Global Order Book: Q2 2012 Update

HIGHLIGHTS

Buying a yacht? Questions you will be asked
Yachting experts share the question they ask the seller of a yacht, which help the buyer make the right purchase.

How to make build contracts watertight
The contract a yard gives a client is only the starting point for a negotiation, as it will be weighted in favour of the builder. The owner must ensure that the contract also protects their interests and the project itself.

FEATURES

Keel design for shallow water
As the size of sailing superyachts increases, so do their keel. We spoke to some leading designers to find out what problems yachts’ deepening drafts present, and potential solutions

The new J Class sailing yacht Lionheart
Designer Andre Hoek reveals how he was able to merge traditional J Class design with modern sailing technology to create Lionheart, the first new J Class sailing yacht launched in this decade.

YACHT LISTING SEARCH

Superyacht Topaz, launched by Lürssen on 16 May 2012 | photo by Claus Schäfe / TheYachtPhoto.com

At the dawn of 2012, members of the superyacht industry expressed satisfaction with a year of gradual but steady market improvement and cautious optimism about the future.

“It’s a strong start this year, probably a bit better than last year,” says Yachting Partners International CEO Bertrand Vogèle about the brokerage market. “The activity is pretty consistent—we have received a lot of inquiries and the quality of the inquiries has been good.”

With the brokerage market slowly rebalancing—a fairly steady stream of boats leaving the marketplace and a wealth of serious inquiries coming in—it’s hoped that the area of new builds may flourish again soon.

Halfway into a new year of tracking construction worldwide, do the numbers support the optimism?