John Leonida, Partner at the superyacht law firm Cyde & Co., will be speaking about the build process of a yacht, but before that interview, it is important to define the key difference between custom and semi-custom yachts – and who better to ask than the expert?
Having already shared tips on buying a superyacht and advice on selling a superyacht, Leonida invited Boat International to Savile Row, to draw some parallels between superyacht design and bespoke tailoring, prior to to his upcoming interview about building a superyacht.
“The word custom, in my opinion, and in the opinion of many in the industry, is overused,” Leonida says. “If we can draw the analogy from gentlemen’s tailoring, the difference is between bespoke suits, which is a fully-custom yacht, and-made-to-measure.”
Clyde & Co. has been providing legal services to superyacht owners for more than 30 years and Leonida, formerly a development economist for the Foreign Office’s overseas development administration, has advised on approximately $4 billion worth of yacht transactions since 2005. Notably, he also gave guidance on the design and build of a luxury superyacht over 120 metres.
Perusing the suiting bunches at his tailors, Cad & the Dandy, Leonida continues: “The semi-custom yacht, the made-to-measure suit, would be if you go into the City of London and you go to a tailors and they say made-to-measure, they have a pre-designed suit, which is adjusted for you.”
“It’s not a production yacht, it’s not a ready-to-wear suit, as if you would go into Banana Republic or Armani and get a ready-to-wear suit, which would be a production yacht.
“But the semi-custom, is an adjustment for you. You’re relying on the design of the builder; the custom yacht or the bespoke suit is designed just for you, and is made, just for you, for your requirements.”
Clyde & Co. boasts a vast team of partners, advisors, consultants and associates who can advise on all areas of the superyacht industry beyond build and design, such as buying, selling, finance and insurance.
Clyde & Co, 020 7876 5000, thesuperyachtlawfirm.com