APSA Chairman’s Message March Newsletter 2020
Dear APSA Members, Friends & Industry Colleagues,
It seems that the whole world is now under some kind of lockdown from the Covid-19 pandemic. Most of Asia has seen restrictions – to some degree or other - since the end of January. Now the rest of the world is also adopting restrictions, with most of the boat shows, yachting events and regattas that were planned for the first half of the year having been postponed or cancelled. Two America’s Cup World Series events have been written off and the Tokyo Olympics has also been postponed to 2021. All we can hope is that the stringent measures will eventually lead to the virus being contained.
In the meantime, APSA Members are still connected thorough our monthly e-newsletters and through social media. The APSA website will soon feature the additional social media buttons of Instagram and LinkedIn to complement the existing Facebook and Twitter links already available. Make sure you make the most of these communication channels to get your message out to the wider superyacht community.
Everyone has been affected by this crisis, but we are all in the same boat – literally. Shipyards are closed, supply chains are halted, and shipping is restricted: the global outlook is grim, but is not something that we cannot recover from. At times like this we need to pull together, so that once the pandemic is brought under control, we can work together as an Association to grow the superyacht boating community in the Asian region.
The APSA Guide is one way to do this. The current edition is being updated and revamped, and will be published soon. If members have any special images or news about the region that should be included, please feed it through to Suzy Rayment, our Communications Director, who is making sure that the latest information is featured in the Guide.
The rescheduled dates of the Singapore Yacht Show have just been announced, and the 10th Anniversary edition of SYS will be held 15-18 October. Also, later in the year, the newly announced Hong Kong Yacht Show will be held 19-22 November in the Kwun Tong Typhoon Shelter adjacent to the Kai Tak Runway Park Promenade. So, there are some things to look forward too!
Also, on the horizon are the APSA events at the Monaco Yacht Show, Singapore Yacht Show and the Ft Lauderdale International Boat Show. Please let us know if you will be attending these shows so that we can add you to our invitations lists for any events that APSA will be hosting.
Send us your news and information so that we can promote you to the fullest extent. Stay safe, and stay connected, and when this is all over, we will be ready for the upswing.