The first edition of the World Yachting Summit has begun,; this new international event is being hosted in the splendid Monte-Carlo Bay Hotel & Resort. The aim of the event, for which Daily Nautica is a media partner, is to encourage debate and support the development of the yachting industry.

With this aim, international companies have been invited, like Azimut Benetti, Sanlorenzo, and Nuvolari Lenard, as well as international organisations and industry leaders, who discued the evolution and new trends of the market. Another topic is sustainability, discussed through a number of panels on new solutions and technology that help make reaching zero emissions possible.

Opening the World Yachting Summit

Laurent Pelignon, development and content manager for the World Yachting Summit, opened the day with a speech on the challenges of the future created by the end of globalisation and American tariffs that are strongly influencing the energy and transport markets. During his speech he asked the question around which most of the conference will centre: “Where does the yachting industry stand at this moment?”

To answer this question, Laurent Pelignon presented data from Altrata, a company that analyses market trends. The first regards North America, cementing itself as top consumer in the world for yachts and superyachts. Italy is in top position for the manufacture of yachts between 24 and 60 metres and third for 60 to 100 metres.

The second relevant trend is in regard to the transfer of richness to the new generations. This leads us to ask ourselves what the expectations of millennials and gen Z are, and potential future yachting trends. Some changes can already be seen, like the demand for accessibility and sustainability, but also different ways of doing business, based on strategies and data use. All of these topics were discussed on the first day, filled with participants and discussion.

Topics on the first day

After networking, participants had to choose between two different topics to follow. The first is in regards to the strengths and weaknesses in developing the boating industry. The first panel discussing this topic spoke in depth about questions like fragmentation and specialisation of the market, as well as its evolution. Discussing this were important guests such as Patrick Coote, from Marine Max and Severine Sciortino from Sanlorenzo Med.

The second was dedicated to opportunities and challenges for the sector. In particular, during the first conference of the morning, new rules were discussed, debating whether these were helpful or a hindrance for the growth of the yachting industry. In addition to expert speakers like Engel-Jan De Boer , the debate included lawyer, Stefano Comisi, who is also a partner of Daily Nautica.

In the afternoon there followed a number of other meetings for each of the two topics; the first with a panel on improving rather than devalueing yachts. Discussing this were Dan Lenard and Aren Van Elk from Fedship. Market growth was also discussed by analysing the dealership business model, its relevance and convenience. The last panel debated the advantages of purchasing and chartering yachts.

The second topic continued with a focus on actionable solutions for reaching zero emissions. In the early afternoon, Nicola Pomi shared his experience from Volvo Penta to discuss all the options available for facing the environmental challenges with Giullame Perben from Composite Recycling and Werner Perl from Dynamic Nord. Among the most important points, Pomi highlighted how solutions are not only tied to electric, but also to changing the entire production chain, and discussing the importance of the materials used in construction and the willingness to use new technology.

by Arianna Gurreri