Overtime, pandemics have proven to be catalysts for change; the Covid-19 pandemic is seemingly not any different – calling for creative changes on a global scale. Accompanied by an elevated consciousness on the minds of individuals, Covid-19 has impacted the way businesses, relationships and service delivery are perceived. The ripple effect of this will be a total reshaping of customers’ views and behaviours post-Covid.
The Lantau Yacht Club (LYC) welcomed the first yacht member and first visiting yacht on 30 August 2020, marking a key milestone of Hong Kong’s newest state-of-the-art marina. The soft opening involves the opening of the Marina Office, and Phase 1 of the Marina and the service yard. The 45-feet Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 479 sailed into the all-new Lantau Yacht Club marina closely followed by Ferretti Yachts 670 and they were welcomed by the marina staff.
Cruising from the past into the future, and combining pure elegance, classic contours, and the very latest in technical capabilities, the OCEA shipyard presents the Commuter 50. Over the past twenty years, the Commuter range has become emblematic of OCEA’s shipbuilding expertise. The design is inspired by the “commuter yachts” of the early 20th Century, sleek boats owned by New York’s billionaire class and designed to ferry them across the East River to Manhattan with speed, elegance, and maximum style and class.
Swiss Ocean and Vikand have teamed up to create a concrete and effective Covid-19 programme for charter and private yachts. As the world struggles with the challenges brought on by the Covid-19 pandemic, the yachting industry continues to function – albeit with new challenges such as travel restrictions, freight issues and contractual difficulties for charter yachts. First-hand reports from the popular hotspots for yachts, however, clearly show a lack of control onboard many yachts in the active prevention of the spread of the virus.
2020 is proving to be a good year for Simpson Marine in Hong Kong with many clients and owners deciding to start their first or next boating adventure earlier than initially planned and enjoy their “now” time. In many ways this makes sense as a yacht represents a safe haven to retreat to and allows owners to enjoy peace of mind far away from the lockdowns and restrictions that Hong Kong has been facing on land. Similar to their counterparts in the US, Hong Kong yachtsmen and boaters have been very active at sea this year.
In the 1990s, Benetti was the first shipyard to use fiberglass to build Navettes over 30 meters long; today it is the first major player in the industry to return to steel, which it has imprinted in its DNA, breathing life into the new generation of Expedition designed in the Benetti tradition and based on what Owners want:
The Thai Government cabinet on Tuesday (September 15) agreed to allow in foreign tourists who agree to a 14-day quarantine to stay for at least 90 days. Two extensions will be available for 90 days each; the lengthiest period for the new visa would be 270 days.
HFW Community will be hosting a webinar led by Paralympian sailors [**Hannah Stodel**](https://uk.linkedin.com/in/hannah-stodel-79122a60?trk=public_post_share-update_update-text) (Great Britain) and [**Jovin Tan**](https://sg.linkedin.com/in/jovin-tan-051324174?trk=public_post_share-update_update-text) (Singapore) on 8th October at 9am BST, to discuss the importance of Paralympic sailing and the future of the sport. The world of sailing was shocked and disappointed by the announcement in September 2018 that sailing was not to be included by the International Paralympic Committee (IPC) in the Paris 2024 Paralympics. The decision followed the sport’s removal from the Tokyo 2020 Paralympics in January 2015. In this webinar, Hannah and Jovin will discuss their hopes that the IPC approve any future application for sailing to be returned to the Paralympics, and how the submission of such an application might be achieved.
Like most leisure industries, yachting has been hit hard by the effects of the Coronavirus outbreak, but the sector is already showing promising signs of post-lockdown recovery. Some 81% of manufacturers reported a decline in business through Q1 of 2020 but, with lockdown restrictions easing in many nations and travel options increasing, there is hope on the horizon.
During the annual general assembly of the Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss) on 22 September 2020, members approved of the appointment of Giovanna Vitelli, vice president of Azimut | Benetti Group, to the board.
