Superyacht Captains Forum 2011, Auckland, New Zealand
Held for the first time ever, the NZ Superyacht Captains Forum, organized by the NZMarine Export Group, a New Zealand Government agency responsible for promoting the local marine industry to the world, proved to be more than a high-tea for Superyacht Captains and mates to kill time between a couple of rugby games. The forum turned out to be of a rare quality and will be pivotal to the growth of our industry regionally than the Asia Superyacht Conference was, is, and will keep being.
From September 14th to 16th, through 3 days of events, speeches, presentations, dialogues and exchanges, the forum gave a new perspective to the growing Auckland International Boat Show 2011 held next door.
Part of the packed program, the Superyacht Singapore Association (www.superyacht.sg) was given a nice little time slot on Day One of the Conference to present our little red dot as it is: the big connecting dot for all superyachts moving around Southeast Asia, if not Asia at large. I went, I presented, the earth shook and we made new disciples, no doubt!
Jean-Jacques Lavigne speaking on Day One of the Conference.
More humbly, what one has to keep from the forum is that, more than ever, in unison with what the SSA's first Asia Superyacht Conference seeded, Asia-Pacific countries are seeking to have a united strategy; a common language so to speak to grow the superyacht industry as a whole first and then allow each member-country to develop its main unique added value, flavor and complementing competitive advantages.
So, what should we remember from the Forum?
New Zealand is extremely well placed to be one of the 2 or 3 necessary hubs linking East to West. Introduced by the excellent Peter Montgomery, who acted as a gifted conference facilitator with interesting anecdotes and pertinent questions - the NZ marine industry 1) has always been innovative given it's extreme geographical isolation; 2) is already a $2B industry; and 3) the superyacht segment was identified as the spearhead to pull the industry to the next level with its world class builders, equipment makers, infrastructure development program (Owen Rutten, Chairman, NZ Marine Group) and even more importantly its geographical location and growing destination attributes as the superyacht business is shifting eastward.
In that respect, the topic presented by Capt Max Cumming of SY Athena, "Pathway to the South Pacific", encapsulated what the forum was all about: presenting a coherent cruising plan from the West coast of the USA through fast developing South Pacific destinations (typically Panama, Galapagos, Tahiti, Tonga, Fiji, Vanuatu plus some zigzagging north or south to fish some more beautiful places to go to). With growing support capabilities and of admirable interests from cruising, diving, social points of view, these destinations are linked all the way to New Zealand where major re-supplies, refit jobs could undertook before pursuing Eastward to Australia or Papua New Guinea, then through the awesome Indonesia up to Singapore (the next big hub).
From Singapore, according to the prevailing monsoon seasons or the owner's choice, the yachts can opt further west towards Nicobar and the Maldives, or North East along the west coast of the Malaya Peninsula towards Langkawi, Phuket and the Andaman Archipelago or northwest towards Koh Samui, the Gulf of Siam, Vietnam, Hainan, Hong Kong or finally East towards Borneo, the Sulawesi (formerly known as Celebes) and the Philippines...or leave the yacht in Singapore for a while, more simply!
To be sure, cruising across the South Pacific is not yet a bed of roses (one would have guessed knowing that roses don't grow at sea): One has to be watchful of the south pacific hurricanes season; distances are also a thing to consider. Similarly, it is important to respect the places too - there are protocols to follow in people's land and home.
If communication is getting better in the Pacific thanks to new generation VSATs, medical emergencies, and preparedness is another area not to neglect. Sharks nibbling on some bits of human meat, uncomfortable sea urchins, sectioned fingers and dangers associated with toys like jet skis, are always potential issues that could need to be dealt with. Just as inconvenient, sporadic out of this world bureaucracy could make cruising a tad more complicated that it should/could.
In the same vein, according to Captain Fred Acke (ex Athena captain now doing SY deliveries), NZ is not yet the Holy Grail for the refit of the size of Athena for example (a remarkable crafted private sailing yacht and the largest all-aluminum yacht built-to-date).
Still, Athena is currently being refitted in Auckland (I can vouch for it; I saw her, temporarily amputated of her masts, silly she!) Courtesy of lower labor cost than Europe, good local skills and absence of language barrier. Given the location, a refit can also be timed with the south pacific cruising season. The central location of the superyacht marina in Auckland is also a big plus. However, the lack of facilities for a long refit on a big yacht is a minus.
Tax regime, given its complexity, is also an issue. Long stays for a refit can potentially turn captain and crew into NZ residents and then income taxable backdated to their day of arrival.
That being said, much is also done to seize the moment and truly transform NZ into a complete superyacht solution. With the upcoming addition of Yard 37 (a new marine and refit precinct in Auckland's surroundings), a new superyacht lifting and mooring facilities currently being added to central Auckland, excellent supply of all sorts of equipment right there, and numerous suitable marinas, yards and cruising grounds and diving spots, New Zealand is a player to reckon with.
In conclusion, and in spite of some hurdles that the local Government is looking into, New Zealand is very well placed to naturally serve as hub between Australasia and the South Pacific. Under the overall leadership of their Prime Minister Rt. Hon John Key, it seems that New Zealand cannot put a foot wrong. Of course this is written 24 hours ahead of the tantalizing NZ/France rugby world game!
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Authored by: Jean-Jacques Lavigne, Executive Director,
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, Superyacht Singapore Association
