The leading yacht and luxury show in Asia, the Singapore Yacht Show, took place at ONE ̊15 Marina Sentosa Cove from 11 April – 14 April. The ninth edition of the show this year received 16,000 visitors (with more than a half from overseas) along with 87 yachts and over 150 brands.
The four-day celebration of the yachting lifestyle comprised glamorous yacht parties, diverse watersports experiences, gourmet eateries, bustling bars and show-stopping supercar parades. Potential buyers and charterers came from all around the Asia Pacific region, from as far away as Japan, China and Australia.
Yachts and boats lineups of this year’s edition included Azimut Yachts, Boat Lagoon Yachting, Ferretti Group, Hong Seh Marine, Princess Yachts, ProMarine, Simpson Marine, Sunseeker and others.
The show saw over 30 local and regional yachting premieres from the world-leading brands. For instance, SilverYachts and Espen Oeino unveiled their brand new superyacht catamaran line, 35-metre ‘SpaceCat’ power catamarans, with their construction beginning in China next month.
The Princess Yachts, the show’s longtime supporter, represented by local dealer Boat Lagoon Yachting, showcased a 13-strong fleet and 3 regional premieres. Kiran Haslam, Marketing Director of Princess Yachts commented:
Our commitment to this show and to the region is clear, demonstrated by us having more yachts on display here than even at the big Cannes show in September. We are seeing a real emergence of the South East Asian market and an increased excitement and enthusiasm for yachting.
The organisers report, visitor footfall over the weekend was well up on last year even though there were several other major events happening concurrently, such as the opening of the Jewel Centre at Changi Airport, the Presidential Elections in Indonesia and Songkran festival in Thailand.
Marine Italia reported the sale of at least two yachts in the first two days alone. The company’s Executive Director Paul Grange highlighted:
We are delighted by the activity levels and results that we have achieved since we’ve started representing Azimut in Singapore in 2018. With three Azimut Yachts sold in the run-up to the Singapore Yacht Show and a further two yachts sold during the show, it is clear that there is a genuine demand for Azimut’s truly Italian Yachts in the region.
Returning exhibitor Leopard Catamarans, presenting four boats this year, also noted an increased amount of interest in sailing catamarans, in particular the newly launched Leopard 50.
Andrew de Bruin, General Manager of Multihull Solutions, the dealer for Fountaine Pajot, reported another successful showing with the sale of three yachts, including one of the Fountaine Pajot Alegria 67 sailing catamarans which was making its Asian debut.
Longtime supporter Simpson Marine, showcasing a massive 16-strong fleet – their largest ever display, and a record for any single exhibiting company in the history of SYS – featured two Asian premieres from Sanlorenzo, three from Lagoon and one from Beneteau, as well as displays from Monte Carlo Yachts and Aquila.
Singapore-based dealer Hong Seh Marine reports on the quality of clients visiting the Show, with people coming to look at a variety of yachts, from the small Boston Whalers, mid-sized Riva Yachts, all the way up to large custom build yachts by the Ferretti Group.
Other major global yachting brands and builders were celebrated at the 15th edition of the Asia Boating Awards held at The Capitol Kempinski Hotel prior to the opening of the Show.
There, Dutch superyacht builder Amels was awarded Best Semi-Custom-Built Yacht (above 120ft) for the recently delivered Volpini 2, while Sunseeker picked up the Best Sportscruiser (above 55ft) award for the Sunseeker 74 Sport Yacht.
Italian powerhouse builders Monte Carlo Yachts and Riva Yacht were awarded Best Flybridge Yacht (above 55ft to 80ft) and Best Flybridge Yacht (above 80ft to 110ft) respectively for the MCY 70 and Riva 110 Dolcevita.
Meanwhile, organisers Verventia strongly believe in the potential for leisure boating businesses in the region, and are constantly seeking to improve the show experience and the return on investment for exhibitors and sponsors.
In the conclusion, Wade Pearce, Show Director of Singapore Yacht Show said:
We put everything into making the Singapore Yacht Show work, so it’s good to hear that it continues to contribute to the development of the industry in Asia. Feedback from participants tells us what we’re doing right and what we need to change. In that way, the Show hopefully strengthens every year, and we are making some big changes for our 10th Anniversary Edition next year.