IMS Shipyard in the South of France is set to become the Mediterranean’s largest yacht repair and refit facility with a five-fold expansion in its berthing capacity.
Work is now underway to convert a former naval air base in St Mandrier in the Bay of Toulon into a repair and maintenance facility, which when built will add 80 new berths to the shipyard’s capacity, allowing it to accommodate 100 yachts between 20 and 80m in length. The new site offers the company an extra 60,000 square metres of hard standing, a 50,000 square metre basin and four large boat sheds capable of housing three superyachts up to 50m at a time. Clients arriving on site will be able to take in the entire site in the sweeping views offered by the naval base’s control tower, which is being converted into a VIP welcome office.
Together with IMS’s existing site, IMS 300, the new site, to be known as IMS 700, will bring the yard’s total surface area to 130,000 square metres, making it the biggest such facility in the med, according to the company. Further improvements will include a 500 square metre crew quarters, where on board staff will be able to stay during refits and repairs, and a large 1,000 square metre secure storage area for tenders and toys.