APSA Chairman’s Message 26 June 2023
It’s halfway through the year, and APSA has been busy to date with conferences and boat shows in Dubai, Singapore, and Turkey. This month we are extremely pleased to welcome Horizon Yachts in Taiwan as an APSA Premium Member. Horizon has emerged as Asia’s leading superyacht brand, and in the past three decades the yard has delivered over 890 luxury yachts, with more than 240 being 80ft and over. Consistently in the world’s top 10 superyacht builders, Horizon now contributes to one-third of Taiwan’s total yacht exports and has contributed substantially to Taiwan’s position as one of the world’s top five luxury superyacht-building nations.
Regionally, there are more superyachts on the way, and the superyacht infrastructure continues to grow. At the Singapore Yachting festival in April, Hong Seh Marine proudly hosted the Asia launch of the Ferretti Yachts 860, and Simpson Marine recently held an invitation-only event in Hong Kong to celebrate the arrival of the Sanlorenzo SL90A. In July, ONE˚15 Marina will be celebrating the opening of Nirup Island, billed as the epitome of eco-luxury living in Asia. Located off Batam, Indonesia, it is less than 8nm from Singapore and ONE°15 Marina. Nirup Island presents a range of exciting activities for boat owners with a sense of adventure. Congratulations also go to Rivergate Marina & Shipyard, who won the 2023 Superyacht Industry Project (Design or Manufacturer of the Year) in recognition for the impressive work they carried out on the 34m classic cruiser Kokomo II.
This newsletter also includes Benetti’s 150th Celebrations, and its history of shipbuilding from the early wooden sailing Barques to the B.Now superyachts which feature the iconic Oasis Deck™. We also feature a snapshot from the Southeast Asia Yachting Conference, Superyacht Panel discussions which looked at the growth of the industry in Asia, and the needs of superyacht Captains of both local and foreign flagged vessels cruising in the region. The conclusions were that although many services are in place all over Asia, work can still be done to improve and expand the industry in the Asia-Pacific region. APSA will continue to be a main driving force for this by building upon what we have already achieved and what our members are doing around the region.
The next major event on APSA’s schedule is the Asia Superyacht Night (Monaco) being held on 26th September 2023 on the rooftop of the Novotel Monaco. What started as an informal gathering of members around the bar a decade ago, has evolved into a great 200-guest event with industry leaders joining us to meet our great members. Maritime Cook Islands have confirmed their support as headline Platinum Sponsors, with YACHTZOO (gold) and AZURE | Yacht Crew Health (silver) returning as event sponsors. We are in the process of finalizing the remaining sponsorship slots, so please let us know if your company is interested in supporting any APSA events at Monaco, FLIBS or METSTRADE.
We hope to see more boat shows and events happening in the Asia-Pacific soon and will keep you posted as news comes to hand. Enjoy your summer sailing if you are in the northern hemisphere – and if down under, stay warm.
Best Regards
Nigel Beatty
Chairman - APSA