Superyacht Australia proudly reports the success of its Australia Thailand Rendezvous event held in Phuket, Thailand, marking an important return to engaging with South East Asia since the last event in February 2020. The event, sponsored by Echo Yachts at Phuket Yacht Haven Marina on Friday, February 9th, saw an impressive turnout with 17 superyachts in attendance on the day and 22 engaged throughout the week.
Phuket’s peak cruising season provided an ideal backdrop for the occasion, which gathered key stakeholders from the Australian superyacht industry. Australian representatives included Chris Blackwell and Doug Steel from Echo Yachts, Carrie Carter from Carter Marine Agencies, Alex Binks from Rivertage Marina & Shipyard, and Martin Baum from Pantaenius Yacht Insurance.
Reflecting on the event, David Good, CEO, Superyacht Australia commented, “Many Mediterranean based vessels will be considering an alternative plan for their 2024 summer season rather than returning to Europe via the Red Sea. Asia Pacific offers outstanding cruising options and Australia can provide refit, maintenance and sustainment support that rivals the best Europe can offer. Therefore, the timing of this event provided expert information for captains on options for keeping the vessels in Asia Pacific and including Australia in their upcoming schedule.”
The day’s activities were diverse, featuring a Morning Tea Expo, an exclusive Echo Yachts VIP Captain’s Lunch, a spirited Crew Cocktail Making Competition, and a lively Crew Networking Party, all held at ‘The Deck’ at Phuket Yacht Haven Marina.
The Echo Yacht’s VIP Captain’s Lunch boasted an impressive attendance of 13 captains alongside additional Chief Officers and Chief Engineers, with Merijn de Waard, Founder & Director of Superyacht Times, also gracing the event.
Merijn de Waard enthused, “The Australia Thailand Superyacht Rendezvous brought together a great mix of captains, senior crew, agents, marinas, and Australian industry professionals. I was positively surprised by the number of captains. The relaxed and fun setting made it a great place to catch up with familiar faces and meet new people.”
The Cocktail Making Competition brought a delightful touch of Australian flair, featuring spirited competition between MY Azamanta and MY Galileo, utilising Australian gins. MY Azamanta also clinched the title for the Best Aussie dress up with their “Vegemite and toast” ensemble.
The diverse range of activities throughout the day offered abundant opportunities to network with industry peers and visiting yachts in Thailand, emphasizing the importance of such gatherings in fostering collaboration and growth within the industry.
Chris Blackwell, of Echo Yachts concluded the days events, “Echo Yachts would like to extend our thanks and appreciation to Superyacht Australia for hosting the extremely successful 2024 Australia-Thailand Rendezvous event at Yacht Haven Marina in Phuket. The Echo Yachts sponsored ‘Captain’s Lunch’ provided a perfect setting to meet many large superyacht Captains and showcase the world-class custom-newbuild, refit and maintenance capabilities of our superyacht shipyard near Fremantle in Western Australia.”
The Australian Thailand Rendezvous provides a valuable platform for fostering relationships with yacht captains, crews, management companies, suppliers, agents, and contractors from both Australia and Thailand, as vessels eagerly sought updates, forged, and reinforced relationships that promise to benefit Australian marinas for future visits for maintenance and refit work. David Good extended his appreciation, “Thank you to the companies and crew who attended to make this event exceptionally enjoyable and memorable.”
Superyacht Australia extends sincere gratitude to Echo Yachts for their generous sponsorship and acknowledges the invaluable support of Gordon and Jojo from Asia Pacific Superyachts and the dedicated team from Phuket Yacht Haven Marina for their assistance in executing the event seamlessly.