Piracy issues at superyacht conference

With recent incidents heightening the piracy crisis in the Gulf of Aden, the 3rd annual Asia Superyacht Conference will dedicate part of the proceedings to discuss the extent of the issues facing superyachts and owners around the world. Furthermore, the Suez Canal is also posing a riskier crossing for superyachts to and from the Gulf of Aden and many yacht owners, captains, shipping companies and brokers remain uncertain as to the impact this has on the level of safety for cruising in the Asian region.

The recently-formed International Fusion Centre will offer a detailed statistical view on piracy around the world and an outline of what international organisations are doing to analyse and address the problem. This will be followed by a presentation from Richard Skinner of Orchid Office, who will offer a series of practical recommendations on security steps superyachts should take and what they can do to mitigate the problem.

The Asia Superyacht Conference (April 7/8) will provide a unique insight into the South-East Asian region and enable delegates to meet key contacts all in one place. This year, with the inaugural Singapore Yacht Show co-located with the conference, delegates will gain a comprehensive insight into how this emerging region is welcoming superyachts from around the world.

“When I travel around the world and attend some of the major shows, it is clear just how little people know about what is going on in the Asia-Pacific region,” commented Conference Chairman Simon Turner.

“The Asia Superyacht Conference will help superyacht industry players better understand the potential of this region. The Forbes Rich List recently announced that there are more billionaires in Asia compared to Europe for the first time in recorded history. There is a huge untapped market here for the superyacht industry,” he said.

“Given the size of the region and difficulties in collating data, it is a real challenge to get a proper picture of the size of the market in Asia,” said SSA Executive Director, Jean-Jacques Lavigne. The data provided by the SSA is never made public and are exclusively available to conference delegates only.

The Conference will include presentations from Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia, China, India, the Seychelles, Australia, the Philippines, Hong Kong, the UAE, Indonesia, the Netherlands and the UK.

On the evening of April 7, delegates will be treated to a new VIP event in collaboration with the Singapore Yacht Show, as a flotilla of the region’s leading superyachts will perform in a “Yacht Parade” just off Sentosa Island. The delegates can watch the proceedings from a special platform just opposite Resorts World at Sentosa, one of Singapore’s new Integrated Resorts.

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