We are a global leader in the superyacht industry with an unrivalled reputation for service and excellence.  We specialise in the sale, charter, management and new construction of some of the largest yachts in the world.  Our team of dedicated staff all share a genuine passion for being at sea and collectively possess a range of experience and knowledge far beyond anyone else in the industry.  With a global network of offices we have an international presence and are able to meet the needs of clients across the world.
Market Report
Reports show that after a turbulent few years the yachting industry is finally on the road to recovery.  A total of 221 superyachts were sold in the first half of this year which is 51 more than the same period last year, and the highest figure for five years.  The chart below shows how the market has improved over the past three years.
A superyacht is defined as a commercially operated luxury yacht (motor or sail powered), which is professionally crewed and has a loadline length of 24 metres and above.  A megayacht generally refers to any yacht over 50 metres and a gigayacht to vessels over 100 metres.  Luxury craft smaller than 12 metres are commonly referred to as cabin cruisers or a cruiser.
Global Analysis
For the first time since the global recession the number of new build projects is higher than that of the previous year.  This year sees 736 new yachts under construction or on order which is a 6.2% increase on previous years.  The table below shows the top 10 luxury yacht building countries by the total length of yachts on their order books:
Italy still leads the way in terms of the number of projects and total length.  The UK market has grown significantly in the last two years and is set to overtake the US with eight more new builds this year than the US.  Greece takes the tenth place this year, pushing France out of the list.  This may be as a result of one large French builder temporarily stopping current and future superyacht projects to focus its strategy on commercial and naval contracts.
Business Review
Our company had a strong first quarter and spring has seen a promising rush of activity in the superyacht sales market.  In six weeks we sold five yachts with a total asking price of over €40 million.  The yachts were purchased by buyers from the US, UK and Germany; these markets had proved quieter during the downturn prior to 2013.  There was also a surge in charter bookings for summer 2016 which is up by 15% compared to last year.  This is largely due to the continued strength of chartering in Europe and an increasingly buoyant market in the Americas where we have several yachts to charter.  Growing markets for charter bookings include non-traditional markets such as Mexico, Brazil and South East Asia.  There are good signs that the economic upturn is starting to take hold.
This year we have had successful representation at several boat shows including the Miami Yacht & Brokerage Show, the Dubai International Boat Show, the Palm Beach International Boat Show and the Palma Superyacht Show.
Sales
Selling large luxury yachts demands professional expertise and extensive market knowledge.  We are the world leader in new and used yacht sales, specialising in the sale and purchase of luxury yachts over 24 metres.  Our team visits hundreds of yachts every year and is in regular contact with thousands of yacht owners.  Our advanced database allows us to bring buyers and sellers together in today’s global market.  A summary of our success so far this year follows.
The year started well when we represented the buyer during the sale of the spectacular 50 metre motor yacht Bethany.  In March we sold the 30.5 metre motor yacht Luck be a Lady which was built in 2001.  Holden Yachting represented the buyer.  This yacht had sleek exterior styling and bright and spacious accommodation for up to 10 guests in five staterooms.  The interior had benefited from a number of refits.
We followed this with the successful sale of Jocelyn, a 33 metre sailing yacht originally built by US superyacht yard Palmer Johnson.  Jocelyn underwent a comprehensive refit in 2010 which updated virtually every system aboard, including cosmetics, with new Awlgrip on all surfaces, all new teak decks and an exhaustive list of upgrades that cost in excess of $2 million.
We also sold Daisy, a 60.55 metre Feadship Royal Van Lent.  She was built in 1979 as Cooper II and later renamed Sherman, before being purchased by her current owners and renamed Surrey Spree.  When Surrey Spree was launched in 1979 she was the second largest Feadship ever built.  Over 30 years later, she still remains an impressively large yacht with plenty of space and timeless design.
We more recently sold the 50 metre Jacob of London, which received an extensive €4 million refit this year.  With accommodation for 14 guests in a full beam owner’s stateroom and 6 further guest cabins, Jacob of London has a proven track record as a highly successful charter yacht.
Charters
A Tawara Yacht charter is the ultimate holiday experience and the perfect way to explore some of the most beautiful and remote parts of the world.  It is hardly surprising that our chartering business goes from strength to strength.  A fleet of over 90 yachts are managed by our expert brokers.  In the past year there has been increased charter business across the range but the bigger new build yachts have outperformed the smaller under 40 metre yachts, which are still struggling for meaningful charter business.  There is so much competition in this section of the market that flexibility, competitive pricing and excellent crew are absolutely essential.  The market for chartering larger yachts continues to grow as fewer people are investing in ownership and, as a result, more are wanting to charter.  Ownership’s loss is charter’s gain.
Conclusion
It has been a strong start to the year and we are seeing signals across the market that the charter business will continue to increase this year.  Customers want a wide choice of yachts to choose from and we provide some of the finest available on the market today.  With a number of yacht sales, we are also seeing positive signs within the brokerage market.  We have represented both the buyer and seller in many of these transactions, showing our strength in finding buyers and representing the interests of sellers.  We look forward to continued growth in the second half of the year.