Partnerships dominate this week's industry news - Australian MarineBusinessWorld.com newsletter
by Peter Rendle 4 Jun 2021 13:00 PDT
Multihull Solutions and The Yacht Sales Co. signed more than $29M in new boat contracts at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show © Multihull Solutions
Before we summarise the various partnership deals this week: further news of the boating boom comes from Multihull Solutions.
The 2021 Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show (SCIBS) was an outstanding success for Multihull Solutions and The Yacht Sales Co with a record 13 contracts signed for new sail and power catamarans across their range. Strong crowds and beautiful weather made for a fantastic four days of celebrating all things marine, and the teams were run off their feet with almost 150 appointments made to inspect the boats on display. At the close of the show, over $29 million in contracts had been signed for models by Fountaine Pajot, ILIAD Catamarans and Dufour Yachts.
However, partnership and acquisition deals dominate this week's news.
Volvo Penta has announced an exciting new acquisition of ZEM - a company with 12 years of market experience as a supplier of both marine battery systems and complete electric drivelines, and a strong track record in Norway, the most mature marine e-mobility market in the world. "As a part of the Volvo Group's great electromobility initiatives, Volvo Penta has a solid technology foundation to leverage. Marine electromobility, however, has a unique set of requirements," explains Peter Granqvist, Chief Technology Officer at Volvo Penta. "There are very specific considerations of utmost importance around the installation environment, safety, the use case itself, as well as the current lack of charging infrastructure."
The Marina Industries Association (MIA) is proud to announce a new partnership with Shoreside Clothing. Uniform and merchandising suppliers which consolidate a range of boating brands have been limited in the marine industry. Shoreside Clothing fill that gap by providing a one-stop solution to enable marine businesses to clothe their staff in well-priced, quality, marine appropriate uniforms that provide the right protection, project a good image and have staff looking and feeling great. MIA CEO Suzanne Davies commented, "Shoreside Clothing joined MIA membership as our first clothing supplier member and quickly realised the benefit of partnering with the MIA to facilitate the uniform and merchandising needs of the membership. They have already shown their industry support by providing product to assist in our fundraising efforts for the Marine Industry Foundation."
ePropulsion, a global leader and market challenger in marine electric propulsion systems and services, announced today it delivered innovation on the water at SailGP's recent Bermuda Sail Grand Prix presented by Hamilton Princess and was met with very positive feedback for its products. Eleven boats have been transitioned to ePropulsion electric outboard motors to provide more sustainable and environmentally-friendly electric outboard solutions for SailGP, supporting the global sail racing league that champions a world powered by nature. ePropulsion's Spirit range and batteries were a massive hit with the team on the ground.
Following three and a half years as exclusive global distributor for the Dtorque 111 turbo diesel outboard, Yanmar Marine International (YMI), alongside the engine's developer and manufacturer, Neander Shark GmbH, have jointly announced the next phase of their partnership. The new agreement beginning June 2021 will enable Neander to maximize sales growth and develop market opportunities and special projects by directly distributing the engines, while building on the strong brand identity and network already established by Yanmar.
B&G® announced its partnership with 11th Hour Racing Team this week prior to the team's upcoming start in The Ocean Race Europe in Lorient, France on Saturday. As official suppliers, B&G will support 11th Hour Racing Team with a full suite of the latest race-proven marine electronics, including the latest B&G Nemesis™ displays, for the team's campaign focused on the next edition of The Ocean Race 2022-23. Throughout the partnership, B&G and 11th Hour Racing will also work together to develop innovative ideas, test new products and collaborate on future technologies and sustainability initiatives.
New Zealand boating enthusiasts now have a powerhouse team to look after all their boating needs after Multihull Solutions and The Yacht Sales Co announced they have joined forces with Ocean Time. The move creates the region's finest collaboration of sail and power experts to assist with all new and pre-owned boating needs. Helmed by Dominic Lowe, Ocean Time has been New Zealand's premium brokerage firm for many years, and Dominic will continue as the new entity's NZ General Manager. His knowledge of both power and sail vessels is unmatched, and he has extensive experience across the sales, service and all technical aspects of the industry.
Further indications that the industry is in good shape is news of a Victorian builder's expansion. Australia's largest trailerable fiberglass boat builder, Whittley Marine Group, announces that it has established Whittley New South Wales (NSW) Sales Newcastle as the Group's new boat retail sales and service facility in Northern NSW. The new facility is conveniently located in the central transport hub of Beresfield, in between Australia's largest inland waterway Lake Macquarie, and Port Stephens in the Newcastle region.
And from the Gold Coast, Riviera has welcomed a further 34 people to its manufacturing facility this week, taking the Australian team to more than 800 working on site. This continued expansion is in response to demand for its yachts, the strongest in Riviera's 41-year history, and follows a successful showcase at the Sanctuary Cove International Boat Show where the company welcomed more than 25 luxury motor yacht owners to the Riviera family. Riviera's 16.8-hectare world-class Gold Coast facility currently has 57 motor yachts under construction from across the 23-model range from 39 to 78 feet.
At the Club Marine Marina of the Year Awards dinner on Tuesday night, Marina Industry Association (MIA) CEO, Suzanne Davies outlined three initiatives the MIA is leading the charge on as it positions to support a buoyant industry to maximise its potential. Known for its comprehensive, quality industry education and training, the MIA will now deliver its courses through the newly created Marina Training Institute brand. "The branding of our training and education under the Marina Training Institute gives our educational programs that additional recognition and credibility they deserve. The name is deliberately aligned with the Global Marina Institute which accredits our professional marina operators, managers and professionals globally, and which the MIA, along with British Marine, founded in 2011."
Davies also alluded to a suite of new online short courses to assist marinas inducting new employees into their jobs. There are five courses in the suite which will provide employees with best practice instruction around work health safety, environmental compliance and incident response.
Following the recent successful delivery of the 68m Wayfinder, Incat Crowther and YCTS Ltd are pleased to announce the release of a new 48m sub-500GT catamaran shadow yacht concept, named ToyBox. A first of its kind, this innovative shadow yacht can be built at ARMON Shipyards, Spain, in only 18 months within a very attractive price range. The new concept was designed by Incat Crowther and YCTS to incorporate many of the award-winning features of the larger ShadowCat designs, but on a smaller hull platform to suit the needs of owners who require support for 50-to-70m superyachts.
As the industry grows, we feel it pertinent to include news from our neighbouring regions. From Asia marina developments continue to progress and the Lantau Yacht Club (LYC), the latest marina project in Hong Kong in decades, is gaining spotlight in the yachting industry as Hong Kong's new superyacht hub.
About nine months into the soft opening of the LYC Marina, over a dozen yachts are now berthing in this world-class marina, the majority being superyachts of over 25 metres in length. Among them are premium models of luxury yacht brands, owned by LYC members, including Pershing 140, Ferretti's Custom Line Navetta 30, and Princess X95, all of which are firsts in Asia, making LYC a backdrop for superyacht showcase unprecedented in Hong Kong.
Send us your news! As we broaden our boundaries we welcome industry news, not just from Australia but from our neighbours in New Zealand and South East Asia. Please send to peter.rendle@marinebusinessworld.com
Stay safe,
Peter Rendle