Fraser Yachts saw record-breaking sales in 2020, with the most sales in one year since industry records began back in 2009. Is it time to step aboard your own luxe vessel?
As luxury travelers found new ways to sightsee amidst COVID lockdowns and restrictions, it’s no surprise that there was a boom in the yacht and boating industry. With the recent news that Amazon founder and richest man in the world Jeff Bezos bought a $500 million, 417-foot superyacht, all eyes are on the boating industry as it sees a resurgence and record-breaking sales.
But it’s not only the uber-rich who have their sights set on the yachting. Fraser Yachts, a leading yacht company more than 70 years old, says they have seen an increased demand in almost every size sector, worldwide.
“A lot of people who never went yachting who stayed in luxury resorts are now trying yachting,” says Raphael Sauleau, CEO of Fraser Yachts. “A high-end luxury resort can cost you a lot of money, and some now realize, if we charter a yacht together, it’s the same price tag at the end of the week.”
According to Fraser Yachts, sales were up more than 18 percent year-over-year.
According to Fraser Yachts, sales were up more than 18 percent year-over-year, and in 2020 they saw the most sales in a year since industry records began back in 2009.
Buyers of yachts are also spending less time looking at their different options. According to Sauleau, yacht buyers are now more knowledgeable about the big boats and can more easily decide which one they want to choose to take out to sea.
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“Before, when you went to buy a boat, you would look at six different boats,” says Sauleau. “Now people are able to make a selection, they can say I only want to look at two boats, they’ve really fine-tuned their selection and are only going to see the boats that they like. And that’s why today you see very, very fast sales.”
Many enjoy the flexibility and customization that you can have while traveling on a yacht, including bringing a chef, renting watercraft and setting the scene with music systems.
As the pandemic and restrictions continue to fluctuate, the eagerness for travel and yachting endures. Many enjoy the flexibility and customization that you can have while traveling on a yacht, including bringing a chef, renting watercraft and setting the scene with music systems. You can get as creative as you want with what you bring for a luxurious stay out to sea, whether that be your favorite wines, yoga mat or more.
“Now there is that eagerness for boating, which I think was largely initiated by COVID and its lack of freedom,” says Sauleau. “On the yacht, it’s freedom. We go wherever we want, we wake up whenever we want, we have our own chef and our own crew.”
How is the environmental impact on big boating offset? Fraser Yachts’ dedicated Green Team works to reduce the brand’s carbon footprint while preserving the environment through a variety of initiatives, including working with environmentally conscious suppliers and shining a light on the problem of plastic pollution in our oceans.
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“For almost everyone who enjoys quality time at sea, the reward of sustainability is being part of nature,” says Sauleau. “You escape from the material and see the world from a whole new perspective. We are playing our part in making sure that reward remains available for our children.”