Understand More Details On The Boat Shows In 2013 For The Super Yacht Business

By Dominic Gullion


At the Phuket boat show, Simpson Marine had its multihull Lagoons and Azimut motor yachts on a linked walkway to the second pontoon row, which held an eclectic range of brokerage boats, from the show's largest, the remarkable 102' Blosson by the Asilleros Astonda yard, to two 60-70 feet explorer designs including Nordhavn offered by Northrop & Johnson's local reps, to a large air-conditioned Turkish gullet called Capricorn that Asia Marine sensibly suggests for regional roaming charters. Another broker, Hakan Lange of Delrani, pulled out, and Ferretti again had easily the largest display in an otherwise fairly sparse standing hall.

And what is going on in Singapore, 21-year incumbent Boat Asia and upstart Singapore Yacht Show are being held over the same late April dates? Phuket Boat Show in Thailand began proceedings, but a heat wave made walking the docks a real challenge.

American and European yards continued their love affair with Hainan Rendez-Vous, a luxury brands get-together in Sanya, China's southern-most city, which also features a business jets display. This was a fourth of an initial five events planned, and already there is talk of big changes and new strategies for the years ahead.

At the Hainan Rendez-Vouz bot show, a formidable 130 vessels of various lengths and models were still shown at Visun Royal Yacht Club in Sanya, at 18 degree North of China's southern-most city, on this very large island in the tropics that is often dubbed as "Oriental Hawaii", or alternatively for Europeans, "China's Riviera".

The marina, at the northern end of Phuket island near the airport, and located inside Phang Nga Bay rather than on the more open Andaman Sea side, is owned by a Thai family, and upmarket residences upshore have been "in the pipeline" for the best part of two decades. How, however, there are obvious signs that construction of villas may finally be getting under way, which with enhanced restaurant an shopping facilities, will make the complex that much more attractive for the Phuket boat show.

Informa, organizers of Monaco Yacht show, ran Phuket in recent years, but a parting of the ways with their Andy Treadwell has seen it revert to the original owner, Phuket-based British expat Andy Downden.

Despite the efforts of the organizers of the Dubai Boat Show, who's turnover of staff provides very little continuity or interaction with the local industry, the atmosphere at the 21st edition of the Dubai International Boat Show was relatively upbeat.

Both Treadwell and Boat Asia's Herman Ho "did the rounds" at the Phuket boat show. The Thia expo, confusingly known as PIMEX, was held at Royal Phuket Marina, an had one row of Princess and Sunseeker yachts bookended by a small display from Phuket's biggest broker lee Marine, which is located next-door in the Boat Lagoon, and Guild Craft, with a Majesty and two outboard fishing boats.




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