twitter.com/ibinewsEd Slack EDITOR’S COMMENT
http://www.ibi-plus.com International Boat Industry | DECEMBER 2015 1
EDITORIAL
Editor: Ed Slack Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4938 Email: [email protected]
Publishing Director: Nick Hopkinson Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4942
Email: [email protected]
Assistant Editor: Belinda Snell Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4943
Email: [email protected]
Journalist: Murielle Gonzalez Oisel Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4934
Email: [email protected]
Art Editor: Madeleine S Fitzsimons Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4939
Email: [email protected]
Associate Editor: Robert Greenwood Email: [email protected]
Management Features Editor: Arlene Baxter
Group Magazine Editor: Garry Coward-Williams
Managing Director: Oswin Grady
CORRESPONDENTS
Brazil: Fernanda Teixeira Velloso Far & Middle East: Mike Derrett
Scandinavia: Lars-Åke Redéen France: Olivier Voituriez
Spain: Manuel Sevilla Moróder Turkey: Bahar Ozturk USA: Michael Verdon
ADVERTISING/ PRODUCTION
Associate Publisher: Philip Pereira
Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4931 Email: [email protected]
Group Advertisement Manager: Laurent Subra
Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4936 Email: [email protected]
Senior Sales Executive: Philippa DrysdaleTel: +44 (0)20 314 84932 Email: [email protected]
Senior Sales Executive: Emily Saunderson
Tel: +44 (0)20 314 84937 Email: [email protected]
Production Manager: Paul Quieros
Tel: +44 (0)203 148 2684 Email: [email protected]
Personal Assistant: Monica Fyfe
Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4941 Email: [email protected]
Head of Marketing: Richard Shead
Tel: +44 (0)20 3148 4283 Email: [email protected]
INTERNATIONAL ADVERTISING REPRESENTATIVES
Italy Ediconsult Internazionale SRL, Eva Green
Tel: +39 010 58 36 84 Fax: +39 010 56 65 78 Email: [email protected]
Netherlands, Belgium BAAS (Boating Advertising Advice & Service),
Ted de Vries Tel: +31 (0) 36 522 7446 Fax: +31 (0) 36 522 6350
Email: [email protected] or http://www.boatingadvertising.eu
China CHC Expo Service (Shanghai ) Co, Ltd, Simon Ding
Tel: + 86 (21) 6270 6717 Fax: + 86 (21) 6270 0363 Email: [email protected]
Taiwan Alpha Trading Company Hur Hur Chou Tel: +886 (22) 351 2225
Fax: +886 (22) 394 1138 Email: [email protected]
Japan Yukari Media Inc, Sho Harihara, Tel: +816 4790 2222
Fax: +81-6-4793-0800 Email: [email protected]
South Korea Kong Myong E & T, Taejik CHAE, Tel: 82-2-778-6792/
Fax: 82-2-778-6794 E-mail: [email protected]INTERNATIONAL BOAT INDUSTRY IBI is the business magazine for the
boating world. Its aim is to stimulate profitable trading in all sectors of the
marine leisure business. Reproduction by Rhapsody Media, printing and binding
by Polestar Group. IBI, ISSN 0969-2576, is published seven times a year by Time
Inc. (UK) Ltd, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU England.
ANNUAL SUBSCRIPTIONS (£70): IBI Subscription Dept, 800 Guillat Avenue,
Kent Science Park, Sittingbourne, ME9 8GU. The 2013 US annual subscription
price is $126.00 Airfreight and mailing in the USA by agent named Air Business
Ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc., 156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY
11434, USA. Periodicals postage paid at Jamaica NY 11431. US Postmaster:
Send address changes to IBI, Air Business ltd, c/o Worldnet Shipping Inc.,
156-15, 146th Avenue, 2nd Floor, Jamaica, NY 11434, USA. Subscription
records are maintained at Time Inc. (UK) Ltd, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark
Street, London SE1 0SU England. Air Business Ltd is acting as our mailing agent.
TIME INC. (UK) LTD, Blue Fin Building, 110 Southwark Street, London SE1 0SU
Main switchboard: 020 3148 5000 © Copyright 2013 Time Inc. (UK) LtdISSN 0020-Ed Slack | Editor | IBIHE WAS A welcome winner, warmly received
by the crowd – Paolo Vitelli, founder of the
Azimut-Benetti Group, the man whose name has
become synonymous with Italian boatbuilding
at its best – our very first Lifetime Achievement
Award winner in our inaugural IBI-METS Boat
Builder Awards for Business Achievement (see
pg12). On picking
up his award at the
Amsterdam dinner
Vitelli, in ebullient
mood, did his best to
capture the essence of
his accomplishment- in the mix was
determination and
the courage to follow a vision, but ultimately it
came down to one thing – the ability to be a little
bit “crazy”. The confession received rapturous
applause, touching no doubt as it did, that deep
seated feeling that somehow this business of ours,
that has a knack of delighting and infuriating in
equal measure, demands a level of commitment
that goes beyond the normal confines of business.
2015 has been another mixed year. Markets are
stuttering back to growth, gains in areas pinned
frustratingly back by losses in others. We’ve grown
used to such an ebb and flow, which makes me
venture that the word optimism might well be
added to Mr Vitelli’s prescription for success.
Our report on the state of the UK market is a
case in point. After a lacklustre 12 months for
Princess and big losses for Sunseeker, capped
off with the sad news in early December
that the administrators had been called in to
Fairline, one would be forgiven for thinking
the UK industry
had run out of
steam. Not a bit of
it. As the big boat
builders regroup,
dust themselves
off and prepare
for bold plans
and investments
in 2016, it’s been down the to the small boat
and dinghy sectors to lead the growth charge.
Which begs the question of whether we’re
seeing resurgence in the market at grass roots
level? Are youngsters and families reengaging
with boating and will they ultimately feed the
big boat markets of the future? It’s a reassuring
thought, and perhaps for the optimists in
these early stages, but one thing is for
certain in this business, crazier things have
happened.Are youngsters and families
reengaging with boating and
will they ultimately feed the big boat
markets of the future? It’s a
reassuring thoughtUltimately it came down to one thing
- the ability to be a little bit crazy
Ed Slack