What is your opinion on the large yacht market?
The big yachting market is exactly like the world economy, i.e. the buyers are still the same. However, the way people buy has changed. Impulse buying is no longer an option and the economy is much more solid and stable, which has allowed us to improve our approach to the market. Buyers have a realistic budget that allows us to respond in a pragmatic way. We are in a healthier relationship than before the crisis.
In terms of repairing sales, it is the large boats that are sought after while the small ones have difficulty selling. Boats worth 50 million euros sell easily because they are rare, while boats worth 3 million euros are much more represented and therefore less attractive.
Polyester type products are the ones that have suffered the most and need to be innovative to sell. Today, the trend is towards steel displacement products, which are a safe bet even if they are a little more expensive to buy.
What is an Explorer?
In my opinion, the Explorer market started in 2000 with the Sense, a boat with a revolutionary concept apart from its design and lines. The idea was to have superstructures, but also the ability to carry lots of toys and big tenders in the back. It seemed completely mind-boggling in the 2000s because at the time, you could find traditional boats with the most superstructure or deckâeuros¦ It was the period of gigantism with gleaming and flashy boats of 50 m, even 80 m.
Unlike yachts that can carry tenders of 7 to 10 meters maximum, the Sense was able to accommodate tenders of 10 to 13 m, to enjoy a comfortable mooring.
Finally, an Explorer boat has a design that allows it to stay out of port for a long time, at anchor if necessary, without needing to refuel. They are solid, seaworthy boats that can reach complicated destinations, with a simple structure and engineering design that can be repaired quickly. They have lower fuel consumption and are able to travel long distances with equipment on board, including a variety of toys (tender, submarine, airplane, etc.), for deployment anywhere in the world.
What types of Explorer have been built to date?
There are several types of Explorer boats. First of all we have the exploration boat "rough pure and hard with a "rough" hull (without net). The paint is applied directly to the hull, with a steel superstructure and almost no visible welds. These are often scientific exploration boats.
Then, there is its evolution with a transfer or crossover boat and it is this product that represents the current trend. This "defector" product is a boat with a rough hull designed by a commercial architect and a design reminiscent of a yacht but with an easier design and less attention to detail in the finishing touches.
While a yacht interior costs between 12,000 and 14,000 euros/m2, a "defector" product will only cost 3,000 to 4,000 euros/m2 for a consistent finish.
For example, the Sense has a very decent hull with an interior design by Philippe Starck and the ability to accommodate large tenders. Yet, it cost half as much to build as a traditional yacht and was sold with almost no devaluation.
Finally, we find the Spirit of Expedition which is a boat that looks like an expedition boat, but which remains, in fine, a yacht. It will be able to accommodate large tenders, but the finishes are still careful and do not allow for extensive use with deep-sea sailing that could damage the boat (for example, the Sanlorenzo 142 m or the Ulysses).
Is there a trend in the Explorer?
The defector product is the product of the future, but it can't be a mass-market product because it requires special engineering. The future of expedition boats is in the intermediate product. It is also a boat that requires the owner to have some experience. The Fassmer shipyard is developing one, but it is a confidential product.
Shipping products are much more stable products in the market. The depreciation on a production boat is about 10% per year, which is colossal, compared to 2-3% for an exploration yacht. With few products on the market and increasing demand, the value of the boat hardly fluctuates.
What are the construction and maintenance costs?
The transfer product has an interesting price. While a 50m yacht built in Holland will cost 30 million euros, a defector will save at least 6 million euros on the construction. In terms of routine maintenance, a 50m yacht costs between 1.5 and 1.7 million euros per year, while a defector will cost only 1 million euros, a saving of 500 to 600 million euros, which is colossal.
Who is the customer of the Explorer?
It's not necessarily someone who is looking for a lot of space, but someone who has a program and who has already had several boats. It's someone who knows that traditional yachts break, are fragile, who wants to travel, discreetly, everywhere and have lots of toys on board. Explorer owners have a different lifestyle and vision. They are often industrialists, often starting from nothing and therefore much more rational.
Are these boats a little more environmentally friendly?
No. Modern yachts are already very ecological today, but there is no such thing as zero emission even electric boats. They are to be produced with less impact on the fauna and flora, because less wood is used, less chemicals.
Produced in partnership with Marine & Oceans
