Bavaria Dealer under New Ownership
The Motorland Yachting GmbH, BAVARIA’s motorboat dealer for south Germany, Austria and service point for Croatia, has a new owner. Kai Pohatschka, businessman and watersport enthusiast from Frankfurt, takes over the company from Motorland founder Wolfgang Höly. Höly founded Motorland in 1989 and developed it into one of the biggest motorboat dealers in Europe. Beside the headquarter in Mannheim, Motorland Yachting has four offices in Augsburg, Lake Constance, Vienna and Pula (Croatia).
Ferretti Wins Best from Robb Report China
Known as “the Oscar of the Luxury Industry”, the annual Best of Best Award Gala organized by Robb Report China was held at Shanghai Jing An Shangri-La Hotel last September 24th. VIP readers, movie stars, celebrities, artists, top management of international luxury brands in China came from all over China to join Robb Report team and to witness the birth of dozens of new 2015 Best of Best awards, categorized into motorization (for yacht, car, and jet), lifestyle, fashion, and art collectors. All awards are granted to the best brands, products and individuals that contributed most to improve the lifestyle quality of Chinese upscale consumers in the past year. Among them, the brand new Ferretti Yachts 870 “Tai He Ban” Special Edition was awarded as the Best Semi-Customized Yacht. Ferretti Yachts 870 “Tai He Ban” Special Edition was premiered last May at the 2015 Hong Kong Gold Coast Boat Show. After five months, the Best of Best award is another great recognition by the Chinese market to embrace the “Tai He Ban” philosophy, which consists in yachts designed and manufactured by the Group’s shipyard specifically for the Asia Pacific customers. The ‘Tai He Ban’ layout, indeed, embodies the ‘Design Philosophy’ drawing inspiration from the famous Hall of Supreme Harmony, one of the most prestigious and luxurious palaces in Forbidden City of Beijing, where the most important official ceremonies were held in the presence of the Emperor and his dignitaries. This Special Edition, available across the entire brand’s fleet, was introduced to the market at the end of 2013. And in just more than one year’s time a wide part of the Ferretti Yachts’ range have been delivered in Asia Pacific in the “Tai He Ban” Special Edition.
Filippetti Announces USA Distribution
Filippetti Yacht announces its distribution in the USA with the head office based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Mr. Darren Datson and Ms. Monica Hernandez, partner with longtime friends, Fausto and Giovanni Filippetti to introduce the new Filippetti range of yachts to the USA market. The Filippetti USA team, states that the quality, performance, sea keeping and service will be the main focus in launching the brand. They will be working especially close with clients and brokers that take the same interest and passion they have for the Filippetti product, to launch the brand in the US market. Filippetti Yacht, is a shipyard with a series of ultra-high performance yachts, created by veteran shipbuilder Fausto Filippetti. Fausto is one of the cofounders of Pershing Yachts, a brand that has had a leading role in Italian leisure boating for over thirty years. Fausto's creation, Filippetti Yacht, uses nothing but the best, in every build. Plush interior designs, unique exterior lines, top of the line equipment and engine packages, the latest cutting edge design and technology, are only some examples of what goes into building these yachts. Filippetti Yacht constructs and sells three distinct luxury yacht series: flybridge (F series), sport (S series) and navetta (N series). Providing the yacht enthusiast with yet another high performance option, created by Fausto Filippetti. The new relationship in USA starts well, with a Filippetti F93 (F series) under construction to be delivered summer 2016. This 93 feet is one of a series of sleek performance yachts designed by Fulvio de Simoni and built by a dedicated workforce at the Filippetti yard. Construction of the S65 (S Series) for the US market, will begin in December 2015, for delivery 2016.
Gulf Craft to Drive Luxury Drive
Luxury brands in the UAE play a valuable role in cementing the country’s growth as a knowledge-exchange hub globally and regionally, says Erwin Bamps, CEO of award-winning shipyard, Gulf Craft. Speaking at the Meetings, Incentives, Conferences and Exhibitions (MICE) Middle East Forum 2015yesterday on Wednesday, 7 October, Bamps said networking “forms the pillar” of MICE events, allowing brands to not only communicate information, but also share experiences. A recent report from Bloomberg this year stated that the GCC MICE segment is currently worth USD 1.3 billion and indicated that it isone of the strongest drivers of growth in the hospitality sector. The UAE accounts for half that amount, generating about USD 653 millionannually, according to Euromonitor International. With a rich history showcasing its range of yachts and leisure boats internationally and in the region, Gulf Craft has a proven track record of making memorable impressions at the world’s most acclaimed yachting and leisure boating events, including the most recent Monaco Yacht Show and the Dubai International Boat Show. Premium brands can add value not only as participants or exhibitors, but also by enhancing the guest experience, according to Bamps.
Gulf Craft Promoting Awareness
The Middle East’s dynamic economy, growing affluent population, and flourishing waterfront developments make it a promising yachting destination, but Chief Executive of UAE-based shipyard Gulf Craft, Erwin Bamps, says more needs to be done to attract sea travelers to GCC waters. The Middle East is home to the world’s fastest growing Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) population and wealth, according to the 2014 World Ultra Wealth Report by Wealth-X and UBS. Both have increased by approximately 13 per cent year-on-year, nearly two times the global average, with a total combined wealth of more than USD 995 billion. The same report shows that the region’s UHNW population is expected to grow by approximately 30 per cent between 2014 and 2019 – from an ultra wealthy population of 5,975 to nearly 8,000. Speaking at the recent MARE Forum Monaco Yacht Summit in Monte Carlo, Bamps said the Middle East’s favorable economic environment presents great opportunity for the leisure marine industry. According to the World Ultra Wealth Report, only 3 per cent of the UHNWI population in the UAE has made its wealth through oil, gas, and consumable fuels, and the most significant source of wealth for the country’s affluent population is industrial conglomerates, at more than 20%. And with regional waterfront projects slated for completion over the coming years, including Dubai Maritime City and the Dubai Canal in the UAE, as well as Sabah Al Ahmad Sea City in Kuwait, there will be no shortage of water living experiences for holidaymakers. The challenge, however, lies in making visitors aware about these locations so that the GCCis not only a prominent market for leisure yachting and boating customers, but also a globally recognized destination. In the last 16 years, the number of cruise visitors to the UAE has increased remarkably – from 10,000 in 1998, to half a million in 2014. In addition, tourism is proving to be a key economic pillar in Dubai, posting 14 per cent annual growth, compared with the global average of 9 per cent, according to the United Arab Emirates 2013 Yearbook. However rigorous port procedures for traveling on water between countries still poses a challenge for GCC visitors as the yachting community continues to push for a Schengen-style system that would allow sea travelers to enter any of the six countries with a single visa.
Princess on Course to Profit in 2015
With strong order books after confident performances at the Cannes and Southampton boat shows, and currently marking its 50th anniversary, figures published today show that Princess Yachts has successfully weathered one of the most difficult years in its history, significantly outperformed its competitors and is on target for profit in 2015. Despite hurricane-force storms in February 2014 that brought chaos across South-West England and caused millions of pounds-worth of damage to facilities and stock at Princess's Plymouth manufacturing facility, a major programme of investment undertaken by the company will set a new standard for the industry – with six new world-class models launched in the next half-year alone. While other UK builders reported that adverse economic conditions badly affected their businesses, Princess's order book remained buoyant throughout the year. Princess Yachts' results for the year to 31 December 2014 show a loss before tax of £11,343,000 on turnover of £239,630,000 – equivalent to a margin of -4.7%. (2013 profits were £4,845,000 on turnover of £239,365,000 – equivalent to a margin of 2.0%.) This is considered by the board to have been an especially strong performance in light of the force majeure and its aftermath that affected the business for up to eight months. Indeed, the company was able to meet every order – and even exceed its 2013 turnover – with all manufacturing plans back on schedule by November 2014. Meanwhile, expansion of both M Class and S Class ranges of boats is taking the Princess brand into new markets and sectors, and heralds a resumption of normative profitability in 2015, while even more emphatic growth is projected for 2016. The company is also continuing to work with its insurers towards final settlement of claims arising from the storms.
Princess Leads UK Yacht Builders with Exceptional Marketing
Princess Yachts International, the globally acclaimed Plymouth-based yacht-builder, is marking its 50th anniversary with a new marketing campaign designed to bring to life its "Experience the Exceptional" brand platform. Premiered at the Cannes Yachting Festival in September as part of the company's 50th anniversary celebrations, Experience the Exceptional will be at the heart of every aspect of Princess' communication in 2015 and beyond. It was created to reflect Princess' peerless standards of manufacturing and its unwavering commitment to the very best of British design, craftsmanship and materials. Princess' status as the ultimate marque of British luxury springs from half a century of extraordinary achievement at its headquarters in Plymouth and across its manufacturing and development sites in Devon, where every yacht in the expanding range continues to be built. As much a declaration of the company's future as an acknowledgement of its distinguished history, Experience the Exceptional captures the spirit of a yacht-builder that never stands still, and is always driving the industry forward – whether through the latest engineering, innovation, technology and techniques, or customer service that is unsurpassed. Starting with new V Class, S Class and M Class products unveiled at the Autumn shows, Princess will launch a total of six new models for the Princess fleet within a six month period, keeping order books more buoyant than at any other time in recent years. Meanwhile, Princess' global website has been completely redesigned to reflect the Experience the Exceptional positioning, and its adaptive, responsive content platform, driven by a 200% increase in visitation from mobile devices, is now live. Experience the Exceptional is becoming woven into all the company's marketing activity heralded by a new look for Princess marketing collateral that was premiered at Cannes. Illustrator Jaume Vilardell brilliantly captured the glamour and excitement of mid-60s style – inspired by the Riviera spirit of Slim Aarons for a series of new visuals that stunningly expressed the founding vision of Princess for a fresh generation of customers and fans.
Sea Ray Honored with Four CSI Awards
Sea Ray has been recognized for excellence in customer satisfaction for the 11th year in a row, earning four 2015 Customer Satisfaction Index (CSI) Awards from the National Marine Manufacturers Association (NMMA) and bringing the company’s total to an unprecedented 63 CSI Awards. As announced by the NMMA during the recent 2015 International BoatBuilders Exhibition and Conference (IBEX), Sea Ray’s newest awards came in the following four categories: Deck Boats, Inboard Express Cruisers, Sterndrive Bowrider Boats, and Fiberglass Outboard Boats. Sea Ray’s wide-ranging portfolio delivers the ultimate on-water experience for every style of boater, and the CSI Award is further affirmation of the brand’s continued leadership in the powerboat field. Sea Ray has earned accolades from the industry’s toughest critics and in the most stringent rankings, including those of J.D. Power, the NMMA, the AIM Media Group and Boating Industry.
Tiara and Volvo a Vision for Innovation
Although Volvo Penta and Tiara had worked together prior to 2005, their relationship blossomed with the launch of Volvo Penta IPS. As an early adopter, Tiara realized immediately that the future of boating lay in the revolutionary pod propulsion system a unique alternative to the traditional shaft drive that offered unparalleled benefits. With this in mind, Tiara developed the Sovran 43 to coincide with the launch of Volvo Penta IPS. It became an instant hit and Tiara sold more than 30 Sovran 43 units, installed with twin Volvo Penta IPS500, on the opening day of the 2005 Miami Boat Show. The Sovran 43 still stands as one of the company’s most successful product launches to date. In the years leading up to these two milestone releases, Volvo Penta invited a select group of customers, including Tiara, to its Krossholmen Test Center in Gothenburg to trial the latest innovation and offer feedback. Consisting of forward-facing, counter-rotating Duoprop propellers, the original design of Volvo Penta IPS was like nothing the industry had seen before. Emissions were reduced instantly: directing the boat’s exhausts underwater and away from the boat created an odor-free ride, and the lack of long shafts and hull-mounted struts helped reduce overall noise level. The compact design reduced the engine room’s size, adding more space to the staterooms and living areas. In addition, handling and maneuvering were precise and responsive thanks to the system’s joystick driving. Fuel consumption in the original Inboard Performance System was also greatly reduced, and the boat could achieve higher top speeds and faster acceleration, in comparison to traditional shaft drives.
Viking Winning and Grinding
The 50 boat fleet at the recent San Juan International Billfish Tournament was comprised of almost 200 of the finest fishermen drawn from six countries. Amongst those battling for the big one was Carlos Ramirez and his Viking 60 Reel Affair. Reel Affair rose to the top of the leader board with four blue marlin releases which awarded Carlos Second Place Boat. Reel Affair angler Alberto Serra earned the title of Second Place Angler. Right on their heels was Rafael Marti's Viking 53 Pez Piedra. The Pez Piedra crew released three blue marlin for Third Place Boat.
Viking Employee Appreciation
The smiles were contagious at the Viking Employee Appreciation Clambake held in a mid October weekend on a picture perfect autumn day. Masterminded by the Human Resources Department, the Plant Engineering crew put in plenty of elbow grease to ensure that all the guests had a family fun day to remember. Every department pitched in to show the mutual respect, appreciation and camaraderie for fellow co-workers.
Viking Steel is Real
Building a better boat every day is no easy task, and a lot of maintaining Viking mantra is attributable to it’s plant and how it functions to get the boats built. This explains why visitors to the plant often notice renovations and projects underway while they are touring the facility. Our latest addition fills the gap between Buildings 1 (offices, metal shop, R and D, health services), 2N (production lines 1 and 2), and 3 (the wood mill). This new renovation to the plant will be completed soon, and will provide a climate-controlled 11,250 square feet of indoor space, specifically for the enhancement of the R and D efforts for developing new Viking yacht models. The 75 by 150 foot area will be fitted with a pair of computer operated 10 ton bridge cranes to provide flexibility and security when pulling large hull and deck molds. The electrically powered 35 foot wide by 30 foot tall exterior door is large enough to allow a Travelift to enter the building to assist in moving major parts. Other notable features include large window lines for natural lighting, a radiant heated concrete floor, an upper mezzanine area for Viking's Viglass fiberglass department, and a pathway on the main level from the wood mill into the production line areas.
Viking Cream of the Crop
Earlier this year, Earle Hall hooked the Big Rock Blue Marlin Tournament's winning fish on the Viking 62 less than 20 minutes after lines went in the water. Captained by Viking's Brian Komer, Earle's monster 680 pound blue marlin, one of the event's largest in this century, kept the top spot on the leaderboard for all six days bringing a solid victory to the Bluewater Viking team. Recently, this noteworthy catch also contributed to the esteemed honor of having Governor Pat McCrory present the Bluewater Viking Team with the 2015 North Carolina Governor's Cup Largest Blue Marlin award, in addition to the 2015 series' Largest Dolphin award, caught by Pat Healey during the Pirate's Cove Billfish Tournament. The North Carolina Governor's Cup Billfishing Conservation Series is an annual sportfishing series with eight major billfish tournaments held along the Tar Heel coast. The Series, managed by the Division of Marine Fisheries, promotes conservation, protection and preservation of marine resources.
Wider Appoints Technomarine as USA Representative
Wider Yachts USA recently appointed Technomarine Yachts as their South Florida exclusive authorized independent sales representatives for the Wider Express Cruiser Division. The Wider Superyacht Division range of yachts from 125 to 165' will remain factory direct. Technomarine will have the territories in Florida from St. Lucie to Miami-Dade counties with the exception of Broward County, in which Wider Yachts USA is located. Wider, an established brand in the U.S. and worldwide markets, with a very experienced management team led by Wider Yachts USA president Darren Datson, is expanding its presence in the USA. Technomarine Yachts formally Freedom Marine, is the yacht sales and charter division for the Techonomarine group, a company whose core business is the construction of luxury marinas throughout the world. The philosophy and vision at Technomarine yachts stems from President and managing partner Dennis Close, a long time veteran to the marine industry who has served in a variety of executive roles over the last 15 years with companies such as Rybovich, Cabo Yachts and Brunswick Corporation, among others. Technomarine Yachts is currently based in Old Port Cove Marina in North Palm Beach, with additional sales locations in Miami at Island Gardens at Deep Harbour, which is set to be one of the largest mega-yacht marinas on the east coast of the United States. Others areas include: West Coast of Florida. Further developments are expected as there are ongoing negotiations to expand the coverage area for Wider Yachts USA in the U.S. as Technomarine continues their expansion.
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