New marina 'soft opens' in Singapore

by IBI Magazine/Y P Loke on 7 Jan 2008 Singapore's latest marina offering — Marina @ Keppel Bay — 'soft launched' in mid-December and will officially open when the Clipper Round the World Yacht Race berths there in mid-January for the Singapore stopover. The pontoon system — by Bellingham Marine — has 75 berths in the current phase, with capacity to more than double in the future as occupancy increases. The marina can cater to superyachts up to 76m (249ft), adding superyacht capacity to a city eager to promote this segment.

The marina anchors two adjoining upmarket residential developments known as the Caribbean and Reflections at Keppel Bay. The Caribbean is a winning entry in the Residential category of the International Real Estate Federation's Best of Real Estate Competition — the FIABCI Prix d'Excellence (FIABCI) — while Reflections, which is still under construction, is designed by architect Daniel Libeskind.

Both developments are by leading Singapore-based developer Keppel Land, a listed company in the stable of conglomerate Keppel Corporation. Keppel is the key sponsor of the yacht Uniquely Singapore, the Singaporean entry in the Clipper Race, and has used it successfully as a marketing platform to promote the marina and the Keppel brand globally.

The development, an exercise in waterfront regeneration, is on a site that was once a shipyard belonging to the Group, and is steeped in history. Named after Admiral Sir Henry Keppel, the harbour was a British colonial outpost that provided safe harbourage for East Indiamen of the British East India Company. In 1859, the first dock was built in the then New Harbour. Its name was subsequently changed to Keppel Bay in 1900. In all, four graving docks were built on this location. The docks formed what was to become Keppel Shipyard, and was initially managed by the UK's Swan Hunter Group before local management took over in 1972.

This is the second marina to open in Singapore since the economic crisis (the other being ONEº 15 Marina on Sentosa Island), and is testament to the bullish sentiment on boating uptake in Singapore and regionally.