International Boat Industry - December 2015

HALLBERG-RASSY DOWNSIZES

SWEDEN Hallberg-Rassy has cut 22 people from its production

department. The decision, the boatbuilder says, will adjust its

workforce to the current global economic climate.

• IBI-plus.com November 27

NEW NORDKAPP RANGER BRAND

NORWAY Nordkapp Boats has launched the first two models in

a new series of aluminium boats. Branded Nordkapp Ranger, the

boats will compete

with aluminium boat

builders from Sweden

and Finland in the

mid-size range up to

around 6m in length.

• IBI-plus.com November 27

DISCOVERY YACHTS

Discovery Yachts has appointed

Andrew Burrows as the group’s

new managing director. Burrows

is a naval architect with 25 years’

of commercial, technology and

manufacturing experience.

REGAL BOATS

Mark Vahle has been promoted

to the executive team at Regal

Boats, taking the role of director

of manufacturing at the company’s

Orlando location. Vahle has been a

part of the Regal team for over 28

years, starting as a boatbuilder on

the Commodore 320 line.

DÖHLE YACHTS

Richie Blake has been named

director of newly incorporated

Döhle Yachts Technical Services

Ltd on the Isle of Man. Blake,

former deputy director for the

Cayman Islands Shipping Registry,

has played a leading role in the

development of the Passenger Yacht

Code and the evolution of the Large Yacht Code.

MUIR WINDLASSES

Muir Windlasses Australia has added Federico Verona

to its Italian team as a factory representative. Verona will

work with distributor Luca Signorini to increase Muir’s

presence throughout Italy, France and Turkey. Both

Verona and Signorini will be based in key Italian boating

hubs, with Verona in Viareggio and Signorini in Lavorno.

BIA OF NSW & SA

Howard Glenn joins the BIA of NSW & SA (Boating

Industry Association of New South Wales and South

Australia) as national CEO. Glenn has held key senior

roles in the marine divisions of the NSW government

since 2008, where he was responsible for directing

boating and maritime policy.

SYBASS

The Superyacht Builders Association (SYBAss) has

appointed a new technical & environmental director

to succeed the retiring Chris van Hooren on January 1,

2016. Hans Huisman brings 10 years of navigating and 30
      years of shipbuilding experience to the team.

http://www.ibi-plus.com International Boat Industry | DECEMBER 2015 5

Charter activity

in Balearics

increases

SNordkapp Rangers are built in Poland

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Andrew Burrows

Mark Vahle

Richie Blake

SPAIN FOLLOWING THE

SPANISH GOVERNMENT’S

decision to amend the law

relating to matriculation

tax at the end of 2013, the

number of yachts with

licences to charter in the

Balearics over the last two

years has increased by 516%.

The figures come from

the Spanish Superyacht

Association (AEGY), which

recently produced a report

using figures provided by

MYBA and all the leading

brokerage houses.

In 2013 there were 29

yachts over 20m in length

with licences to charter in

the Balearics; this figure

increased to 86 in 2015 and

37 of these yachts were over

35m in length.

The association estimates

that the total net revenue

generated by these charters

in terms of tax and local

spending for 2015 is (12.5m.

This is far in advance of

the amount raised by the

matriculation tax on yachts

over 24m in 2012 which,

according to figures provided

by the Spanish tax authorities,

was zero for the Balearics

and only (4m for the whole

of Spain.

Diego Colon, president of

the AEGY, says: “The Balearic

Islands are enormously

attractive to charter guests

and it is significant that out of

the eight major international

brokerage companies, six now

have offices on Mallorca.”

The report states that

there are 600 yachts over

24m available for charter

in the Mediterranean and

anticipates that 100 of these

will be registered for charter

in Spain in time for the 2016

summer season.

It also makes reference to

the consequential economic

impact of yachts deciding to

stay in the Balearics over the

winter to carry out repair

and refit, thus creating much

needed jobs in a country

where the unemployment rate

is currently 22%.