Yachting Aftersales and Refit Experience (YARE) made a much welcome return to Viareggio for its 11th edition, from 20-22 October 2021, and marked the next stop for the latest edition of  The Superyacht Forum Live Tour. The team were on-site for tours of Italy's Tuscan new-build and refit infrastructure and the fantastic hospitality of YARE and the superyacht industry of the region. In a series of interviews during the three days of The Live Tour, some of the industry's key stakeholders spoke their minds about topics ranging from Italian Shipbuilding capacity to 19th-century superyachts and everything in between. 

In a candid interview with Chairman Martin Redmayne, Sebastiano Fanizza, COO at Benetti Yachts, conveyed Benetti's approach to an increasingly crowded market. "In this market, there is space for everyone", further explaining the way Benetti aim to keep their clients satisfied in the face of long lead times, Fanizza continued:  

“The way we approach it is to say, don't go to another shipyard, stay with us. Let us find an interim solution, like charter, and stay focussed on the main target.”  

On the subject of chartering a Benetti Yacht, Fanizza continued, "Having delivered almost 400 units, we know what is available and where the best places to charter them are". When asked whether maintaining a fleet of its own for the purposes of chartering for clients to 'try before they buy' as Redmayne put it, Fanizza did not rule it out. "It is an idea that has been on the table for a while, but so far, there are very good companies offering this service." 

Giorgio Campini, Director at Tecnopool, believes that the future is bright, but success will depend on more than just the order books. "It does not only depend on the ship companies, affirmed Campini, "it is the help from institutions; as you can see here, we need bigger ports, bigger infrastructure, we have issues finding free dry docks. The problem is not finding work; it is finding where to do it." 

Captain Derek Munro, director of Divergent Yachting, was on hand to provide some Kiwi candour and give us his thoughts on the misconceptions around the loss of space on large sail yachts and the importance of sail power- regeneration for the next-gen fleet. "Obviously, we have got to try and get people to sail more", stated Munro. When speaking about the amenities of a sub 3000t sailing yacht vs a sub 3000t motor yachts, Munro was clear:

“You get the same comfort, you have the swimming pool, the lovely big lounge, all of the features of a sub 3000t motor yacht, except the running costs. Last year on Black Pearl, the running costs were 2.6% of the value of the yacht.” 

The Superyacht Forum Live will be back at YARE next year, with the plans already in the works to take it to another level of immersive experience. With a return to in-person events and the increased demand for refit in the region, YARE and The Captains Forum will remain a nexus point for captains and industry to collaborate each year. And The Live Tour continues! - next stop Amsterdam and the Rai, for what will be the much-anticipated return of The Superyacht Forum Live. See the full Viareggio film below: 

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