The Asia Pacific Superyacht Association (APSA) is ten years old. This young Association that has played an active role in promotion of the Asia-Pacific to the global superyacht community as one of the world’s three main cruising regions. As well as promoting Asian yacht businesses to the global superyacht community, and connecting to the worldwide yacht businesses that want to do business in Asia.

The idea of APSA was first talked about at the Asia Pacific Superyacht Conference in 2009, it took another couple of years however to bring it to fruition. Established by five industry professionals Colin Dawson, Jean-Jacques Lavigne, YP Loke, Simon Turner, and Gareth Twist. It was not until 20 April 2011 that the Association was finally launched. Starting with 45 Founder Members, who came from 14 countries across the world, the membership represented a broad cross-section of professional individuals and international companies from the superyacht industry, and this trend continues today. APSA has grown over the years at a steady rate, and one of its most important assets are the long-term members and industry professionals, who are based in the region provide top quality services to locally owned or visiting superyachts.

Colin Dawson the first APSA Chairman said, “As one of the creators of APSA I am proud to see the Association reach this important milestone. When, in 2009, we started discussing how ASPA might work we knew it would not be our generation of Committee members that would see our ideas be fully realised, but that it would take a number of years to establish itself. While we laid the foundations, I am pleased that Nigel and his Committee have taken things to the next level and APSA sits where it does today as an important part of the global superyacht arena.”

The dramatic upward trend in superyacht sales in the Asia-Pacific has made the global superyacht industry more focused on the region with APSA Member Azimut/Benetti reported that, “the APAC region has leapt forward, rising to 15% of total sales and proving to be a particularly promising market.” While, Founder Member of APSA, Simpson Marine reports that since having taken over the Asia dealership for the Sanlorenzo in 2015, the Asian market now accounts for 23.5% of this shipyard’s total global sales in 2020.

While Japan is still the largest Asian yachting community, Hong Kong and Singapore are established markets that continue to expand. Emerging markets such as Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines are also thriving. While Australia and New Zealand have seen a strong surge in domestic superyacht sales and charter activity as a result of Covid travel restrictions, these countries are also establishing themselves as world class superyacht repair, refit and refurbishment centres, with support of Government initiatives that will see this region being a future superyacht hub.

Nigel Beatty, the Chairman of APSA says, “It’s Asia-Pacific’s unspoilt cruising grounds are the major attraction superyacht owners and charter operators. This year we kicked off APSA 10^th Anniversary celebrations with the ASPA Grand Tour webinar series that hosted 20 industry professionals who spoke about their local cruising grounds. The five sessions covered the Oceanic/Pacific (Australia, New Zealand, PNG); East Asia (Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Southern China); South East Asia (Thailand, Singapore, Indonesia, South Pacific (Fiji, Cook Islands, Tahiti, and South China (India, Sri Lanka and the Maldives. As a result, APSA now has a library of YouTube destination videos that give up-to-date and relevant information to the global superyacht community.

Another important role for APSA is its connection to the regional superyacht communities and it is growing its Affiliated Associations connections so that the superyacht community will be more connected and able to work more cooperatively in the future. As well as growing the Yacht Membership of APSA that seeks to support superyacht Owners and Captains as they cruise through the Asia Pacific.

APSA had hoped to be able to celebrate its 10^th Anniversary with the usual APSA Pre Monaco Yacht Show (MYS) ‘APSA Superyacht Night’ on the roof top on the Novotel Hotel. Unfortunately, Covid travel and quarantine restrictions made this impossible. Two of the APSA Committee were able to be at the MYS and APSA Chairman Nigel Beatty (Super Yacht Logistics) and Committee member, Gordon Fernandes (Asia Pacific Superyachts) managed to catch up with a few members during the show.

Founder Member YP Loke says” APSA’s future is bright because wealth in Asia is increasing. This will result in more Asian ownership and awareness in Asia for the industry. Many niche services in the superyacht industry lack the critical mass to sustain. With increasing superyachts in the region more services and start-ups will become viable.”

A final thanks all the APSA Members past and present who have supported the association and a special thanks to the active Founder members who have been with APSA from the start.

www.apsuperyacht.org   

Acknowledgements and thanks for video footage from:

Asia Pacific Superyachts and D Fly Productions: APSA Fiji Experience

Tahiti Tourisme: The Islands of Tahiti: A place for superyacht (2020)

Singapore Yacht Show/ Asia Pacific Superyacht Conference and Superyacht Times (2017)

Cluster Yachting Monaco Event and Superyacht.tv/ (2019)

APSA 10th Anniversary