More and more cash and time to spend are making a growing number of top business people in Romania invest in a yacht.
In its early stages until now, the boat market has gained momentum in the last twelve months. Yet it is not only the number of boats that is increasing but also the size and implicitly the average price of a boat ordered.
One of the newest players on the market, The Yacht Collection, sold six boats last year at prices ranging between 50,000 euros and 3 million euros. "The most expensive of all was a 26.25 metre long Azimut yacht, worth 3 million euros. The owner is one of the richest and most famous businessmen in Romania," Isabela Lupascu, The Yacht Collection's sales manager says.
Besides the three million euro yacht, the company sold another one worth one million euros. Next most expensive were an over 400,000 euro and an about 300,000 euro boat.
"All our clients are among the wealthiest business people in Romania," says Lupascu. The Yacht Collection, a Romanian-American joint venture was established in 2002.
The market has a lot of potential, and the main obstacle is the poor infrastructure of the maritime and fluvial ports that lack basic facilities like refuelling stations or electricity supplying stations.
The Yacht Collection imports its boats from Italy-based Azimut-Benetti Group, from French sail and motor boat manufacturer Jeanneau and from Italian Pershing-Ferretti Group, a maker of high-speed luxurious boats.
The representatives of Bucharest-based Euronautica Motors, another yacht importer say they got two orders worth much more than the average. "We sold two yachts this winter, a 15 metre-long boat worth 450,000 euros and an 11 metre-long boat for 200,000 euros. Both will arrive this summer," general manager Andrei Spirescu says.
Boats and yachts are generally shipped six months from the day they were ordered.
"The number of orders goes up by 35 percent every year, but we have also noticed an increase in the average size of the boats ordered," Spirescu adds. The company opened a showroom in Bucharest that takes up 6,500 square metres, scheduled for dedication this summer. Euronautica expects 150 billion ROL (4 million euro) turnover this year. georgiana.stavarache@zf.ro
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