open

Nadal has been boating with his dad since he grew up on the island’s east coast in Manacor, where he was born and still lives. When Nadal was young, his father had a small speedboat and today Sebastian owns a 34ft Australia-built motor yacht that they share.

“Since I was a kid, I fell in love with the sea. I have a lot of great childhood memories of going out on a small boat with my family and friends. We usually went out early in the morning and came back late in the afternoon. Those are very nice memories,” says Nadal, who has won 19 Grand Slam singles titles including 12 French Open crowns.

More recently, Nadal owned a Princess V62 and an MCY 76 before buying Great White, which measures 80ft in length and has a beam of almost 38ft. Such luxury yachts are a world away from what he could imagine owning when he was a young, although it’s less surprising that he made his living from sport.

The hydraulic swim platform can be submerged to deploy Nadal’s tender

His uncle Toni Nadal was a tennis pro and the man who famously groomed him into the ‘King of Clay’ with unprecedented success in the French Open and other clay-court tournaments, although Nadal has also won four US Opens and one Australian Open on hard courts, and two Wimbledon titles on grass.

When young, Nadal also aspired to become a pro footballer like his other uncle Miguel Angel Nadal. ‘The Beast’ earned 62 caps and played in three World Cups for Spain, and won five La Liga titles with Barcelona in-between two spells with Mallorca.

“When I was young, I was super happy with this small boat that my father owned and I never dreamt about owning any type of boat,” says Nadal, who became a professional tennis player at the age of 15.

The jetski is carried under the aft cockpit and is accessed when the cockpit sofa is raised

“Of course, later I wanted to have my own boat, but the main thing I had in mind was to continue doing what I did when I was a kid, just with a little bit more comfort. I still just want to share great moments with my friends and family and discover the ocean, discover beautiful places that we have here around the island and visit different countries.”

SNAPPING UP GREAT WHITE
Nadal has been a regular visitor to the Sunreef booth at the Cannes Yachting Festival in recent years and was very familiar with the brand ahead of buying his first yacht from the Polish shipyard.

“I’ve known Sunreef Yachts for years and my impression of the company has always been great. Since I visited their catamarans for the first time during the Cannes show years ago, I always thought catamarans have amazing advantages because of the amount of space you have on the boat and the comfort is unbelievable,” says Nadal, who won the men’s singles gold at the 2008 Beijing Olympics and has a record 35 ATP Masters 1000 titles

A boater since he was young, Nadal has been using Great White with his wife, family and friends

Ironically, Nadal was inspired to buy a large powercat after seeing the Sunreef 80 sailing catamaran on its debut at Cannes in 2018. Although he was blown away by the size and finish, he was more interested in a power catamaran so he had more control over how quickly he could get away and back in time for training or other appointments in his hectic schedule.

Notably, he also had to assess whether the future powercat version could fit in the Porto Cristo marina near his house. “When I saw the Sunreef 80, I said, ‘Wow, that’s huge! I went inside and loved it. I also knew it was the biggest boat I could have in the small port of my village,” says Nadal.

“I asked Sunreef if they produce a power version, because today I don’t have a lot of time for sailing. Sometimes I like to go and come back on the same day or next morning to keep practising, so when Sunreef presented the project of the 80 Sunreef Power, I fell in love.”

Note: Part 2, including photos of Great White’s interior, will appear on www.yachtstyle.co

Yacht Style Issue 54 Out Now: The Charter Issue 2020 - LUXUO
Yacht Style has released Issue 54 (July-August), its Charter Issue for 2020. Flying Fox, the world's largest charter yacht, stars on the front cover of the 208-page magazine, as the 136m megayacht prepares to return to Asia later this year.

Winning Smile: Rafa Nadal on his 80 Sunreef Power (Part 2)

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Winning Smile: Rafa Nadal on his 80 Sunreef Power (Part 2)

September 3, 2020
12:50 pm

An island boy at heart, Nadal has spent his whole life in Mallorca, where the Spanish tennis icon now spends his free time on his new 80 Sunreef Power, Great White.

Winning Smile: Rafa Nadal on his 80 Sunreef Power (Part 1)
Winning Smile: Rafa Nadal on his 80 Sunreef Power (Part 1) SHARE Share on facebook Share on linkedin An island boy at heart, Nadal has spent his whole life in Mallorca, where the Spanish tennis icon now spends his free time on his new 80 Sunreef Power, Great White.

(Continued from Part 1 …) With his interest piqued, Nadal stayed in touch with Edwin Nogala, a Sunreef Sales Representative who visited him in Mallorca. After confirming the order, it was then time to make the four-cabin Great White his own.

Nadal had a lot of input, selecting the layout, special features and decor on a yacht that offers 360sqm (3,875sqft) of living area. Having seen an 80 Sunreef Power for the first time when he visited the model’s premiere at Cannes last September, the Spaniard was a happy man upon receiving his own this year.

Nadal chose the layout and décor of the interior, which features beige, cream and coffee colours

“The boat is completely personalised. I’ve chosen all the things I want to have on board. I have my jetski inside and my tender, too. I chose all of the furnishings and even have a TV on the flybridge,” says Nadal, who has TVs in plenty of other places, too.

The jetski is kept in the model’s signature garage, which is underneath the cockpit and accessed by raising the sofa platform. The cradle garage can be slowly lowered for the jetski to enter the water – and off you go. The garage has a refuelling station and storage for other water toys, while the tender is carried on a wide hydraulic swim platform.

The saloon features enormous sofas on both sides and a forward dining area, either side of back-to-back 77-inch TVs

The covered cockpit provides a huge alfresco dining and lounging area, and is fitted with a weatherproof TV, while there are two 77-inch screens installed back-to-back in the enormous, light-filled saloon. Nadal clearly enjoys his telly.

There are oversized L-shaped sofas on both sides of the saloon, creating enormous room in the middle, while forward of the TVs is a dining table for eight and an additional lounging area to port, by the foredeck door.

Great White’s accommodation includes a master suite and three guest cabins

Nadal’s personal choices also include a fold-out balcony for his master suite, which is in the starboard hull and includes a flip-down ceiling TV above the double bed, a sofa and walk-in dressing room.

There’s also one ensuite guest cabin and the crew quarters in the starboard hull, while the port side features two guest cabins and the galley.

“We’ve put a lot of love into the project, choosing everything,” Nadal says. “I’m super happy with the boat. It’s very special for me, my family and friends.”

Nadal chose a fold-down balcony for his master suite, which is to starboard

GRAND AMBITIONS FOR GREAT WHITE
The coronavirus means Nadal has had more chance to use his yacht than at any other time during his tennis career. For almost two decades, his global touring has restricted his time on the water, although when he’s able to get home, he routinely takes his boat out and often stays overnight by a beach.

In addition, he typically tries to carve out 10 days in the summer for a boating holiday with family or friends. However, Nadal never completely switches off from his training regime, using the sea water and time aboard to help with rest and recuperation from his punishing workload.

“During a tennis season, I don’t have much time for boating, but I always try to find some. When I come home, I like to take the boat out, winter or summer,” he says.

The King of Clay’s first catamaran is his biggest yacht so far, measuring 80ft in length and almost 38ft across

“When I spend, say, a week on a yacht, I always take my things and do my daily workout to protect my shoulders and knees. I try to swim a lot and I enjoy free diving very much. It’s not good for a professional sportsman to stop exercising completely, so I stay active.”

Despite being forced into some extensive breaks from the sport due to injuries, Nadal is still one of the world’s top players and was still World No. 2 at time of this year’s US Open in September, which he skipped, having won the title for the fourth time last year along with his 12th French Open.

In fact, from when he secured his first Grand Slam title at the 2005 French Open, Nadal along with Roger Federer and current No. 1 Novak Djokovic have won 52 of the last 60 Grand Slam titles and continue to dominate the game.

However, at 34, Nadal can envision the day when he will have to step away from the tour and the wide, open seas will be waiting for him.

Nadal is keen to explore more of the Mediterranean and return to the Caribbean, where the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas are among his favourite destinations

Nadal is keen to explore more of the Mediterranean and return to the Caribbean, where the Exuma Islands in the Bahamas are among his favourite destinations

“I’m super excited about spending a lot of time on the boat and I’d love to visit the whole Mediterranean like Croatia, Greece, Italy, as well as the Caribbean,” says Nadal, who cruised to Sardinia on his previous yacht.

“I’ve chartered catamarans a couple of times in the Bahamas, in the Exuma Islands, and I loved it. The Exumas are one of my favourite places, so I try to go back there when I can, and I’d love to go with Great White. It would be amazing to visit all these remarkable places.

“Our planet is an amazing, beautiful place. There are plenty of spots I’d like to visit, and I hope I have the chance to go to some undiscovered destinations in the future. Now, I’m still playing tennis and don’t have much time, but I hope I’ll have time to go on these adventures when I’m retired.”
www.sunreef-yachts.com

Yacht Style Issue 54 Out Now: The Charter Issue 2020 - LUXUO
Yacht Style has released Issue 54 (July-August), its Charter Issue for 2020. Flying Fox, the world's largest charter yacht, stars on the front cover of the 208-page magazine, as the 136m megayacht prepares to return to Asia later this year.

Exclusive Q&A: Jerome De Metz, Chairman & CEO, Groupe Beneteau

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Exclusive Q&A: Jerome De Metz, Chairman & CEO, Groupe Beneteau

September 2, 2020
8:14 pm

De Metz has announced a bold, five-year strategic plan, Let’s Go Beyond, that aims to streamline operations by focusing on eight boat-building brands.

Can you outline Covid-19’s financial impact on Groupe Beneteau’s Boat Division and its boat building plants in France, Italy, Poland, USA and China?
Nearly 50 per cent less production time during the second quarter of 2020 led to a 43 per cent decrease in sales compared to the first quarter. This drop was simply a reflection of production being shut down for six weeks.

Jerome de Metz has been Chairman and CEO of Groupe Beneteau since June 2019

There have been no changes to our factories, but we have had to adapt our industrial footprint to the volume levels demanded by post-Covid markets. This forced us to put several plants on standby or in reduced activity for a while.

We must not lower our guard: the virus is still there, and we must remain careful and disciplined.

Beneteau’s new sailing models include the Oceanis Yacht 54

In July, you had to announce Groupe Beneteau’s new strategic plan for 2020-2025. Putting Covid-19 aside, how difficult was it for you to create a strategic plan for a boatbuilding and leisure homes group, which is so different to your experience as a private equity investor?
That is a good question. As a former private equity (PE) practitioner, I used to say that your finance skills are necessary in the PE industry. However, the real success factors for PE lie in your ability to exercise judgement based on context, strategies, organisations and, last but not least, people. This is exactly what I am doing in my new role.

The Oceanis 40.1 is another new sailing yacht from Beneteau

Your predecessor had four years in the role and his strategic plan was called ‘Transform to Perform’. How does ‘Let’s Go Beyond’ compare?
The plan that we have built as a team is very different, although the Group’s improvements resulting from the previous plan will obviously remain in place.

Your plan mentions moving forward with eight global boat brands, compared with 12 currently, and for the ‘House of Brands to cover the same number of segments with less investment’. How will this be achieved?
Groupe Beneteau’s House of Brands is based on a core portfolio of eight brands that upcoming investments will focus on. It comprises four world leaders – Beneteau, Jeanneau, Prestige and Lagoon – and four high-potential brands – Four Winns, Wellcraft, Delphia and Excess.

The Antares 11 Fly is among Beneteau’s new motorboats

By 2025, Groupe Beneteau will continue to cover as many market segments across four strategic markets – day boating, real estate on the water, monohull and multihull sailing – with eight international brands and 128 boat models compared to 12 brands and 183 models in 2019.

As well as covering as many market segments with eight brands as with 12, the plan aims to achieve as much turnover – or even more – with fewer models, less investment, shorter design and manufacturing times, and better productivity by our plants, which will maintain an irreproachable level of quality while being structured by segments, not by brands.

The Lagoon Sixty 5 is the brand’s newest model and second-largest sailing yacht after the Seventy 7

This will become possible with an organisation based around global functions instead of companies. There is no longer any overlap in the positioning of our brands or internal competition; there’s just healthy competition. In addition, this five-year plan will be adjusted twice a year to consider developments in our markets and the success of our products.

What will happen to the other four brands?
We envision that the life of the four brands concerned will continue in another form. In the meantime, the business life of these brands continues as usual, with them attending boat shows, production being fully operational and the Group working on the best-possible scenarios to guarantee an ideal future for each brand.

The Lagoon Sixty 7 debuted last year and multiple units have been sold into Asia

Your plan includes ‘achieving an operating margin of over 10 per cent when business has returned to 2019 levels’. How will you achieve this and when?

Achieving as much revenue with fewer brands is our challenge and key to the plan’s success. I am convinced that we will succeed because the product plan is very rich. All our customers will appreciate the personality and DNA of our historic brands Beneteau, Jeanneau, Lagoon and Prestige.

However, we are also going to conquer or win back new customers by giving a new start to the brands created or acquired recently – Four Winns, Wellcraft, Delphia and Excess – with completely redesigned ranges in line with new uses, such as outboard powercats at Four Winns or 9-14m yachts for inland waterways and coastal sheltered waters with Delphia.

The new flagship of the Prestige range, the pioneering X70 focuses on enormous interior space by not featuring traditional side decks

When will the markets return to their 2019 volumes? We do not know and we are preparing for all eventualities, including one where our decline would be less than in the last crisis (2009) or a faster restart. Our plan provides a lot of flexibility.

Following your appointment as CEO last year, senior management changes included the promotions of Gianguido Girotti and Jean-Paul Chapeleau to Deputy CEOs, and this year’s appointment of Bruno Thivoyon as Group CFO. What qualities does each person bring to the management team and how do you complement each other?
The Executive Board also includes Corinne Margot, HR and Communications Director. The team is now stable and are in charge of executing the strategic plan, supported by taskforces made up of functional or operational managers.

We are overseeing 34 of the Let’s Go Beyond plan’s execution projects, in project mode. This is a huge job, but everyone knows what they need to do. Groupe Beneteau really does have high-quality teams.

The Prestige factory in Les Herbiers in the Vendee region in west France

By truly working together, in the best interests of the Group, we can and will disrupt the rankings in our market segments. You will see!

We read that the Asian market represented just 3.9 per cent of the Boat Division’s revenues in 2018-19, with China accounting for most of that, and that the regional market has been contracting for several years, predating Covid-19. What needs to happen for Asia to be as financially important to Groupe Beneteau as it is to other yacht builders?
We have been among the pioneers in China and Asia. We cannot hide that the level of our sales does not correspond to our ambitions on this continent. But we are maintaining our teams and our commercial investments because there is still very strong potential. As you know, unlike Europe or the US, Asia does not have a unique face when it comes to boating. The simplification of our product strategy will be very useful to penetrate these markets which are still emerging.

The Prestige 420 premiered at Cannes last year and made its Asian debut this year

Can you outline some of the Group’s new boat models being unveiled this autumn?
We have many new models, some of which were going to be shown at the Cannes Yachting Festival. In the powerboat segment, we have the new Prestige X70, a revolutionary project that we are very proud to unveil because of its innovative architecture and use of space, as well as the extensive improvements achieved in interior and exterior quality.

In the sailing segment, we have the new Beneteau Oceanis Yacht 54. Following last year’s success with the First 53, the Oceanis Yacht 54 is another innovative model that will keep on pushing the brand’s leadership in the luxury cruiser segment. Smaller but no less important is the new Beneteau Oceanis 40.1, a key size in the cruiser market, with an innovative layout for charters.

Drop-down side on the new Jeanneau Cap Camarat 12.5 Walkaround

Lagoon has introduced the Sixty 5, a truly luxurious sailing cat. On the other side of the spectrum, have also launched the Excess 11, which is the smallest cat offered by the Group.

Groupe Beneteau is scheduled to release its full-year earnings on October 27 and present a more developed financial breakdown of the strategic plan. What can we expect from a Group that has been generating over €1 billion in annual revenue from its boat sales?
Be patient: you will have the answer on October 27!

The Jeanneau Yachts 60 will debut at Boot Dusseldorf in January 2021

Finally, how often do you go boating and what do you like about it?
I love that feeling of freedom you get on the water. I used to boat in my small village in northern Brittany called Saint-Jacut de la Mer. I lived above its small harbour. Every year, I try to escape and spend a week sailing with my old friends. This year, I will try to sail in Croatia – if the borders are open.
www.beneteau-group.com

JEROME DE METZ

Jerome de Metz has been Chairman and CEO of Groupe Beneteau since June 2019, having established himself as one of France’s private equity pioneers. A graduate of SKEMA Business School and a chartered accountant, he started in the auditing industry and later became CFO of IT company Econom, led by Jean-Louis Bouchard. In 1990, he entered the private equity sector at Initiative & Finance, becoming Chairman of the Board of Directors in 2000. With his team, he then founded MBO Partenaires and led it from 2002 to 2017. Keen on international business, De Metz opened offices in China, India and Brazil to pool the business development effort of the portfolio companies. He also developed business projects in sectors as varied as wine in China and the web industry in Morocco.

Yacht Style Issue 54 Out Now: The Charter Issue 2020 - LUXUO
Yacht Style has released Issue 54 (July-August), its Charter Issue for 2020. Flying Fox, the world's largest charter yacht, stars on the front cover of the 208-page magazine, as the 136m megayacht prepares to return to Asia later this year.

Rolex Works Hand in Hand with Sailing Legends

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Rolex Works Hand in Hand with Sailing Legends

July 27, 2020
4:21 pm

Sailing legends Sir Robin Knox-Johnston, Sir Francis Chichester and Bernard Moitessier all wore a Rolex during their pioneering sailing feats of the 1960s, which still inspire sailors in today’s leading offshore races.

It is a relationship born of a natural affinity with a sport that exhibits time-honoured values and a dynamic spirit. Six decades into its partnership with yachting, Rolex is the committed supporter of the some of the world’s most prestigious yacht clubs, races and regattas.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston used his Rolex Explorer watch during his victory in the
Sunday Times Golden Globe Race in 1969, when he became the first solo sailor to complete a non-stop circumnavigation

Rolex is the committed supporter of the some of the world’s most prestigious yacht clubs, races and regattas.Rolex can trace its connection with the sea back to the company’s origins in the early 1900s, when founder Hans Wilsdorf envisaged a pioneering watch that would be robust, precise and reliable, sharing the highest standards of excellence with the custodians of yachting’s finest spirit.

The strength of this association would be cemented by the feats of three extraordinary individuals, which helped confirm Wilsdorf’s perceptive understanding that increasingly active lifestyles demanded a wristwatch chronometer that was accurate, self-winding and, significantly, waterproof.

The 1960s was a period that added considerable impetus to the sport of yachting and particularly the discipline of offshore racing.

The challenges faced by today’s sailors may appear a world away from those encountered in the middle of the last century, but those heading to sea and out of sight of land for extended periods are still inspired by the characters and achievements of that era.

Sir Francis Chichester relied upon a Rolex Oyster Perpetual during his solo circumnavigation aboard Gipsy Moth IV in 1966-67

Advances in technology, materials and design continually improve navigation, fitness for purpose and comfort, but the open ocean remains an unforgiving environment. Until the beginning of the 20th century, offshore racing had been the preserve of large yachts with paid crew. The 635nm NewportBermuda Race, first held in 1906, became the catalyst for the 605nm Rolex Fastnet Race, founded in 1925, and opened the door to racing offshore in yachts of 30ft and upwards.

When the 628nm Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race was founded in 1945, the discipline had truly come of age. Other races of about 600nm would follow including the Rolex China Sea Race in 1962, the Rolex
Middle Sea Race in 1968 and the RORC Caribbean 600 in 2009.

Passion was the key element in the early editions of these races, with small numbers of enthusiastic participants.

THREE LEGENDARY OCEAN FEATS,
ALL ACCOMPANIED BY A ROLEX
A series of accomplishments would add the allure of adventure and testing oneself to the simple concept of competition, thereby broadening the appeal of offshore sailing. In 1960, the first solo transatlantic race was won by British yachtsman Sir Francis Chichester.

The route of Chichester’s west-to-east circumnavigation in 1966-67 from Plymouth, which included rounding the three great Capes

Such was the success of this inaugural race that four years later it was held again with more than twice as many participants. Chichester would finish second on this occasion. Spurred on to greater heights, this unassuming man, also an entrepreneur and an aviator, epitomised the spirit of sailing and adventure, and became the first person to sail around the world alone from west to east, along the fastest route available – the clipper route.

Setting off in 1966 aboard his 55ft ketch Gipsy Moth IV, Chichester counted among his ‘crew’ a sextant and a Rolex Oyster Perpetual chronometer, which absorbed the same drenching and scrapes as him.

He wrote in a letter in 1968: “During my voyage around the world in Gipsy Moth IV, my Rolex watch was knocked off my wrist several times without being damaged. I cannot imagine a hardier timepiece.

When using [it] for sextant work and working the foredeck, it was frequently banged, also doused by waves coming aboard; but it never seemed to mind all this.”

After 226 days, including a stopover in Australia, Chichester returned to Plymouth, United Kingdom, having rounded the three great Capes: Good Hope, South Africa; Leeuwin, Australia; and the Horn, Chile.

He was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for “sustained endeavour in the navigation and seamanship of small craft”. His epic feat, undertaken in his mid-60s when most are considering retirement, inspired still greater achievement.

Wearing a Rolex Oyster Perpetual GMT-Master certified chronometer, Bernard Moitessier was leading the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, but the Vietnam-born Frenchman elected not to return to Plymouth and instead sailed south of Africa, Australia and New Zealand for a second time before settling in Tahiti

The clipper route, embraced by Chichester, is the favoured course followed by the most challenging round-the-world yacht races, all of which came into being after his venture. The first of those races was established only a year later.

In 1968, nine yachtsmen took on the Sunday Times Golden Globe Race, the first non-stop, single-handed, round-the-world yacht race. The level of the unknown that such a voyage presented then is difficult to comprehend in this age of digital mapping, mobile communication and satellite navigation. More was understood about heading into outer space.

When the French sailor Bernard Moitessier and British yachtsman Sir Robin Knox-Johnston were among those setting off to prove it was possible for man and machine to sail around the earth without stopping, few believed they would succeed.

Like Chichester, they had to rely on their seamanship and determination to survive whatever the oceans threw at them. Conserving resources and protecting their yachts were key concerns.So, too, was navigation, which remained reliant upon the time, sun and stars to plot position with any degree of precision.

Sir Robin Knox-Johnston’s Rolex Explorer watch

Of the nine sailors to embark on the challenge, only one completed the full course. Moitessier, born and raised in Vietnam, looked capable of completing the task and in the fastest time, but chose to abandon the contest, continuing east towards the Cape of Good Hope for a second time rather than heading north once he had rounded Cape Horn.

Moitessier would go on to cover some 37,455nm before coming to rest in Tahiti, the longest non-stop solo voyage.

Knox-Johnston persevered with the quest, overcoming adversities, privations and solitude, arriving back in Falmouth, UK, in April 1969, some 312 days after his departure. As the winner of the Sunday Times Golden Globe, he entered the history books as the first solo sailor to successfully circumnavigate the planet, non-stop.

Sailing prowess aside, Knox-Johnston and Moitessier were both indebted to the resilience and reliability of the Rolex Oyster as an essential tool among the navigational aids on their voyages.

The annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, which starts on December 26, is the southern hemisphere’s leading offshore race

Knox-Johnston laid great store by the characteristics of his Rolex: “It was strong enough to take a bashing and was predictable, which was what I really needed for navigation, particularly when taking sights on deck.

“It was a good, reliable, trustworthy watch. Through all the punishment it received, it just kept going. It was still working perfectly when I got home, which says it all.

”Moitessier, writing to Rolex in 1968, advised that: “Obviously, your Rolex is [much more] sophisticated in terms of regularity, waterproofness and robustness and will allow me to make [more] accurate sights since I will be wearing it on my wrist on deck. It is therefore one of the most important pieces of equipment on my boat.”

The Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club organises the Rolex China Sea Race, which will next start on March 30, 2021

ROLEX: THE COMMITTED PARTNER
OF LEADING OFFSHORE RACES
Given this background, it is perhaps only natural that Rolex would seek to partner the most prestigious yacht clubs, institutions and regattas in the world, sharing the highest standards of excellence with the
custodians of yachting’s finest spirit. Rolex stepped offshore to secure relationships with the world’s top 600nm races and the organisations behind them. Stringent examinations of sailing skill and human
endeavour, these classic contests and their organising clubs have, like Rolex, been defined by a spirit of adventure.

The most famous are the biennial Rolex Fastnet Race, run by the Royal Ocean Racing Club (RORC), and the annual Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race, launched by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia (CYCA). Widely regarded as northern and southern hemisphere equivalents, and both supported by Rolex since the beginning of the 2000s, they are on every offshore sailor’s wish list.

The primary focus for all participants at these races is, first and foremost, to finish. If one has an eye on winning, the focus is doing so in the shortest possible time. Plotting the correct route, maintaining the optimum speed in the prevailing conditions and time-management of resources are essential components of a successful voyage, just as they were for the pioneers of 50 years ago.

Crews have to manage their strategy and resources according to the potential and characteristics of their boat. There is no room for complacency, nor error in judgement, in the pursuit of victory. Every decision has to be
accurate and timed precisely. Taking care of the minute details remains essential, just as it was for Chichester, Moitessier and Knox-Johnston. There is no pit-lane to carry out repairs or replenish resources.

The Rolex Oyster Perpetual worn by Sir Francis Chichester during his circumnavigation from August 1966 to May 1967

Time management in offshore races continues to require robust, accurate timing. Launched in 1992, the Oyster Perpetual Yacht-Master range celebrates the close relationship between Rolex and the world of
sailing and regattas.

The Yacht-Master’s Oyster case, waterproof to a depth of 100m (330ft), features a slightly rounded design to avoid snagging rigging or sails and safely protects the accuracy of the self-winding mechanical movement,
designed and manufactured by Rolex and certified as an official chronometer by the Swiss Official Chronometer Testing Institute (COSC).

Simply completing one of the classic 600nm races is rightly considered an achievement to celebrate. Marking the significance of the endeavour and the dedication that is required to prevail, historic trophies are awarded to the successful crews.

According to John Markos, past Commodore of the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, one of the prizes has attained legendary status: “The fengraving on the back of the Rolex timepiece awarded to the overall winner means everything. It stamps the timepiece with a unique feature that cannot be purchased.

The next Rolex Fastnet Race in 2021 and the following edition in 2023 will finish in Cherbourg, France, instead of Plymouth, UK

“While a trophy like the Tattersall Cup is awarded each year, the Rolex watch is personal, owned and carried by the winner. It has become a recognised symbol of success and achievement.”

In a world where shorter competition formats are becoming ever more popular, it is reassuring that some sports continue to embrace their history and traditions. Promoting and guarding the values of offshore sailing remains a core focus of the organising yacht clubs involved.

The success of their approach is confirmed with new record fleets regularly being established at their races: 362 yachts at the 2017 Rolex Fastnet Race and 130 yachts at the 2018 Rolex Middle Sea Race, for
example.

The commitment of Rolex is also long-standing, stretching back sixdecades, but importantly, it is also forward-looking, with multi-year event partnerships in place. The challenge of the open sea is perpetual and, for those willing to take it on and sail in the wake of their heroes, the opportunities to do so are in safe-keeping.

www.rolex.com

Yacht Style Issue 54 Out Now: The Charter Issue 2020 - LUXUO
Yacht Style has released Issue 54 (July-August), its Charter Issue for 2020. Flying Fox, the world's largest charter yacht, stars on the front cover of the 208-page magazine, as the 136m megayacht prepares to return to Asia later this year.

Carla Demaria On How Bluegame is Disrupting Yacht Design with BGX Series

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Carla Demaria On How Bluegame is Disrupting Yacht Design with BGX Series

July 27, 2020
1:29 pm

Bluegame CEO Carla Demaria is confident the brand’s flagship BGX70 will enjoy a similar response in Asia as it has in Europe, due to a huge beach club that leads into the saloon and guest cabins, a signature design that will also be seen on the BGX60.

Carla Demaria admits she has heard a lot of praise for Bluegame’s flagship BGX70, which has a well-earned reputation as one of the most innovative motor yacht designs of recent years.

The BGX70 has a low, sleek, stealth-like exterior, a strong, seaworthy hull designed by Lou Codega, and can power up to about 30 knots with 1,000hp IPS350s

Its lower deck starts with an enormous beach club that flows directly in to the main saloon, which itself leads forward to the guest cabins or upstairs to the more subdued main deck of the explorer- styled motor yacht.

Yet despite the BGX70 winning awards held during last year’s Cannes Yachting Festival and this year’s Boot Dusseldorf, Demaria says her favourite reaction to the boat was from a prospect-turned- client at Cannes, where the model made its world premiere and won Most Avant-Garde Yacht at the World Yachts Trophies.

“He is a well-known yachtsman and he told me, ‘This is exactly the boat I have been looking for, for many years, and have never been able to find’,” says Demaria, who was appointed Bluegame CEO in early 2019. “In less than two hours, he bought one, downsizing significantly from the boat he owned.”

Two units had been sold ahead of the BGX70’s show debut before further sales were secured at Cannes, the subsequent Genoa International Boat Show and Monaco Yacht Show, and this year’s Boot Dusseldorf, during which it won the Custom Yacht category at the 2020 Motor Boat Awards.

The beach club (above) leads straight into the saloon (below), which has great views on both sides, access to the owner’s suite and stairs up to the dining area

Demaria describes the connectivity of the lower-deck saloon as “the milestone of the BGX project” and is confident the BGX70 will also sell in Asia, with a unit potentially exhibiting at the Hong Kong Yacht Show (November 19-22) according to Simpson Marine, the brand’s Asia dealer since this year.

“When the BGX70 makes its debut in Asia, we are convinced it will receive the same consensus,” says Demaria, a member of the Board of Directors at Sanlorenzo, Bluegame’s parent company.

“Walking from the beach area through the saloon and accessing the owner’s cabin is a unique and awesome experience. You feel the continuity between the outside and inside, no barriers aft or sideways. And you can experience this same extraordinary feeling sitting in the saloon while cruising.”

SANTELLA, ZUCCON PARTNER – AGAIN
Demaria is an industry heavyweight, having been CEO of Monte Carlo Yachts from 2008-18 after over two decades with Azimut Benetti Group, and last year she finished a four-year term as President of UCINA (Italian Marine Industry Federation).

However, Luca Santella is the heart and soul of Bluegame, which the two-time Olympic sailor founded back in 2004. An architecture graduate from Florence University, Santella represented Italy for 16 years, competing at the 1988 and 1992 Olympics in Seoul and Barcelona respectively, before making his name in yacht design.

After Bluegame’s fortunes fluctuated in its early years, the effects of the Global Economic Crisis eventually led to Santella putting the company on hold in 2012 and he later became Design Development Manager at Sanlorenzo.

The saloon is on the lower deck and offers a sea view over the enormous beach club, which has a large barbecue and external stairs to the main deck (see facing page)

His achievements include conceiving the hugely successful SX (Sport Explorer) range, designing the SX88 (2017) and SX76 (2018) with Zuccon International Project. Meanwhile, in the background, Bluegame was revived and officially relaunched in 2018 as a Sanlorenzo brand.

Santella, 58, and Bernardo Zuccon overhauled former Bluegame models to create the BG42 and BG62 ‘Sport Utility’ yachts, which both feature naval architecture by renowned American designer Lou Codega and were unveiled at Cannes in 2018.

However, it was the BGX70 – using the same line-up of designers – that really put the new and improved Bluegame on the global yachting map, with the eye-catching flagship echoing the styling of Sanlorenzo’s SX series, which Santella himself had inspired.

“BGX70 is a completely different project to BG62 and BG42, which are well defined open boats,” Demaria says.

“However, the DNA of the two ranges is the same and includes a seaworthy hull design for a comfortable ride, large ‘beach’ areas open to the sea, generous forward lounge areas, connected cockpits, fantastic helm station positioning, great attention to details, high- quality construction and understated elegance.

“BGX70 keeps all of these characteristics, but the main design inspiration came from the desire to bring the ‘outside’ inside, letting the outside environment enter inside the boat through innovative and truly unique architecture.”

“Walking from the beach area through the saloon and accessing the owner’s cabin is a unique and awesome experience.” Carla Demaria, CEO, Bluegame

‘TRULY UNIQUE ARCHITECTURE’
Much of the architecture that enabled the saloon to lie below the height of the beach club was down to Codega and his work on the positioning of the engine room, which was key to the BGX70’s pioneering layout.

Using Volvo Penta IPS drives meant the engines could be positioned under the teak-covered beach club and free up space forward for the saloon.

The expansive aft deck features a large hatch for the engine room and is big enough to fit a 13ft RIB, which once deployed, can open up an enormous beach club sheltered by bulwarks and featuring a large barbecue and wet bar to port.

To starboard, external steps up to the main deck, but on the BGX70 boat, the lower deck is the main living area.

Forward of the saloon on the lower deck, the owner’s suite has a forward-facing double bed to port and a dressing table cum desk to starboard

Sliding doors open up to the saloon, which is just a couple of steps down, and it’s here that you realise how unusual – how refreshing – it is to be standing or seated on a sofa at sea level.

As well as comfortable sofas and chairs, the saloon offers a sensational infinity view aft, through the beach club, plus sea views either side, where you can watch the water just feet away, lapping at the hull below.

As the idea of a sea-level saloon sinks in, it’s then equally intriguing to be able to walk through a door into the master suite, a location that has its perks but also privacy risks. Make sure you’re wearing more than Y-fronts when you wander out for your morning coffee, just in case any early risers are loitering in the living room.

Moving on, the full-beam master suite has a forward-facing bed to port and benefits from large hull windows either side, although the starboard arrangement, where you have to walk around a three- sided desk/vanity table to access a walk-in wardrobe, feels overly complicated and creates potential access issues.

On this unit, the ‘middle cabin’ (bottom) is designed as a private lounge connected to the owner’s suite
The forward VIP suite (level) has an aft-facing bed

The ensuite bathroom is forward of the bed and features twin sinks, a head and bidet, and a very large shower.

Forward on the starboard side is a flexible room that can be accessible from the owner’s suite and set up as either a private lounge with C-shaped sofa, a study or a children’s room, with a sliding screen in the bulkhead providing connectivity or privacy.

Alternatively, it can be sealed off from the master suite, accessible only by the forward staircase, and used as a third guest cabin with either a forward-facing double or twin beds running athwartships. The neighbouring bathroom can be designed as an en-suite or closed off and accessed like a day head.

Like the master suite, the forward VIP cabin is full-beam and has an ensuite, but with an aft-facing bed. The crew cabin is in the bow.

The main deck features an aft cockpit (bottom) that can be further shaded by a bimini; The interior dining area (level) benefits from outdoor views each side and aft

NOT THE MAIN DECK
There are three guest staircases up to the main deck, from the beach club, saloon and the forward hallway aft of the VIP cabin. If the lower deck seems to offer more than expected on a yacht of this size, the main deck feels otherwise. If anything, the space is underwhelming and reveals the emphasis on outdoor living over interior volume.

The layout is conventional enough, starting with an aft cockpit with a forward-facing L-shaped sofa and rectangular table.

Sliding doors lead into a white-ceilinged interior that starts with a dining area comprising an L-shaped sofa, rectangular table and three stools, which could also be used in the cockpit, meaning six people could comfortably eat inside or out.

The interior has a slick, white galley along the starboard side and a neatly disguised drop-down TV that lowers behind the central helm seats.

The owner or Captain will enjoy the helm station, which has twin carbon seats, a carbon dashboard with three Garmin screens, and fantastic 360-degree views through the rear-inclined windshield, side windows and aft through the dining room and cockpit.

The foredeck is the main ‘fixed’ outdoor lounging area and features an elaborate arrangement of sunpads beside and forward of two square tables. The high-low tables can even be lowered and covered by sunpads to create an even larger lounging zone, while a bimini can also be fitted to cover the area.

The most ardent sun worshipper can even choose to access the roof, where sunpads can be fitted between the carbon hand rails on each side.

The main-deck interior includes the dining area, a long galley to starboard, drop-down TV, twin-seat helm station and portside stairs to the guest cabins

DISRUPTION TO CONTINUE
The BGX70 can also motor, hitting 30 knots with twin 1,000hp IPS350s, with the kind of reassuring ride you’d expect from a Codegadesigned hull, yet another plus point for a yacht that has many of them

Ultimately, though, it’s the aft-facing, sea-level saloon and the sheer connectivity of the lower deck that offers owners a spectacular platform for waterside living.

“Our clients love the unity of BGX70, the only yacht in its segment offering this extraordinary connection between the beach area, saloon, owner’s cabin and more. There’s also the Bluegame DNA such as generous cockpit and bow lounging areas, fantastic helm station and high-performance hull,” Demaria says.

“I was also proud at the awards in Dusseldorf when the panel described BGX70 as ‘bold and brilliant’ and said it ‘demonstrates there is still room for genuine innovation in a class where evolution rather than revolution is the norm’.”

The fantastic foredeck (also below) features an expanse of adjustable sunpads alongside and forward of two height-adjustable tables

Bluegame is extending its range with the upcoming BGX60, which will exhibit at October’s Genoa International Boat Show and is designed to offer the same concept, features and basic layout as her big sister, but in a smaller scale and with slight changes to the middle cabin.

The brand is also working on other projects in both the BG and BGX ranges in sizes that will not overlap with models from Sanlorenzo, whose smallest model is the SX76, which has an overall length of 76ft 7in.

Furthermore, Demaria revealed that Bluegame is following through on her bold announcement at Cannes last year that the brand would not only enter the powercat market but dominate it. “I confirm Bluegame is developing a new range of disruptive, very luxurious, innovative and highly sustainable multihulls,” she says.

For now, the BGX70 is not only the flagship but the embodiment of a brand that’s daring to design yachts differently, by focusing on modern yacht owners looking for openness, flexibility and life close to the water. “Each area of the boat has a very strong appeal to me,” Demaria says.

“Each is particularly suitable for different moments of life on board, like waking up early, walking through the saloon to the beach club then diving in the calm water.”

As it was for her client, the BGX70 seems exactly the yacht the CEO has been looking for.

www.bluegame.it

www.simpsonmarine.com

Yacht Style Issue 54 Out Now: The Charter Issue 2020 - LUXUO
Yacht Style has released Issue 54 (July-August), its Charter Issue for 2020. Flying Fox, the world's largest charter yacht, stars on the front cover of the 208-page magazine, as the 136m megayacht prepares to return to Asia later this year.

Francis Lapp, President, Sunreef Yachts

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Francis Lapp, President, Sunreef Yachts

July 23, 2020
7:21 pm

Poland’s Sunreef Yachts has hit the big time, with Rafa Nadal as a client, Nico Rosberg as an ambassador and turnover doubling last year. Yet French founder Francis Lapp is staying focused as the luxury catamaran builder shifts to a new shipyard in Gdansk, constructs a flagship 161ft powercat and works on an innovative Eco range.

By John Higginson

Francis, can you talk about Sunreef’s recent engagement with two very high-profile sports stars, having delivered an 80 Sunreef Power to tennis legend Rafa Nadal in Spain and secured former F1 champion Niko Rosberg as an Eco Brand Ambassador.

Rafa Nadal’s customised 80 Sunreef Power, featuring a drop-down balcony in the master suite, was delivered to his home port in Mallorca in June

When Rafa first got on board his yacht, the news was everywhere as paparazzi followed his every step in Mallorca. And yes, we appointed Nico Rosberg as our ambassador for Sunreef Yachts Eco. Nico’s activity after retiring from Formula 1 has been entirely devoted to green tech. To have such a figure as ambassador is for us a fantastic opportunity to spread the word.

How has the 80 Power sold compared to the Sunreef 80 sailing catamaran, which debuted at the Cannes Yachting Festival a year earlier, in 2018?
The Sunreef 80 sail cat has had an outstanding response, exceeding our expectations sales wise – we’ve sold nearly 20. The sales of the 80 Sunreef Power are so far about a third of the sailing 80s. It’s very good progress for the powercat, given she only premiered last September.

We’re very satisfied with the demand and sales. The 80 Powers in build include an Eco version with our new solar-power system. Things are looking good for the 80 Power and the rest of the new Power range, with both the 60 and 70 under construction.

A render of the 49M Sunreef Power (above), the builder’s biggest-ever yacht at 161ft and due for delivery in late 2021; a hall at Sunreef’s new shipyard (below)

What are your hopes for Asia, having recently handed over a Sunreef 80 sailing cat to a Chinese owner and delivered sailing cats to Singapore owners in recent years?
The Asian market is extremely important to us, but it’s also distant and unique. We are happy to have a solid broker in China to bring us closer to our customers in Asia. Speedo Marine enjoys a great reputation and helps us have a good interaction with the Asian market.

As this is our annual ‘Charter Issue’, how does Sunreef Yachts Charter benefit members?
Many owners choose to charter their yacht for the obvious reason that it helps them balance their operational expenses. Sunreef Yachts Charter works as a central agent for many of our customers and their boats, providing a complete package of services including marketing, charter boat show participation, crew placement, bookings and so on.

We want our customers to enjoy a carefree ownership experience. All of the services, charter and yacht management are handled by an experienced team of professionals. Our charter company is a member
of the Worldwide Yachting Association, a guarantee of the highest ethical and professional standards.

How is the move to the new shipyard progressing and what will the site include?
All in all, we have eight hectares (80,000sqm) of land including roughly 30,000sqm of covered buildings, which include the CNC hall and the woodwork shop, both already operational. The new yard also manufactures moulds now. Part of the new assembly halls should be ready for use by the end of the year, same as the new offices, so we should be moving offices by then.

After almost two decades at the historic Gdansk Shipyard, Sunreef is moving to a new 80,000sqm site beside the Martwa Wisła river.

For the 49M Sunreef Power, our biggest yacht so far, we have created a dedicated superyacht hall measuring 70m long and 40m wide. Construction has already started following a demanding design phase. We are due to launch it in the second half of 2021.

How will you feel when you eventually close your facilities at the legendary Gdansk Shipyard, which has such a special history, including for Sunreef since 2002?
It’s obviously an important chapter in Sunreef Yachts’ history. I see our time there and our move as a good thing, an evolution. I don’t think I will be sad to leave, but I’m sure I will be proud. The aura of the historic yard is unique, but we need to evolve and move.

After Sunreef doubled its 2018 turnover last year, what do you predict for this year considering the impact of Covid-19?
We will still be doubling our 2019 results. Despite the global situation, we are maintaining good progress. There’s a little less demand than we anticipated, but no dramatic change as of now.

The first 100 Sunreef Power was sold earlier this year and will feature a specially customised main-deck interior featuring a lounge, bar and fitness room

Assuming the Cannes Yachting Festival goes ahead, are the 70 sail cat and 60 Power on schedule to have world premieres at the show?
Yes. The 70 sail cat is on the water already and joins the 50, 60 and 80 in the range. All models seem to be enjoying nice success, so I’m excited to see the feedback on the 70.

The first 60 Sunreef Power is well advanced and although it’s much smaller than the 80 Power, the space on board should still be a very positive surprise. The model still offers an aft garage and platform, and there’s a massive flybridge with room for a spa pool. She should be the most comfortable cat in her size range on the market, and on top of that, fully customisable.

Have there been any design updates on the first 100 Power, sold earlier this year?
The 100 Sunreef Power follows the design characteristics of the 80 Sunreef Power, but of course offers much more volume. Like her smaller sisters, she will be fitted with a hydraulic aft platform and a
garage.

The use of the main deck will be interesting. For this particular yacht, the owner chose to split it between a bar and lounge area and a
fitness room.

Sunreef 70 sail catamaran are due to be held at the Cannes Yachting Festival

Yacht Style was excited to hear about your Eco range, with plans for 70 and 80 models in both sail and power, starting with an 80 powercat. How important is this range to Sunreef?
Actually, our eco evolution started some time ago with an electric Sunreef 50 and Sunreef 60 sailing models, although without our new solar-power system. The first 80 Sunreef Eco powercat will feature integrated panels on an impressive amount of surface. The first one is definitely going to be demanding because it will be our debut with this technology.

The trend for eco yachting is the most positive thing that’s happened to the industry so far. We’ll see what the dynamic of such developments will be in two years, but I can tell you that we are putting a lot of effort into our Eco range and want to lead the market in eco-friendly catamarans.

How is your son Nicolas handling his role as Sunreef’s R&D Director, especially overseeing the new technology in the Eco range?
Nicolas is very involved in pushing the Eco range forward. I think the solar panel system his team is developing is a huge breakthrough. They use very thin and light panels, provided by one of the world’s top suppliers.

Also, the batteries are state-of-the art, with a very low density. Our R&D department observes all the current trends in e-mobility but instead of just implementing existing solutions, they aim much higher.

The Sunreef 70 Eco (pictured) is among four models in the Eco range, which was announced in late April and will begin with an 80 Sunreef Eco powercat

On the eco theme, how did you enjoy this year’s Africa Eco Race?

It was great, I really enjoyed it. It was fun to be back in the desert and make new friends. I don’t get to go rally racing as often as I’d like.

What are your other passions?
Besides cars, definitely work!

What about yachting?
I spend some time on yachts when I take a short holiday. I like to charter every once in a while, go to the British Virgin Islands. But I don’t have a boat. I’m far too busy to build one for myself.

www.sunreef-yachts.com

The original article first appeared in Yacht Style Issue 54 (Charter Issue 2020) – see below:
To subscribe to Magzter version, visit: magzter.com/SG/Lux-Inc-Media/Yacht-Style/Fashion/
For more information or print subscription enquiries, email: info@lux-inc.coAfter almost two decades at the historic Gdansk Shipyard, Sunreef is moving to a new 80,000sqm site (below) beside the Martwa Wisła river

Yacht Style Issue 54 Out Now: The Charter Issue 2020 - LUXUO
Yacht Style has released Issue 54 (July-August), its Charter Issue for 2020. Flying Fox, the world's largest charter yacht, stars on the front cover of the 208-page magazine, as the 136m megayacht prepares to return to Asia later this year.

Asiamarine Grows With Fraser, Galeon and Bali Catamarans

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Asiamarine Grows with Fraser, Galeon and Bali Catamarans

July 17, 2020
2:50 pm

Now in its third year as a Fraser representative, Asiamarine has also found time to expand to Vietnam, grow a lively charter business, increase Galeon sales and add Bali Catamarans to a colourful portfolio.

For a man representing Galeon, one of the world’s hottest motor yacht brands, and Fraser, one of the world’s leading superyacht brokerage houses, Eric Noyel carries a calm yet cautious air.

Eric Noyel (middle), founder & CEO of Asiamarine, with (left-right) Hamish Pope, Kenny Chan, Sum Lo, Adam Blackmore, Laura Verbrugge and Sacha Chouraqui

The Frenchman has good reason to feel assured. As founder and CEO of Asiamarine, Noyel oversees a full-service yachting company with almost 40 staff across Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam, so has the depth and breadth to withstand the ongoing challenges of Covid-19.

In fact, Asiamarine has even been growing its portfolio and since June has been the dealer for France’s Bali Catamarans in Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Thailand and Vietnam, in addition to representing Poland’s Galeon and American fishing boat brand Wellcraft.

“I’m very excited to bring Bali to Hong Kong because I believe their catamarans make sense for people who really enjoy being on the water,” says Noyel, who was born near the Bali headquarters in the south of France and named after French yachtsman Eric Tabarly.

“They make sense economically and are a great fit for Asia because the brand really focuses on space and square footage – and one thing Hong Kong people love is acquiring square feet! With Bali, clients get a lot of value for money in terms of square footage and enjoyment on the water.”

The Catspace is the first of several new Bali models in 2020; Asiamarine now represents Bali Catamarans in Hong Kong and Macau, as well as Thailand and Vietnam

It’s the latest highlight for Asiamarine and Noyel, who has got a lot right in his time in yachting since founding the company in 2013 as a dealer for Numarine.

Stepping into the big league in early 2018, Asiamarine started representing Fraser in Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines, Vietnam and Indonesia, yet he has since had to close the latter operation. He freely admits he has hit some hurdles along the way to establishing his company among Asia’s leading yacht-services companies.

“I have made some mistakes in trying to expand too fast without having the right people to manage the overseas operations,” says Noyel, who speaks French, English, German, Cantonese, Mandarin and even a bit of Italian.

“I also underestimated the amount of capital that needs to be deployed to establish a long-lasting business. It’s an expensive business to get into and you need to have solid back-up in order to survive the ups and downs of the industry.”

REGIONAL PLAYER
Noyel created Asiamarine after selling his company and seeking a challenge that would make the most of his network in Greater China and Southeast Asia. Based in Hong Kong, where its headquarters remain, he quickly showed his regional ambitions by opening an office in the Philippines in 2014, acquiring a stake in Thailand-based Asia Marine, then expanding to Vietnam last year.

As well as operating across multiple countries, Asiamarine manages multiple services ranging from new yacht sales and brokerage to charter, yacht management and fractional ownership, although each office has its different strengths.

Asiamarine staff from Hong Kong, Thailand, Philippines and Vietnam gather in Phuket last year; the company has almost 40 staff across the four offices

“People make the business, so in Thailand, where we have a more technical team, the business has grown to be mostly a yacht management and charter business, about 50/50,” says Noyel, while admitting Covid-19 effectively shut down charter business at the Phuket office from March until yachting slowly re-emerged in June.

“In Hong Kong, our office is more sales oriented, more about brokerage and new sales, and charter is a side product. Covid-19 has had a strange effect because the charter business shot up while everybody was stuck in Hong Kong and looking for ways to escape the city and get out on the water. Although sales slowed down, many people sold their boats, so brokerage choices grew.

“Everything also slowed down in our smaller offices in Vietnam and the Philippines, where we’re more focused on brokerage and new boats, again more sales focused.”

Before opening an office in Ho Chi Minh City in June 2019, Noyel said Asiamarine had sold several boats in Vietnam, so recognised it as a growing yachting market.

“We have a small, very dynamic team in Vietnam that we’re supporting with technical resources flown in from Hong Kong or Thailand. The guys are young, motivated and experienced in high-end luxury, so are very comfortable with customers and networking,” Noyel says.

“Every day, we’re learning the ropes of doing business in Vietnam, which is a very exciting market with lots of momentum but has a long way to go because infrastructure is minimal.”

BRINGING EMERGING BRANDS TO ASIA
If Noyel likes emerging markets, he also likes emerging yacht brands and Asiamarine represents one
of the fastest-growing brands in cruising catamarans. Founded by the Catana Group in 2014, Bali
has rapidly expanded from building 15 units in 2015 to 140 last year and this year expects to produce
200.

The tilting door opens up on the 4.8 Open Space, this year’s second new Bali model

For Noyel, it’s like returning home when he visits the Catana Group’s headquarters in Canet-en-Roussillon on France’s south coast, close to the border with Spain, while the company also has facilities in La Rochelle on the west coast and even in Tunisia.

“The main factory is near my birthplace, so it’s easy for me to visit and see the boats. I feel a personal connection and almost an obligation to promote Bali because I feel like I’m doing something good for my hometown,” says Noyel, who’s expecting at least one new model to arrive in Hong Kong by the end of the year.

“I’ve always wanted to represent a catamaran brand and I really appreciate Bali’s drive for innovation. They’re beautifully designed, well-conceived, but as a brand, it’s new and not yet marketed at the level of some of its competitors, so there’s room for improvement.

“For me, Bali is a better boat and the management have done the hardest job, which is to get the brand off the ground, create smart concepts and get accepted by the market. Now, it’s just time for a little cosmetic improvement.”

Noyel has been down this road before. He has long ranked the quality of design and build of Galeon as good as if not better than its competitors, but admits that Asia-based buyers of luxury motor yachts take a lot of convincing to buy from outside western Europe.

Asiamarine has represented Galeon since 2016 and last year sold seven units including the 640

Galeon, founded in 1982, is not as young as Bali, but it has only become a genuinely global brand in recent years. When Asiamarine started representing Galeon in 2016, it seemed a clever choice by Noyel but now it appears visionary.

That same year, the Polish brand partnered MarineMax – the world’s biggest yacht dealer – in the US, where the brand is now a market leader and now it’s seeking to compete with the world’s leading motor yacht builders across the globe.

“I always wanted to have a world-famous brand to sell because it just makes it easier to connect with the market, but now I’m very happy to refocus on Galeon, a less-glamorous brand but very popular,” says Noyel, whose company sold seven Galeon yachts last year.

“Today, Galeon is the leading brand in its sector in the US and I think we’re on our way to getting the same sort of success in Asia. Even though the recognition of Galeon is far behind the most famous brands, I think the product fits the market very well. They’re very good value, the innovations are much appreciated and it’s the right fit for our market.

A private Galeon showcase at Club Marina Cove last October

“They’re also popular for first-time luxury motor yacht buyers and people upgrading from yachts built in Taiwan and China. We’ve even had people moving away from Italian and British boats to acquire more innovative, fun Galeon boats – people moving away from the ego boat to an enjoyable boat.”

JOINING THE BIG BOYS
If Noyel was pushing aggressively with emerging brands and into new markets in Asiamarine’s early
years, he made arguably his biggest move when he secured the licence to represent Fraser in Hong Kong and other key Asia markets in early 2018.

Fraser CEO Raphael Sauleau – and Yacht Style – attended the lavish launch party of the new partnership at Island Shangri-La, Hong Kong, which established the brokerage as a regional competitor to Burgess and Camper & Nicholson, who both have strong teams across Asia.

Noyel estimates Fraser accounts for about half of his workload and has been surprised at how much time he has spent on product training with shipyards in Europe and learning about legal and other aspects of representing a global superyacht brokerage.

Fraser CEO Raphael Sauleau (second right) attended the 2018 launch party of the partnership with Asiamarine

He works closely on the Fraser business with Adam Blackmore, Asiamarine’s Commercial Director. After two sales in 2019, the team kicked off this year with the sale of the 44m Odyssey built by Royal Denship.

“Adam and I work together on Fraser and both coordinate with their team in Monaco. Adam looks for the boats and I look for the clients. I do all the socialising and entertaining and networking,” Noyel laughs, “and Adam is very hands on, following up and looking at listings.

“Our Fraser superyacht brokerage has done as expected – not more, not less. We sold two last year and I think we’ll sell three or four this year, so it’s a nice, natural growth. In Thailand, the evolution has been slower because there’s less of a market there, but the team is managing more superyachts than ever and developing the superyacht charter business.”

Representing Fraser Hong Kong, Adam Blackmore sold the 44m Odyssey this year

CHARTER’S CHANGING FORTUNES
Charter is another business sector that has taken off for Asiamarine since 2018, due in large to hire of Laura Verbrugge.

This year, the energetic Charter Broker has overseen the company’s busiest-ever charter period in Hong Kong during the Covid-19 crisis and signed up Asia-based clients for superyacht charters in the Mediterranean.

“Laura has been frenetic, crazily active! She has travelled to all the shows like Monaco, Barcelona, Antigua, visited many of the superyachts available in the Med and Caribbean, and gained an incredible amount of experience of the charter business,” Noyel says.

“The market has tremendous growth potential and there’s definite interest, mainly from Hong Kong, about chartering in the Med. There were always people who could afford it, but the first time that people see a charter for US$200,000-$300,000 a week, they might get shocked. Once they’ve experienced it, though, many want to repeat the experience.

Asiamarine’s charter business has grown rapidly in the past two years under Laura Verbrugge

“Now, there’s a growing crowd of people that can afford and want to do it, so we’re introducing new charter clients and also arranging for repeat clients. The market has strong momentum and in my opinion, we are at the very beginning.”

Despite the ongoing challenges of Covid-19, Asiamarine is more than keeping its head above water and looking increasingly comfortable representing a brand as prestigious as Fraser.

Yet Noyel refuses to get carried away or overconfident, as he understands the risks and difficulties of keeping a successful yacht dealership and brokerage afloat, especially across multiple markets in a region as diverse as Asia.

“I’ve seen new competitors come and vanish every year. I see them just build a website, start with one customer, and then realise it takes more than that to have recurring business. Stock boats cost millions of Euros, so cash flow needs to be managed tightly, because it’s easy to overspend,” says Noyel, who envisions careful, calculated growth for Asiamarine.

Happy days for the Asiamarine team in the Hong Kong headquarters

“I will be much more prudent in expanding too fast in territories without an experienced manager or real opportunity that kick-starts an overseas branch. But I believe that we’ll become stronger where we have offices while developing cautiously into any new markets.”

www.asiamarine.com

www.fraseryachts.com

Yacht Style Issue 54 Out Now: The Charter Issue 2020 - LUXUO
Yacht Style has released Issue 54 (July-August), its Charter Issue for 2020. Flying Fox, the world's largest charter yacht, stars on the front cover of the 208-page magazine, as the 136m megayacht prepares to return to Asia later this year.

Azimut Benetti promotes Marco Valle to Group CEO from September

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Azimut Benetti promotes Marco Valle to Group CEO from September

May 26, 2020
12:23 am

Marco Valle becomes Azimut Benetti Group CEO on September 1, with current Benetti boss Franco Fusignani remaining on the Board of Directors.

Marco Vitelli, currently CEO of Azimut Yachts, will take on the role of Group CEO of Azimut Benetti on September 1, with full responsibility for both brands.

Azimut CEO Marco Valle will also be in charge of Benetti from September

Valle will remain in charge of Azimut and also take charge of superyacht builder Benetti, succeeding current Benetti CEO Franco Fusignani, 75, who will remain on the Group’s Board of Directors.

However, Azimut Benetti still had ‘the intention to preserve the specific characteristics and values of each brand, whose distinct identities form the basis of the Group’s success’. The announcement was made by the Board of Directors and the Vitelli family.

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Paolo Vitelli, who founded Azimut Yachts in 1969 and is Chairman of Azimut Benetti Group, said: “Marco Valle, who joined the company 25 years ago, has the full support of the Vitelli family and the Group’s Board of Directors in this new challenge, which he will no doubt rise to with the same spirit of success that has been a distinctive feature of his work, first as Azimut Yachts Sales Director and for the last four years as CEO of the Azimut division.

“We would like to thank Franco for the great work he has done and continues to do in Benetti, and for his continued future presence in the Group. This continuity is important to tackle the new challenges of an evolving market and generational change in the current management team.”

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Marine Italia represents Azimut in Hong Kong, Guangdong, Macau, Taiwan and Singapore, while Benetti’s Asia Pacific office is in Hong Kong.

www.azimutyachts.com / www.azimutyachts.hk

www.azimutbenetti.it

www.benettiyachts.it

Leonardo Ferragamo Driving Growth in ClubSwan, Maxi Swan Ranges

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Leonardo Ferragamo Driving Growth in ClubSwan, Maxi Swan Ranges

May 21, 2020
1:55 am

Over two decades after buying Nautor’s Swan, Leonardo Ferragamo is still the man behind the wheel of the ‘Rolls-Royces of sailing yachts’.

Why did you create a one-design division within Nautor’s Swan?

We have always believed that, alongside handicap racing, there should always be a focus on real-time racing and more specifically one-design.

Leonardo Ferragamo is Chairman of Nautor’s Swan, having bought the Finnish sailing yacht builder with a group of investors in 1998

We all know how much fun one-design racing is, how much more rational and cost effective it is, both for the management of the racing programme and the original investment in the yacht, which better maintains its value over the years. This type of racing is also a better reflection of the ability of the crew.

We always thought Nautor’s Swan should take an important role in the promotion of one-design yachts and it happened first with the Swan 45, followed by ClubSwan 42.

In 2016, with the celebration of Swan’s 50th anniversary, we wanted to look forward while being inspired by our history and heritage. We designed a new yacht that observed the coherent lines of a typical Swan, treasured our DNA, and boosted innovation, reliability and performance in a very advanced way.

That’s how ClubSwan 50 was born, from the pen of Juan Kouyoumdjian. The ClubSwan 50 had to be a one-design and it was meant to write a new page in racing history. We strengthened the rules by making it owner driven, lowering the number of professionals to make it more balanced, and limiting the number of sails and costs, all to enhance the stylish spirit of gentlemanly racing.

Ferragamo frequently competes in ClubSwan 50 events on Cuordileone

In 2017, we launched The Nations Trophy, a biennial event where all the Swan one-design classes can gather together from different areas, bringing back competition between nations to the world of sailing. Every year, we organise The Nations League, which is currently happening in the Mediterranean, North Europe and hopefully soon in Asia-Pacific and the US.

Together with the annual Swan One Design Worlds and the biennial Rolex Swan Cup, we are determined to provide Swan owners the best and most credible racing programme to enjoy the sport of sailing onboard their yachts.

What led to the new ClubSwan 36, which was launched last year and has sold at least 15 units?

Having implemented the three existing classes, we introduced the ClubSwan 36 with a quite extreme design – technologically advanced and foil assisted . I had high expectations for it from the very beginning. I think people need to try the boat to see how exciting it is. I think it will get a lot of exposure this year.

The ClubSwan 36 class made its debut at The Nations Trophy in Spain last October

It’s now over two decades since ClubSwan was founded in 1999. Has it evolved as you wanted?

Yes, but I still want a lot more. We started with the Swan 45, but when we launched the ClubSwan 50 we really added a lot more energy and a real vision for the future. All this gave us a lot of ammunition to really set it up, not only with a league for the boats but also with The Nations Trophy.

I still think there’s a lot of space to grow, not only for us. I think anyone who focuses on one-design racing is going to help the yachting industry a lot because it’s more fun and more rational. I love handicap racing as well, don’t get me wrong, but I believe that one-design can bring a new generation to sailing because they can race against each other in real time and have a clearer objective.

How does Nautor’s Swan organise all these one-design classes and regattas?

We have a dedicated race office managing the events and classes, with  a highly-qualified team headed by Enrico Chieffi (Vice-President, Nautor’s Swan). We recently started a cooperation with Federico Michetti (Head of Swan One Design Sport Activities), a very well-known sailor with a lot of experience in one-design, heading the planning and activities. We created a team to make sure all the boats and sails satisfy our criteria and maintain the credibility of one-design.

ClubSwan 50 action at The Nations Trophy last year

How do you manage the balance of Corinthian sailors and professionals?

We are committed to keeping a friendly, gentlemanly-like competitive spirit. We know the people that appreciate and own Swans and we want to put them first, so the owners steer the boats and we allow a limited number of professionals on board.

Can Swan’s one-design racing calendar evolve outside the Mediterranean, especially in Asia?
Yes, this is my vision. For now, I would like to see some events or legs or part of the league be held in Asia. We have already held a number  of events in North America. We are working on it. It’s something we’d like to develop with an investor who could buy even as few as five or six ClubSwan 36s, for example, to set up a regional league and we could expand it from there.

The 21st Rolex Swan Cup is scheduled to be held at Porto Cervo in September, 40 years since the event’s founding in 1980. Can you talk about your personal feelings about this event, especially as someone who regularly competes in it?

The Rolex Swan Cup has been held in Porto Cervo every two years since 1980

I will be racing on my ClubSwan 50 (Cuordileone) and my kids will be racing a ClubSwan 36. Both boats will be competing in the Nations League and the Rolex Swan Cup. The Rolex Swan Cup is an amazing event, a point of reference in the series, with great participation across all the categories. We expect about 130 yachts representing 25 countries.

It’s great fun. There will be exciting racing once again and we love to enrich the competitive edge by boosting the lifestyle elements, the amazing line-up of sailors and VIPs, the beautiful surroundings. All of these factors make the event so spectacular.

It’s a beautiful time of year and the event follows the Maxi Yacht Rolex Cup, so both events benefit from the great location in Porto Cervo and the great weather at this time of year. It’s very exciting.

Each year, which regattas do you race in and how do you arrange your personal racing calendar?

It’s very easy. I usually compete in about five races – four in the Nations League as well as either the Rolex Swan Cup or The Nations Trophy, depending on the year. This year, the league will include the first standalone Swan One Design Worlds, which is scheduled to be held in October in Scarlino, a lovely area in Tuscany.

Leonardo Ferragamo’s yachts include the ClubSwan 50 Cuordileone (pictured) and the Swan 115 Solleone

You’re a very experienced sailor who has raced most of his life, but are there any particular events you are desperate to win?

Yes, I’ve never won the Rolex Swan Cup, so this year I’ll try to make it happen.

What inspired you to focus on creating such a family feeling among Swan owners?

I think it was because of my experience working at Ferragamo, the culture and understanding of what the brand needs to be about.

Swan had all the potential, as it already had an amazing tradition, and the yachts were renowned for their quality and reliability. So, to build the brand, we just needed to develop customer care and interaction, creating great dialogue and relationships with the customers, and offering them more services and privileges.

ClubSwan 50 followed the Swan 45 and ClubSwan 42 one-design classes

ClubSwan was intended as a club and also a league of events to enhance the opportunities for customers and also the pride they feel in being an owner of a Swan. This is what we have tried to build all these years.

It’s a big year for new models from Swan. Firstly, can you talk about the upcoming Swan 58, which sits at the heart of a very modern Swan Yachts range – 48 (2019), 54 (2016), 58 (2020), 65 (2019) and 78 (2018)?

Firstly, I want to emphasise the distinction between the two lines: Swan Yachts, which are performance-cruisers, as opposed to ClubSwan, which is focused on racing.

People have always been able to recognise Swan Yachts at a distance. The designs basically keep improving season after season, and the 58 is not an exception. The 58 is very fast and has incredible volume for its size. It’s an ideal balance of performance, elegance, comfort and reliability, following on from the 78 and 65 launched in the last two years. It’s a dream boat.

Swan 58 Designed by German Frers Bought by Japan-Based Owner
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The Swan 98 is scheduled to debut at this year’s Monaco Yacht Show, with three units already sold. What should people look out for?

The launch of a Maxi Swan yacht is always one of the things I love most in this business. The Swan 98 is one of the latest evolutions of our Maxi Swan yachts. All the details and the quality are second to none. It’s going to be a very exciting boat. Together with the Swan 98, we have the Swan 120 under construction, which will be launched in early summer 2021.

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Can you also tell us about the ClubSwan 125, a racing yacht designed to beat world records?

The ClubSwan concept is evolving step by step. The ClubSwan 125 is certainly more aggressive. It will be a speed machine with some accommodation.

It’s a very exciting design. It’s taking all of Swan’s know-how to the maximum level and optimising all our knowledge of design and technology, with the best-possible construction technique, materials and equipment, using elements from America’s Cup designs.

Juan Kouyoumdjian designed the ClubSwan 125

German Frers, who turns 79 on July 4, has been designing for Swan since 1981. Can you explain what makes him such a special designer and why he has been working so closely with Swan for so long?

Before buying the company (in 1998), I first needed to ensure that German would continue working with Swan. I respected him then but even more so now.

He’s the designer who best combines performance with elegance. He’s an elegant person himself. He fully understands the company’s heritage and the identity that Swan has always had, provides great continuity with the designs, and ensures that the yachts keep improving.

Considering Swan has built more than 2,000 yachts since 1966, it’s remarkable that Frers is one of only four designers to have designed production sailing yachts for Swan, starting with Sparkman & Stephens in 1966, then also Ron Holland in the 1970s and more recently Juan Kouyoumdjian on the new ClubSwan models (36, 50, 125). Why was Juan K selected for the current ClubSwan range?

We did a contest with a number of the best yacht designers and naval architects from around the globe. We were first looking for designs for the ClubSwan 50, so we wanted designs that respected our heritage but that would be faster. We came to know Juan and we think he’s among the best designers of performance-oriented yachts.

Swan’s new Boatbuilding Technology Centre in Pietarsaari, northern Finland

Finally, how did you feel last year when Nautor’s Swan completed the newly expanded Boat Technology Centre in Pietarsaari?

It was a long process and we needed huge investment to combine the three production sites into one facility. We started thinking about this long ago and had to wait for the right time. Now, the manufacturing is even more efficient and coordinated than before, and internal communication between departments onsite has also improved. It’s really a state-of-the-art facility and allows us to keep building the world’s best sailing yachts.

http://www.nautorswan.com

The original article appears in Yacht Style Issue 53 (click image below)
Email for print subscription enquiries: subscribe@lux-inc.com
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YACHT STYLE Issue 53: Catamarans Shine in 'Multihulls Issue' 2020
Yacht Style's second annual Multihulls Issue throws the spotlight on power and sailing catamarans, as the boating industry pushes on.

Burgess Builds Asia Dream Team of Superyacht Specialists

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Burgess Builds Asia Dream Team of Superyacht Specialists

May 17, 2020
2:27 am

With Burgess honouring its 45th anniversary in 2020, its Asia team is celebrating its first five years and 12 superyacht transactions.

This year, Burgess is celebrating ‘45 Years of Progress’ since it was founded by Nigel Burgess in 1975, with the company’s 14 offices around the world set to honour the landmark with local events in their own markets.

Burgess Managing Partner Tim Wiltshire (far left) and Chairman Asia Jean-Marc Poullet (third left) with Burgess’ Asia team

Now with more than 220 full-time staff, the superyacht specialist has much to celebrate, describing itself as ‘the global leader in brokerage, charter, management and new build advisory for large yachts from 30m/100ft’.

Yet 2020 also marks a shorter-but-still-significant landmark for the company’s Asia operation, which is marking its fifth anniversary since it was founded by Jean-Marc Poullet in Singapore. It also has good reason to celebrate.

Since 2015, the Asia team have completed 12 brokerage transactions ranging in size from the 21.1m Azimut 70 Lady Renee to the 85m Lurssen Areti, and even including two deals for the 58.2m J’Ade, built by Ferretti Group’s CRN shipyard. Burgess represented the buyers in 10 of the 12 transactions.

Four Amels – the 55m Papa launched in 2019, 60m Event, 67.5m Infinite Shades and 68.5m Lady E (Lady S before its 2018 purchase) – were also brokered, along with the 51m Codecasa Atlas, 49.1m Trinity Lohengrin, 35.4m Pershing 115 Carcharias and 30.4m Couach-built Hummingbird.

The 51m Codecasa Atlas (above) and 55m Amels Papa (below) were among 12 superyacht deals secured by Burgess’ Asia team in its first five years

Poullet, Burgess’ Chairman Asia, is pleased with his team’s achievements, which are setting the bar for international brokerage houses operating in the region and helped them win Best Asia-Based Brokerage Company (International) at the Christofle Yacht Style Awards in both 2018 and 2019.

“Globally and in Asia, we offer the full suite of superyacht services – brokerage, management, charter and new build advisory – and Burgess is market leader in each sector,” says Poullet, who has been based in Asia since 1993.

“Our 12 transactions in five years is certainly a record for Asia. It’s great to see that our operating model and team can build trust-based relationships and offer world-class brokerage advice to our customers.”

BUILDING THE DREAM TEAM

For all the impressive statistics, each company is about people and Poullet is proud of the team he has built, now numbering over 20 staff in Singapore, Phuket, Hong Kong, Tokyo and also Monaco, where there’s a dedicated Asia desk.

Poullet (left) with his first four Burgess staff, James Tsui, Hwee Tiah, Mark Woodmansey and Joe Yuen, all still with the Asia team

It has been a whirlwind five years for Poullet, who was a newcomer to the industry when he joined Burgess after retiring from McKinsey & Company. He has had a lifelong passion for yachting, starting as a child when he raced on his father’s sailing boat at weekends. He later chartered yachts and then started owning them, including his current 33m motor yacht, which he keeps in Phuket.

“After 25 years at McKinsey, I investigated the superyacht brokerage market as a ‘passion play’ option,” he says. “It quickly became clear that Burgess had all the ingredients I was looking for: global leadership, professionalism, teamwork and an opportunity to help build the Asia operation, so it was an easy choice.”

With Poullet on board, Burgess launched its Asia chapter with two key missions: providing world-class yachting services to its Asian and Asia-based customers; and developing and promoting the area’s exceptional cruising grounds as global yachting destinations.

Familiar with the region’s wealth hubs after decades at McKinsey, Poullet initially mapped out key markets for clients before recruiting staff, almost all of whom are still with him today.

Hwee Tiah with Poullet at the 2019 Christofle Yacht Style Awards in Phuket

Hong Kong-based Mark Woodmansey, now Head of Brokerage, Asia, and Singaporean Hwee Tiah (Head of Business Development, Asia) were Poullet’s first hires, in 2015. Joe Yuen (Chief Representative, Hong Kong and Macau) and James Tsui (Charter Manager & Broker) expanded the Hong Kong presence the following year. All are still with the company.

The 20-plus team also includes Burgess’ long-time Japan representative Lyu Kamikage, while last year the company expanded into Thailand in a partnership with Boat Lagoon Yachting, with Singapore-based Julian Chang also joining as a Senior Advisor, Asia.

“The priority markets are easy to identify, but finding the right people for our segment of the market in Asia less so,” Poullet says.

“As such we mainly focused on the latter to build a very experienced team primarily composed of Asian colleagues able to operate in the region’s diverse culture and languages. As well as English, our team can have detailed yachting discussions in Chinese – both Mandarin and Cantonese – Japanese, Thai and Indonesian.”

Burgess has partnered with Boat Lagoon Yachting in Thailand

In early 2018, Burgess announced the opening of a Shanghai office in partnership with IYAT and although the office has since closed, Fay Duan has remained with Burgess, working from the Monaco office as Charter Representative, China. In fact, six of the Asia team are native or fluent Mandarin speakers.

“There are still very few buyers or charterers of large yachts in mainland China,” Poullet says. “However, potential buyers often look at large yachts for their first yacht, which amplifies the need to provide comprehensive and customised advice. And as most of those discussions are in Mandarin, it requires yachting professionals able to speak the language.”

Burgess was involved in four of the top-10 international superyacht transactions in 2018 when it also had a standout year in Asia. Woodmansey, who has been in Asia since 2003, achieved a rare ‘hat-trick’ as the Brit helped three clients buy 50m-plus yachts including Lady S (now Lady E), one of the year’s top-10 deals and which also chartered in Asia.

The Malaysian government appointed Burgess as the Central Agent for the sale of the 91.5m Equanimity in early 2019

Last year, Burgess was involved in one of most high-profile yacht transactions of recent times when it was appointed by the Malaysian government as the Central Agent for the sale of the 91.5m Equanimity. Seized by authorities following the 1MDB scandal, the 2014 Oceanco build was sold to Genting Malaysia in April 2019 and renamed Tranquility.

CHARTER AND CHALLENGES

As well as brokering deals for new and pre-owned superyachts, Burgess’ Asia team has built up a solid pedigree in charter, a two-pronged business focused on helping Asian and Asia-based clients to charter yachts, and also developing business for charter yachts in Asia.

Leveraging on Burgess’ global knowledge of yachts and destinations, the Asia team has organised charters across the world, from regional hot spots like Thailand, Indonesia and the Maldives to the likes of Italy, Croatia and Greece in Europe.

Its clients have chartered a wide range of yachts including the Feadships Eclipse (43m) and Blu 470 (49.8m), the 47m Indonesia-based Mutiara Laut, 51m Japan-built Northern Sun and 55m Amels Lili, up to the 73m Lurssen Titania and 74m CRN Cloud 9.

Lady E’s impressive crew and range of toys made it a popular charter yacht in Asia

At the same time, the team has also helped Burgess’ leading charter yachts to explore Asia’s most beautiful cruising grounds, with Phuket and the Maldives proving the most popular destinations in the region.

Yachts that Burgess has chartered in Asia include the Amels builds Lady E, Papa and Deniki, several Heesens, the 60m CRN Ramble On Rose, 69m Saluzi and 73m Titania. It has been a solid start in the sector, but Poullet believes there’s room for growth, especially around Phuket.

“We plan to invest further into the development of the charter market in Asia, especially Phuket and the Andaman Sea. It is truly a world-class cruising destination and will certainly become the epicentre for large yachts in Asia. Our partnership with Boat Lagoon Yachting is a key factor in stepping up our initiatives in that regard,” says Poullet, who frequently cruises in the area with his family.

“We love Phuket’s cruising grounds and the diversity of anchorages and activities, ideal to entertain our two restless boys! We also like fresh Thai seafood and enjoy discovering local eateries.”

The 54m Talisman Maiton is among yachts Burgess has recently chartered in Asia

For all its high-profile transactions and charter business, Burgess’ Asia operation is facing increasing competition in the region. In recent years, many of the other leading international brokerage houses have expanded operations in Asia, frequently partnering with regional dealerships, as Burgess has in Thailand and Japan.

“The Asia market in general can only benefit from the added dynamism of healthy competition, so that is good,” Poullet says. “We had the ‘first mover’ advantage in Asia and were the first to establish partnerships with top dealerships, so we now enjoy a strong leadership position in Asia, mirroring Burgess’ leadership position globally.”

There have been other challenges. The local protests in Hong Kong affected business in Asia’s leading yachting market for the second half of 2019 and this year the coronavirus outbreak has slowed down activity in many key hubs.

“It has definitely affected sentiment as our customers’ interest in yachting matters is understandably lower, and it also affects the broader industry as events and shows are cancelled,” Poullet says.

“The jury is out on how this crisis will evolve and how severe the impact on our industry in Asia will be. There is little we can do about it and we can only play it by ear and adjust our work and business-development initiatives accordingly. Patience and resilience are key.”

Burgess is committed to developing charter activity in Thailand, established as one of Asia’s leading destinations for superyachts

Overall, though, Poullet is satisfied with Burgess’ progress in Asia in its first five years and believes that his team has the right balance of superyacht expertise and local knowledge to cater to its wide range of discerning clients. He believes there’s plenty of room for Burgess and the entire superyacht business to grow in the region.

“I’m happy with our progress, especially the quality and professionalism of our Asia team and the collaboration with Burgess colleagues and experts globally – truly ‘glocal’ teamwork. We now have strong foundations for further building our business and playing a key role in developing the market in Asia.

“In fact, 12 transactions [in five years] is still a small number for a continent like Asia and it illustrates that the market is still in its infancy. It will take many more years, perhaps decades, to reach its full potential.

“Asia is and will remain a challenging market requiring substantial investments aiming for long-term upside, not short-term gains.”

www.burgessyachts.com

The original article appears in Yacht Style Issue 52 (click image below)
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Yacht Style Issue 52: Asia's Top Builders, Reviews & More
Yacht Style Issue 52 profiles Asia's top builders and features Amels, Galeon, Burgess, Lady Azul, Lurssen, Fairline, Sunseeker and Bali.

Exclusive interview with Greg Tuszynski about Galeon’s Golden Era

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

Exclusive interview with Greg Tuszynski about Galeon’s Golden Era

March 30, 2020
2:45 am

Galeon Managing Director Greg Tuszynski talks about the “golden four years” for the innovative yacht builder, represented by Asiamarine.

It has been five years since the launch of Galeon’s 500 Fly and its iconic ‘beach mode’ innovation and four years since Galeon partnered with MarineMax as its distributor in the US. How’s business now?

Greg Tuszynski, Managing Director of Galeon, whose dealers include Asiamarine

We are in absolutely perfect condition. We have had a golden four years and we’re growing every year. We had a beautiful 2019, increasing annual production by 30 per cent, and we’ve more than doubled our production since 2016. We’ve been selling well, we’re keeping up with production and we have the money for future investments. Economically, we’re in the perfect situation.

Tell us about your newest models, such as the 400 Fly, which had its world premiere at Boot Dusseldorf this year.

The 400 Fly is the smallest unit we have that offers the Galeon beach mode, which means it has the same drop-down sides that were first seen on the 500 then the 460. It also has other new innovations, such as a master cabin placed midships and a wet bar and grill on the swim platform.

The 680 Fly was launched at Cannes last year and was our biggest boat at Dusseldorf this year. It follows the 66ft and 64ft, but is a completely new yacht, with a new mould – it’s not just an upgrade.

The Galeon 400 Fly world premiere was held at Boot Dusseldorf this year

The 680 Fly appears more conventional than the 640, which won many awards since its premiere at Cannes in 2018.

The 640 Fly is full of innovations, such as the beach mode and the front door to go to the foredeck . The 640 is good for charter and a pretty fancy boat, but not every client wants this so we developed the 680, which is slightly bigger but more classic. It’s dedicated to clients looking for a more solid, classic motor yacht.

Galeon sales in the US have soared since the partnership with MarineMax in 2016. Where do you rank in your sector?

Let’s just say we are now well established in the top three in the 40-70ft motor yacht category after just four years in the US market, where we started as a completely unknown brand. The US has overtaken Europe as our biggest market and now accounts for 50 per cent of our sales.

I think we started with 15 locations in the US where you could buy Galeon yachts. Today, we have 63, plus Canada, Mexico and other countries in the Americas under MarineMax.

One of Galeon’s newest models, the 680 Fly debuted at Cannes last September

By 2018, we were already in the top-five and top of the European brands in the 40-70ft sector. By early 2019, we were still the top European brand, with just [American builders] Cruisers and Tiara ahead of us. Towards the end of the year, we were even higher. Although we wanted to be successful, we didn’t expect to be in this position today. Of course, we’ve put in tonnes of effort and so has MarineMax.

Were you surprised to outperform many of the long-established European builders, often regarded as the world’s leading luxury yacht brands?

Yes, this was a surprise to us, especially in such a short time. Of course, we’ve had a lot of success because of MarineMax but it’s also because of our product. For five years, we’ve been probably the most innovative yacht builder in the world and we’re very happy with the position we’re in today.

Last November, we were also very proud when Galeon was recognised for its ‘regional growth plans’ at the Boat Builder Awards in Amsterdam. It’s one of the IBI’s most important awards and it was for the company and its growth, not our yachts.

Galeon is represented by MarineMax in the US, now the builder’s biggest market

A leading executive at one of the world’s leading motor yacht builders told me, “Galeon makes us all look like dinosaurs”. Can the company maintain its reputation for innovation?

Definitely. At Galeon, we believe that to be successful, we cannot stop, that’s for sure. We need to find new solutions, new innovations and we’re constantly working on new projects. This year, we’ll be launching a new 700 Skydeck, which will be based on the same hull as the 680 Fly, but with a completely different superstructure and more sporty design.

We’re working on a new 800 that will be our biggest boat and take the place of the 780 Crystal, which is not so appealing anymore because of all the innovations on our newer models. For example, the flybridge on the new 680 is bigger than that on the 780!

We’re also working on projects for 2021. Overall, we’re working on nearly nine projects right now. We’re changing the 420 Fly into a 440, the 550 Fly needs to develop as well, and there are also drawings of an 86ft project, although that may only be ready in two years’ time.

Asiamarine sales in 2019 included a 640, featuring Galeon’s iconic drop-down sides

Are you still working with British designer Tony Castro on these new projects?

Yes, we’re continuing to work with Tony Castro, although I need to say that many of the new ideas and designs come from the owner of Galeon Yachts (Jacek Kobylko), who’s the son of the company founder (Wieczyslaw Kobylko).

Our owner’s biggest strength is probably his love of yachts, the product, especially the design. He spends a lot of his time on drawings, details and new ideas, not on the production line or dealer network – that’s my job. He puts his ideas on paper and suggests some to Tony Castro, asking him to design them professionally.

Some of these first ideas are pretty crazy and sometimes Tony Castro says, ‘I’m not sure that we can do it, to be honest’. The owner says, ‘Let’s look at it, try it, because we make it all in-house anyway, so even if the idea doesn’t work, we can say we tried’. That’s his philosophy.

How much of Galeon’s yachts are built in-house in your two sites in Gdansk?

We build 99 per cent of our boats in-house – we only buy engines and a few other ready-made parts, like every yacht manufacturer has to. But we barely have any sub-contractors – I have one company that does external covers for the boats, that’s all. Everything is done in-house – hulls, wood work, stainless steel, aluminium, all the mechanical, hydraulic and electrical systems, and so on.

Galeon operates two production sites in Gdansk on Poland’s north coast

So, the most rewarding feedback I still get from clients who use our boats a lot and travel for long distances, is that we build really strong, solid boats. Some boatbuilders forget that yachts need to survive at sea, not only have a nice design and look great. We focus on building seaworthy boats with a strong hull because we know our boats need to go through different conditions. We live next to the Baltic Sea in northern Europe, so we have very good experience of tough conditions.

Do you have any plans to develop your facilities?

We have an investment plan for the next five years that includes new machinery, although this also depends on the economy and market stability.

This year, we’re going to start the construction of a new winter storage, which will be the biggest in our part of the Baltic Sea. We’re also considering to extend it and combine the winter-season storage with a year-round showroom of our boats. It’s a new idea and may bring us a lot of benefits. We always have boats coming off the production line awaiting transportation, so they can be put into the showroom for potential clients. We can even use some of our clients’ boats during certain times, so we can have models year-round.

We’ve been waiting a long time for construction permission and documentation, and now that we can start, we hope to finish the winter storage by the end of 2020 or early 2021.

Galeon will develop a storage facility and showroom at its riverside facility

How is Galeon’s business in Asia, where you’re represented by Asiamarine, as well as Asia Marine in Thailand?

Our business with Asiamarine is growing, for sure, and it has recently doubled. We’ve been working together to develop the market and our brand in Asia. There have been a lot of efforts by Asiamarine and we can see what they’ve done.

Now, I have feedback that our brand is increasingly recognised and visible, plus there’s more interest from existing and potential owners. We can see this by the orders. We had good sales in 2019, pretty good orders for 2020 and already for 2021. We’ve been surprised by Vietnam as a new market.

Asiamarine Driving Galeon Sales in Region; Numarine Hires Karl Gilding
Asiamarine Driving Galeon Sales in Region; Numarine Hires Karl Gilding SHARE Share on facebook Share on linkedin Asiamarine sales confirm that Galeon motor yachts from Poland continue to prove popu...

I need to get out to Asia more myself, but I’ve got a couple of other places to go first, such as to support some new dealers in the Middle East and North Africa.

How are your sales in Europe?

In our size category for inboard motor yachts, we were recently No. 2 in France, No. 1 in Germany, No. 1 in Russia and we’re growing in the UK, which is a very difficult market for us because they have their own brands. Clients are usually very proud to own boats built in their own country, but we can see good results there. I’m happy about this. We’re also growing in the Balearics, like Majorca.

The 640 Fly features an innovative windscreen door and walk-through foredeck

So, where’s the big potential?

Scandinavia. It’s a good market, but somehow, we lost our share. We were quite strong before the crisis in 2008 and 2009, but we’ve had difficulty coming back. It’s one of the regions I have to focus on in the next year or two.

What about Australia and New Zealand?

We started in 2018 in Gold Coast and now we have four locations: three in Australia – Gold Coast, Sydney and Perth – and one in New Zealand, so I’m happy.

Considering your growth in recent years, what do you need to match the best-known luxury yacht brands, who have been long established across the world?

Now, we need time. Time to prove that we can be stable after such strong gains in the last few years and that we can keep up with demand. We need to ensure we maintain our reputation for production quality and after-sales service for our clients. We need to keep a good relationship with all our dealers.

Galeon’s 425 HTS was showcased at Boot Dusseldorf in 2019

If we can prove over the next couple of years that we can maintain this position, then it will be visible to clients and our competitors that we belong in the top league along with the best-known brands in the market, who are so well established and have a much longer history than Galeon.

At the same time, we need to work on new projects because new designs and innovation are among our strengths.

I’m not sure we need to keep trying to be bigger, bigger and bigger. For a short period, maybe it’s better to be more stable and establish some frameworks. We grew a lot in the last four years and now we need to show people that we’re here to stay.

www.galeon.pl

www.asiamarine.com

The original article appears in Yacht Style Issue 52 (click image below)
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Yacht Style Issue 52: Asia's Top Builders, Reviews & More
Yacht Style Issue 52 profiles Asia's top builders and features Amels, Galeon, Burgess, Lady Azul, Lurssen, Fairline, Sunseeker and Bali.

BNP Paribas Wealth Management Focuses on ‘Green Yacht Financing’

Leaders / yachtstyle2020

BNP Paribas Wealth Management Focuses on ‘Green Yacht Financing’

March 16, 2020
2:56 am

Arnaud Tellier explains that BNP Paribas Wealth Management is a global leader in yacht financing due to its focus on financial sustainability.

What type of clients does BNP Paribas Wealth Management have in Asia?

We have a good mix of top-tier tycoons and family offices, ultra high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs) and high-net-worth individuals (HNWIs) from Hong Kong, mainland China, Taiwan, Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Thailand and India.

Arnaud Tellier, CEO, Asia Pacific, BNP Paribas Wealth Management

The BNP Paribas global banking group has been present in Asia for nearly 160 years, so our penetration of top tycoons is significant and growing in each of our chosen markets.

BNP Paribas Wealth Management benefits from the stability, global capabilities and high-end positioning of BNP Paribas, making us an attractive proposition for wealthy entrepreneurs and their families.

We are constantly seeking innovations to capture the evolving needs and tastes of Asia’s wealthy individuals, and in response to the rapid growth in UHNWIs, we’ve increased investments in our coverage teams.

What are the bank’s leading asset groups? How does yacht financing fit in?

Our in-house strengths range from equity, fixed income, FX, funds, structured products and discretionary portfolio management to more specialised offerings such as sustainable investments, European real estate, private debt and equity, French vineyards and also financing for asset classes such as superyachts, business jets and properties.

How does the bank support financing for such large assets?

BNP Paribas has a very strong credit culture relative to other wealth management players. This means that at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, we are not only knowledgeable in financing for complex equity transactions – such as superyachts, private jets, property – but we are also happy to support them with our own balance sheet.

The high calibre of our in-house credit structurers and our penchant for risk management mean our clients’ credit lines are supported by a bank that understands them.

How important is financial sustainability to the bank?

BNP Paribas has strategically and fully integrated the practice of sustainability into the very fabric of our organisation. We see sustainability as a driver of long-term, responsible business growth for both our clients and our franchise.

“There’s increased understanding of sustainable investments among private clients.”

Helping clients, employees and stakeholders make a positive impact on the environment and the society is one of the pillars of BNP Paribas’ strategy. We are an early mover in championing sustainability and impact investing in all the group’s business lines.

BNP Paribas Group was proud to be named the world’s best bank for sustainable finance at Euromoney Awards for Excellence 2018, as it shows that our peers and the industry have recognised our efforts to instil a sustainable culture internally and at all levels of product and service delivery.

We’re also delighted that there’s increased acceptance and understanding of sustainable and environmental, social and governance (ESG) investments among private clients.

In fact, since 2016, the Wealth Management team and our clients have been key participants at BNP Paribas’ annual Sustainable Future Forum in Singapore, a top pan-Asia conference on sustainable finance which has gained prominence on the global stage not only for its relevance and influence but also because of the strong credibility of BNP Paribas as a host.

As a leading global private bank, BNP Paribas Wealth Management is conscious of the fact that the banking industry needs to play a part in forging green finance. And being a leader in financing yacht owners for over a decade and building an outstanding track record, we are at the forefront of making sustainability a key part of our value proposition.

How does this focus on green finance affect yacht-financing clients?

We have put in place special credit programmes to advance the agenda for financing environmentally-friendly yachts, with green certification and/or scientific research functionalities; owners who are willing to offset the carbon emissions of their yachts; and owners who are committed to invest their asset under management with BNP Paribas Wealth Management into positive impact funds.

We expect all product lines within BNP Paribas Wealth Management to champion sustainability among our clients. Our shipping and yacht financing team are also contributing actively, with innovative structures like positive incentive loans or to offset part of clients’ emissions by investing in low-carbon products.

These and many upcoming initiatives enable us to move a step further to support our planet. We have been a steadfast supporter of building the sustainability ecosystem in Asia through organising and participating in various industry initiatives and events, sharing best practices as well as increasing educational events to raise awareness. We shall continue to engage our clients on sustainability.

You’ve also teamed up with a leading environmental expert.

In Asia, we began a partnership last year with Craig Leeson, the award-winning film-maker, storyteller and environmental expert who, through his movie A Plastic Ocean, has brought into focus the perils of plastic pollution in our oceans.

What else should readers know about BNP Paribas Wealth Management?

One of our key competitive advantages is our ‘One Bank’ approach, an integrated banking model that offers clients a full range of investments, business solutions and family services, including wealth planning, trust and insurance referral and individual philanthropy.

What does the future hold for the Wealth Management division in Asia?

BNP Paribas Wealth Management Asia continues to be a key growth area for BNP Paribas Group. This year and beyond, we are embarking on projects to enhance our client service, development of sustainable revenue sources, empowerment of people, simplification of processes, talent management, discipline and efficiency, and delivering more value to clients from our ‘One Bank’ platform.

www.wealthmanagement.bnpparibas/asia

Arnaud Tellier is CEO, Asia Pacific at BNP Paribas Wealth Management and is responsible for defining and implementing the strategic objectives for the wealth management franchise in Asia. This position follows his most recent role as Head of Wealth Management, Singapore and Southeast Asia. He has held prior leadership roles as Head of Investment Services, Asia from 2015-2018 and CEO, BNP Paribas Wealth Management in Singapore from 2013-2015. Tellier has spent more than 20 years in capital markets and senior positions in Corporate and Investment Banking, as well as Wealth Management, across Europe and Asia. Tellier has held senior positions within the Group in London, Paris and Madrid. In 2002, he was appointed Regional Head of Corporate and Investment Banking – Northern & Central Europe and from 2006-2010, the CEO and Country Head for Greece. Tellier was Head of Corporate and Investment Banking for Turkey from 2010-2013.