International Boat Industry - December 2015

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

HEADLINES International Marine News

Buizen to move

manufacturing

overseas

AUSTRALIA BUIZEN

YACHTS HAS SHUTTERED

its factory in Sydney and is

moving its manufacturing

operations overseas.

Mysailing.com.au says that

Buizen, which has built

luxury cruising yachts at its

Terrey Hills facility for 35

years, has been approached

by international brokers to

expand its offshore markets.

Buizen Yachts director

Steve Howe told the website

that the Australian market

isn’t large enough to sustain

the company. “It was always

our intention to grow the

Buizen brand internationally,”

said Howe. “But limits on both

the company’s investment

capacity and the existing

factory’s ability to upscale

construction numbers proved

a major impediment to

entering overseas markets.”

Howe added that interest

from potential investors

prompted the decision to

shutter the Sydney facility.

“They wish to explore a new

offshore manufacturing centre

for the company and develop

international markets,” he

told the website.

VTY plans new refit and

repair facilities in China

CHINA FOLLOWING A

SUCCESSFUL FIRST year,

Sanya Visun Tuscany Yachting

Co Ltd (VTY) is now looking

to develop other yacht refit

and repair facilities in Hainan

and elsewhere in China. VTY,

established in 2013, is a joint

venture between the Visun

Group and Tuscany Refit Srl.

The first project for the joint

venture was the setting up of

a superyacht service centre in

Sanya that can handle yachts

up to 36m (120ft), equipped

with a 160-tonne travel lift.

The facility includes a large

shed for working on yachts

and also a painting area.

Giorgio Campini, managing

partner for VTY, told IBI: “We

had a very good first year in

which over 120 yachts were

handled. This included a full

refit of a 24.4m Pershing.”

A new, more flexible

160-tonne travel lift will be

delivered in the new year.

In terms of maintaining

workmanship quality, Campini

commented: “With local

workers we do a lot of training

and I am now satisfied that we

have reached a satisfactory

standard.”

Building on the success

of this facility, VTY is

now involved in sharing a

number of other potential

projects. “We have had many

companies approach us about

doing projects and we are

looking at a number both

in Hainan and elsewhere in

China. We are working with

all the main yacht dealers

such as Ferretti, Azimut and

Simpson Marine, which sells

Sanlorenzo, Monte Carlo and

Beneteau,” Campini added.

He said that as the only

yacht repair facility in Hainan,

their services are in great

demand. “We are providing

European quality because

we have a number of Italians

working in the company

and we bring in Italian

subcontractors to work on

projects and to keep up the

quality,” Campini commented.

“VTY is also undertaking

work throughout Asia. We

have worked in Hong Kong

and my operational manager,

Peitro Barucca, is currently in

Jakarta for work on a yacht.”

As to the future, the Visun

Group is developing a marina

in Shenzhen that will include

a service centre.

Ventura

in Qatar

QATAR UK AND SPANISH

FERRETTI dealer, Ventura

Yachts, has set up a new

venture in Qatar called

Ventura Gulf Yachting (VGY).

The new business offers

new-build and pre-owned

brokerage, charter and yacht

dealership services. VGY has

the exclusive dealership for

the French Fountaine-Pajot

brand in Qatar.

The new venture is in

response to a growing Qatari

boating market, which is

one of or even the strongest

market in the GCC region.

With Qatar’s maritime

heritage and its position

as one of the wealthiest

countries in the world, more

Qataris are showing interest in

getting on the water.

“Ventura Gulf Yachting is

a joint venture with a very

active local businessman and

Ventura holds 49%,” Michael

Newton-Woof, a Ventura

partner, told IBI. “The new

company is to take advantage

of an opportunity with the

local Qatari market growing.

We have also taken on the

Fountaine-Pajot dealership

because it is an ideal yacht for

cruising in the region, selling

at a good price.

“We may take on other

brands,” he adds, “but we are

very selective. We have been

surprised by the response to

Pink Lady Charters because

we expected bookings for four-

hour and one-day charters.

We have received these but

also bookings for longer two-

or three-day cruising such as

visiting Dubai.”

With bookings by ladies

being the largest element in

the Qatar charter market, Pink

Lady Charters, with an all-

female crew, was formed to

service this particular need.

We had a

very good

first year in which

over 120 yachts were

handled, including

a full refit

of a 24.4m

Pershing

They wish

to explore

a new offshore

manufacturing centre

for the company

and develop

international

markets