It has been over four years since Lai Sun bought into Camper & Nicholsons in 2016. As well as being Chairman of Camper & Nicholsons Asia, you are on the Board of Directors of Camper & Nicholsons International, so how would you describe the journey so far?
I have been yachting in Hong Kong and the Mediterranean all my life and it’s my passion. The transition from being a yacht owner to being involved in the yachting industry by playing a role in the most prestigious and oldest brand, Camper & Nicholsons International, is simply amazing.
Where have most of your clients in Asia come from?
Camper & Nicholsons is owned by Lai Sun Group, which is a group of five companies listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, so Asia is certainly our stronghold. This allowed us direct access to penetrate the Asia market. Most of our clients in Asia are from Hong Kong and Chinese clients who reside in Hong Kong. However, we have recently experienced increased traffic from Australia and Thailand.
How do clients in Asia differ from clients in Europe, US and other traditional superyacht markets?
Clients from Asia have a great tendency towards new yachts or recent brokerage yachts. Furthermore, most clients, even firsttime buyers, are very well informed and lean towards to the well-established brands from Italy, UK, Germany and Netherlands. One notable trend is that Chinese owners trade up quickly and often have multiple yachts in Hong Kong and overseas.
How would you evaluate Camper & Nicholsons’ business in Asia, in terms of new builds, brokerage and charter?
In Asia, we experienced a wonderful 2020 in brokerage. Having sold one 60m, one 50m, one 38.5m and other yachts, we can say brokerage is the bulk of our business.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 57-utgaven av Yacht Style.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Wong Tet Choong - Singapore's Most Famous Sailor
TC Wong made global headlines last year when the rapid spread of Covid left him stranded at sea in his Leopard 50 for months until he was eventually allowed into Fiji, where he has remained since. Now, the adventurous 60-year-old is waiting for borders to open so he can continue his journey around the South Pacific on his beloved Ximula III.
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Yacht Style provides an overview of this year’s exciting new models, with most on display at this year’s Cannes Yachting Festival and/or Monaco Yacht Show, some having shown earlier in the year and a couple making their debuts in other autumn shows around Europe.
Déjà Vu In Denmark
Halfway into SailGP’s second season, a familiar pattern begins to emerge. Australia, runaway winners of the first series, again top the table, despite having to sit out one of the four events held so far with gear failure.
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Stepping Out Of The Shadows
As founder and Director of VP Yachts, Vivian Chan is quickly making a name for herself as the Hong Kong dealer for Italian builder Sessa, even if it appears a world away from her other role as General Manager of her family’s Sun Hing Shipyard.
From Pollution To Purpose
Former Singapore Idol finalist and TV producer Mathilda D’silva explains how the Ocean Purpose Project evolved from what she saw on and around her hometown beach in Pasir Ris.
TECH GIANT
Camper & Nicholsons’ recent achievements include selling the 105m Lady Moura and adding the 126m Octopus to its charter and management fleets, but CEO Paolo Casani is most excited about the company’s focus on proprietary technology to engage clients in the new era.
