New Launch Label

As we often hear people say the devil is in the details so in April I introduced a new label titled New Launch, this label replaces New Model tag for custom one off build yachts.  It is important to show a distinction between a one off custom made yacht and a production series.

A production yacht is usually made of fiberglass, but there is aluminum, steel, and wood constructions made in serial builds.  Steel and wood production build are mostly semi-custom, sometimes even to near a full custom.  Meaning that the outside and the platform used will be offered from the builder, but the rest is decided by the owner.   

Last but not least we have custom platforms, which can be changed in various details to suit owners tastes and preferred configurations.  This custom platform is mostly used in super yachts of aluminum and steel in between thirty to fifty meters in size. So in these situations the builder has the fifty meter hull, with options coming to bow design, stern type choice, and also to the decks one would want and how to spread them.  With this system more often then not a builder can also speculate build, laying the keel of the hull, and in this process of building start selling the project and choices coming with it.

Over fifty meters in size we usually enter in most cases full custom projects, when the owner starts from a blank paper and builds a yacht to his vision with his designer and builder of choice.  Although semi-custom platforms have been increasing also above this size from builders as Benetti, Codecasa, Heesen, but also Amels who for example with the 60 Limited Edition platform have sold five units, this followed by an 80 Limited Edition so far sold in one yacht.     

War in Ukraine

It seems the second decade of this millennium cannot be to peace with itself, and after a two year war with an invisible enemy, the Covid-19 Virus and its various variants, here we are in the largest conflict in European land since World War Two.

The economies of war are complicated and this time they come in a period already struggling with uncontrolled inflation, and supply disruptions as affected by Covid-19.  The boating market and the super yacht market are coming into this strong, with demand surpassing supply as it has never been seen.  

Still we have to wait what happens to this demand, with Russians today making an important part of the market of yachts above fifteen meters in size, as they do for super yacht above eighty feet.  Some builders are exposed to Russia more then others, and with all these sanctions being imposed and getting worse I cannot see how builders can really complete a sale with a Russian in the near future.  

It is difficult and strange times, and from a certain point of view beside the technology we have in our hands this war will slow down globalization and take back the World to the Cold War times.  Even if the War in Ukraine finished today, the aftermath and supply disruptions and the division on the global stage will be felt for years to come and possibly even decades. 

It is a global reset of things, but very different from to that we ever imagine, as it is one which takes us back to the past.

Returning the Flame

When a brand goes down and closes it is always difficult to return back up top and competitive, especially when most of your models are out of cycle, and looking dated and your main competitor does not leave any stone unturned in order to take away any shares in your market. 

This is in short what happened to Fairline in 2015 when it collapsed and closed its doors.  In 2016 with Russian ownership Fairline opened it's doors again, and restarted with the restarting of the 48 and 53 Targa and Squadron models. Princess on the other hand was re-inventing itself non stop since 2010 and updating its line with new models each year.  It was difficult to compete for Fairline with its main antagonist Princess, not to mention other competition from Azimut, Ferretti, and Sunseeker.   

In mid 2021 Fairline changed ownership with Hanover investments taking over the company and since then the company seems to be doing good things to return relevant in the current yacht market, especially in the size twelve to twenty meters.  

Since then Fairline has returned Derrick Carter as its CEO, and has also presented two important new models, a Phantom 65 and a new third generation Squadron 58 currently in the works.  Derrick was Fairline chairman for fifteen years from 1996 up to 2011, taking over from founding owner Sam Newington and guiding the brand in the new millennium with good resolve and guidance.  Under his watch some iconic Fairline models where made, some of which have taken the test of time very well.   

As for the new models the Phantom 65 is a no brainer to make since it is a sport bridge version of the Targa 63/65 launched in 2018, Fairline's  first new model for the Russian ownership and Mancini on design duties.  Beside the sport bridge there is other improvements as the possibility to put bigger engines, which was something of a limit for some to the Targa 63/65. The Squadron 58 has been missing in Fairline catalogue since some time and returns a successful model in its line up.  The first generation Squadron 58 produced from 2002 till 2009 was a huge success for Fairline selling over two hundred units.  Its replacement the Squadron 55 launched in 2008 was not the success Fairline imagined it to be, with that model becoming the second generation 58 in 2011, and then the 60 in 2012.  

A few bits and pieces are still missing for Fairline, I still think a small Targa of around twelve meters in length should be made, as is a flybridge of around thirteen meters.  For the Targa is no need to re-invent the wheel, and I think a couple of improvements on the old Targa 38 might do the trick.  But lets say the Fairline brand is finally looking to be heading in the right spot. 

Private Boat Shows 2022

Covid and its Omicron variant hit again hard in the end of 2021 and the Dusseldorf boat show 2022, following the spiralling cases in Europe got cancelled again for the second consecutive year.  It was again a hard 2022 Winter for the Boot, what is the biggest interior boat show on planet Earth. 

Seeing all this some boating companies choose to do a private showing of sorts.  Sunseeker for example did a private webinar launch for its new 65 Predator model.  While Princess did a private exclusive event at its factory in Plymouth, also presenting the new V50 and X80, along with six other models to selected clients.  

Private boat shows are always an advantage, in that a client is seeing only your product.  True to all this they are not new.  Some of the big brands have been doing private boat shows since some years. Azimut-Benetti Group has been doing its Yachting Gala event since 2007 always held in the beginning of the Summer season, and always presenting a novelty in this private show.  Ferretti Group makes its Wonderful Event at the Monaco Yacht club just a weekend before the boat show season opens up in Cannes, which also shows all the premiers which a week later will appear at the Plaisance.  US Viking also does its VIP Preview show at the end of January a couple of weeks before the Miami boat show kicks in.

Rebuilding Your Identity

The market has changed so much in the last decade that rebuilding an identity and style is something that some boat building brands will have to do, to capture parts of the market which are active, a lot more active then others. Currently the centre console market is creating such a buzz that many boat builders are trying to enter this segment.  Fiart from Naples, Italy did such a process.

Fiart was mostly known for its spacious sport cruisers of nine to twelve meters in length. Its 35 launched in 1989 which over the years became the 35/36 Genius model was a best seller produced for fifteen years, and the same story goes with the 40/42 Genius.  Fiart sport cruiser had design particulars that are still unfound today, from a flat cockpit deck, and three cabins option available on both the 35/36 as well as the 40/42 Genius.  These details for those that know Fiart still make them sought in the brokerage market today, and in the South of Italy they have unbelievable market strength.   

From 2019 Fiart started a process of rebuilding its identity with its Seawalker centre console line, which has proved to be a good move having sold its 2022 production mostly with this line.  The market has changed that building a sport cruiser to cruise with comfortable cabin accommodation for a family seems out of favour in current times. Up to fifteen meters the trend is for an entertainment day cruiser. Centre console with outside space from fore to aft and walk-around deck is what most customers want and can't get enough of, and seeing the record of successes from Fjord and Pardo the trend is not looking to stop any time soon.

Fiart was one of the first creating a European centre console with the 33 Seawalker in 2011.  The model had a moderate success at launch, but what really propelled Fiart was the new 43 Seawalker launched in 2020 which captured a lot of attention, and possibly also pulled some clients from the household names in the centre console sport cruiser segment. 

Supply Chain Issues

The boating and yachting market has returned to where it was in 2008 before the global crisis of that fall, and what we get?  Supply chain issues currently affecting global trade, which unfortunately also affect boat building.  It will be interesting how the boating market will be affected by this.  New builds whether of small boat builders might suffer the most, but even some bigger ones are taking the hit for the reason that they cannot expand how much they like.

Global trade is so much connected together, that a stop to something generates a shock.  The Suez channel seven day blockage of March 2021 is a reminder how even such an accident, affecting only one ship can slow global trade.  According to economic experts the M/V Ever Given blockage of the Suez channel and disruption of global trade, has ripple affects effecting us till today.  That was only seven days!

Supply Chain issues are a let down, especially in this expanding boating market, where one can see boat builders and brands enter an era of growth, which in a normal scenario would translates to more offers of size and type.  With these supply chain issues the successful results shown in the boat shows of Cannes, Genova, and Monaco made even the big builders extend there order book by time.  Yes 2022 is sold out for most, and 2023 is half way there, with the popular new models having to enter in 2024. In a normal market a boat builder would try to build more boats, in the 2021/22 everyone is making a step at a time and with extreme caution.

So yes it is a great time to build and sell new boats, but it is in the end a half filled glass, which could have been full, way much fuller.

Not a Hawk

For new boat building 2021 was a great year, with sales and order books being full as we have not seen since over a decade, and a new build will take you into 2023 and in some cases 24.  With this success of sales boat builders start looking at other sectors of the market, to enter or re-enter parts of which they left in the past years.  For Sunseeker it is the later, as in the Cannes 2021 boat show it presented the project for an upcoming 55 Superhawk.  The Hawk is back and bigger then ever is the title here.

The Sunseeker Hawk line was started in 1987 when the British boat builder launched the very modern and striking 37 Tomahawk.  An evolution in hull shape and totally different in looks of the 34 XPS Portofino the 37 Tomahawk started a series, and from there onwards the Sunseeker performance powerboat line started to feature the Hawk in its name.  Afterwards came the 43 Thunderhawk in 1988, 29 Mohawk in 1989, Hawk 31 in 1995, 1998 48 Superhawk which years later will became a 50, 34 Hawk in 2000 which became available as Superhawk 40 with surface drives and fifty knots performance, 2008 43 Superhawk becoming notorious for its orange Quantum of Solace James Bond movie appearance, and last in 2019 the still in production outboard powered Buzzi designed Hawk 38.   

Designed all with the exception of the newest Hawk 38 by Don Shead, Sunseeker designer since the founding up until 2010 when he retired, the Hawks had one thing in common up to today, they where slim, fast and in most cases with the large engine choice always had top speeds of more to forty knots.  The Sunseeker Hawk line was an answer to the Italians Bruno and Tullio Abbate, Cigala and Bertinetti, and Donzi, Cigarette, and Wellcraft Scarab on the North American side of the Atlantic, certainly with less speed but with a unique modern style statement, and more onboard comfort especially to the American Powerboat version.  

Many might not know but the pedigree of the Hawk series also came from the Cuv 38 aluminium hull, which became one of the most race winning mono-hulls in powerboat racing history, taking Class 1 title many times in the eighties.  The 34 XPS Portofino featured a Cuv 38 shortened hull, and the Tomahawk 37 was nearly an exact copy.

The new Superhawk 55, which is a superb project from many ways you see it, misses the Hawk.  It's performance numbers are not there, and the wide beam makes it more in line as an open Predator then a Superhawk.  38 knots performance does not cut it for a Hawk! Can Sunseeker surprise us offering 55 Superhawk versions with speeds close to fifty knots, the Hawk legacy the real one is surely asking for this.     

Custom and Series Builder Connection

Custom sportfish yachts and cruisers builders have been a success in the last two decades, not only growing in size and building bigger yachts, but also in order book, with these custom shops having a two year plus waiting list for a new build.  Today custom builders have a good share of sportfish yacht sales, most of which sell in the largest yacht market in the World of the East coast of the USA.  

Seeing this success it is a surprise how the design and expertise of custom sportfish yacht stays in that realm, and is never teased up by the production builder.  In Italy compared to USA a custom designer would over the years enter into production yacht building.  Zuccon started with Baglietto and after some years went with Posillipo and then in 1990 joined Ferretti.  Righini started with Falcon and Overmarine Mangusta and then joined Azimut in 1993.

There is sometimes a couple exception to this rule.  For those with a good memory might remember the last Ferretti Group Bertram stint in 2013, when the company gave custom sportfish yacht specialist Robert Ullberg designer and product development duties which resulted in the fall of that same year for the 60 project. Things turned out differently for Bertram in 2015 with Gavio Group purchasing the brand and the 60 remaining a project and a design.  Robert Ullberg has designed most of Paul Mann and Bayliss custom builds, and is one of the most recognized and appreciated designers for Sportfish yachts.  Another production build coming from a custom designer was the Ocean Yachts 64 Makaira launched in 2014, which was designed by Steve French Applied Dynamics, known for his work for FandS. Unlike the Bertram 60, the 64 Makaira was produced though it made it in the wrong time as a couple years later due to financial difficulty the business was sold.  The model though is still available from the current ownership. 

Year is 2020 and finally we have a new custom-production collaboration from Albermarle, who for its new sixteen meter flagship, join collaboration with renowned Carolina custom builder Spencer.  The new Albermarle 53 Spencer Edition is the largest build by the production boat builder who never went beyond to the 410 flagship model.  Unlike the Bertram 60 the Albermarle 53 Spencer Edition is going to happen with the model currently being in advanced stages of construction.  It will be interesting if following this we will see more Custom-Production collaboration, all depending on the success of the 53 Spencer Edition. 

European Centre Console

Centre console are increasing popularity in Europe, with two brands Fjord and Pardo taken the genre to new successes and creating a print of design for others to follow.  Pardo in particular has been immensely popular with its 43 model selling one hundred units in just a year from launch.

The European Centre Console has in the last ten to fifteen years become different to the American, with this latest starting as medium sized fishing machine, which at the start of the new millennium started to become bigger.  For a start the European CC has the deck reserved for entertainment, and the cabin space below offers more amenities.  Because of the more spacious cabin the European Centre Console has a higher freeboard.  This gives much more cabin space and for example a twelve meter made in EU cc will offer two cabins, or an open cabin sleeping four.  Another difference is that most European centre console are offered with an inboard stern drive propulsion first, with outboards option available.  The USA counter parts are all outboard powered, and very rare if any offer inboards.  Here the difference is performance, with European offers having a speed about forty knots, while the outboard powered USA models have speeds above fifty knots. 

Beside Fjord and Pardo, today we are seeing other European makers entering into the Centre Console. Cranchi has just launched its new A46 Tender, as did Cayman with its 400 Walkaround model.  Wally since a couple years part of the Ferretti Group has redesigned all its small sub fifteen meter models as a centre console, and are offered with an outboard choice.  Other new comers in the genre are Solaris, who entering into motor boating with the 55 to a lobster traditional yacht has since then started to offer centre consoles for all its sub seventeen meter models.  The Dutch Vanquish offers something in between to an open yacht and a centre console, and has also gained popularity in the USA.  

Azimut has a story of its own, presenting its first centre console the Atlantis Verve 36 in 2009.  The 36 eventually became a 40, with outboard power.  But the 47 launched in 2019 has changed the Verve looks. Outboard powered only, the Francesco Struglia designed Verve flagship has American performance looks, competing more with the likes of Cigarette, Intrepid, and Midnight Express.  Considering how performance centre consoles sell in the USA, the Midnight Express 43 is the best seller in its size for example, the Azimut strategy does make sense, as the Verve 47 has sold 45 units in its first year, and the upcoming 42 has sold ten units on plan.   

Beneteau Group who has always been in the centre console genre with the Jeanneau Cap Camarat range, which has expanded not little in the last years and today has the twelve meter 12.5 WA as flagship.  

A company which has also entered the genre early on was Fiart, this boat builder from Naples Italy presented the 33 SeaWalker intuitively in 2011, but after an outboard version was released nothing happened for some years.  That is until in 2020 when it launched the 43 Seawalker, with new Seawalker's 39 and 35 coming in 2021.   

Sessa has always produced centre consoles, creating change for the genre when it modernized its Key Largo range in the mid first decade of the new millennium.  With this it started to put the first input for the European Centre Console genre, so much is this that today most sub forty feet European outboard centre consoles have all that Sessa and Christian Grande influence. Sessa Key Largo range is still present with the company launching a new KL40 flagship in 2020. 

Collision 2021

We are at just half way into the season and the accident format for 2021 seems to be that of boat and yacht collisions.  A lot of collisions are happening at the start of 2021 and a few of them have been deadly.  When a day of fun ends in tragedy may be its time to make a review of how pleasure boating functions and if it has enough enforcement applied to it.

The sea environment offers huge spaces and unlike cars the distance of traffic between vessels is much bigger.  This gives the illusion of false control, and an impression that avoiding collision can always be done.  It is always important to be mindful of ones surroundings, the distance between other vessels, and to leave space especially in overtaking situations for a few options just in case the other helmsman needs to a safety manovre possibly to avoid some thing else he has in front of him in the water.

Boat helming is a pleasurable activity in its own, but being sure of our surroundings and driving at a distance to other craft is something one must do to ensure safety for himself and his guests.  Remember that instead of getting hard headed about having the right of way or being on the rules, the most important rule is that to avoid a collision.   

Becoming Too Exclusive

It is a pity to see in recent years Magnum Marine being mostly a service yard in Florida.  What used to be the most exclusive name in the Nautical World is now renowned mostly as a legend.  Yes Magnum still builds a boat a year, and the company has also launched the Sport 27 model a couple months ago.  But this is far away from the successes of the past, where with the 53 model the company sold over fifty units and till the end of the nineties was among the most sold sport yacht above fifteen meters.

So what went wrong with Magnum in the last decade or shall we say two decades.  I think one of the biggest mistakes is that Magnum has become to difficult in selling boats and has outpriced itself out of the market.  Yes a high end boat like Magnum cannot be cheap, and it is fair for it to be priced at the top end of the price range.  It is also normal for it to be a very exclusive product for the few.  But sometimes in all these things one has to strike a balance.  

We can look at the rise of custom high end sports fisherman in the last two decades; Bayliss, Jarrett Bay, Spencer, all with nice order books of three to five boats a year.  Are they priced competitive? Yes, compared to themselves but still more expensive to that of a production sportfish yacht.  A mirror  success is that of Italian builder Otam.  Otam strikes directly at Magnum as it is a direct competitive product, which has been doing very well. Consider that Otam has sold six of its 80 model, including the custom 85 GTS off shot from the same hull.  Magnum has sold only two, of its 80 with the first delivered in 2000 and the second in 2008.  I think the preparation of the Italian yard in actually serving the client for his custom yacht is one of the reason of the success.  Also Otam is not afraid to search in other market segments as for example they did with the SD35 in 2016.  Of the performance orientated yard only Alfamarine did something similar in 2003 when they delivered the fully custom 140.  

To be fair Magnum was not afraid to offer different products in the past and the 35, 38, and 40 used to be offered in flybridge and sportfish versions, and the 53 was also delivered in a couple custom flybridge units as well.  

Magnum is trying to relaunch itself in recent months, a dealer overhaul has just happened and the company has finally launched the long announced Sport 27 model.  A second unit with outboard power is reported under construction, and a plan for an electric power zero emissions version are in advanced stages.  The company has also showed plans for a fully outboard powered 44 Banzai model.  With the 27 Magnum seems to be more looking at its early Don Aronow past, rather the Theodoli one of high end offshore sport cruisers and yachts.  Question comes automatic if this is the direction Magnum should really take.

Leonardo da Vinci DNA

Sometimes I wonder if it was not for the Italians where would yachting be.  The Italians have been pushing the envelope in design and engineering in boats since pleasure boating started, and they seem to never stop.  Actually when you think they can't go any further here comes the next break through and again it is from the shoe shaped peninsula.

For the past months we have seen again the Italians push the envelope again, and while some of these may get the stick for being too different they do bring something fresh to yachting design.

A recent fresh revolutionary design comes from the Cetera 60, a new brand founded by Fiart entering into explorer and live aboard segment.  This explorer motor yacht, reinvents cabin space by putting all three cabins on the main deck.  With the top deck serving as lounge dining area.  

Another technical break though comes from Bimax who present a forward looking shaft drive system on an eight and a ten meter sport cruiser.  This system called Eco Drive System apart improving efficiency, also reduces bow angle at lower speeds.  

Sure some reviewer sometimes calls the Italians to much design focused, but really yachting has a big thank you to give to Italy and all the inventions they brought of a lot of stuff which today we take fore granted.   

Extended bathing platform and tender garage by Ferretti in the mid eighties, surface drives and propeller tunnels by Italcraft along with the variable deep Vee hull, full beam midship cabin by Versilcraft in the seventies repicked by Azimut in the late nineties, large windows in cabins by Azimut in late nineties, astern galley again by Ferretti in 2005, integrated windscreen by Pershing in early nineties, and Baia also being the first to use Arnesons trimmable surface drives on a production motor boat. 

What a Virtual Launch

The all virtual launch for the new Azimut 53 is something to admire and compliment.  It was so good that in a World after Covid-19 I hope to see more of this in the future, and this includes the pre-launch three chapters; Instinct, Flair, and Creativity detailing the project.  

To be true to history this is not the first time Azimut did a launch like this, with the known Italian marquee doing something similar, in two other important new launches, that of the Magellano 74 in 2009, and in 2012 for the 55S.  Both of which where also excellent and represented a turn around for the company.  But this new 53 had something better to the other two ground breaking models, which was in my opinion the Official Digital Unveil, which tops in quality, visuals, and description of the product.  The presenter Justin Ratcliffe and the location for the launch help not little to make all this a surreal experience. 

Other competitive builders should take note, and while we have seen similar quality launches in the past from the likes of the Ferretti Group, and Princess, I think the perfection of execution that was made for the Azimut 53 is something to take notes of.

Americas Cup Classic

The 36th Americas Cup is in full swing, with the Prada Cup ending on Sunday 21st February and Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team winning over Ineos Team UK, with a convincing 7 - 1.  This is the third time an Italian team and boat will be in the final of the Americas Cup, following the first of Il Moro di Venezia in 1992 in San Diego, and Prada Luna Rossa in 2000 in New Zealand.  The Italian Luna Rossa has been very consistent and has since 1997 never stopped competing in the Americas Cup, making it also in the Challengers final in 2007. 

As is with everything in current times even the Americas Cup had Covid-19 as it's protagonist, with the postponing of day three, which was supposed to happen on 17th February creating quite an issue due to a Tier Three lock down being enforced in New Zealand.  Interestingly the defender Emirates Team New Zealand also sided with Ineos Team UK, who wanted race to be postponed till the situation gets back to normal, going against written protocols to race with closed doors.  Ultimately Luna Rossa gave an ultimatum and racing reassumed on Saturday 20th.  

Now the Americas Cup challenge between Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli Team and Emirates Team New Zealand is scheduled for the 6th March, with two rounds of racing expected on the opening and another two the following day.  Luna Rossa has shown good speed in the challenger series.  Can she keep up with the defender? For that answer we will have to wait six days.

It's Still A Storm

It is still a storm, a rather rough one yet in it all this boating keeps taking it well and beyond expectations.  Some might have expected that with Vaccinations rolling out at the end of 2020, 2021 would have been a big jump to freedom and a return to the normal World.  One month later to all this it has been a roller coaster ride, with delayed vaccine production and distribution, and Covid-19 variants taking news headlines.   

Covid-19 keeps showing us that it still commanding our lives, and after a delay, Dusseldorf boat show has been cancelled.  If it was not for Genoa and Fort Lauderdale at the end of 2020, we would have had no boat shows to really talk about, in the last months.  

In all this here comes the silver lining, but shows that the boating industry is still doing well, and after we heard the news that 60% of super yachts above 24 meters production for 2021 is sold last month, now we hear that Boston Whaler announced that it is going to boost production by 50%.  In all this Boston Whaler is taking the Brunswick production facility at Palm Coast, previously of Sea Ray and unused since 2018. 

So it is a storm and it will still be, give and take up until the end of 2021, but boating unlike what was in 2009 and beyond recession it is taking it so far really well.  Might be something of a case study, but boating is still doing well mostly because it is a passion, a hobby which represents Freedom.  Freedom which this virus has taken from us.

Healthy Competition is Finally Here

MTU took the Yachting and Super Yachting World by storm when in 2006 it launched its series 2000 16V M96 2400hp light weight high performance diesel engine, which was later on in 2009 upgraded to 2600hp. This engine has since then dominated the planning motor yacht market from 24 up to 35 meters in length. 

A 35.7 litre engine the MTU 16V became a benchmark for those seeking a light weight and high performance diesel unit.  Since introduced the stakes in the top tier high performance powerful but light marine diesel engine has been dominated by MTU.  Someone thought that the single maker dominion of GM Detroit in the seventies and eighties era, was never to be repeated.  While the MTU dominion is segmented in the bigger sizes, it is still an impressive one, and also it was also a bit disappointing to see none of the other two big diesel engines makers; Caterpillar and Man enter into the fold.

Now after fifteen years of MTU dominion in this segment we are seeing a competitor, with Caterpillar entering this segment with the new Cat C32B, a 32 litre high performance diesel engine which in its first variant is offering 2025hp, with 2200hp and 2400hp variants being in advanced stages to start production.  This will bring some healthy competition to the two thousand plus horse power segment.  

While we are at it another diesel engine manufacturer Man is also reported of being in advanced development to prepare something in the segment.  Man was rumoured to being in an advanced of development to enter into a competition to the MTU 2600hp in 2010/12 but apparently the project which was rumoured to be a 2300/2400hp engine was slowed down, due to the economic crises of the period.   

Phase Two Winners and Losers

Covid-19 Phase Two is literally going out of hand, and we had quite a few boat shows getting cancelled last minute. The most important of these cancellations was the Cannes Festival, followed by the Southampton boat show. 

The Cannes boat show was annoying to the exhibitors as it was officially cancelled about one week before its opening, and Southampton got cancelled a couple days before.  The exhibitors had already everything ready to get going and considering that business was not that bad since reopening in late Spring and Summer everyone was excited going forward.  

Definitely this was a big lose for the exhibitors who pump money in the show not only for the stands but also for the booked space which on news being told will not get refunded. 

The Winners in all this was surely the Genoa boat show which took place in early October for six days, and was considered a successful exhibition.  The Genoa boat show managed to do the maximum attendants allowed due to Covid-19 restrictions, a number just less to eighty thousand, and apart all this reported sales contract signed during the show was the best of the last ten years.  I think the Genoa boat show had also a record of exhibitors in the last five years, and for the first time since quite a few years some boat builders which attended via the area dealer returned attending in official name.

Just started and ending 1 November we also have the Fort Lauderdale boat show going on as planned.  It will be interesting to see how this will pan out, even though rumours are that the show will have some important exhibitors missing.

Medicane Has Arrived

Each time we have a strong storm in the Mediterranean towards the end of Summer and Autumn the word Medicane has started to pop up. Medicane meaning for Mediterranean Hurricane is how the media has started to call these storms. But is this a new phenomenon or are we looking at media sensationalism. Was Rapallo 2018, and Ionian Greek Islands 2020 a blip, or we will be seeing more of these in the near future. 

Due to the particular layout of the Mediterranean, Atlantic type Hurricanes are very difficult to happen. The reasons are two, not enough open sea space for the storm to gather energy, and the global depth of the Mediterranean sea. Enters global warming, the rise in temperatures, which equals a more refined fuel for the storm to gather energy faster, making a stretch of water of couple hundred miles enough.

Yes and no. Late Summers and Autumn storms are nothing new in the Mediterranean. Even the same Rapallo had a very bad one in year 2000. Then someone decided later to that to redesign and lower the breakwater so that from the water front the Portofino hills can be seen. Enters the storm of 2018 which was stronger to that of 2000 and there you have the result. Past months Greek storm and damage caused most of the mayhem in the Summer semi-protected marinas, which are protected to various winds minus that one direction. 

Going a bit back in time and out of my mind we had other similar storms which did a lot of damage; Mallorca in around 2011, South of France a year or so after, and also one in the Eolian Islands in 2004 around end July. All these storms had winds beyond sixty knots meaning that in the Atlantic they would have been classified as a hurricane. So the reality is that Medicane or end of Summer Mediterranean storms have always happened and will continue to happen. It is possible that due to the rise in sea temperatures towards the mid-end Summer season they have that extra power in the present or near future. 

So if you are still at sea during these months watch out a bit more and when the forecast is called try and go to the safest possible harbour.

Respecting Your Roots

With many boat builders having thirty, forty, fifty years or more behind them I see little of them respecting there past.  Yet without it would they have arrived where they are now.  Your brand was actually created by that first model you made, and what followed after that and how each model represented a step in an evolution to improve boating for you and your clients.  

Some months ago in a video interview of Norberto Ferretti it was nice to see him say the story of how the first 38 model came into existence, and that the mould and boat was actually designed by Fabio Buzzi, for legendary multi winning Italian performance boat builder Cigala and Bertinetti, who competed for a Military boat contract which did they not get.  This 38 was Ferretti first production motor boat made in three variants over the years, and now I can understand why in the eighties the North Adriatic boat builder did get a fame for a solid sea-keeping boat, considering who was behind there first boat design and for what it was created. 

Fast forward to today and I actually like to see what Riviera who will celebrate forty years in 2021 is doing on its Facebook social media platform, with a brief story to come on each model it launched so far.  This posting started on 22 August with its first 38 Mark 1 model which launched Riviera and sold in 36 units in a six year production run before it evolved into the Mk.2.  Following this I would suggest Riviera to do a page on its website about all its previous models with some basic technical information and production run and numbers sold.  I would actually suggest this to all boat builders.  For those that follow Riviera, the Australian boat builder was already giving random historical model information on its monthly newsletter, which was my favourite peace of literature in the e-mail.  

This is not the first time a boat builder does this, Riva and Italcraft had similar data on past website versions, which unfortunately is not there anymore.  I think in the case of the above two, it is a double let down since both builders represent an important core of motor boating story and evolution both from the design and technical point of view.  While Ferretti did something similar during its fifty years anniversary some ten years ago, which unfortuntatly was removed.  Sunseeker does also give a short history which starts in 1999 on the website, but in reality the boat launched its first model in 1969 with the 17 Soverign under the Poole Powerboats badge.  True story in the official website Sunseeker also has a wrong photo of the 1999 to 2001 Predator 60, shown as the 2009 to 13 shall we call it Mk.2 produced version.  Then we have Princess which while not offering anything about its history directly, it largest dealer co.uk does offer a history of all the models most with a picture and some technical detail of what it produced since its founding in 1965.

Unexpected Boom

With all that 2020 has been so far, one would have expected the boating market to be in the worse situation ever.  But with the opening of lock downs in around May, the opposite started to happen, and boating sales have been very strong since then.  In some countries it looks like we are back in 2004 with sales being very strong.  

Brokerage used boats have not been so strong since many years, and new boat sales and orders are strong with many high profile international names saying 2021 is sold out in most models.  Many marinas are also reporting that they have not been so busy in years, and the same goes for the fuel docks in the major Mediterranean areas.   

This is an unexpected turn of events, especially if you see that in the media many see 2020 as the year of a global economic depression.  So what has made boating whether the 2020 Covid year storm so far in the positive.

I think the reply is Social Distancing and how a boat gives the freedom and independence few other leisure activities can offer.  Let's be fair that when you are free from the mooring lines and start cruising, even if it is for a swim couple miles away, or for a cruise around some nice new localities hundred miles away the sense of freedom and own control a boat gives has no comparison to anything else.  
Boating and yachting has many attractions but possibly the strongest one is that of total liberty and control that no other activity can give.