Abu Dhabi Yacht Show Charity Gala Dinner venue announced
Gulf Superyacht Forum 2010
Abu Dhabi Yacht Show Charity Gala Dinner venue announced - 20 Jan 2010 This years ADYS Charity Gala Dinner will be held at the Emirates Palace which is now within

Gain 10 CDP points by attending SMBF
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Gain 10 CDP points by attending SMBF - 14 Jan 2010 The Chartered Institute of Marketing has recognised the educational value of the Superyacht Marketing and Busine

14 Jan 2010
Gain 10 CDP points by attending SMBF - 14 Jan 2010

The Chartered Institute of Marketing has recognised the educational value of the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum programme by accrediting the maximum of 10 continuing professional development (CPD) points to the two day event.

The Chartered CPD programme is an international scheme acknowledging continued professional learning and skill development.  In today’s world, with increased global competition, the need to enhance your personal learning and career development has never been so vital.  CPD points are recognised against the Professional Marketing Standards framework and are an invaluable addition to your CV, your value to your current employers and your personal educational progression.

For more information on the Chartered CPD programme visit The Chartered Institute of Marketing website.

FarSounder confirmed as American Superyacht Forum 2010 sponsor.
American Superyacht Forum 2010
FarSounder confirmed as American Superyacht Forum 2010 sponsor. - 13 Jan 2010 We are delighted to announce FarSounder has confirmed as a Super Sponsor for the Amer

Keynote speaker announced for the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Keynote speaker announced for the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum - 12 Jan 2010 The SuperyachtEvents team is pleased to announce Professor Merlin Stone as

12 Jan 2010
Keynote speaker announced for the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum - 12 Jan 2010

The SuperyachtEvents team is pleased to announce Professor Merlin Stone as the keynote speaker at the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum, in February.  Delegates will hear Merlin addressing the ways in which the world economy will effect us as an industry in the next 18 months and how we must react to impending changes.

The session will give an overview of managing the inevitable change and the importance of customer management throughout the process – obvious issues that the superyacht industry has perhaps over looked in the boom of recent years?

 
With an incredible list of achievements, including the honour of being listed by the UK’s Chartered Institute of Marketing as one of the world’s top 50 marketing thinkers, nominated as one of the 20 most influential people in the direct marketing industry in a Precision Marketing readership poll in 2003, as well as NOP World nominating him in 2004 as one of 100 most influential individuals for their input and influence on the development and growth of e-commerce and the internet in the UK over the previous 10 years, Merlin is one of the UK’s top marketing and customer management specialists.
 
He is also Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Marketing and an Honorary Life Fellow of the UK’s Institute of Direct Marketing.

Click here for more information on Professor Stone.

Co-chair for the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010 announced!
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Co-chair for the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010 announced! - 06 Jan 2010 The superyachtevents team is delighted to announce Simon Lambert from POINTA

06 Jan 2010
Co-chair for the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010 announced! - 06 Jan 2010

The superyachtevents team is delighted to announce Simon Lambert from POINTACTIVE as the co-chair for the Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum.  Some of you may remember Simon from the 2008 event where he delivered the rousing keynote address - motivating the audience with thought provoking questions such as ‘if you were to wake up someone from the superyacht industry in the middle of the night, say the name of your brand and ask what it stood for, what would they say?’

He also put together an essential list of 12 ways to improve your marketing strategy, which included points such as:

• Become great at targeting your audience to increase the efficiency with which you spend your marketing budget.
• Have the right attitude by keeping your eyes wide open at all times and staying positive even in a down turn.  
• Have an almost ‘illegally good look’ at what other people are doing. 

Read the full transcript from Simon’s keynote here.

As a freelance marketing consultant Simon, who has worked with some of the biggest brands in the world, will prove invaluable as the co-chair, steering the event while also helping to stimulate debate.  Click here for more information on Simon’s experience in the field of marketing.

Simon’s extensive knowledge and wisdom will further enhance the educational programme so don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to meet and learn from him, as well as other leading marketing professionals – register your place today!

Simon Lambert, delivering the keynote at the 2008 event

Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010– New Year, New Speakers!
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010– New Year, New Speakers! - 05 Jan 2010 Joining our already exiting and educational programme the SuperyachtEvents team

Abu Dhabi Yacht Show and Gulf Superyacht Forum moves to Yas Marina
Gulf Superyacht Forum 2010
Abu Dhabi Yacht Show and Gulf Superyacht Forum moves to Yas Marina - 22 Dec 2009 The second edition of the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show (ADYS) is to be staged at the spect

Marsh USA confirm as American Superyacht Forum 2010 sponsor
American Superyacht Forum 2010
Marsh USA confirm as American Superyacht Forum 2010 sponsor - 14 Dec 2009 We would like to announce Marsh USA as a Super sponsor for the American Superyacht Forum

Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010 – New Speakers Announced!
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010 – New Speakers Announced! - 10 Dec 2009 The Superyachtevents team is thrilled to announce some of the best marketing m

Discounted Room Rate Available - Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Discounted Room Rate Available - Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum - 27 Nov 2009 Make sure you have registered as a delegate and booked your accommodation fo

Global Superyacht Forum: Day Three
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Global Superyacht Forum: Day Three - 19 Nov 2009 123 Day three of the event was focused on the issues and developments within superyacht design. With owners ofte

19 Nov 2009
Global Superyacht Forum: Day Three - 19 Nov 2009

123 Day three of the event was focused on the issues and developments within superyacht design. With owners often looking for something new and innovative, this subject is of course both an interesting one and of real relevance to companies as they try to gauge where the industry is going and what opportunities future yachts may offer.
The first presentation of the day was conducted by Ronno Schouten of Feadship, De Voogt Naval Architects with the impressive new 75m design concept: Durability - Designing for the Long Term - The Aeon Project. The idea behind this vessel is to provide an owner with every luxury and accessories that one might expect on a yacht of this size, but not at the expense of the environment. Schouten was at pains to point out that producing a ‘green’ yacht that does not affect the environment is essentially an impossibility, if an owner truly wants to have no impact then he should buy no yacht at all, or car, plane, house – all of which is bad for the industries involved. Instead the Aeon concept sets out to produce the lowest polluting and most environmentally sensitive vessel feasible. It still includes such exclusive features as a moon pool, underwater viewing window, indoor oyster farm but alongside the latest in green technology and energy efficient thinking. In order to judge the relative success of such a project the team commissioned a study into the environmental impact of a standard yacht using the internationally recognized Eco Indicator. Through this method it was calculated an average (75m) yacht produces around 20 million eco points (a measure of the environmental impact of a single person) over the course of its life (from construction to destruction). The Aeon concept reduces this to about 4 million, which is of course still considerable, but reduces the impact by some 80%.

Caroline Hillier / Superyachtart.com

Perhaps one the key points raised by Schouten was that while measures such as hull & propeller efficiency, crew education and eco-friendly practices do have an effect it is ultimately fuel use for propulsion and the hotel load that is the greatest contributor to environmental impact. Only by reducing this do we actually have a significant effect on reducing emissions, and even with that in mind it the propulsion rather than the hotel keeping that accounts for 78% of fuel use. This rather than any other area of running or building a yacht is what must improve if the industry wishes to develop greener credentials. To that end Feadship have invested considerable resources in investigating alternative fuel sources and developing what they consider to be the answer: algae driven biofuel. Using a reformer and this bio diesel, the technology Feadship are proposing would convert it into hydrogen and that into electricity, with the overall process said to be 50-60% more efficient than a traditional fossil fuel diesel engine. Combined with the use of new more efficient battery technology, solarpanels, insulation, reduced emissions (including C02, sulphur and particles) and better recycling, the Aeon project represents a real step forward to a greener superyachting future. Questions asked of Mr Schouten include the role of better hull designs, the time scale this might be achieveably built, other possibilities such as kite sails and other fuel types and the space required for this technology. In response Schouten said that while hull designs (as well as kite sails and propeller design) was important it only helped and were not a full solution, with this yacht designed to look and feel like what we build today but at a fractional of the environmental cost. In terms of time, it was said that some of the technology was in use, the rest had advanced to a development stage – passing the simple research stage. Feadship did consider other fuel types, but algae produced bio diesel was thought the best and most practical, with also having the benefit of freeing up space and making that room more flexibly used within the yacht.
 
The second session of the day was on Design Technology – The Future is Efficient, with talks from Maarten Sickler – Vuyk Engineering, Jan van den Brandt – PCS Global Automation, Hugo van Wieringen – Azure Naval Architects, Thijs Walraven- Graduate Student – Delft University of Technology/Azure Naval and Jaap Gelling – Damen Shipyards. Maarten Sickler started off the subject with a look into the solutions in design such as modular marine powerplants that allow greater design flexibility and the application of environmentally friendly considerations. Jan van den Brandt continued up this discussion with the alternatives for propulsion power and the space saving that can result. A more technical discussion then followed with Hugo van Wieringen and Thijs Walraven describing the need for a standard to judge the energy use and efficiency in yachts. An interesting point raised by van Wieringen was that we do need to make these changes, keep the industry acceptable to the wider public and therefore avoid any possible future draconian measures that could be imposed. He also highlighted that many owners now actively ask for energy efficiency and environmental impact (a view supported by Ronno Schouten from Feadship). With it important for the industry (and clients) to retain the independence of creating large luxury yachts, but with recognition of the wider concerns of governments and the public. The final talk of the session was on Damen’s new high speed Sea Axe, which is intended (for a 50m model) to work as a shadow support vessel to a larger mothership. The design process was described and the future potential of the design was discussed by the floor and Jaap Gelling. The overall feeling was that its relatively low internal volume precluded its use for the mothership itself, but there was potential for ever larger sizes (with a 65m shadow vessel being talked about by the yard and a possible owner).

Caroline Hillier / Superyachtart.com

After a respite and lunch the sessions started again with Shedding Light on LEDs, with the panel consisting of David Venhaus – Illumination Optics, Paul van Gelderen – Immen Consultancy, Nigel Savage – OceanLED and Chris Harris-Marsh – OceanLED. Paul van Gelderen led a discussion on the theory and technical aspects of LED technology, explaining that it was the development and use of phosper in the lights that allowed the technology to continue its rapid technological change. He also highlighted the need for good optics, thermal management and drive electronics. This discussed was expanded upon by David Venhaus who talked about how the lights are integrated into the design process and the types of products that can use the technology. The final part of the session was from OceanLED’s team who showed off how LEDs lights are tested for quality and durability, with Nigel Savage explaining the current state of the industry and where it might be going. Issues raised by delegates included the life span of LEDs and the problems of replacing the ones fitted to any given yacht in the future, with the type and technology changing so fast – will there be any spares in essence. In response the panel said the LEDs have a life span of approximately 50,000 hours or 15 years (depending on quality and usage), which is far longer than comparable light types. The problem of spares was acknowledged, and it was felt that the answer was to require specific answers from manufacturers and suppliers on the life span, quality and future of products bought. With it suggested it would be wise to buy spares at the start of a yachts life.
 
For the fourth part of the day the Design – A Virtual World sought to describe and suggest how new advances in technology may have useful applications in the large luxury yacht market. With a panel of experts including Kay-Johannes Wrede – Wrede Consulting GmbH, Tom H. Grucza – Wrede Consulting GmbH, Francois Mathieu – Dassault Systems, Petteri Vilanen – Napa Group/Onboard-Napa Ltd and Esa Henttinen – Napa Group/Onboard-Napa Ltd. Francois Mathieu of Dassault gave a interesting talk, with a video, on the uses of 3D design systems from the conceptual start of a project, all the way through to resolving engineering issues during the build of a yacht. The second section of the session was provided by the team from Wrede Consulting GmbH, who proceeded to highlight the uses and opportunities afforded by laser scanning in the yacht building process, with an emphasis on not only how it work but also how it could detect faults and serve as a useful aid to resolve engineering issues that may arise. In response to questions from the floor, the team from Wrede stated that the system has been adopted by numerous European yards and is very cost efficient, if one considers the financial penalties for late or substandard delivery. An interesting aspect of its use was also revealed, in that sometimes owner representatives request a full ship scan to ensure that the buyer is getting what he paid for. The final part on the subject was an overview by two members of the team from Napa Group on the need for damage (such as flooding) stability studies to predict and inform the best responses to given situations. The team showed a useful video of their work in recording the fluid dynamics of vessel sunk on purpose under scientific conditions. In response to questioning, the Napa team said that its purpose was to offer a live tool aid to Captains and crew in the event of an emergency, allowing the right informed decisions to be taken through a decision support system.

Caroline Hillier / Superyachtart.com

 

The final session of the day and whole event was conducted with a panel of interior design experts; Marco Struik – Struik & Hamerslag Yachtinteriors, Gianluca Ascheri – Greenline Yacht Interiors, Curt Biller – HF Interior and Burkhard List – List General Contractor GmbH. After such a busy and often technical three days of speakers and subjects, it was good to see that the majority of delegates had managed to keep going for this last part of GSF: Manufacturing & Production - The Living Space. Starting out with Marco Struik the listeners were given both an overview of his company’s working ethos as well the more general perception of where the interior design world for superyachting was today, and where it was likely heading. Of particular note was his comments that the global downturn cut short the massive under capacity in this sector he still believes exist, with too few train craftsmen and too many substandard operators. He also cited the problem of businesses working (or getting contracts) overseas, which prevents local ones gaining contracts at home. In his view this is a bizarre situation where prices are higher as many materials and skills are exported, with the superyachting industry only likely to become increasingly global this is a strange state of affairs. The comments of Gianluca Ascheri from Greenline serve to expose how their operation runs, as well as the process of working and the needs of any such business to remain a success. He pointed out that the globalisation of the industry was no bad thing, and in his opinion we are now on the edge of a wholescale change in the industry as more and more players emerge from the Middle and Far East as well as Latin America (particularly Brazil) to take a market share of a growing area. Curt Biller explained the viewpoint of design interiors from a refit company perspective while Burkhard List asked the question of the audience do we actually have or want an índustry as such. Questioning that with such custom clients and products is standardisation in design either achieveable or in fact warranted? A discussion at the end of the session highlighted the fact that pricing in metre squared terms for custom yachts in essentially unrealistic and that better prices can be gained through up front information at start of projects. As stated by Burkhard List "Project Managers are the best business cards" and as such investing in them and their skills is often the way forward.

Sally Williams / Superyachtart.com

With the final session over, the Chairman, Martin Redmayne, brought the event to a close by thanking the speakers, sponsors, Superyachtevents team and most importantly the delegates themselves, rounding off another successful and thought provoking Global Superyacht Forum 2009.  The day concluded with a Casablanca themed METS party for all delegates and exhibitors of the Superyacht Pavilion.

Words by Adam Turner

Global Superyacht Forum: Day Two
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Global Superyacht Forum: Day Two - 18 Nov 2009 Following a successful first day, Day Two of the Global Superyacht Forum was The Business and Technology Day. 

18 Nov 2009
Global Superyacht Forum: Day Two - 18 Nov 2009

Following a successful first day, Day Two of the Global Superyacht Forum was The Business and Technology Day.  The first session of the day was on Improving Standards and Quality of the Bidding Process - for New Builds and Refit Contracts.  The expert panel for this topic consisted of John Leonida - Clyde & Co, Nick Horton - Dorade Law, Michael Ahrens - Michael Ahrens, Ken Hickling - Awlgrip and George Whitehouse - Rybovich Superyacht Marina and Refit.  The main point under discussion was the change in the way contracts are now being approached and constructed - in the past there was perhaps a lot more reliance on trust whereas now there is much more diligence and emphasis placed on ensuring that contracts are secure and watertight.  Crucially, it is clear that it is apparent that this now happens from both sides with yards also ensuring far more so than in the past that their contracts with owners are much more secure - protecting themselves against owners, as well as the other way round.  In the past it was often the case - unlike other sectors such as commercial shipping - that yards would trust owners much more unquestioningly.  The change now is that they are now having to ensure that they are fully covered, and trust is not enough.

Caroline Hillier / SuperyachtArt.com

The second session of the morning was on Applications of Compensated Gross Tonnage.  We have had much recent discussion on Gross Tonnage and its value as an accurate measurement of what is being built by yards above and beyond other standard measurements and summarisations such as order books.  On the panel were Assistant Professor Robert Hekkenberg  - Delft University of Technology and Jeroen Pruyn – Delft University of Technology.  Under examination was the research and findings of the Delft University team who, at the request of SYBAss, undertook investigative work on the use of the application of class of cargo carrying vessels or ferries in determining the Compensated Gross Tonnage factor of superyachts.  Results of the investigation demonstrated that roughly speaking a yacht has around 500 times more value than a standard carrier due to cost, man hours and the money they put back into the economy in relation to GT etc.  Demonstrably, this method would appear to be a much better method of reflecting the value of yachts than standard measurements such as the LOA.  It would be interesting, however, if the measurements brackets of these methods were extended in this research to include yachts of 24metres and over, rather than focusing more on the higher end of the market (40m and above) as is currently the case.

Caroline Hiller / SuperyachtArt.com

The third session of the day was entitled Fire Protection and Safety - Chopping off the Ostrichs Head, with a panel of Adrian McCourt - Watkins Marine Services and Sven Länsberg - Consilium Marine AB.  This seminar set out reconcile the needs for good and hopefully universally safety procedures with the disparate and fragmented nature of the superyachting world – with so many isolated owners, yachts and management companies all operating independent of any one overriding governing body.   One of the key issues raised during the course of the half hour session was the need, and as yet distinct lack, of transfer of accident information that could then enable builders, designers and users to understand how to best combat safety dangers. As Adrian McCourt said it would seem that the unfortunate situation is that until there is a major accident and loss of life, there will be no real move to change the current status quo. Referring to other comparable industries such as bulk shipping, he went on to say that he believes there is a need for more openness and transparency for the benefit of all – discussing accidents and learning from them.  Questions asked of the panel included why aren’t the insurance companies making greater efforts to ensure safety, as they will have to pay after all. The response to this by both the panel members and other attending delegates was that at the top end (and higher premiums) of the insurance market this was likely to happen but ultimately you get what you pay for, “cheapest isn’t best, or it is until you claim” in the words of McCourt. There was also mention that it was in fact the role of classification societies to enforce standards and as pointed out by Tork Buckley, it is often smaller self managed yachts that need better regulation and access to accident reports.

Caroline Hillier / SuperyachtArt.com

The second paper of the afternoon was made up of The High Technology Sessions with 20 minute snapshots papers being presented the panel, the members of which were David Hallam - Quest International (UK) Limited, Will Faimatea - Bond Technical Management, Zeb Robin - Bond Technical Management and Jim Maclean - Proform Marine.
The session began with a presentation by David Hallam, who set out the problem of airborne pollutants, both biological and man-made. The obvious priority in this case is to use the best air cleaning system to safeguard the health of any if the yacht’s users. While standard filters, ultra violet methods and ionization have a role Quest have developed a new system that is designed to remove almost all damaging particles and resolve this problem. Following questions from the floor Hallam explained the effect of ozone on the boat and how the system broke down bonds in particles to make the non damaging. Will Faimatea and Zeb Robin then presented a discussion of the Jetstream internet live video streaming product, discussing issues such as reliability, performance and actual technical details on how the system operates. Following issues raised by delegates it was explained that multiple channels can be watch concurrently and that the bandwidth usage is minimal, in relation to other similar services. The final discussion was led by Jim Maclean, on the need and application of non lethal anti piracy measures. Specifically, this centered on the use of the Lasersec device, which can be mounted or hand held and produces a non lethal laser beam to any attack’s view. The ship mounted and larger version was said to have an effective range of up to 4km, and would thus deter all but the most determined pirates –who would then find themselves increasingly unsettled and ultimately sick from the application of the product. Following questions from one interested party it was said that it could be retro fitted and will be available to see in development on the discovery channel in the near future. The effect on innocent parties was said to be minimal as at the extended range the effect would only be enough to make any water users turn away, anyone not doing so would then increasingly feel its effect the closer they got.

Caroline Hillier / SuperyachtArt.com

The second paper of the afternoon was made up of The High Technology Sessions with 20 minute snapshots papers being presented the panel, the members of which were David Hallam - Quest International (UK) Limited, Will Faimatea - Bond Technical Management, Zeb Robin - Bond Technical Management and Jim Maclean - Proform Marine.
The session began with a presentation by David Hallam, who set out the problem of airborne pollutants, both biological and man-made. The obvious priority in this case is to use the best air cleaning system to safeguard the health of any if the yacht’s users. While standard filters, ultra violet methods and ionization have a role Quest have developed a new system that is designed to remove almost all damaging particles and resolve this problem. Following questions from the floor Hallam explained the effect of ozone on the boat and how the system broke down bonds in particles to make the non damaging. Will Faimatea and Zeb Robin then presented a discussion of the Jetstream internet live video streaming product, discussing issues such as reliability, performance and actual technical details on how the system operates. Following issues raised by delegates it was explained that multiple channels can be watch concurrently and that the bandwidth usage is minimal, in relation to other similar services. The final discussion was led by Jim Maclean, on the need and application of non lethal anti piracy measures. Specifically, this centered on the use of the Lasersec device, which can be mounted or hand held and produces a non lethal laser beam to any attack’s view. The ship mounted and larger version was said to have an effective range of up to 4km, and would thus deter all but the most determined pirates –who would then find themselves increasingly unsettled and ultimately sick from the application of the product. Following questions from one interested party it was said that it could be retro fitted and will be available to see in development on the discovery channel in the near future. The effect on innocent parties was said to be minimal as at the extended range the effect would only be enough to make any water users turn away, anyone not doing so would then increasingly feel its effect the closer they got.

Caroline Hillier / SuperyachtArt.com

The final session of the day - and one of the most hotly anticipated - Building a Better Superyacht Business looked set to provided some stimulating, and times heated debate, and it very much proved to be the case. It provided a platform for three of the ultimate consumers in the industry, owners, - Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay - MY Lady Christine, Mr Roger Smee - MY Leonora / Real Office Group, Mr Murat Vargi -  MY Jasmin and MY Jasmin 2 / MV Holding - to present their views and experiences on how the industry operates and what they would like to see from it and us in the future.  One of the issues up for discussion was the formation of an owners association - and its use as a means of providing standards for the industry that should be univerally adhered to - as proposed by Roger Smee.  Initially this proposal was not well received, with some members of the audience doubting that such a formation would work.  After discussion from the floor, and reflecting on experiences of the panel, it became apparent that for the industry, hearing what the owners were thinking and wanting could only be more beneficial than not.  It was clear that there are frustrations from the owners perspective about the corrupt aspects of the superyachting industry - backhanders and the like - and the lack of industry standards and a means of policing this.  One problem, pointed out from the audience however, was that no matter what standards you set whilst the good guys of the industry will follow guidelines, the bad guys will continue not to and so no problems will really be solved.  Here Roger Smee then suggested the idea of publicly blacklising companies that are known to be behaving badly, and pulling the reputation of the rest of the industry down. In addition to this hot discussion topic the point was also raised that the industry is lamentable at marketing itself to potential new clients, and this is something that we should examine going on.  We were thrilled to have three owners giving up their valuable time to share their thoughts with us on the industry and their experiences, both good and bad whilst examining the ways in which the industry needs to and must improve in order to both retain existing owners and attract potential new owners as well.  No doubt the delegates in attendance came away with much to discuss and think about.

Caroline Hillier / SuperyachtArt.com

The day concluded with a delegate dinner hosted at Jamie Olivers Fifteen restaurant - very apt as Global Superyacht Forum is in its fifteenth year.  Delegates enjoyed a number of delicious courses and made the most of the chance to network with each other in delightful surroundings. 

Caroline Hillier / SuperyachtArt.com

Transcripts of all the sessions that took place will be available online at SuperyachtEvents.com over the coming weeks, so do check in for these vital and crucial debates.


Words by Ellie Brade and Adam Turner

Superyacht Events - website

Global Superyacht Forum: Day One
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Global Superyacht Forum: Day One - 17 Nov 2009 The Fifteenth Global Superyacht Forum (GSF), organised by Superyacht Events, is now underway with a dynamic a

17 Nov 2009
Global Superyacht Forum: Day One - 17 Nov 2009

The Fifteenth Global Superyacht Forum (GSF), organised by Superyacht Events, is now underway with a dynamic and thought-provoking first day opening the conference.  350 delegates, from all sectors of the superyacht industry, are in attendance here in Amsterdam and as the second day begins we look back on the opening day of GSF, which provided much fodder for talk and discussion.  The day was chaired jointly by Martin Redmayne, Chairman of The Yacht Report Group, and Tork Buckley, Editor of The Yacht Report.

Day One of GSF - The Owners Day - opened with Keynote paper number 1, The Owners Perspective, which was led by Mr Murat Vargi (pictured below), of MV Holding, owner of the MY Jasmin and a 42m new build of the same name.  Mr Vargi gave a compelling talk on his views of the superyacht industry and where he sees it progressing in the future, as well as addressing its position in relation to other luxury markets.  It is clear that we should be very aware of the importance of the state of other luxury markets - for example the market for ontemporary art - in relation to our own, looking to them to understand our own industry and the trends and patterns that have and might occur.  Mr Vargi presented the current position of the S&P500 index and the superyacht industry in relation to this. In addition Mr Vargit presented his thoughts on where the superyacht industry might be wise to develop and be aware of, placing emphasis on China and also Turkey as up and coming locations to place focus on.  This session provided fascinating insight both into the mind of an owner and his opinion on and relationship with the industry, as well as providing much food for thought on how the industry should look to develop, and where to capitalise, in order to best secure its future, and profit.

Caroline Hillier / Superyachtart.com

The second paper of the day, entitled Owners -The Impact of Rules & Regulations was led by a panel made up of Chris van Hooren - Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss), David Ralph - Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), Angus McLean - Cayman Registry, Peter Southgate - Cayman Registry, Paolo Moretti - RINA S.p.A. and Frans Verbaas - Lloyd's Register.  Particular hot topics were the MLC and the proposed 3000GT 13-36 passengers code.  Although David Ralph and Peter Southgate revealed as much as they were able on the progress of the 13-36 code, the frustrating aspect of this topic of debate was that both had essentially been forbidden by the Shipping Minister to say anything detailed or revealing about the progress of the code for fear of committing anything to the industry.  A frustrating situation with so many in the room wanting to be involved in and understand the progress being made.  That said, progress on the code is clearly going better than could be announced with more positive information potentially being available in the Spring.  With the MLC issues under discussion it is clear the the industry still isn't fully aware of the full impact that these will have - either that or it is a case of heads being buried in the sand.  In any case it is a topic that needs much further discussion within the the industry, which TYRG hopes to be a catalyst for at a later date.

Caroline Hillier / Superyachtart.com

Following this came the State of the Industry – How’s Business session, which addressed the 'How's Business?' question by collating a team of six industry bodies - namely Legal, represented by John Leonida - Clyde & Co, Brokerage, represented by Laurent Perignon - Camper & Nicholsons International, New Build, represented by Michael Breman - Luerssen Werft GmbH & Co, Refit, represented by Bob Wagemakers - Marina Barcelona 92, Security, Phillip Cable - Maritime Asset Security and Training (MAST), and Manning and Training, represented by Jon Ely - UKSA.  This proved a good way to examine the jigsaw pieces of the industry and how they are faring, rather than just providing an overview of how things stand.  Varied stances were presented.  John Leonida spoke frankly saying that although this had been Clyde & Co's best year to date financially, it had been his most disappointing year in terms of witnessing the levels many industry members would sink to, as a result of the effects of the economic depression.  'Cautious optimism' was the brokerage stance, whilst Michael Bremen expressed frustration that there is still a perception that prices at new build shipyards are able to come down - to do so would mean compromising the product to an unworkable level.  Security have also had a busy year, with increased piracy threats, and made the point that perhaps security elements are something that should be taken much more into consideration in the design process.  From the training perspective this year has not seen the level of jobs available as in the past, although new entrant interest remains high still.  We should not assume that we are able to rely on trained personell transferring from the merchant sector as this setor itself is lacking in trained persons.  From the stance of refit work business is good.  An element of underlying political tones was evident in discussions with the presentation on the new ICOMIA refit group by Bob Wagemakers perhaps not sitting entirely comfortably with SYBAss's plans for a Refit division.

Caroline Hillier / Superyachtart.com

The final session on the day - Business, Brokerage & Financial Matters - followed on from the How's Business section, allowing panelists and the audience to examine and debate the issues facing the industry in more detail.  On the panel were Bertrand Vogele - Yachting Partners International (YPI), Laurent Perignon - Camper & Nicholsons International, Luc Khaidoun - Fraser Yachts, Barry Gilmour - Royale Oceanic Limited, Martin Baum - Pantaenius Yacht Insurance and Remco Immink - Ciris Capital.
Particularly up for discussion was the issue of transparency - or lack of - within the industry, as well as industry ethics and the process of pricing and valuations.  It seems that there is currently no formula when it comes to pricings and perhaps this is something that should be considered in order to lend uniformity to the process and allow, as a result, owners to have a much clearer and informed idea of what costings should actually be.  The brokerage response was that transparency is not needed in order for owners to have a clear understanding of the industry and for them to find the right boat, just the right broker is crucial.  This, of course, is a topic of debate.  With the market being driven down by brokerage prices, second hand yachts being so affordable in comparison to the cost of a new build and the abundance of available inventory this is causing havoc for the new build yards and their ability to secure orders.  It appears that brokers and shipyards are, however, working together more than they might have in the past, with this only being a positive step.  A pertinent comment came from the audience, stating that perhaps we should stop trying to rationalise the industry and looking back at what once was and rather we should be concentrating on adapting to the new situation and what it is that the owners want - after all, it is them who drive the industry. 

Caroline Hillier / Superyachtart.com

As Day Two begins we are excited to have three significant owners - Lord Laidlaw of Rothiemay - MY Lady Christine, Mr Roger Smee - MY Leonora / Real Office Group

and Mr Murat Vargi -  MY Jasmin and MY Jasmin 2 - taking to the stage today to speak with delegates in the Building a Better Business session.  Anyone wishing to attend Day Two or Three of GSF should contact the events team on +44 7595 062848, or at the registration desk at Amsterdam RAI.

Caroline Hillier / Superyachtart.com

Transcripts of all the sessions that took place will be available online at SuperyachtEvents.com over the coming weeks, so do check in for these vital and crucial debates.


Words by Ellie Brade

Superyacht Events - website

Global Superyacht Forum - Let the Debate Begin
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Global Superyacht Forum - Let the Debate Begin - 15 Nov 2009 The Superyacht Events team and many of their colleagues within The Yacht Report Group are now setti

More significant Yacht Owners confirm their participation at GSF 2009.
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
More significant Yacht Owners confirm their participation at GSF 2009. - 09 Nov 2009 Important Announcement In one week's time, the doors will open to this

First Owner Keynote confirmed to start the proceedings at GSF 2009.
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
First Owner Keynote confirmed to start the proceedings at GSF 2009. - 27 Oct 2009 We are pleased to announce that Mr Murat Vargi owner of the 37m MY

The Gulf Region & Exploring it's Superyacht Business Potential
Gulf Superyacht Forum 2010
The Gulf Region & Exploring it's Superyacht Business Potential - 26 Oct 2009 Over 175 key business leaders from around the world, who plan to do business in the Gu

Italian Superyacht Forum: Programme Focus Announced
Italian Superyacht Forum 2010
Italian Superyacht Forum: Programme Focus Announced - 26 Oct 2009[Read article in full]

26 Oct 2009
Italian Superyacht Forum: Programme Focus Announced - 26 Oct 2009



For the past decade, Italy has seen massive growth in terms of new construction and business expansion, with all of the league tables showing exponential expansion of the order book. Ever since the global economic crisis hit the market, the Italian industry has had to go through some major shifts and create a more stable economic platform. The objective of this two-day meeting is to bring together the major players who currently manufacture, design, support and supply within this huge market place, to create a business network and explore the lessons learnt in the past 18 months.
 
This inaugural event will allow the Superyacht Events team and The Yacht Report Group to better understand the unique nature of the Italian industry and provide an international platform for anyone who does business within this vast market.
 
The Programme
The two-day Italian Superyacht Forum will provide a platform for the major players within the Italian Superyacht business to discuss the future of the industry and explore better ways of building the industry’s stability for the next decade. With the financial sectors, banking, legal, private equity and leasing schemes all having an impact on the current state of the industry. This event will provide a platform to discuss and debate the best way forward. In addition, the programme will provide a debating platform for the design community and the manufacturers to better understand the processes and protocols of building efficient and effective projects.
 
Highlights of the papers and debating sessions will include;
The State of the Italian Superyacht Business
The impact of Private Equity and their Investments
The Future of the Italian Flag and Leasing Schemes        
Exploring the Financial & Legal Lessons Learnt
Restrictions to Growth vs Restructuring for Growth
Perfecting the Production Process
Demand versus Capacity, Matching Expectations
Form & Function versus Profit & Production
The Future of Italian Superyacht Design



Durante la scorsa decade, l’Italia ha vissuto una crescita massiccia in termini di espansione e nuove costruzioni nel settore della nautica di lusso, con crescite esponenziale nelle ordinazioni. Da quando la crisi economica globale ha colpito il mercato, l’industria Italiana ha dovuto passare attraverso una ristrutturazione e creare una piattaforma economica piu’ stabile. L’obbiettivo di questo incontro di due giorni e’ quello di riunire I maggiori esponenti dell’Industria che producono, ideano, supportano e riforniscono questo mercato, per creare un network lavorativo atto allo studio della lezione impartitaci dagli scorsi 18 mesi.


Questo evento inaugurale permettera’ al “Superyacht Events team” ed al “The Yacht Report Group” di capire meglio la natura unica del mercato Italiano,  producendo una piattaforma internazionale per chiunque faccia affari in questo mercato vastissimo.


Questi due giorni di Italian Superyacht Forum forniranno quindi ai maggiori esponenti nel settore Superyacht una piattaforma unica su cui basare discussioni e ricerche per il futuro di questo mercato, esplorando le migliori vie per rendere piu’ stabile questa industria nel prossimo decennio. Considerando inoltre l’impatto sul corrente stato dell’industria da parte dei settori finanziario, bancario, legale, della private equity e delle compagnie di Leasing. Questo evento provvedera’ quindi una base su cui discutere e dibattere la miglior via per proseguire nella giusta direzione. In aggiunta, il programma fornira’ una piattaforma di dibattito per Designer e produttori, atta a fornire un miglior apprendimento ai processi e protocolli per costruire progetti in modo piu’ effettivo ed efficiente.


Gli highlights e la sessioni di dibattito includeranno:
Lo stato dell’industria Italiana Superyacht
L’impatto di investimenti in Private Equity
Il futuro dell’Italian Flag e dei suoi schemi di Leasing
Esplorazione finanziaria & Lezioni “legali”
Restrizioni per la crescita vs Ristrutturazione per la crescita
Perfezionando I processi di produzione
Richieste vs Capacita’, andare incontro alle aspettative
Forme e Funzioni vs Profitto e Produzione
Il futuro dell’ Italian Superyacht Design

Important Announcement: Calendar Congestion Causes Change!
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Important Announcement: Calendar Congestion Causes Change! - 16 Oct 2009 Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum, dates changed to 1-2 February 2010...Ev

The Global Superyacht Forum 2009...It’s more than just a Forum!
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
The Global Superyacht Forum 2009...It’s more than just a Forum! - 16 Oct 2009 On the 16th  November 2009, 350 superyacht industry leaders will gather for the

Perfecting the American Superyacht Market
American Superyacht Forum 2010
Perfecting the American Superyacht Market - 15 Oct 2009The Perfect Location, The Perfect Programme, the Perfect Network and the Perfect Experience. 

MedAire Confirm as Global Superyacht Forum Sponsors
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
MedAire Confirm as Global Superyacht Forum Sponsors - 14 Oct 2009 The superyachtevents team are delighted to have MedAire onboard as sponsors of the Global Superya

American Superyacht Forum 2010 announces MedAire as its first sponsor
American Superyacht Forum 2010
American Superyacht Forum 2010 announces MedAire as its first sponsor - 13 Oct 2009 Superyachtevents would like to announce MedAire as the first Super sponsor for

Greenline Technical Tour Announced -Gulf Superyacht Forum 2010
Gulf Superyacht Forum 2010
Greenline Technical Tour Announced -Gulf Superyacht Forum 2010 - 13 Oct 2009 The second Gulf Superyacht Forum will be held at the Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Cen

Invest in your marketing and business strategy...
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Invest in your marketing and business strategy... - 07 Oct 2009 ...and get to grips with the latest superyacht marketing and business thinking.  As a m

Over 37 KEY INDUSTRY EXPERTS confirmed speakers for Global Superyacht Forum
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Over 37 KEY INDUSTRY EXPERTS confirmed speakers for Global Superyacht Forum - 06 Oct 2009

The Superyacht Design Summit, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour
Event News Archive
The Superyacht Design Summit, Design Centre Chelsea Harbour - 02 Oct 2009 T

The leading American Forum returns to Newport: Dates Announced
American Superyacht Forum 2010
The leading American Forum returns to Newport: Dates Announced - 02 Oct 2009 The American Superyacht Forum 2010 will return to Newport, Rhode Island on 23-26 May 2

Captains' Party Review
Event News Archive
Captains' Party Review - 28 Sep 2009 The 2009 Captains' Party took place on the exclusive and impressive 7th Floor of the Fairmont Hotel Monte Carlo. 

28 Sep 2009
Captains' Party Review - 28 Sep 2009

The 2009 Captains' Party took place on the exclusive and impressive 7th Floor of the Fairmont Hotel Monte Carlo. 

L' Horizon Deck was the perfect setting for the Captains' Party with guests enjoying panoramic views of Monaco Bay which was littered with Superyachts.

A great evening was had by all.  The food was exquisite - with a vast selection of Mediterranean style canapes and also buffets offering fresh fish and a delicious lemon risotto amongst other dishes.  Guests were able to visit the fresh juice bar for a healthy alternative to the abundance of French wine that was flowing. The networking continued late into the night with the industries most important and influential leaders taking the opportunity to discuss the news from Monaco Yacht Show in a beautiful location.

Whilst the Superyacht Captains were enjoying the Fairmont Hotel, their crew were looked after by the CrewReport.com at the well known Stars n' Bars.  There was a huge turn out of crew at the popular bar, and crew were able to enjoy a free drink in exchange for a Crew Report token. 


superyachtevents would like to thank the Captains' Party sponsors, The Yacht Report Group, Ascoma and Informa Yacht Group.  Also to the Crew Report for the Stars n' Bars Crew     Party.

Great turn out for the annual Captains' Breakfast at Monaco Yacht Show
Event News Archive
Great turn out for the annual Captains' Breakfast at Monaco Yacht Show - 28 Sep 2009 The annual Captain breakfast held by The Yacht Club de Monaco with The Yac

New! Captains' Party Announced
Event News Archive
New! Captains' Party Announced - 11 Sep 2009 The Yacht Report Group, Ascoma and Informa Yacht Group bring the Captains' Party to the Monaco Yacht Show 2010.

11 Sep 2009
New! Captains' Party Announced - 11 Sep 2009


The Yacht Report Group, Ascoma and Informa Yacht Group bring the Captains' Party to the Monaco Yacht Show 2010.

This year's Captains' Party has been upgraded to an exclusive event, inviting the most important and influential superyacht industry leaders and captains to enjoy our hospitality in one of Monaco's most impressive venues.

Come along and enjoy panoramic views of the Monaco bay from the stunning L'Horizon deck of the Fairmont Hotel. Canapés, drinks and entertainment will be provided from 19.30 until midnight. We understand that you will all have a packed schedule, so please feel free to come along at any stage of the evening.

After a turbulent year we want to create an event that is both enjoyable, provides great networking opportunities and gives us a chance to give something back to you, our clients.

    Venue: L'Horizon deck, the Fairmont Monte Carlo
    Time: 19.30 - Midnight
    Date: 25 September
    Dress code: Smart/casual

Of course the crew will be well looked-after at our sister event at Stars N' Bars, where will be inviting them to have free drinks courtesy of TheCrewReport.com.


If you do wish to attend the Captains' Party please note that tickets will not be available from our stand this year. Please therefore register your place online if you wish to attend by visiting: www.thecaptainsparty.com. Tickets will be allocated on a first-come, first-served basis and will not be available on the door.

Inmarsat Confirm as Global Superyacht Forum Sponsors
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Inmarsat Confirm as Global Superyacht Forum Sponsors - 11 Sep 2009 The superyachtevents team are thrilled to have Inmarsat onboard as sponsors of the Global Supery

Only 1 week left for the EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNT
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Only 1 week left for the EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNT - 25 Aug 2009 Book your place now and receive 10% discount on your delegate place.8 Sponsors now

25 Aug 2009
Only 1 week left for the EARLY REGISTRATION DISCOUNT - 25 Aug 2009


Book your place now and receive 10% discount on your delegate place.

8 Sponsors now confirmed for the Global Superyacht Forum 2009. 


14 KEY SPEAKERS CONFIRMED FOR GSF.  Visit the full GSF programme for more information

Global Superyacht Dinner  :  Venue Confirmed.

JAMIE OLIVER's restaurant :  Fifteen, Amsterdam has been announced as the GSF Dinner venue for Tuesday 17 November*

*Numbers are limited, please book soon to confirm your place.

New! SMBF Dates announced
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
New! SMBF Dates announced - 01 Aug 2009 1-2 February 2010Following on from the hugely successful Global Marine Marketing Forum last year, The Yach

Introduction
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Introduction - 09 Jun 2009In November this year, The Yacht Report Group’s Superyacht Events team will host the leading conference in the Superyacht calenda

Do you understand how to target and engage the Superyacht Market ...
Superyacht Marketing and Business Forum 2010
Do you understand how to target and engage the Superyacht Market ... - 01 Jun 2009Do you unders

Day 4 : The American Superyacht Regatta 2009
American Superyacht Forum 2009
Day 4 : The American Superyacht Regatta 2009 - 15 May 2009 Day 4 : ASF 2009 - The Regatta

Day Four of the American Superyacht For

[Read article in full]

15 May 2009
Day 4 : The American Superyacht Regatta 2009 - 15 May 2009

Day 4 : ASF 2009 - The Regatta

Day Four of the American Superyacht Forum saw a number of delegates participating in the American Superyacht Forum Regatta, sponsored by Moore & Company, which was fought out between a fleet of ten boats in the Puget Sound.  The Regatta was hosted by the The Seattle Yacht Club facility at Elliott Bay Marina which also very kindly provided a team of skippers for the race.

The fleet was made up of five J-24's, one J-35, one C&C36, two J-80's and two J105’s with teams of up to four manning the yachts.

A spectators boat was also out on the water, allowing a good overall view of the races for those not wishing to sail.  Having awoken to rain the clouds held off for four fifths of the racing.  Following some warm up sailing, and for some a quick induction into or reminder of the world of sailing, two races took place, following a circuit course in the Puget Sound.  With the first race beginning with very little wind, it soon picked up and Skye Rocket swept in first past the finish line to take victory in the first race.  A second race was added in which Red Baron, with our resident pirate Tork Buckley at the helm, stormed home to a convincing win.  With a backdrop of the Seattle skyline the Regatta was a perfect way to end four very successful and productive days at the American Superyacht Forum.  Following the races the little flotilla made its way back to the marina to tuck into some well deserved lunch, before the Regatta prizegiving.

L to R: Skye Rocket, Flyer and Wings keep it a very close race (Credit: Caroline Hiller / Superyachtart)

Post race team shot (Credit: Caroline Hiller / superyachtart)

At the prizegiving a plaque was presented to the overall winning team, the crew of the J-24 Skye Rocket.  The plaque will now remain at the yacht club until ASF's next return to Seattle, when the Regatta will be held once again. Many thanks must go to the The Seattle Yacht Club who helped to make this event such a success as well as to all the delegates who opted to race, all of whom helped to make the morning so enjoyable.  Thanks must also go to Moore & Company, sponsor of the Regatta.

ASF 2009 : Regatta Teams
American Superyacht Forum 2009
ASF 2009 : Regatta Teams - 14 May 2009

14 May 2009
ASF 2009 : Regatta Teams - 14 May 2009


The Crew of Skye Rocket being presented with the winners plaque (Credit: Caroline Hiller / superyachtart). 
Left to right: Mike Mitchell, Martin Redmayne, Nicola Tyler, Brian of the Seattle Yacht Club, Darryl Matfin and Terry Ruppert.


ASF 2009 : Regatta Teams

J/24 Plane Crazy   
Patty Lengel -Derecktor Shipyards
Mark Wightman - Integrated Marine Group
Martin Redmayne -The Yacht Report Group
   
J/24 Wings   
Chip van Gunten -Northern Lights
Robert Aliamus - Medaire Inc
Donald Gale - AMSEC LLC
Frank Szafranski - Awlgrip
   
J/24 Slick   
Gerald Rynkowski - Vienland GmBH
John-Kaare Aune - Cayman Islands Shipping Registry
   
J/24 Red Baron   
Kirstin Tong - Yacht Record
Tork Buckley - The Yacht Report Group
Julie Spence - JS Marine Consulting
Dan Wood - Crow's Nest Yachts
   
J/24 Flyer   
Michael Moore - Moore & Company
Erin Ackor - Moore & Company
   
J/80 Taj Mahal   
Ken Hickling - Awlgrip
Colin Puckett - Northern Lights
Dan Mickelson - Intelisea
Jim Ruffolo - Burger Boat Company
   
J/80 Skye Rocket   
Mike Mitchell - Burger Boat Company
Nicola Tyler - The Yacht Report Group
Darryl Matfin - High Seas Technology
Terry Ruppert - Knight & Carver
   
J/105 Cyrano   
Jonathan Quinn Barnett - QLB
Jeff Homchick - J.Homchick Classic Stonework
Cary Wiener - Pantaenius America
   
J/105 Life is Good   
Ellie Brade - The Yacht Report Group
Phil Heinz - Intelisea
Cliff DeFreitas - Jones Boat Yard, Inc   
   
J/35c Astraea   
Ayuk Ntuiabane - Moore Stephens Consulting
Nigel Sanders   
Thea Cheney - The Yacht Report Group
Bryan Day - Aere
   
C&C 36 Vitesse   
Thomas Wissmann - BOATS4EVER.COM
Jose Barad - Jones Boat Yard, Inc.
Nick Hall - Awlgrip
Fred Larsson - The Marine Group Boat Works San Diego

NPP American Superyacht Forum 2009
American Superyacht Forum 2009
NPP American Superyacht Forum 2009 - 14 May 2009 14th May - New Products Presented at ASFASF saw the presentation of some new products, including t

Day 3 : American Superyacht Forum 2009
American Superyacht Forum 2009
Day 3 : American Superyacht Forum 2009 - 13 May 2009 Day 3 of ASF Day Three of the American Superyacht Forum 2009 and the first session

13 May 2009
Day 3 : American Superyacht Forum 2009 - 13 May 2009



Day 3 of ASF

Day Three of the American Superyacht Forum 2009 and the first session was Rules and Regulations - The American Way with a panel of John-Kaare Aune, of the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, Jim Perry, of Perry and Neblett, and John Dwyer, of the US Coastguard Seattle Sector. Up for discussion were the new rules on pollution in excess of MARPOL throughout much of the USA. An update was given on the work of the UKMCA LY2 Committee on MLC 2006 and a new engineer qualification, the >3000 Kw <60nm from safe haven with shore tech support was also mentioned. Clearly Rules and Regulations make for interesting and highly relevant discussion and so it will be well worth reading the full transcripts when they become available online over the coming weeks.

The second session of the day was Environmental issues - Efficiency and Optimisation, with a panel of Elenor Ekman of Interlux, Chip Van Gunten of Northern Lights and Marcel van der Spek of Esthec (pictured above). Van Gunten began saying that as an engine and generator supplier Northern Lights are already using engines that are manufactured to meet very specific emissions standards and are currently the most fuel efficient systems available today.  The predominant problem with generators is running them at optimum load: the issues associated with this were discussed, as well as solutions offered by Northern Lights.  Ekman began by stating that clearly we, as an industry, could do more to reduce our carbon footprint and discussed the benefits in using technologies such as anti-foul paint which can mean massive fuel saving costs through reducing drag of yachts in the water and thus increasing efficiency. Whilst anti-fouling has its issues, it also has its benefits in this context. van der Spek spoke saying that there are more and more green yards with green solutions, but one of the issues that most needs to be addressed, in light of the current situation of demands and shortage of teak, is increased investigation into an alternative to teak. Less availability of teak also sees decreased quality and there are many implications of the use of real teak for the environment. Teak alternatives an provide sustainable and ecologically safe alternatives.

The final session of the event was the Technology Workshop - New Product Presentations featuring three new products: The Technicold Automatic Linear Load Bank Systems from Northern Lights, the IDEA Crew ID Card System from SpecTec and the alarm, monitoring and control system from Intelisea.

Following the morning sessions a tour of the Delta Marine facilities took place, with the evening social plans being a traditional Salmon Bake at Kiana Lodge.

Tomorrow, the final day of ASF, will see the ASF Regatta take place in which teams of delegates will race J-24's around Puget Sound in attempt to win the coveted first place.  We will cover this more on our return to England, so so stayed tuned into Synfo.

Day 2 : American Suepraycht Forum 2009
American Superyacht Forum 2009
Day 2 : American Suepraycht Forum 2009 - 12 May 2009 Day 2 of ASF 2009 Day Two of the American Superyacht Forum opened with a full auditorium onc

12 May 2009
Day 2 : American Suepraycht Forum 2009 - 12 May 2009

Day 2 of ASF 2009

Day Two of the American Superyacht Forum opened with a full auditorium once again, with the opening session being the Technology Case Study - Next Generation Yacht Building.  With Martin Redmayne, Chairman of The Yacht Report Group, and Tork Buckley, Editor of The Yacht Report, hosting the event, also on the panel were Brad Given, of Christensen Shipyards, and Michael Eaglen, Engineering Division Manager of High Modulus. 

During the first session the case study of the collaboration between Christensen Shipyards and High Modulus in producing large LOA (length overall) fully-composite yachts was presented as well as discussion on the challenges of producing large fully composite yachts and the increased use of composite as a material.  In 2006 Christensen made the decision to enter the 60-80metre composite market and building a new facility in Tennessee supported this decision.  In their decision to move into this size bracket in full composite the yard teamed with New Zealand based High Modulus in this project.  One of the main challenges of this move was the general perception of composite vessels as most yachts in the 60-80m size bracket are, obviously, steel, and so perception of composites in this role needs to increase.  With there only being one composite yacht of over 500GT, Mirabella V, this is still a relatively new field.  Thus, one of the main challenges of this project was infusing confidence in composite as a material for yachts with large LOA's, and confirming that composite is a hardy enough material to be using.   This was where the teaming with High Modulus came in as, as the premier marine composite structures designers, they were best suited to partner in this endeavour and ensure confidence in the venture.  Both knew that in entering into the project there would be some areas where problems would arise, as moving into the 60-80m fully composite range is clearly a big step, however none of these problems were unadressable.  The involvement of High Modulus saw the communication of confidence, the delivery of confidence and facilitating of efficiency.  The merits of composite were discussed in the session. Composites are likely to be used more and more in the future, as more and more confidence is instilled in the material and it is proven more.  The conclusion made was that the new Christensen facility will be state of the art facility and the first yacht built there will not be built via trial and error, rather it will be a well informed process. 

The second session of the day was The Pacific Market - The Not So Wild West with a panel of Brooke Stabbert, President of Salmon Bay Development Inc., Don Stabbert, CEO of the Salmon Bay Marine Centre, Dan Stabbert, Frederick Robinson of Carney Bradley Spellman, Samson Brown, Director of Knight & Carver YachtCentre and Mark Wightman, the Managing Director of Integrated Marine Group.  This session looked at how the Pacific is emerging and developing as a yachting environment and becoming a proper industry and network.  Discussion included the fact that perceptions of parts of the world, such as New Zealand, as superyachting destinations might previously have played a role in reasons why or why not people might visit further away destinations.  Increased developments have helped to counter these kinds of perceptions, with the revolution of high speed broadband and communication coverage removing the issue of decreased communication, and new designs of yachts meaning that range of distance to reach these locations is no longer really an issue.  With these parts of the world having  a lot to offer, particularly with the more typical cruising grounds becoming more and more overpopulated, it is likely they will increasingly offer a very desirable destination solution for superyachts.  Also discussed were the types of state laws and visiting regulations that visiting yachts might come across.  The general concensus, however, was that the Pacific market will continue to grow in the superyachting sector. 

This afternoon sees two options for delegates: The Future of Flight Aviation Centre and Boeing Factory Tour, and for those not attending two Business Conference Sessions, with Bob Saxon of Bob Saxon Consultancy, and Deborah Peters of the Neuro engineering Institute.  As your writer will be attending the Boeing Tour, check in tomorrow for full updates on both of these fascinating afternoon options.  The social program for delegates this evening will see a night of wine tasting and three course meal at the nearby Chateau St Michelle

Day 1 : American Superyacht Forum 2009
American Superyacht Forum 2009
Day 1 : American Superyacht Forum 2009 - 11 May 2009 Day 1 of ASF The American Superyacht Forum, hosted by Superyacht Events, is one of the

11 May 2009
Day 1 : American Superyacht Forum 2009 - 11 May 2009

Day 1 of ASF

The American Superyacht Forum, hosted by Superyacht Events, is one of the most dynamic and vital events in the superyachting calendar with a wide range of delegates in attendance, from designers to shipyard representatives and with several highly topical discussions and debates.  This year the event is taking place in Seattle, the Emerald City, and runs from the 11th to the 14th of May.  Thanks must go to the sponsors of the event: Giga Sponsors Intelisea and James H. Perry and Super Sponsors: Awlgrip, Interlux, Megafend Mooring Products, MTU and Professional Captain's Services; the Megayacht Division of West Marine. 

Day One opened with the Chairman's Welcome Address from Mr Martin Redmayne, Chairman of The Yacht Report Group, who is chairing the event along with Tork Buckley, Editor of The Yacht Report.  This Address was followed by the first session of the day; the Keynote Address - Figurehead Focus.  Leading this session was the owner of the 46.5m Perini Navi Antara, Mickey Gooch, of GFI Group Inc., who spoke of his entry into the superyachting world and his love for his yacht.  When looking to purchase his superyacht, he eventually settled on acquiring a sailing yacht rather than a motoryacht.  Having previously chartered Perini Navi’s and then having viewed Antara (then Tamsen) at FLIBS he purchased her and in this purchase got a lot of boat for his money, as although she was 14 years old at the time, she was in spectacular condition.  After a year on board Antara then underwent an extensive 6 million pound refit at Perini Navi.  Mr Gooch said that in his opinion the superyachting business “is not for the lighthearted.”  Things do cost a lot more than expected, and boating in general is an expensive field to be in.  He gave his perspective on the charter market saying that personally, whilst it is nice to get the income for charter is is not something that is needed in order to be able to keep the yacht, rather it is a a way of offsetting some of the cost of owning a boat, with a ten-day charter roughly covering the cost of running the yacht for a month.  Right now with the current economy there is, perhaps, some assumption that all charter costs will be slashed, but this isn't necessarily true.  Whilst there may be some increased levels of negotiation  over charter prices, with many owners chartering just isn't a neccessity and so their prices will still reflect this.  Mr Gooch said that whilst chartering is cheaper than owning a boat, it is the freedom and flexibility, as well as the pride of ownership that comes with having your own yacht that makes owning your own yacht so special.  With regards to the market, he stated that it is difficult to say whether the bigger boats have held their value, and it is likely that the majority of boat owners have significant financial flexibility and will not sell their yachts unless they are forced to.  He concluded saying that he has a positive outlook on the yachting industry and feels that once we are through this summer, things will be on the up.  Full transcripts of Mr Gooch's fascinating insight into the superyachting industry from an owners perspective will be available on the Superyacht Events website over the coming weeks.  To read more about Mr Gooch's background in an article by the Financial Times click here. 

This session was suceeded by the State of the Industry - The USA in 2010 and Beyond session.  On the panel was William Smith III of SYBass and Trinity Yachts, Brooke Stabbert, President of Salmon Bay Development Inc. and Don Stabbert, CEO of Salmon Bay Marine Center who discussed the state of the industry now, particularly from an American perspective.  In this session Smith stated that some owners are sensing that currently we are nearing the bottom of the market now and so it is likely that they will consider jumping in to the build process now as prices will soon rise up.  It is clear that some yards are now on a smaller profit margin than the past, but most will be able to survive the downturn on their backlog.  It is important to remember that some of the owners in trouble today will be back buying again in five or six years.  Generally, though, the majority of those people enjoying the yacht market now will remain in the yacht market and even with the economic uncertainty most owners will maintain their boats at a good level.  In addition there are still continuing to be encouraging orders from some of the yards.  The general feeling is that the industry should be cautiously optimistic but it is still going to be slow for a while yet.   The US Market has, undeniably, slowed for orders.  However, it will remain established as a region that can deliver on quality, in comparison perhaps to parts of the world which are new to superyacht building.  The panel also stressed that we need to continue to promote the superyacht industry and the benefits of construction, maintenance, repair, tourism in order to help to educate against the negative vibes against the industry. 

After a quick break The Design Forum took place.  The panel for this session was made up of Jay Miner, Chief Naval Architect of Delta Marine Industries, Dr Robert Ranzenbach, Director of Technology Development at Donald Blount & Associates and Jonathan Quinn Barnett, President and Design Principal of JQB Ltd Design.  The session began with Miner stating that with the current interesting times in the large yacht market place it is important to remember that we would not be here if not for the clients and their commissioning of and the satisfaction they take from the creation process.  With regards to the possibilities open to designers we must remember that technical advancements can happen unevenly and it may be the case that the most important innovations will come from another industry, so we need to keep an open mind.  Miner finished by saying "Push the envelope, but don’t lose track of the fundamentals."  Other points of interest raised were that whilst yachts may not get bigger there is still likely to be decided interest in yachts being able to hold more passengers.  The 13 plus passenger issue represents a a huge jump for regulatory challenges and is something that will be followed closely. 

The final session of the day was Superyacht Security - 2010 and Beyond which addressed the future of the threat to cruising livelihood.  The panel was made up of Patrick Estebe, President of AFFAIRACTION, Graeme Gibbon-Brooks, MD of Dryad Maritime Intelligence Service and John Dwyer of the US Coastguard.  In the session Estebe stated that it is clear that prohibitions and regulations are not always the solution.  Clearly threats such as pirates do not obey laws and they are also constantly adapting to solutions to security threats therein lies the problem of how to ensure yachts remain secure.  Recent heightened action in the Cape of Horn has provided lessons in security, even where superyachts are not involved.  Increase in activity has also seen an increase in the market of companies offering solutions to security threats.  Dwyer raised the point that the yachting community is often very underrepresented at American Area Maritime Security Committees and asked that more effort be made to raise concerns and problems in order to gain input and address these.  One final important point that was raised was that as important as security equipment is, equally, if not more, important is the effective training of crew on board in both pre-empting and dealing with a security situtation. 

This evening sees the American Superyacht Forum Welcome Reception which will be hosted at the Bell Harbour Conference Centre, sponsored by Omni Risk Management Inc and Carney Badley Spellman

We're in Seattle ... Where are you...?
American Superyacht Forum 2009
We're in Seattle ... Where are you...? - 08 May 20098th May - We’re in Seattle...Where are you....?The Superyacht Events team have hopped across the

In Ten Days time it's time to Build a Better Business
American Superyacht Forum 2009
In Ten Days time it's time to Build a Better Business - 01 May 2009 In Ten Days time it's time to Build a Better BusinessA significant gatherin

Previous News
Global Superyacht Forum 2009
Previous News - 01 May 2009It has just been confirmed that the Global Superyacht Forum 2009 will return to the previous Project location at the Amsterd

Dont Miss the G250 in Seattle!
American Superyacht Forum 2009
Dont Miss the G250 in Seattle! - 05 Apr 2009

Review : Gulf Superyacht Forum 2009
Gulf Superyacht Forum 2009
Review : Gulf Superyacht Forum 2009 - 24 Mar 2009

The Yacht Report Group recently hosted a [Read article in full] 24 Mar 2009 Review : Gulf Superyacht Forum 2009 - 24 Mar 2009 The Yacht Report Group recently hosted a brand new conference in partnership with the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, the Gulf Superyacht Forum. The event opened alongside the show and brought together a gathering of industry professionals from the world over, coupled with a small group of local players. The meeting provided a snap shot view of the current state of the Gulf, but more importantly mapped their future and attempted to predict the true potential of the region in yachting terms. This became very clear when a variety of panelists identified the pros and cons of building and developing yachts and yacht owners in the highly oil rich Emirate.   “An excellent starting platform to integrate companies into this marketplace.”  Scott MacDonald, IMA Yachts In very simple terms, the contention amongst the panel and the audience focused on the whether local builders have the ability to meet the quality demands of the client base. The argument proposed by the Gulf based shipyards was that with such a vast workforce available and experience in a vast array of building projects, alongside the training and management of the unlimited work force who earn a fraction of a Dutch or German worker, it will deliver results. Only time will tell. We plan to watch carefully the various new players in the Gulf, namely, Abu Dhabi Mar and Platinum Yachts, and with skilled labour being one of the major costs in a new build and with the variety of western subcontractors already working within the Gulf, it’s clear that they plan to not only be competitive but increase their quality and standards as they evolve over the coming years with their evolutionary projects. With thousands of new berths and facilities being developed within the Gulf, coupled with the myriad of small islands off the coast of Abu Dhabi, the local interest in creating a destination for their own cruising needs, coupled with their plans to attract visiting yachts is high. New legal frameworks and cruising regulations are currently in development and discussion, all of which are geared to make the operational aspects of yachts more simplistic and conducive to developing a domestic fleet. Superyacht events would like to thank their sponsors IGY and The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. Visit the gallery to see all the pictures from the Gulf Superyacht Forum Gulf Superyacht Forum 2009 1 week to go Gulf Superyacht Forum 2009 Gulf Superyacht Forum 2009 1 week to go - 03 Mar 2009 In little over a week's time the inaugural Gulf Superyacht Fo [Read article in full] 03 Mar 2009 Gulf Superyacht Forum 2009 1 week to go - 03 Mar 2009 In little over a week's time the inaugural Gulf Superyacht Forum (GUSF) will be taking place in Abu Dhabi. As official conference partner to The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show, the Forum will address important issues surrounding the regions expanding maritime infrastructure, whilst running alongside the new luxury Yacht show - which is based in a brand new marina facility. Comprising only one day, the Forum is designed to provide delegates with an understanding of the Gulf region, its clients, culture and rapidly developing superyacht market. Organised by The Yacht Report Group and Superyacht Events, the latest speakers for the Forum will include: Wim Koersvelt (Managing Director of Icon Yachts), Fred Carr (Project Director of Aldar Marinas) and Kostas Antonopoulos (Managing Director of Platinum Yachts). For the full list of speakers and seminar programme please click here. All delegates who sign up to the Forum will get access to the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show. The show itself will be attended by members of the world's superyacht fleet, with the organisers recently announcing the patronage of his Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Al Nahran, Crown Prince of Abu Dhabi and Deputy Supreme Commander of the UAE Armed Forces. For anyone wishing to take up the limited remaining spaces avaliable, and attend this first class opportunity to hear expert views on this burgeoning region of the superyacht market please click here. Day 4 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 Global Superyacht Forum 2008 Day 4 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 - 20 Nov 2008Global Superyacht Forum: Day FourThe final day of the Global Superyacht Forum opened with 'Bre [Read article in full] 20 Nov 2008 Day 4 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 - 20 Nov 2008 Global Superyacht Forum: Day Four The final day of the Global Superyacht Forum opened with 'Breakfast with James Caan', a high-profile yacht owner, who candidly discussed his experiences as a superyacht owner.  This was a greatly-anticipated session, as the insight from an owner promised to be highly interesting and informative.  James Caan, live on a sat-link from London, spoke first of his background and his rise to being a yacht owner.  With his second yacht nearing completion in Italy Caan spoke of the build process of the yacht, what he called his 'journey', from researching a builder, to the build process and now to the anticipation of its delivery in February.   Caan spoke of the yacht as his 'baby' and it was clear that he had invested a lot of time in the build process, visiting the yard every 4-6 weeks, to ensure it will feel like home to him and his family.  No doubt it was fascinating for delegates to hear opinions from the other side of the industry - a recipient of all the work that goes into the production of a superyacht.  Following his talk came a bounty of questions from the floor, referring to many aspects of the industry, such as preferences for cruising locations, safety issues for the yacht owner and the crewing of Caan's yacht.  A point raised by James was that the industry needs to perhaps do more to attract potential owners, and that it should maybe be more open about the costs involved in building and owning a yacht - with more transparency and less privacy - even going so far as to reveal to amount he had spent on his own yacht. Following on from the Breakfast Session was the New Technology Forum, with Janne Silden from Blohm and Voss Industries GmbH, Andreas Weber from MTU Friedrichshafen GmbH  and Roland Kilchsperger of HUG Engineering AG.  Janne Silden began by discussing fin stabilisers, whilst Andreas Weber and Roland Kilchsperger followed by discussing together the new exhaust emission and filtration technology, and how they will prevent high-levels of pollution being emitted into the ocean.  White Rose of Drachs immediately suggested that they would be upgrading their current Blohm and Voss fins to the new technology and also endorsed the exhaust filtration sytem having been used on board for the past twelve months. The final session of the conference was the Noise Debate, with a panel of Engineer Henning Fehrmann of  Fehrmann Metallverarbeitung GmbH and Dr Christof Weissenborn from Germanischer Lloyd.  This technical session delivered detailed research into the impact of external nioise penetrating through glass structures and windows into the cabin and throughout the superstructure.  The optimum use of window frames and mountings were extensively discussed and test results were presented and analysed demonstrating the level of vibrations being transmitted throughout the vessel. The event concluded with the Chairman of the Yacht Report Group, Martin Redmayne, thanking all delegates and speakers for their attendance, and the Amsterdam Rai for their help over the conference.  A final networking lunch followed before the close of GSF, with many delegates spending the afternoon looking around METS.  Thanks must go to all who attended, contributed to and participated in  this event - we here at the Yacht Report Group are already looking forward to Global Superyacht Forum 2009 Day 3 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 Global Superyacht Forum 2008 Day 3 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 - 19 Nov 2008 Day 3: Global Superyacht ForumDay Three of the Global Superyacht Forum saw a more leisurel [Read article in full] 19 Nov 2008 Day 3 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 - 19 Nov 2008 Day 3: Global Superyacht Forum Day Three of the Global Superyacht Forum saw a more leisurely start for delegates, with a networking brunch in the Superyacht Pavilion at the Marine Equipment Trade Show (METS).  This gave those attending GSF a chance to spend some time looking around METS before the first session of the day.  Following brunch was a two choice option between the Broadband Communications Debate, held in the main auditorium, or the Human Resources Forum. Leading the Broadband Communications Debate were Kartik Sihna of Inmarsat, Alex Ekonomou of Servicesat Ltd and Kerry Pettitt of Ship Equip UK.  In this session the merits of Fleet Broadband vs VSAT were discussed.  Whilst Fleet Broadband was highlighted as providing exceptional worldwide coverage, even when underway, its cost was seen as a factor preventing its use on more yachts.  The alternatives, however, whilst saving money due to lower useage costs, were seen as problematic due to not always being so reliable when a yacht is moving around.  With this unreliabilty comes the risk that communications might not always be available, and this might occur with an owner on board.   The parallel session - the Human Resources Forum - boasted a panel made up of Greg Evans from the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, Captain Roger Towner of the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Sir Tim McClement KCB, OBE of the Flagship Superyacht Academy and Captain Rodney Hatch of MY Turquoise.  This was well attended and highlighted the increasing importance of HR in the superyacht world.  Items up for discussion were the issues being caused by a lack of well-trained crew, something that will surely increase as the fleet continues to grow, and the likely impacts of the ILO working directives on crew accommodation. Following a break for lunch, with Spanish, Italian and German food on the menu, delegates reconvened for The Green Debate session, focusing on one of the most hotly debated topics currently around.   This session had been eagerly anticipated, with many views on the Green Issue being aired and touched upon before hand, and the ensuing debate did not disappoint.  The Green Issue is one that Superyacht Industry will no doubt be dealing with more and more in the future, with it likely to be beginning to appear on the agendas of all those in the industry.  On the panel were Michael Eaglen of High Modulus, Preben Kristensen from The Dragon Project (China) Ltd, Paul Dielemans of HollandJachtbouw and Hugo Van Wieringin from Azure Naval Architects.  Michael Eaglen began the talk by discussing the current environmentally friendly materials being used in superyacht production and what the future might see in terms of improving upon the materials used.  Composite materials are the current preferred choice, but it is likely that more use of recyled and recylable materials will be seen.  Preben Kristenesen followed by presenting the Zero-Energy Yacht concept - giving previous and contemporary examples.  He highlighted the fact that when money is no object is possible to create an ultra-green sailing yacht, such as the just-launched Ethereal.  Dragon One, developed  by the Dragon Project, demonstrates how it is possible to combine existing and new technologies to create a zero-energy extreme expedition yacht.  Paul Dielemans and Hugo Van Wieringin finished the session by presenting the much-discussed new Hollander project, which offers power efficiency, radical savings in fuel and genuine layout flexibility.  It seems that it is possible for the industry to begin moving towards a greener future. Next came a session on Regulatory Updates with Angus Maclean of the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, Albert Willemsen of ICOMIA and Simon Milne from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.  The new bunker conventions were discussed briefly, prior to them coming into effect.  The talk then progressed to the upcoming long range ID tracking regulations, coming into place on January 1st 2009, which some felt will compromise the privacy of a yacht.  However, it was pointed out that non-compliance would be more-likely to compromise privacy as any yachts not complying would have their location investigated more thoroughly by their flag-state.  Other topics discussed were coating derivatives and then the 13-36 large yacht code, with the suggestion that new liferaft designs should come in to place.. The concluding session of the day was on 'Delivering Quality & Managing Expectations,' another highly relevant topic for the industry.  A diverse panel was made up of Ken Hickling from Awlgrip, Peter Bergsma from CSI, Project Manager Julien Jouault, John Leonida from Clyde & Co LLP and Michael Eaglen of High Modulus International.  The main point raised was the difficulty that there is in setting a standard  for delivery quality products.  The concept of the reference yacht was much talked about, with the flaws in the use of a reference yacht being raised.  Mock ups were also talked of, with the suggestion that they can provide too high a standard for yards to meet, as well as being expensive. Also discussed was  the issue of proving that a yard is able to meet the set standard.  John Leonida said that it is difficult to set a standard for building, as they are not always realistic, and in short there is no real better way to set a delivery standard, with yards needing to be realistic in the negotiation stage as to what they are able to deliver.   The evening was host to the exclusive Global Superyacht Forum Party, meticulously planned and executed by the Yacht Report Group events team.  With a corners of the globe theme, the room housed four themed sections - American, Thai, Dutch and Japanese - with suitably relevant decor and food in each.  Entertainment came in the form of a live band, Candy Girls roller skating their way around the room to provide guests with food, Wii bowling, table football and hockey and finally with Sumo Suits - which the Chairman of the Yacht Report Group could be seen climbing into on several occasions.  The evening was a wonderful way of bringing together the attendees of the conference and celebrating what has so far been a highly successful event, with much being shared, learnt and debated throughout the week.   Day 2 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 Global Superyacht Forum 2008 Day 2 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 - 18 Nov 2008 Day 2 : Global Superyacht ForumDay two of the Global Superyacht Forum commenced with the Design S [Read article in full] 18 Nov 2008 Day 2 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 - 18 Nov 2008 Day 2 : Global Superyacht Forum Day two of the Global Superyacht Forum commenced with the Design Summit.  In this session a research team from Cardiff Business School (CBS) and Jim Dixon of Andrew Winch Design (AWD) discussed the integration processes involved in project management, specifically at the construction and engineering phase. Having collaborated with Amels to establish a long-term research project, the group made some interesting insights into the misunderstood, and perhaps often over-simplified, world of the build process.  Taking the audience back to basics, one of the key points raised about the superyacht industry is its focus on creative ingenuity.  Fundamentally, the designer is tasked with exceeding a client's expectation.  Whilst this freedom of creativity is a huge driving force in making these vessels as unique as they are, there are still constraints and implications in the amount of freedom any one designer is allowed.  For example, as design processes evolve and the designer develops a greater understanding of the client's needs, so he/she runs the risk of exceeding the expectations to the detriment of the entire process.   Ultimately, the team concluded that balances need to be struck between client expectations and deliveries, this is managed jointly by the shipyard/build team and designer.  This is in turn governed by budgets and timescales, and to quote Dixon, finding the "tipping point", whereby all compromises have been met and the design has to move to construction for a successful project conclusion. Following on from the Design Summit was the "Business Woman in the superyacht Arena" seminar.  Here Joan Sullivan Garrett of MedAire Inc, captivated the audience with her description of the ascent from medical professional to founder and CEO of one of the most important businesses in the industry: tele-medicine.  There is no doubt that this area is often overlooked, not just by owners and guests, but crew as well.  With sheer determination and an ethic bred from the hypocratic oath, Garrett's story is fascinating and a real eye-opener as to how the most common infections and viruses, managed on land, can virtually incapacitate a vessel alone at sea.  In this session and in interview for SynfoTV, she explains the simple procedures we can all employ to manage viral transfer on board. The final morning session debated Flag, Class and Code Compliance.   On the panel were Peter Southgate of the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, David Ralph from the Maritime and Coastguard Agency, Eric Goldring of Goldring & Goldring, Robert Curry of ABS Europe, Paolo Moretti of RINA and Engel de Boer  from Lloyds Register.   One of the points raised is that better dialogue between Class and Flag is needed and that the industry needs to look at ensuring that consistency of of interpretation is better defined and shared.   Issues such as the 13-36 passenger rules were heavily discussed and it is anticipated that a draft of the Cayman Islands Code will be available in the new year for consultancy within the industry.   The afternoon saw delegates able to choose between visiting the Icon Yachts shipyard in Harlingen or remaining at Amsterdam Rai to attend the AV Summit. The AV Session was hosted by Tork Buckley, who was joined by a panel of Steve Godleman and Rex Barrett from Sound Ideas, Will Faimatea and Zeb Robin from Bond Technical Management and James Ward from Advanced New Technologies Ltd.  Topics up for discussion were High Definition content and its use and relevance within the superyacht industry, both now and in the future, with manner of its future use being looked at.  A number of informative visual aides, coupled with the expert opinions of the members of the panel made this a valuable and useful session.   The 170 delegates choosing to visit the Icon Yachts shipyards were openly welcomed by Wim Koersvelt, whose rousing welcome speech touched upon the ethos of the yard and on its construction process.  Delegates were then split into small groups and taken around the shipyard by expert members of the Icon team, who were all very forthcoming and provided much informative detail as the groups were guided around the building halls and Hulls One, Two and Three.  The three different construction phases of the yachts were a fascinating demonstration of the build process of the superyacht.  The evening culminated with a drinks reception in the building hall, giving all visitors a chance to discuss their tour amongst themselves, before beginning the journey back into Amsterdam.   Day 1 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 Global Superyacht Forum 2008 Day 1 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 - 17 Nov 2008Day 1 : Global Superyacht ForumAfter much meticulous planning Global Superyacht Forum 2008, running [Read article in full] 17 Nov 2008 Day 1 : Global Superyacht Forum 2008 - 17 Nov 2008 Day 1 : Global Superyacht Forum After much meticulous planning Global Superyacht Forum 2008, running from the 17th to the 20th of November, is now underway.  Hosted at Amsterdam Rai, in association with METS, the Forum has provided delegates in their hundreds with the opportunity to network, to hear and learn about some of the most important issues facing the industry today and to be a part of intelligent and interactive sessions on a wide variety of subject matter. The Forum kicked of with the Chairman's Opening Address, from Martin Redmayne, followed by the State of the Industry Keynote Address.  Joining Martin in this discussion were his Co-Chair for the event, Captain Tork Buckley, Editor of the Yacht Report, and a strong panel made up of Michael Breman of Lurssen Yachts, Vincenzo Moccia of Benetti Yachts, William S. Smith III of Trinity Yachts and Henk de Vries III of Koninklijke De Vries Scheepsbouw.  The session centred on the state of the industry from a build and market expansion perspective, with the use of current statistics to aid the discussion of the appearance of the superyacht industry and what the future might well hold.  With the panel being made up of members of some of the powerhouses of the industry it was interesting to hear their take on the current climate and its implications for those in the superyacht business.  The general opinion appeared to be that the major players in the market should be able to ride out the financial storm, although some newer and smaller yards might not be so resilient.  With delivery numbers being down on previous years it was reflected that perhaps LOA and Gross Tonnage would be an effective way in which to assess deliveries, rather than just by looking at numbers of deliveries.  The session served as a useful and thought provoking way in which to open the Forum. The second session of the day, the Business Summit, featured Montie Twining of Calixas Yachts and Wim Koersvelt of Icon Yachts,  who both delivered a perspective on their approach to entering the industry as large yacht builders.  Having just listened to representatives of four very well established yards in the previous session, it was then fascinating to hear from the other end of the spectrum and the opinions of the leaders of two 'new yards' who are only just at the beginning of their path into the industry.  An animated discussion of their position as new yards and how they are proving themselves as builders made for interesting listening. Following lunch was the final session of the day, the Submarine Forum, featuring John Aune of the Cayman Islands Shipping Registry, Sir Tim McClement KCB, OBE of the Flagship Superyacht Academy, Captain Mick Norman from Amevi Surprise, Will Kohnen from the SEAmagine Hydrospace Corporation, Sean Dooley of Nautilus Underwater Systems and Patrick Lahey from US Submarines.  Prompted by a large amount of interest on the Yacht Report forums, the Submarine Forum looked at the submarine market and information on the submarine, which is fast becoming a more and more popular toy on superyachts, such as its design and how it is manned. Meet the Sponsors drinks followed the Submarine Forum, providing a great opportunity to network with other delegates, following which the more hardy proceeded on to the Rain Bar, which is serving as the post-Forum base for delegates in the evening throughout GSF. Following the event full transcripts of all sessions will be available.  With plenty more hot topics being discussed over the next three days keep checking back for updates on this crucial event.   Day 1: American Superyacht Forum 2008 American Superyacht Forum 2008 Day 1: American Superyacht Forum 2008 - 01 Jul 2008 The Yacht Report’s American Superyacht Forum (“ASF”) kicked off in Newport, Rhode Island USA yesterday chaired [Read article in full] 01 Jul 2008 Day 1: American Superyacht Forum 2008 - 01 Jul 2008 The Yacht Report’s American Superyacht Forum (“ASF”) kicked off in Newport, Rhode Island USA yesterday chaired by Martin Redmayne who set the event’s objectives as enjoyment and networking but most of all the exchange of ideas and opinions in the special context of the US industry. Highlighting the continued global strength of the industry, Redmayne nonetheless suggested to the 250 delegates attending that industry leaders would be well advised to be alert for an as yet unforeseen softening. He went on to observe that both in size of vessel and number of vessels delivered, the US seem to be lagging despite a unique potential for expansion which, if it fails to exploit, risks becoming an industry backwater. Keynote speaker for “The Owners’ Summit”, Andrew Farkas, was just as forthright. As the founder and Global CEO of Island Global Yachting (“IGY”) Farkas has led that company from “3 employees and no money” to a global company, soon rising to 2000 employees, which is now developing luxury marinas around the world – including 40,000 berths in the UAE alone. His presentation was humorous and self-deprecating. Describing himself as raised by the Rastafarians, educated by the Episcopalians and, for all those confused, how having founded Insignia with five people in 1990 Farkas, grew it to 27,000 employees before merging the real estate giant with CB Richard Ellis in 2003. A former yacht owner himself, Farkas described IGY’s mission as not only providing a secure place for berthing boats and yachts where owners can feel particularly secure but developing the brand to provide a homogenious expectation of services and facilities but with an architectural sensitivity for the particular location. As a former yacht owner Farkas also observed that the single most important part of any yacht is her crew so all IGY facilities around the world provide special dedicated facilities for yacht crew. He expanded on his vision for the future challenges facing the superyacht industry to include: 1. The price of fuel, 2. A VERY troubled global economy, 3. Tightening customs and immigration regulations around the world, led by the USA. Having said all that however, Farkas explained his confidence in his own business however, “If they stop building yachts today there will still be a shortage of berths for them.” The Industry Forum, “Working in Harmony” With the theme, “Working in Harmony” Redmayne sought to explore in the afternoon session, how the supply chain could be enhanced, specifically in the US context and the US position in the large yacht market expanded. Yacht builder Mike Kelsey, President of Palmer Johnson, confirmed that indeed the supply chain is being challenged and with the current demand for yachts observing, “The driver is not price but when can they have it, so we’re looking for the next little guy (supplier) to be out next big supplier, ” he continued, “I’d never have thought five years ago that Palmer Johnson would be using Lloyds approved anchor chain that was made in China.” On a different tack, but equally important issue, Kirstin Huettner-Tong, Managing Director of Yacht Record LLC whose professional career includes consulting on supply chain for the auto industry, observed that there is an obvious lack of information, specifically hard statistics, and industry-standardisation. She highlighted that this is exacerbated by builders and suppliers not sharing key data. Kelsey summed the session up: “Bottom line, there is almost nothing I can get fast enough from subcontractors.” The Management Debate – “What Captains want” Highlighting the increasing professionalism and increasing regulation of the industry the relationship and interaction of Captains, Managers and Owners was explored in the day’s final session with emphasis on the real value managers provide. Titled “What Captains Want”, a “Pet Subject ” of The Yacht Report Redmayne observed, the session highlighted the sensitivity of communications with the owner and explored whether managers can improve this or instead actually usurp the role of the Master. The situation is complicated by the “Regulatory Role ” of managers in the context of ISM where significant responsibility and corresponding liability rests with the shore-side manager. A full transcript of each seminar will be available after the event. Day 2 : American Superyacht Forum 2008 American Superyacht Forum 2008 Day 2 : American Superyacht Forum 2008 - 01 Jul 2008Day Two of The Yacht Report's American Superyacht Forum (“ASF”) began with “The Propulsion Summit” presented by [Read article in full] 01 Jul 2008 Day 2 : American Superyacht Forum 2008 - 01 Jul 2008 Day Two of The Yacht Report's American Superyacht Forum (“ASF”) began with “The Propulsion Summit” presented by representatives from MTU, American Superconductor Corporation and T3 giving insight into some of the trends in their industry. As pressures come to bear on the old stalwart diesel engine ranging from the sometimes conflicting concerns of the environment and fuel economy, Stephen Mazepink of MTU nonetheless confirmed MTU's commitment to the diesel showing the latest in technology that is being applied to exhaust clean-up, some of which, particularly urea injection, present problems aboard yachts due to the need for storage. The Subcontractor and Engineering Forum resulted in a lively discussion about the long term relationships between suppliers and builders as a means of addressing problems in the supply train of yacht builders. As is often the case in the superyacht industry, long-standing and proven techniques which are common in most other industries somehow did not seem to apply. Awlgrips Ken Hickling had perhaps the quote of the day when he reminded the audience of the ultimate objective of business, Profit is freedom, if you don't make a profit you can't innovate. Observing that today yards are taking all the risk, he pointed out that a shortage of subcontractors means some builders are becoming more vertically integrated. In fact, Hickling concluded that capacity is not the issue; planning for the capacity is the real issue; but not just for the yards. Brokers came under attack by the lawyers on the brokerage panel with, as some observed, ironic and somewhat sanctimonious allusions to greed, unprofessionalism and lack of knowledge of the product on the part of brokers. Rising to the challenge, Brokers defend yourselves, the sole broker on the panel, Barb Tierney of Northrup and Johnson and founder of the International Yacht Council, parent to a number of professional yacht broker associations around the world, brought some balance to the discussions as did a comment from a broker delegate in the audience who said, “You can't legislate honesty,” alluding to quite public excesses in the legal industry itself. A panel comprised of a banker, business angel and management consultant then confirmed the growing interest in the superyacht industry from angels and venture capitalists and associated funding , highlighting some of the requirements for businesses in the industry if they wish to tap into it. The day concluded with “The Shipyard Debate”which became an intense and in depth discussion of challenges facing US builders concluding that the challenge has shifted from having sufficient workers, as other industries in the US experience difficulties, to problems finding subcontractors and suppliers. Nevertheless, the conclusion was that yacht building is far more profitable today than five years ago and being run more like a real business. The day concluded with presentations from the companies showing new products to the industry. Dubbed the “Hundred Second Sell”, seven companies comprised of Atlas B2B, Electrowave USA, Dometic, American Superconductor, Palladium, ZF Marine Electronics and Ammset. As usual, the presentations ranged from the informative to the amusing, not least the musical interlude provided by Electrowave's Steve Jackson. Day 3: American Superyacht Forum 2008 American Superyacht Forum 2008 Day 3: American Superyacht Forum 2008 - 01 Jul 2008Day three of The Yacht Report’s American Superyacht Forum (“ASF”) in Newport continued on the high note focusin [Read article in full] 01 Jul 2008 Day 3: American Superyacht Forum 2008 - 01 Jul 2008 Day three of The Yacht Report’s American Superyacht Forum (“ASF”) in Newport continued on the high note focusing first on the likely boom in the refit market globally. As the fleet grows older and its numbers swell, Martin Redmayne opened “The Refit Debate – Boom Times Ahead” by suggesting that this was another potential opportunity for the US, particularly with the Dollar’s exchange rate. The seminar’s panel, Ron Baker, President of Merrill-Stevens in Miami; Remy Millot, Managing Director of Pinmar SL in Spain and Michael Murray with Atlantic Marine Florida provided a unique combination of experience and global perspective. Millot presented his own quite substantial research into the global market, with data from a broad sampling of yards demonstrating that for megayachts at least, Europe is perhaps as much as seven years ahead of the US with some new-build yards like CRN actually pursuing refits. Europe currently sees seventy refits annually compared to approximately forty-three in the US with 73% of the new-builds being European compared to 15% in the US despite the state of the Dollar and over-booking in Europe. His statistics highlighted a variety of other interesting trends including Europe’s use of subcontractors approximately seven times as often as US yards. Observing that for yards the refit mentality is completely different from new-building, Palmer Johnson’s Mike Kelsey commented that he would happily pass on even the seemingly most lucrative refit, “For my guys, refits are reverse engineering.” Furthermore, US yards don’t seem to market internationally. Conversely, the US apparently tends to take better care of crew as part of a generally higher standard of customer service. “It’s not all dollars,” as Michael Murray of Atlantic Marine indicated. Ron Baker demonstrated graphically the challenges of expanding physical plant in the US with other demands on waterfront property. Currently, over 80 % of Merrill Stevens business is repeat, but with currently limited lifting capacity they believe they are losing out as customers quite literally outgrew them. Another issue in the US is insurance as limits of liability are being stretched by yacht underwriters. The Refit discussion provided a perfect segue for the next session with the issue of US Visas for crew during refit, not helped by US immigration officials being more accustomed to commercial vessels that turn around in hours, or certainly days, while yachts are often in refit for months. This was a hot topic in Newport, one that was brought up in the US Superyacht Association’s Captain’s Briefing and Reception at The Newport Shipyard. The next session, “The Cruising Guide – Entering and Navigating US Waters” focused on the difficulties, perceived or real, in operating in US waters, particularly for non US vessels or vessels with non US crew. Interestingly, the panel included Canadian Master Mariner and Pilot, Alain Arseneault. Master of a product tanker at age 29, Arseneault also earned an MBA from the Universite’ du Que’bec. Trying to dispel rumours to the contrary, representatives from the US Coast Guard and the Department of homeland Security on the panel said that they actually see yachts as partners in security citing 24 Day 4 : The American Superyacht Regatta 2008 American Superyacht Forum 2008 Day 4 : The American Superyacht Regatta 2008 - 01 Jul 2008 I can die now, a contented man, one delegate commented a [Read article in full] 01 Jul 2008 Day 4 : The American Superyacht Regatta 2008 - 01 Jul 2008 I can die now, a contented man, one delegate commented as he stepped off the Twelve Meter he had been racing during the morning of The Yacht Report's American SupeYacht Forum (ASF) in the American Superyacht Regatta sponsored by Awlgrip and Interlux. Eleven twelve metre yachts which had been involved in varying degrees in the America's Cup from the 1920s were raced by crews composed largely of delegates from ASF. In fact, each yacht had a professional crew of three ensuring the delegates had to participate to a large degree if they wanted to be competitive in the regatta. This made for a very interesting race, as some delegates were incredibly experienced sailors, whilst others were complete novices. As the breeze freshened and rain held off, the morning made for perfect racing conditions. Ultimately, there could only be one winner, Intrepid, and of course, The Yacht Report's very own avid sailor (and Newport’s adopted son), Roger Marshall was on board. Synfo.com's very own John Mitchell ensured The Yacht Report team covered all angles coming in a sobering last place on board Onawa. Despite his protestations he was on the oldest yacht in the fleet (at 80 years old, she was getting on a bit), she had recently undergone a complete refit, leading others to speculate she was both the oldest and youngest vessel in the competition. Meanwhile, Martin Redmayne, Chairman and Editor-in-Chief, battled his way through the field on board Northern Light to a respectable 6th place. We are assured this was an acclimatisation process to Newport's difficult conditions and unruly currents and that next time Roger will have a greater fight on his hands. For those who competed and for those who are interested, keep your eyes on the American Superyacht Forum website for photos and video footage of the race, coming soon. In the interim, the complete list of results are below: 1st      Intrepid 2nd     Heritage 3rd      American Eagle 4th=    Weatherly and Columbia 6th      Northern Light 7th      Gleam 8th      Nefertiti 9th=    Enterprise and Easterner 11th    Onawa The Social American Superyacht Forum American Superyacht Forum 2008 The Social American Superyacht Forum - 01 Jul 2008 As usual, The Yacht Report's focus on a successful conference was not isolated to the actual conferences and sem [Read article in full] 01 Jul 2008 The Social American Superyacht Forum - 01 Jul 2008 As usual, The Yacht Report's focus on a successful conference was not isolated to the actual conferences and seminars. They are vital, but just as important are the social affairs after office hours. Here delegates have the opportunity to mingle, mix and meet people they wouldn't normally or otherwise have. So what did we get up to?   Well the week kicked off with an auspiciously billed “Networking Dinner”. The fact that this dinner actually revolved around the “unveiling of the clam bake” ceremony, a Newport tradition, added a certain je ne sais quoi to to the event. In true Yacht Report style, upon being coerced to the pyre, Chairman Martin Redmayne and Online Manager Esther Barney performed the all-important Clam Bake dance, heralding a successful evening. The fun and frolics of the evening propelled along by the sharing of expertise and skills of just how to open a cooked lobster. The following evening, after the seminar from the New Product Presentation (NPP) companies, that included some impromptu musical performances and comedy acts, the delegates boarded a flotilla of tenders on Goat Island, making their way across to the subsequent “Networking Dinner” this time a sit down event at the Newport Yachting Center [www.newportyachtingcenter.com]. Here, canapés and drinks awaited the delegates from their boats and the evening culminated (read: deteriorated) in the now traditional Joke Telling competition. Whilst all (read: most) of the jokes were all very acceptable, the best jokes should be reserved for those who deliver them best. As an added incentive, Martin Redmayne offered a free place at the Global Superyacht Forum in Amsterdam to the best joke of the evening. Congratulations to Don Gale for his winning “Elephant” contribution. By Day Three, it was obvious that the delegates were exhausted from the hilarity of the previous evening and with the American Superyacht Regatta just hours away, the American Superyacht Forum hosted a pre-Race BBQ at The Newport Shipyard. Here competitors and spectators were briefed for the following day’s competition and all were presented their “colours” – each team were provided different coloured T-Shirts for the yachts they would shortly sail on. From here delegates were free to head to bed early for the night in order to best prepare themselves for a good day of sailing, or join the rest of the party in the specially designated Yacht Club at the Clark Cook House. The Yacht Club was available after conference hours to all delegates for the duration of the conference. Indeed it proved an integral part of the week as delegates were able to move away from the conference centre, sample a soupçon of Newport life and talk “off” or “on” the record about the issues they each share. Not always yachting. Finally, the week wound up with the American Superyacht Regatta. This differs from the other regattas we report on in the industry simply because it is the delegates that make up the crews. With all eleven of the US's twelve metre America's Cup yachts on the water, the spectacle invited curiosity from a number of other boaters. So much so that one competitor commented that there might well be more spectator boats watching us than there were at the real thing. The regatta has been covered in the archived article below. With a successful week both in and out of the seminars, we only have the Global Superyacht Forum to look forward to now. But what will we have in store for you then?
trp magazines ltd, lansdowne house, 3-7 northcote road, london sw11 1ng, uk tel. +44 (0)20 7924 4004 fax +44 (0) 20 7924 1004