52 JUNE–JULY 2019 | International Boat Industry ibinews.com
Markets & Regions
REPORT | SUPERYACHT SECTOR – REFIT
known companies and locations that share
in this market in places such as La Ciotat,
Marseille, Toulon and La Rochelle.
Of any location in France, La Ciotat
epitomises superyacht refit with its main
facilities now overseen by MB92 La Ciotat
following its acquisition of Compositeworks
and the Lursssen/B+V operation. The huge
complex includes a 200m drydock, which
will be supplemented by a 4,000-tonne
shiplift platform as from the last quarter of- MB92 won the 35-year concession to
operate this new facility, which will be able
to deal with up to eight superyachts up to
105m simultaneously.
MB92 in Spain and France is a member
of the ICOMIA Superyacht Refit Group and
other French members include Monaco
Marine and IMS, both names that are
inherently associated with superyacht refit
activities.
Monaco Marine, with the exception
of its small facility in Monaco, operates
seven locations in France which include
Antibes, La Seyne, Marseille, La Ciotat
and Beaulieu sur Mer. Last year the group
opened two new sites in Marseille and La
Seyne-Toulon representing a multimillion-
euro investment. The new sites increased its
portfolio to eight locations and the ability to
handle superyachts up to 140m (460ft).
In Marseille, Monaco Marine operates
a refit and maintenance facility for
superyachts up to 140m. The new shipyard
has a 320m (1,050ft) dock and is equipped
with two workshops of 250m^2 each over a
ground area of 8,700m^2.
In La Seyne-Toulon, a new €15m facility
includes a 40,000m^2 ground area and a
14,645m^2 water space. This new yard was
initially dedicated to the handling of yachts
up to 55m (181ft) with a lift capacity up
to 500 tonnes. The yard will also have a
specially-built slipway which will allow
for the hauling-out and launching of large
multihulls.
Monaco Marine says that La Seyne will
be unique on the French Riviera as it has the
capacity to cope with as many as 28 yachts
at one time, both ashore and afloat. The
company plans to go further and is already
looking at handling much larger yachts.
IMS operates from two sites close to
Toulon known as the IMS 300 and IMS
700 shipyards. The two yards cover a total
area of 77,000m^2 , of which 20,000m^2 are
sheds. There are two travel lifts of 320 and
670 tonnes capacity respectively. There is
a total of 25 floating berths for superyachts
up to 80m. As a relatively new participant in
this market, it has quickly built up a strong
market presence.
In Marseille, two of the companies
operating there are Sud Marine Shipyard
and Palumbo Marseille. The former
operates a facility with two dry docks and
can serve superyachts up to 170m. The
Palumbo Marseille facility can accommodate
superyachts up to 126m.
Another well-known player in this
market is the Atlantic Refit Center in La
Rochelle, a busy refit facility that includes
two dry docks of 176m and 101m.SPAIN
The two key superyacht refit hubs in Spain
are Palma and Barcelona, but like France
and Italy, the country boasts a bank of other
companies widely distributed on its coast.
The three front runners in the superyacht
refit market in Spain are MB92 in Barcelona,
Astilleros de Mallorca and the STP Shipyard
in Palma.
Major expansion is underway at
MB92 and STP recently installed a new
1,000-tonne capacity travel-lift, which is the
largest in Europe.
At MB92, the company announced a
restructuring earlier this year to better
manage its next phase of growth. That
growth centres on expansion both in
Barcelona and La Ciotat. The latter is
covered elsewhere, but in Barcelona a new
4,800-tonne capacity shiplift platform is due
to be commissioned later this year.
MB92 is majority-owned by the Turkish
Dogus Group. With its planned expansion at
both Barcelona and La Ciotat, plus the 2017
acquisition of Compositeworks and thatin 2018 of B+V La Ciotat, MB92 reported
a significant increase in turnover at both
yards. As such, MB92 says, La Ciotat is
currently operating at full capacity.
The range of yachts that visited MB92
in 2018 has also grown in average size,
thanks in part to a number of new clients
in the 100m-plus bracket – a segment
whose occupancy rates increased by 25% in
Barcelona.
Other key Spanish refit players include
Atollvic Shipyard, Navantia SA, Varadero
Sotogrande Shipyard at Marina Sotogrande,
Varadero Port Denia, Varadero Valencia,
Varador 2000 and Vilanoa Grand Marina,
where Pendennis Shipyard is developing its
new Mediterranean refit base.GIBRALTAR
With Gibraltar being a popular port of call
for superyachts, especially those taking
on fuel, this small territory also offers a
shipyard facility well experienced and
equipped for superyacht work. Gibdock Ltd
offers three drydocks up to 272m, of which
the smallest one can be partially covered in.
The yard’s location at the entrance to the
Med makes it an ideal location for handling
superyachts and it is an important part of
the company’s workload. Gibraltar port is
able to accommodate the largest superyachts
and offers a good range of berthing facilities
complementing the shipyard.ITALY – MED COAST
Italy’s Mediterranean coast hosts a long
list of yacht builders, several of which do
refits, as well as dedicated refit and repair
companies. This long coast includes such
ports as Genoa, La Spezia, Savona, Naples,
Pisa and Viareggio to name just a few that
are bases for refit business. Among the
yacht-builders on this coast active in the
superyacht refit market are Tankoa, Otam,
Mondomarine (now a Palumbo Group
brand), Baglietto, the Italian Sea Group with
Nuovi Cantieri Apuania, Vismara, Lusben as
a division of the Azimut Benetti group, and
Perini Navi.
One of the best-known refit businesses is
Amico, with branches in Genoa and Loano.
This is one of the biggest superyacht refit
companies in the world and is currently
undergoing a major expansion designed
to create a new Megayacht Hub in Genoa.
Started last year, it is set to be completed in
2019.
Amico’s facilities were already substantial,
with a range of large sheds and dry MB92 La Ciotat epitomises superyacht refit