Modern Boating Lifestyle: Macau Yacht Show 2019.
by Asia Yacht Press 2 Nov 2019 12:40 AEDT
24-27 October 2019
Best and only place for a boat show in Macau. Macau Yacht Show 2019 © Guy Nowell / MYS 2019
Macau has just experienced first-hand the delights of the modern boating lifestyle. From a splendid 130ft Sunseeker superyacht down to the diminutive 7’9” Optimists, there was – literally – something for everyone.
Sunshine, superyachts, motorboats, sailing yachts, dinghies, bikini parades, jet-surf demos and sunset cruises were all part of the fun at the 2019 Macau Yacht Show. The 40m Sunseeker, the biggest and most expensive superyacht on display, and gave VIP guests and visitors a rare opportunity to see why superyachts are at the top of the luxury experience. Imagine having your own luxury yacht, customized to your personal likes, and available at your beck and call to take you and your friends anywhere in the world!
Two other China-built superyachts on display showed how the industry is growing and maturing. The Maxthon 80, built in Guangdong and designed by British designer Bill Dixon, shows that this shipyard is producing affordable, quality yachts. With its modern and spacious main saloon, this yacht is fully customised for the Chinese market. The 110ft JP Yacht, is another example of a boat designed for the local business entertainment market, and the closing cocktail party for the Asia-Pacific Yacht Industry High Level Forum was hosted onboard.
International brands were also represented this year with Marine Italia displaying three Italian motoryachts, that proved popular with show visitors. The Azimut 60 Flybridge with its chic interiors and spacious floor to ceiling windows, and two Absolute 60Flys and their well-crafted entertainment spaces are the perfect size for Asia, where the marinas are better equipped to accommodate medium-sized yachts rather than the truly giant superyacht. The MCY 65, Ferretti 500 and the Galeon 500 completed the line-up of motoryachts at the show.
China Pacific Marine have been exhibiting at the Macau Yacht Show since 2012, and had two French-built Jeanneau sailing yachts on display – a Sun Odyssey 440 and a Sun Odyssey 410. “This yacht line has proved to be very popular over the years,” explains Lawrence Chow, who has joined the family business established by his father Don Chow. “There is a long and powerful sailing connection between Hong Kong and Macau, kept alive by sailing races organised by the Cruiser Owners Association and the Royal Hong Kong Yacht Club.”
Good sailors need to start early with the basics and dinghies are the best way to learn to sail. The tiny Optimist, looking like a sawn-off sampan, has been the platform from which many of the world’s leading sailors have launched their careers. The Macau Youth Optimist Sailing Regatta had competitors from Guangdong, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan who competed in the two-day regatta with Li Wei chairman of the Macau Sailboats Council presiding over the award ceremony.
For those who wanted to be out on the water but not too close to it, there was a sunset cruise on the Xiangjiang No 1, a traditional coastal waters sailing junk that was built in Macau. Each day 30 visitors had the chance to enjoy the local scenery from the water. These attractions along with the Bikini shows and jet-surf performances attracted a large audience to Fisherman’s wharf.
Show exhibitors believe that there are great opportunities promoting the boating lifestyle in Macau. “It’s the Las Vegas of Asia” says Chow. “If leisure yachts were able to move more freely around the Pearl River Delta, this would transform the leisure marine industry”. The Nam Kwong Group whose extensive business networks include crude oil, consumer goods trade, hotels, tourism, real estate management and development, believes in this future. It is this potential that encourages them to sponsor the Macau Yacht Show and Asia-Pacific Yacht Industry High Level Forum every year. With its close proximity to Hong Kong, Macau is the perfect port to start the voyage!