Yacht Style – July 2019

T

he marina industry is facing a size

challenge. The sizes of boats have

evolved a lot in recent years, with an

increasing demand for both longer

and wider yachts. In some ways, catamarans

also tend to modify the way harbours and

marinas should be designed and built.

Harbour authorities are facing increasing

demand to moor superyachts, but don’t always

have the infrastructure or space. As such,

there’s an urgent need for adaptive, flexible

and high-performance marina designs.

Managers should be able to adjust berth sizes

in real time, depending on the demand.

In parallel, the marina industry is also

being challenged by demographics. On the

one hand, there are ageing traditional boat

owners who require extremely sophisticated

services for their yacht and crew.

Then there’s the arrival on the boating

market of millennials, whose needs and

desires are different. They consume boating

the same way they would consume products.

They want a customisable and connected

customer experience, high convenience and

functionality, but less responsibility.

This has evolved into a growing market

for boat rental and also sharing by maybe

two to three owners, as opposed to the

classic ownership model. We even see some

Airbnb boating experiences, allowing guests

to stay for several nights on board a yacht,

even though marinas are not equipped for a

flow of people comparable to hotels.

These new customers are also more

conscious of the impact of their leisure

activities, so demand more sustainable

infrastructure. For marina managers,

managing greener marina solutions cannot

be mere greenwashing anymore but has to

become a strong, accountable practice.

This is becoming an essential condition

to be well accepted by the local community

and attract new customers. As always,

there’s a challenge finding a balance

between economic development and

environmental sustainability.

The challenge is to preserve the balance

between commercial activity and the beauty

that attracts boaters and visitors. Water-

based recreation and tourism generally need

impeccable water quality to attract visitors

and ensure users keep coming back.

To preserve the local environment

while seizing opportunities, marinas

could consider partnerships with local

NGOs, active communication on proactive

activities such as recording the volume and

nature of floating rubbish collected with

Seabins, for example, or helping educate

local people from a young age about the

marine environment and its challenges.

On the commercial side, a marina is a

source of economic opportunities for a local

community because it creates business

and employment. I believe marinas have

to be involved with and integrated within

the local community rather than being a

protective bubble for the rich, and that

customers value a strong green engagement

from their marina.

This wasn’t the case when many of the

existing marinas in Asia were built, but

awareness and beliefs are changing fast, and

marinas need to be able to move with the

times.

Another trend we’ve identified is the

need for high-end products that are both

highly customisable and aesthetically

pleasing in order to stand out from the

competition. At a time when everything has

a ranking and sharing is a daily routine,

excellence is a must.

Marinas also need better integration of

new technologies. This doesn’t only mean

access to Wi-Fi but also live information on

the weather conditions, availability of boats

for rental, the activities and destinations

in the area, plus portals and networks for

sharing, rating and chatting.

And for the marina manager? AI, big

data, predictive analytics and wearable

technologies are among other things to

consider. Boaters want more services directly

in the marina, from pump-out services and

washing facilities to nice restaurants and

shops.

So, in order to not be left behind or

driven out of business, it’s necessary to think

about the marina of tomorrow, not simply

copying what has been done before.

Christophe Saune explains that marinas need to adapt, evolve and think ahead to

reflect ongoing changes in yacht designs, boat owners and environmental awareness.

MARINAS MOVE INTO NEW AGE

COLUMN Christophe Saune

Christophe Saune began his career in the automotive industry, working

in both the public and private sector, and was based in Shanghai from

2010. In 2014, Saune joined Poralu Marine, a global leader in marina
      design and construction, and headed up the company’s Asia operations
      before his remit expanded to Asia-Pacific. Due to Poralu Marine’s
      diversity of projects, Saune has experience of marinas, integrated
      waterfront developments, watersports facilities, and fishing and
      military installations, and is ultimately focused on developing floating
      infrastructure solutions.
      [email protected] / http://www.poralu.com

CHRISTOPHE SAUNE

Emma Marina in the Maldives and Ocean Marina Yacht Club in Thailand both use Poralu Marine’s aluminium-supported floating systems