Maritime Observer Newsletter #11
Thomas O'Nial on his new agency Virtuelle, and the pandemic accelerating the industry's acceptance of new technologies. Elsewhere, news of two new superyacht facilities in the Gulf.
In the benighted days of the COVID-19 pandemic, the idea of prospective clients touring superyachts in person was no longer possible. Brokers and sellers were forced to think outside of the box and welcome the use of technology in an industry otherwise apprehensive of veering away from the conventional ways of conducting business.
In this edition of The Maritime Observer newsletter, I spoke to Thomas O'Nial to find out how his new agency, Virtuelle, is transforming the way superyacht marketing is done, thanks to the advent of virtual reality. O’Nial inventories the reasons for starting this new venture, and how it’s time to adapt to the new ideologies of marketing strategies. We also ponder one seminal question - is the industry ready to accept new ways of presenting new builds to prospective clients? They may have to.
In this months news, The Qatar Boat Show and Abu Dhabi International Boat Show that took place in November brought forth a litany of news and announcements. The former, taking place at Qatar’s Old Doha Port, proved to be an all-around success for its first-ever edition; with international brands such as Feadship, Oceanco, and Benetti participating and displaying their new models. Elsewhere, Saudi Arabia continues to grant licenses to yacht agents and marinas in the Kingdom in preparation for more superyacht offerings in the new year.
For an afternoon read, you can find my article on Gulf Craft Chairman Mr. Mohammed AlShaali, occasioned by his lifetime achievement win at the Boat Builder Awards last week. From manufacturing small boats and moving into luxury yachts and now catering to both segments, the shipyard’s 40-year journey to this point is one of patience and resilience. Mr. AlShaali built a boat brand with complete in-house capabilities, out of necessity, and created a robust export strategy through international expansion that aided the company through a financial crisis and global pandemic. It is a remarkable story. Congratulations to Mr. AlShaali on this honor.
Wishing you a peaceful remainder of the year,
Faisal
Feature: With Virtuelle offering 3D tours, You Can Now Explore Your Future Yacht Before It’s Even Built
When it comes to selling a big ticket and emotional purchase such as a superyacht, there is more of a story to be told than what is currently offered in the yachting industry. A story that should be individualized to each prospective future yacht owner, proportionate to their own desires and needs. No one understands that more than Thomas O’Nial, a former yacht sales manager and commercial director for some of the biggest shipyards, before joining Camper and Nicholsons, dealing with the world’s most high-profile clients. So when he found the reliance on static renders and plans to be outdated tools for selling new-build superyachts to prospective buyers, he created his own. Now, he’s acting as a bellwether for the next era of superyacht marketing with Virtuelle, an agency providing a new way for people to experience their future superyacht before it’s even built – through the use of virtual reality 3D tours.
Over the course of our conversation, I found out what galvanized Mr. O’Nial to make this leap into starting Virtuelle, the attitudes to new technologies in the industry, the importance of personalization, and how storytelling is key to a successful marketing strategy.
You can read the full interview here.
Qatar’s Marsa Port to Open New Superyacht Facility
At this year’s Qatar Boat Show, maritime and logistics solutions company Qatar Navigation (Milaha) has agreed with the Qatar Free Zones Authority (QFZA) to construct The Milaha Yacht Yard, a new shipyard at Qatar’s Marsa Port. The facility will be located at Umm Alhoul Free Zone in Marsa Port and will span 22,000 square meters, providing refits, modifications, repairs, and exterior upgrades for luxury yachts, naval ships, and wooden boats.
Saudi Red Sea Authority Issue First-Ever Yacht Tourism Licenses
For the first time, The Saudi Red Authority (SRSA) has partnered with the Insurance Authority to grant licenses for six tourist yacht agents in Saudi Arabia as the next step in the Saudi Vision 2030 to create a thriving coastal tourism sector in Saudi Arabia. In an effort to regulate maritime and tourist activities, acknowledge infrastructure needs, and promote investment in Saudi Arabia, the regional and international companies to receive licenses from SRSA include Faisal M. Higgi & Associates Co. Ltd., Yusuf bin Ahmed Kanoo, Hill Robinson, JLS Yachts LLC, GAC, and HASCO Group.
UAE, Jordan & Turkey Marinas Receive Top Honours at Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards
The Marinas edition of the 2024 Abu Dhabi Maritime Awards was held on November 23rd, recognizing achievements, initiatives, and leadership exhibited by marinas across The Middle East, North Africa, and the Türkiye (MENAT) region.
The ceremony, held under the patronage of His Highness Sheikh Hamdan bin Zayed Al Nahyan, announced the winners during this year’s Abu Dhabi International Boat Show. 120 submissions from marinas in eight countries were received. The event awarded marinas for efforts in several categories including Sustainability, Innovation, and Health and Safety.
The evening’s top honors, the Outstanding Marina Award – recognizing overall achievement – saw a clean sweep by D-Marin’s Türkiye marinas, winning three all three Gold, Silver, and Bronze Awards for D-Marin Turgutreis, D-Marin Göcek, and D-Marin Didim marinas, respectively.
Gulf Craft Announces Plans for New Facility in the UAE
UAE-based builder Gulf Craft announced the opening of a new facility by the end of this year. Alongside showcasing a fleet of superyachts, Gulf Craft took to the Qatar Boat Show to share the news of the brand new 108,000-square-foot facility, which will be located in Ajman, UAE. This marks the second facility by Gulf Craft in the UAE, with an existing space operating in the Umm Al Quwain area.