November

Dear APSA Members

Gold Coast City Marina & Shipyard (GCCM) will receive AUD$20 million from Deb Frecklington’s LNP Queensland Government for its Stage II development which will see the lifting capacity of the Gold Coast increase to 1200 tonnes and the current facility more than double in size.

Boat design is very much like playing a 3-D version of Tetris. The game is to drop some engines into the bottom of a slightly awkward perimeter shape – the hull – and then fit all the relevant blocks (cabins, en suites, heads, saloon, galley bar, helm station and so on) around them. It is an infinitely variable process, but generally comes out pretty much the same, give or take a movable table or two and the positioning of the sunpads. More often than not, the ‘design’ of a motoryacht is as much to do with the cushion covers and the quality of the finish as it is with the actual arrangement of the interior.

The Asia-Pacific Area continues to play a strategic role in terms of Azimut|Benetti Group sales. Thanks to its longstanding presence in key countries in the area, the company has an excellent reputation and unparalleled reach across the region. Reporting total sales worth over 150 million euros (the two brands’ results for the last 12 months), the Group is a top performer in the superyacht arena, as despite the complexities caused by the global pandemic, Azimut|Benetti has put in a particularly good performance, reporting a 10% increase on the results posted for Asia last season with Benetti alone nearly doubling the number of units sold.

YARE (Yachting Aftersales and Refit Experience) is a popular event on the Italian superyacht calendar. This year as a result of Covid-19 travel restrictions, the Italian organisers decided it was time to go virtual, and the YARE GOES DIGITAL webinar series was created. APSA was one of the supporting partners andgave APSA members and Captains the opportunity to participate and connect with the global superyacht community.

Brookes Bell has been working in the superyacht sector for over 30 years, our extensive maritime experience and expertise enables us to pull in different experts to identify and maximise opportunities for owners and managers whether that’s for a new build, rebuild or refit. The latest development for the sector is the adaptation of Advanced Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) technology for superyachts.

Founded in 2007, [MegayachtNews.com](http://megayachtnews.com/)is the first, and only, independent website devoted to educating American luxury yacht owners and buyers. It publishes all-original content – real stories of real interest – with articles that focus on the leading builders, designers, marinas, and cruising destinations.

Central Yacht is pleased to announce that after four years of lobbying and planning the City Centre Kaohsiung marina is now open to yachts. Berthing is stern to med style and is in an extremely protected location in the heart of the arts and tourism centre of the south Taiwan city of Kaohsiung, the centre of yacht building in Asia.

Northrop & Johnson Asia welcomes Yacht Broker Greg Dagge to its international team. Greg’s yachting industry knowledge, exceptional level of experience and extensive contact list in the marine industry will ensure his success as a member of the firm. Based in Southeast Asia and is a member of the Asia team and upon joining, he hit the ground running with the sale of a 31m Maiora motor yacht.