In recent years, Asia has rapidly become one of the major territories active in the yachting industry. Thus, after a series of yacht-related acquisitions led by Chinese beneficiaries, 87 percent stake in the Feretti Group is owned by Chinese conglomerate Weichai Group; Dalian Wanda Group was announced to buy a 91,8% stake in Sunseeker Yachts; Lai Sun Group acquired 49.9% of Camper and Nicholsons International for €13 million. Still, according to Bloomberg research, the optimistic forecasts on the development of the yachting market in China turned out to be erroneous.
According to Boat International Media, there are only three confirmed Chinese owners from the TOP-200 of the largest yachts in the world, despite the fact that no other country can boast such a large number of billionaires. The Chinese rich actually do spend money collecting the best works of art, buying sports teams and golf courses. Nonetheless, big vessels remain taboo for them.
Hong Kong broker Eric Noyel from Asia Marine Yacht Services Ltd reports that finding takers for even a modest-size superyacht has now proved almost impossible in China, although only 7 years ago, the China Cruise & Yacht Industry Association predicted a boost on the local market. They stated, there would be 100,000 luxury vessels in China by 2020, raising from 3,000 back in 2012.
Delphine Lignières, chief executive officer of China Rendez-Vous, which runs the boat show in Sanya, says China’s yachting ambitions were suppressed as a side effect of an anticorruption campaign.
Yacht sellers did not anticipate the rapid take-off of Xi Jinping, who became general secretary of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party in 2012. Shortly, he punished over 100 thousand party members, as a result high-level officials had to forget about luxurious life attributives. Part of the propaganda, it has become almost a crime to flaunt one’s wealth in a public way, as 200 million Chinese citizens live in poverty.
Gordon Hui, President of Sunseeker Asia Ltd., which has been selling boats since the beginning of the 2000s, was forced to close three salons in China. Since 2015, he has not sold a single yacht for use in China, though still selling to mainland customers for delivery outside the country.
What is more, there are other reasons behind the choice not to invest in private yachts among the Chinese. The mainland’s coastal metropolises lack repair yards, equipment suppliers, and the rest of the costly support network that private yachts require. There are very few large marines there, so anyone who considers buying a yacht will be forced to moor in Hong Kong, Singapore or Phuket. Some locals even keep their ships far away in the Mediterranean.
In 2015, the rules for operating yachts in the waters of China tightened: now there can be no more than 12 people on-board. Given that a yacht of any size needs a team of six people, there is no room for holding big parties.
Furthermore, the coastal waters of China is a complex water area. In the North, pesticides, waste and chemical fertilisers have poisoned the waters. Qingdao, where the 2008 Olympic Games were held, fights green algae each year. South, in the subtropics, water is patrolled by law enforcement officers. There is a struggle for the disputed territory, and not so long ago, new artificial islands were formed, stocked with troops and weapons.
Billionaire He Xiaopeng keeps his 26-metre yacht in Hong Kong. But as his electric car startup Xpeng Motors consumes all his time, he claims to use the vessel once a year, more often deployed by his friends. Fang Yuan from Heysea Yachts explains, that it is a standard story, as once he visited a boat a year after delivery and found the mattress still packed.
Manufacturers have already noted that, introducing the series of yachts called Tai He Ban, developed by Ferretti. The series is distinguished through practically no places to sleep - the space is reserved for banquet tables and karaoke stage.
One of the few yacht owners in China was Wang Jianlin whose company Dalian Wanda Group took possession of 92% of the British Sunseeker Yachts. His 28-metre yacht was docked at Qingdao marina that he owned, as well. Still, last year he sold both the yacht and the marina where she was located.
Another example, conglomerate HNA Group Co,. used a 49-metre superyacht for charters out of Hainan Island. In January 2019, they sold the ship, fearing pressure from the government, which urged the company to find ways out of the debt trap.
Still, random sales occur here and there on the market. For instance, Simpson Marine managed to find a buyer for a 26-metre boat in China. Further, one of the recent highlights of the local scene was the launch of the 88-metre Illusion Plus - the largest yacht produced in China. In Hainan and Zhuhai, the government is considering building new marinas, although not large enough for Illusion Plus.
Motorboat Soaring, Abeking & Rasmussen's new 68.2-meter superyacht.In the coming weeks, shipyard and client teams will test Soaring navigation and safety systems in the North Sea, and then transfer the ship to their owner in April.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/EnFOQb2zKRE" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>The elegant exterior and modern interiors of the project are the design work of the German studio Focus Yacht Design. They can accommodate up to 12 guests in six cabins, including a master suite on the aft upper deck and an additional five cabins on the main deck. On the owner’s deck there is also a library and a private aft deck with seating areas.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/Z5uy_p9GJZY" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>The upper deck of Soaring has a master suite with a private owner's aft deck and library. The remaining 5 guest yacht cabins will be located on the main deck and served by a team of 17 people.
February 14, 2020
Lurssen, Oceanco, Feadship, Nobiskrug and Benetti- pioneers in the stable supply of large yachts.A significant Nobiskrug project is the 142.8-meter S / YA, the largest supporting sailing yacht built for Andrei Melnichenko.Work on the project began in 2008. Then eight designers were invited to present their versions of the world's largest sailing yacht. The Frenchman Jacques Garcia won the competition, but later, due to concerns about progress in the development of the project, the customer decided to change the designer. So Philip Stark joined in on Sailing Yacht A.<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/f3A6-mtdePQ" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen></iframe>The three-masted sailing-motor yacht "A" has a maximum length (LOA) of 142.81 meters, a maximum width of 24.88 meters, an 8-meter encapsulated keel and a displacement of approximately 14,224 tons.To bring together such unusual architectural and design ideas. The choice fell on the Nobiskrug yard in Germany.The Dutch company Dykstra Naval Architects acted as developers of the hull and keel. The designer of three huge 91-meter masts was Magma Structures from the UK, with Future Fiber from Valencia creating the geeks for them and the sails from Doyle Sails from the USA.The massive hull and superstructure of the yacht are made of steel; to reduce weight, some of their elements are made of carbon fiber.From the significant projects Benetti should point out the 108-meter IJE, delivered in 2019 for the Australian billionaire James Packer.Benetti IJE - one of three yachts more than 100 meters high, built at the same time at the shipyard in Livorno, has a balanced and timeless exterior designed by the British studio RWD.The open spaces on board cover more than 1000 square meters and feature luxury items such as a separate outdoor dining area on the owner’s deck and a large family dining table on the main deck. There is also a 1.5-meter fire pit on the bridge deck.The interior was designed by Benetti's own interior design department. The apartments can accommodate up to 22 guests, there is also room for a team of 29 crew members.IJE can cover up to 6,500 nautical miles with its 345,000-liter fuel tank and reach a top speed of up to 18.5 knots using its two powerful MTU dual engines, each with 2880 kW. The yacht is also equipped with an Schottel Stern SPJ electric pump.
February 14, 2020
The 48 Wallytender X was unveiled at the Miami Yacht Sow 2020.Key features of this boat include extensive boating amenities, including a full cabin and shower for two guests, a galley with two refrigerators, one inside and one outside, and the Passarelle retractable model, which also serves as a swimming ladder. Hinged support sections increase the size of the swimming platform.This is the first unit in the outboard version with a deep Tyrrhenian blue finish equipped with four 450-horsepower outboard racing engines.They provide a maximum speed of 55 knots, a cruising speed of 40 knots and a range of 320 nautical miles. This range can be extended to 350 nautical miles at a cruising speed of 36 knots.Founder of Wally Luca Bassani claims that they were able to maintain Wally's strong aesthetic personality and many of the practical features already found in the inboard model, perfect to meet the needs of customers who prefer a boat trip.The change came after the third and fourth of 48 Wallytenders made their debut at the Cannes Yacht Festival last year after the acquisition of the Wally brand by Ferretti Group.
February 14, 2020
The new Princess Y95 closely follows the design style of the new generation Princess with flowing and sculpted exterior lines from Pininfarina and Olesinski, with a noticeable influence from their future X95 model and will be ready for delivery in early 2021.Princess reports that the volume on board of her new Y95 is comparable to that of a 30-meter superyacht, which indicates a well-thought-out layout and space-saving measures built into this new model. The hull windows, for example, are the longest and widest of their kind ever installed on a Princess yacht.The Y95 has a traditional layout with five cabins, in which the main set of beams is directed forward on the main deck, and another VIP cabin with full width on the lower deck with two twin and double cabins for a total of 10 guests. The crew's living quarters are located at the stern of the yacht and can accommodate up to three employees on board the vessel to facilitate long voyages at sea.Additional layout options are presented in the form of a jacuzzi on the sun terrace, in the main lounge-bar, in a luxurious beach club or for accommodating an extended crew.In terms of performance, the Y95 will be equipped with two Man V12 engines that are designed for a maximum speed of 26 knots, while the wave-piercing nose increases the fuel efficiency and seaworthiness of the vessel.
February 14, 2020
This year Baglietto shipyard will supply two non-standard yachts with an external design Horacio Bozzo.The Hot Lab in Milan was involved in interior design, and their first collaboration with Baglietto was put into production.Hull 10231 can accommodate 16 guests in seven cabins: two main suites and two VIPs on the main deck and three cabins on the lower deck, including a children's cabin, which can accommodate four people.The yacht is built of aluminum and includes a large beach club with a spa, gym and several folding platforms.Given the four cabins on the main deck, the galley was moved to the lower deck next to the crew quarters. There is even a lower deck communicating with the engine room with an additional cold and dry storage, a garbage warehouse and a laundry room.The Sky Lounge has a widescreen TV, as well as a projector screen that slides down from the ceiling to turn space into a movie room for the whole family. The fixed balcony overlooking the bow and stern can be closed from the rest of the hall by sliding glass doors for added privacy.The main materials are Thai wood and pale oak combined with off-white lacquered surfaces. Neutral tones are underlined by splashes of color for upholstered furniture.The total length is 54 meters and the width is up to 10.40 meters to create a sufficiently spacious 860GT volume for its total length.
February 13, 2020