Yachting news: in a nutshell (08.06.22)

The US is slowly coming out of the “euphoria” of COVID-19

This is evidenced by the statistics of sales of sailing and motor boats. U.S. boat sales statistics for the first quarter of 2022 show real change after almost two years of a pandemic in the boat market. And the changes are not for the better (suddenly).

Since mid-2020, we have become accustomed to double-digit sales growth every quarter. After nearly a year and a half of “euphoria,” the U.S. boating industry’s numbers for the first quarter of 2022 are down compared to the same period in 2021. 

Despite this, sales of boats and other personal watercraft (PWC) are at 54,000 units, still below the same pre-crisis period in 2019. Is the demand for yachting falling? No matter how. 

The US has always been a separate market, a separate wonderful world. It is impossible to talk about yachting on a planetary scale and rely only on research in the United States. A more complete picture can be formed by the end of fiscal 2022. 

New long-term work visa

The Italian parliament recently passed a rule that yacht crews arriving in Italy from non-EU countries will be able to obtain a long-term work visa for up to 365 days.

Over the past few months, yacht crews arriving in Italy have experienced great difficulty in obtaining a "stamp" to board their ships. This was due to the strict application by the Italian port authorities of the February 2020 judgment of the European Court of Justice.

This new step will make the process of entering Italy smoother and more efficient. Also, it will provide the crew of the yacht with the opportunity to obtain a long-term work visa. Details of the procedure for issuing visas are still under development.

Successful government engagement activities have been agreed by a number of yachting and cruise organizations including Genova for Yachting, Federagenti, Confindustria Nautica, Assarmatori and Confitarma.

Moonbeam IV restored by JFA Yachts

The months-long renovation of Moonbeam IV, designed and built by Scottish architect William Fife in 1914, is complete! The refurbishment, which took place from November 2021 to May 2022, has restored this classic yacht to its splendour.

In cooperation with the shipyard Hubert Stagnol, renowned experts in the field of maritime carpentry, JFA Yachts carried out the reconstruction of the famous yacht. Mechanical maintenance procedures were carried out, as well as major restoration work that was required for the hull and rigging.

The teak hull has been cleaned and refurbished, some parts of the woodwork, tanks and wiring have been replaced. The mainmast was also changed and the hull was given a "vanilla white" Awlgrip finish.

After returning to service, Moonbeam IV will sail to Brest, France to receive her new sails and conduct additional sea trials. After the necessary preparations, Moonbean IV will now head to Scotland to compete in the Fife Regatta in Fairlie. The competition will take place from 10 to 17 June 2022.

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08.06.2022