Singapore Yachting Festival thrives after a successful Yacht Style Awards soirée

May 9, 2024
7:13 pm

Held after the YACHT STYLE Awards, the second Singapore Yachting Festival was notably bigger than the first edition and could feature timing changes for the third edition in April 2025.

The second Singapore Yachting Festival featured 72 vessels and 75 exhibitors (representing 115 brands), and attracted 11,500 visitors over the four days, marking a 25 per cent increase on the attendance for last year’s edition, also at ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove. The event was held after the YACHT STYLE Awards, which crowned winners in the marina’s Constellation Ballroom following the earlier announcement of nominees in 30 categories.

This year’s Singapore Yachting Festival line-up included Asia premieres of Sanlorenzo’s SD118, Wally’s wallywhy200 and wallypower58, HH Catamarans’ flagship HH88, Bluegame’s BGX73, Azimut’s Magellano 60, Fairline’s Squadron 58, Galeon’s 375 GTO, Saxdor’s 400 GTO and Leopard’s 40 Powercat, one of five catamarans shown by the brand.

Princess’s flagship sisters X95 and Y95 appeared at an Asian boat together for the first time, as part of a five-Princess and two-Jeanneau display by Boat Lagoon Yachting that included the Asia premiere of the Merry Fisher 1295 Fly.

The Sanlorenzo SD118 lined up beside the builder’s SL96A and SX88 superyachts in Simpson Marine’s six-strong line-up, which included the Fairline Squadron 58 and Bluegame’s BGX73 and BG42. On the penultimate evening of the four-day show, Asia’s largest yacht dealer celebrated its 40^th anniversary with an enormous, multi-tier cake and a six-litre bottle of champagne.

Simpson Marine had six yachts including the Sanlorenzo SD118

Richard Allen, Simpson Marine’s COO, said: “This event provides an ideal platform to showcase our exceptional range of yachts and services while connecting us with yacht owners and customers attending the show from all over Asia.

“As Asia’s main yachting event, it’s an unmissable yearly rendezvous for visitors looking to discover more about boating and access this one-of-a-kind lifestyle. In summary, it was yet another vibrant edition and we’re looking forward to the next one.”

The 56m Galileo, exhibited by IYC and available for charter in the Maldives and Southeast Asia, was the show’s largest yacht.

“It was an honour for Galileo to participate in the Singapore Yachting Festival as the largest yacht this year Andreas Stader, Galileo’s Head of Marketing. “We took pleasure in the opportunity to engage with a vibrant community of clients, brokers, and suppliers from the Southeast Asian region.”

Other superyachts included the 40m Silentworld (Iseo Yachting) and 36m Hye Seas II (Camper & Nicholsons), as well as the 42m Fu Ning, a bright-red traditionally designed wooden sailing boat from China.

The Yacht Sales Co had a strong presence at the show, exhibiting Dufour’s 41 and flagship 61 sailing monohulls, as well as Fountaine Pajot’s MY6 powercat.

Mark Elkington, CEO of The Yacht Sales Co, said: “As part of our strategic growth in Asia, the 2024 Singapore Yachting Festival was an excellent opportunity to increase our brand awareness in the region and continue to grow our client base.

“Overall, we’re very happy with the visitors and number of orders taken at the event. We look forward to being part of next year’s festival with the aim to display a more comprehensive range of brands and models for visitors to explore.”

Ferretti Group display, including Wally wallywhy200 (left)

VIP guests included members of prestigious car clubs and private clubs such as the Ferrari Owners’ Club Singapore, 67 Pall Mall and the Young President Organisation (YPO) Singapore chapter, as well as prominent C-suite executives, family offices, fund managers and business owners.

However, a common sentiment at this year’s show was the taxing heat, with the show opening at 2pm and temperatures averaging 30 degrees Celsius and reaching 34 degrees.

Show organiser ONE°15 Events Management, an SUTL Enterprise subsidiary, said it was considering “later show hours with more comfortable weather conditions” for 2025, when the show is scheduled to be held from April 10-13, with many exhibitors already indicating interest in returning and booking berths.

Leopard had five catamarans

Arthur Tay, Chairman and CEO of SUTL Group, said: “As the organiser of the Singapore Yachting Festival, I’m heartened by the tremendous support and positive feedback received by the yachting business community this year.

“With many who have expressed interest to return next year, we are committed to expanding the lifestyle offerings at the event, providing a holistic yachting and luxury experience for discerning visitors.”

Arthur Tay (third left) collects the trophy as ONE°15 Marina Sentosa Cove wins Best Marina in Asia at YACHT STYLE Awards 2024