Chairman's Message April 2023
Dear APSA Members and Friends
Singapore is gearing up to welcome the Asian boating community in April. APSA is pleased to be a Supporting Partner for both the Southeast Asia Yachting Conference (26 April 2023) and the Singapore Yachting Festival (27-30 April). Darren Vaux, President of ICOMIA is the Keynote Speaker at the day-long programme, which focuses on the cruising destinations of Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia.
APSA welcomes another new member: SEABOB, the German luxury water toys manufacturer. This high-quality water sled is powerful and driven by modern electric technology, making it thoroughly environmentally friendly. The company has recently set up an Asia-Pacific office in Singapore, and will be exhibiting at the Singapore Yachting Festival.
Best wishes to APSA member Kenta Inaba (SYL Japan) who will be competing in the 30th Rolex China Sea Race (RCSR) which starts tomorrow, 5 April, 2023. Kenta will be sailing on SHK Scallywag Fuku, an ORMA 60 trimaran sailing under the Hong Kong flag, owned by Meitatsu Fukumoto and Seng Huang Lee, and skippered by David Witt.
Other news includes the inaugural Captains' Workshop held in Hong Kong by Sanlorenzo Asia and Simpson Marine. The three-day event offered an extensive program of training and knowledge-sharing for captains and crews of Sanlorenzo and Bluegame motor yachts. Hosted at the Aberdeen Boat Club and onboard three selected Sanlorenzo yachts, the event featured a series of workshops, seminars, and practical training sessions. It is good to see more professional training programmes taking place in Asia.
Community initiatives which support the marine industry are much appreciated, and two teams from Travel Cue will be participating in the Missions to Seafarers Adventure Race (MtS) on Japan's Izu Peninsula to raise awareness and money for the MtS’s incredibly important work in both the yachting and the shipping industries.
Finally, we hear from Superyacht 153 as to why Tasmania is the perfect destination for superyachts looking for a wilderness adventure - especially around Port Davey in Southern Tasmania, which is only accessible by foot, yacht, or light aircraft.
The Asia-Pacific is back in action, with boat shows, conferences, and events. There are some exciting times ahead in 2023.
Regards
Nigel Beatty
Chairman APSA