Chairman’s Message May 2023

Dear APSA Members and Friends

It has been over three years since Asia’s yachting professionals gathered to discuss our industry. ASPA was pleased to be a supporting partner for both the Southeast Asia Yachting Conference and Singapore Yachting Festival. Keynote speaker, at the Conference was Darren Vaux, President of ICOMIA, who was keen to engage with the emerging yachting communities of Southeast Asia. His Keynote address will be talked about for some time. MC Wicky Sundram, a long-term member of the Asian yachting community, introduced the 22 local and international speakers and panellists that included a number of APSA members: Colin Dawson (Howden/The George Group), Kirsten Ringsing (YACHTZOO), Ewa Stachurska (Simpson Marine), Julian Chang (Burgess), Hilda Loe (Maritime Cook Islands), Kent Tan (Catalano Shipping Services Singapore), and Affiliate Association Members: Ditapong Thitadilok (TYBA), and Alvin Teh Wei Loong (AMIM). 

This leads me into welcome a new Affiliate Association member The Leisure Marine Association MENA (LMA), which is head quartered in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, and promotes, protects, and advances the interests of its members and the leisure marine community. I meet Abeer Al Shaali, Deputy Managing Director of Gulf Craft and the President of the new Leisure Marine Association MENA, when I was a panellist at the Middle East Yachting Conference in March.

This newsletter also includes some industry news with the Azimut|Benetti group choosing public investment fund (PIF) as strategic partner, Sanlorenzo and Simpson Marine have signed an MOU, and SEABOB, the world’s leading water sled, manufactured in Germany, launched its representation in the Asia-Pacific Region at the Singapore Yachting Festival 2023.

Unfortunately, I could not be in Singapore this year, but Suzy Rayment the Executive Director of APSA was there and has reconnected with many of our APSA members both at the Conference, SYF, and the APSA Asia Superyacht Night, which was another successful APSA event. The updated APSA Guide was distributed in Singapore, and it is now available online on the APSA website. Asia is fully in action; which is great news for APSA!