Azzura Yachts Markets in Monaco

by Jeni Bone on 17 Sep 2008 Azzura Yachts is joining a band of around 20-25 Australian companies under the Superyacht Base Australia banner to exhibit at the 2008 Monaco Yacht Show, 24-27 September, and market Australia as a competitive location for superyacht design and construction.

For the past five years, Azzura has participated in Ft Lauderdale and Monaco shows, targeting designers and owners, but this year, it will be investing staff and resources with a focus on drawing international business Downunder.

David McQueen, MD at Azzura Yachts says the company is prepared for new business, after recently taking over the Sensation Yachts site at Carrington, Newcastle.

'We are ready to go. Azzura is developing an internationally recognised precinct for superyachts. We have the capacity to build vessels up to 74m, both sailing and motor yachts, in steel, aluminium or composite and also provide a complete refit and repair centre for vessels up to 120m.'

Currently, Azzura has four refits underway, and is anticipating signing a contract for a custom build on a 42m motoryacht, to start in the next few weeks. 'We have a design and build slot available for December/January as well,' adds McQueen.

The Carrington precinct can also rely on the two other Azzura sites – Gold Coast and Nowra – for support.

According to McQueen, while Australia is popular as a destination and certainly has a reputation for extremely high quality boats, the real challenge is getting clients to choose to build a boat here.

'There’s a lot of business out there,' he says, referring to the boom in superyachts on an international level. 'But it’s always a struggle to persuade them to come down here.'

The key will be to 'sell Australia' in Monaco. 'Building a boat here is about 10 to 15% cheaper than in Europe. We have the dollar weakening on our side, very high quality work under our belt and a great climate for building and paint work.

'It’s clean, warm and safe, and most of the people I have worked with have enjoyed coming to Australia for a week or two to inspect the process. There are plenty of captains and crew out there that are Australian and would like to bring work back here. They’re helpful for spreading the word.'

McQueen, who was previously GM at Warren Yachts and before that, Oceanfast, will be attending the Monaco Show with Design Manager, Craig Rothwell and marketing manager, Martine Ballantyne.

Azzura Yachts' latest design concepts will be exclusively displayed at the show. The state-of-the-art designs are derived from access to both in-house and world-renowned designers.

Azzura Yachts are the new generation of custom yacht builders, dedicated to the construction of high quality vessels. They are recognised as quality boat builders of both custom motor and sailing yachts, each built to the owners’ specific requirements.

Azzura specialises in high-tech composite construction, has 3D Design capability allowing for precise client visualisation and extensive detailed cabinetry skills. In addition to custom work, Azzura also manufactures a range of classically styled motor yachts including a 33, 44, 50 and 100 foot version.

More at www.azzurayachts.com