A
s I first read Christophe Saune’s Column on how marinas
should adapt to the changing profiles and needs of yacht
owners, I was struck by his remark that boats are increasingly
being offered as accommodation on Airbnb. Really? Are
marinas in danger of being overrun like hotel lobbies, with streams of
strangers hauling luggage back and forth along the pontoons?
It seemed far-fetched, but you can probably guess what popped up
during my next search for digs for a family holiday in Europe. Fourth
option: ‘Zen-Dog, 4-berth, 2-cabin Motor Yacht; 4 guests, 2 bedrooms,
3 beds, 1 bath; Free parking, Wi-Fi.’ Sure, it was coincidence, but
another example of how technology is affecting the yachting industry
as much as all other parts of our lives.
His Column is one of three that kick off the fourth Yacht Style issue
of 2019 and what a packed edition it is. Our annual Charter Issue is
always eagerly awaited and we hope you enjoy the special feature that
profiles some of Asia’s cruising hot spots, flags up a couple of lesser-
known ones, shows the diverse range of yachts available, and offers
some titbits of advice.
And if your dream destination doesn’t feature this time, bear with
us, because we have plenty of exciting travel articles coming in future
issues.
There’s also a fair bit of sailing content, as we look ahead to
the key races and regattas in our region over the 2019-20 season,
which starts and finishes in Thailand, but also takes in Hong Kong,
Singapore, Indonesia, China, Malaysia, Philippines, Vietnam ...you
get the picture.
China is playing a huge role in the upcoming Clipper Race, which
starts in London on September 1. A record three sponsored yachts
from China will participate in the round-the-world yacht race, which
will visit Sanya, Zhuhai and Qingdao in February and March of 2020.
As well as looking ahead to Chinese involvement in the race, we speak
to William Ward OBE, the CEO of organiser Clipper Ventures, which
has also set up Clipper China to run sailing programmes and build
training yachts.
Over in Malaysia, the Penang RendezVous is back and will be held
from October 11-13 in the Straits Quay Marina, which provides a great
backdrop for three days of luxury yachts, supercars and cigars, fashionand fine art, watches and wine, property and pretty people. There was
a nice display of about 20 yachts last year and the event helps draw
attention to a country that often gets overshadowed in yachting circles,
so organisers hope it can grow into a regular fixture.
Talking of which, there’s a new addition to the yachting calendar:
the Thailand Charter Week from November 16-21. The Thai Yachting
Business Association, the organisers, believe the industry-only event
will become the Asia equivalent of April’s MYBA Charter Show
in Europe and December’s Antigua Charter Yacht Meeting in the
Caribbean. You can read more about both of these events in Shows.
Meanwhile, our Owner series focuses this issue on Kenneth Lai,
who carefully manages the use of his yacht between business and
family, while Tommy Ho of Voyager Risk Solutions features in Profile
as we interview the insurance specialist with his parents, who both
know a thing or two about life on the water.
Reviews range from the 69m Benetti megayacht Spectre and the
cooler-than-cool Dynamiq GTT 115 superyacht to the new MCY 66
motor yacht, Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 410 sailing yacht and the ILIAD
50 powercat that premiered in May.
In fact, the past couple of months has been an exciting period for
local events all across Asia as you’ll see by our thicker-than-usual
Events section at the back of the mag.
At the front, in Yachts, you’ll see a lot of new models being
promoted or launched ahead of arguably the two key shows for world
premieres: the Cannes Yachting Festival and Monaco Yacht Show in
September. The hottest new models from the world’s leading yacht
builders will be a focus of Yacht Style Issue 49.
For now, enjoy reading Yacht Style in print or in digital on Magzter,
and follow our content on Luxuo.com and our Instagram account
(yacht.style). And I’ll let you next time if Zen-Dog is really worth five
stars...TIME TO LIVE THE DREAM
John Higginson, Managing Editor, Yacht Style© YACHT SOURCING
EDITOR’S NOTE