SELA, the national company behind some of the most ambitious lifestyle development projects across  the whole of Saudi Arabia, is delighted to announce that JYC Marina this week welcomes the first  yachts to berth there on the occasion of the inaugural Saudi Arabia F1 Grand Prix.  

This new international motorsport spectacular takes place this weekend from 3rd – 5th December, at the new circuit on Jeddah’s North Corniche – the fastest F1 street circuit in the world. Guests aboard  megayachts like M/Y O Pari, 95m, built by Golden Yachts, the 85m Oceanco Sunrays and the 82m Abeking & Rasmussen RoMEA, have been joined by a fleet of over 40 superyachts and smaller units to  take part in the fun, for what is going to be an adrenalin-packed weekend, just a stone’s throw away  from the JYC Marina. 

JYC Marina is the first marina along the Red Sea coast that can accommodate superyachts and  megayachts up to 120m in a world-class environment. In parallel, this opening event will give visiting  yachts and VIP visitors to the F1 a unique opportunity to preview the premises of the upcoming Jeddah  Yacht Club, which will be officially opened around the time when the Saudi F1 GP returns for the 2022  season on 25-27 March 2022. 

A project built in record time – an incredible six months from first breaking ground, on an inland site, to  welcoming some of the biggest yachts in the world this week – the entire complex is situated in the  northern part of Jeddah, only a few kilometers away from the new King Abdulaziz airport and the city  center. It comprises JYC Marina, the Jeddah Yacht Club and a collection of retail and F&B outlets on the  marina Boardwalk around the basin. 

WORLD CLASS MARINA 

Capable of berthing over 100 yachts of all sizes up to 120m, JYC Marina epitomizes the future of  superyachting on Saudi Arabia’s Red Sea coastline. It is the first step into major yachting developments  that are to take place in the Kingdom over the next 10 years, stretching from Neom in the North to  Amaala and the Red Sea Project further south down to Jeddah and beyond. 

Developed by SELA, JYC Marina provides berthing in a safe and secure environment with gated entry  and easy access for guests, service providers and ship chandlers. It offers all the necessary supplies of  electricity, water and fuel bunkering facilities, in a spectacular modern and functional environment. It  has an on-site helipad to make it convenient for guests to arrive and embark or disembark discretely.  

One of the key benefits of JYC Marina is that it is recognized by the Saudi authorities as a port of entry  into the Kingdom. As such, it provides customs clearance and immigration services to all vessels,  including foreign-flagged superyachts that will charter in the area, or stop off to visit this fast-developing  destination on their way to the newly opened cruising grounds of the East Indian Ocean and Southeast  Asia. In addition, once fully operational by the end of March 2022, JYC Marina will provide repair and  maintenance facilities within the Marina precinct. 

With its highly strategic location, JYC Marina is ready to welcome permanent and seasonal yachts coming  from the Mediterranean, the GCC, the Indian Ocean, Asia and beyond. As it is already possible to book  short or long-term berthing at Port JYC Marina, interested yachts can enquire directly with the Marina  manager by emailing berthing@jeddahyc.com. 

WORLD CLASS YACHT CLUB 

An exclusive members-only establishment, the Jeddah Yacht Club was founded to grow the maritime  spirit and lifestyle in Saudi Arabia by providing diverse, world-class experiences across a full spectrum of  social, sports and leisure activities. Strategically positioned at the crossroads of historical Red Sea  maritime routes, JYC aims to provide a major new platform in the Kingdom for the development of  sailing, boating and every facet of the healthy, fun-filled, on-water and sporting lifestyle for its members.  It also intends to raise awareness of the need to protect marine biodiversity and ensure the preservation  of the Red Sea environment for the younger generations and the local community to enjoy and take care  of in their turn. 

The perfect complement to JYC Marina, the development of the Jeddah Yacht Club was initiated only six  months ago, at the end of April 2021 – designed and built from scratch in record time. As SELA will be completing the final touches to the Club House for its official opening less than a year after the project  was launched, the Jeddah Yacht Club team have decided to take advantage of the first F1 weekend to  play host to private, invitation-only entertainment and hospitality for future members and Marina  guests to discover the premises and facilities soon to be available.  

The Jeddah Yacht Club’s architecture has been carefully designed to stimulate the senses and offer its  members a rich, marine-inspired atmosphere where they can enjoy the numerous social and nautical  activities available. Its mast-and-sail-themed 5,000sqm club house, located by the entrance channel of  the Marina, is a beacon, a lighthouse that welcomes visitors to Jeddah’s shores. 

In addition to panoramic views of the city, the Jeddah Yacht Club boasts a feast of facilities for its  members, which include restaurants, a wellness center, a business center, lounges, concierge services,  sailing and nautical activities. Its Beach Club, operated by a team from world-renowned Omnia Club,  features an infinity pool with glorious views over the Red Sea.

Another first in Jeddah, the Jeddah Yacht Club will welcome the Jason Atherton restaurant. Famous to  gastronomes from London to Shanghai, Mykonos to St. Moritz, this Michelin Star-rated chef is instantly  recognized for his cool artistic creations that evoke memories from other times and other places. 

QUOTES: 

Mohideen Nazer, Director Parks & Resorts, SELA: “We’re delighted that the world of yachting now has  its first home address on Saudi Arabia’s Red coast. All the teams have worked very hard to give birth to  this great Marina and magnificent Club House in record time. This is a small step in our contribution to  the realization of Vision 2030 for the Kingdom, but it is nonetheless a major first step to turn the Red  Sea Coast into a compelling destination for yachting aficionados to enjoy our amazing cruising grounds”. 

Oliver Rees, General Manager Jeddah Yacht Club & Marina (from January 2022): “JYC Marina and the  Jeddah Yacht Club will be a perfect home port for private yachts, but also a great place to meet, enjoy  sailing and water sports and revel in the quality of services we have on offer. It will also be a gateway to  the wonders of the Red Sea, and we are confident that this fantastic new facility will rapidly become a  prime waypoint on the global yachting map.” 

2nd Annual Event in Gulf of Thailand from 2022!

In line with the dramatic recent resurgence of the leisure boating industry – boosted, somewhat perversely perhaps, by the two-year pandemic – the organisers of the Thailand Yacht Show are delighted to announce a significant development in their yacht show portfolio. Verventia have just agreed a new partnership with the owners of Ocean Marina in Pattaya to build a significant new extension of Thailand’s very own, six-year-old Yacht Show – a second annual showcase in the beautiful Gulf of Thailand, just down the road from Bangkok, next door to the emerging boating markets in Cambodia and Vietnam, and a short sail from the massive potential of Hainan, Hong Kong and Greater China.

With the enthusiastic support of local and regional dealers of the best-known global yachting brands, as well as Thailand’s government – all very keen to see the leisure boating industry expand on the Eastern seaboard – the Thailand Yacht Show from next year onwards will be staged in both Phuket and Pattaya. The two parts of the show are being carefully planned in consultation with its long-standing exhibitors, and especially with regards to timing; in a normal year, they will likely be held at different ends of the season – at the beginning, in April, in Pattaya, and towards the end, in December, in Phuket. 

For next year, however, things are still far from being normal; organisers Verventia are keeping their promise to be cautious, watching the ongoing pandemic-related tourism restrictions carefully, hopeful like everyone of their gradual easing, but listening to and liaising closely with both industry and government stakeholders before making any premature declarations. If all goes as well as is currently hoped, both events are now looking likely to take place in March/April – avoiding the Songkran festivities, of course.

Napong Paripontpochanapisuti, Managing Director of Ocean Property Company, the owners and operators of Ocean Marina, said today:

“There is very strong demand for boating in the Gulf of Thailand now, especially from people living in and around Bangkok, and we can only see this getting stronger. Ocean Marina has for many years been leading the drive to grow boating here, and the idea of a professionally-run boat show going forwards is exactly what we need to take things to the next level.”

He continued: “We are therefore highly delighted to be working with the organisers of the Thailand Yacht Show for a second, very important, part of their well-established and globally-respected international event. We like their plans to bring in new boating consumers from China, Vietnam, Korea and the whole of the north-eastern part of the region via the shores of the Gulf – this is exactly what our clients in the industry on the Eastern Seaboard want to hear. We look forward to a long and fruitful collaboration with Verventia, and are very excited about how things are developing on this side of Thailand as well as in Phuket, and in the whole region generally.”

The Phuket show will feature many of the luxury superyachts that will be coming in bigger and bigger numbers every year, now that the infamous superyacht charter license has finally been brought into the field of play – thanks to the unflagging efforts of Verventia and the superyacht committee of the TMBA over the past 6 years since the launch of TYS, which was initiated by the government for this very purpose.

Simpson Marine, a founding partner of the Thailand Yacht Show and all Verventia’s three regional shows, is invariably the biggest exhibitor, and next year for the long-awaited 6th edition of TYS will have an extraordinary display of at least 10 yachts, showcasing the latest models from Aquila, Beneteau, Bluegame, Fairline, Lagoon and Sanlorenzo. 

Simpson Marine Country Manager for Thailand, Howard Prime, said: “This is the news we’ve been waiting for. We’ve all been through a pretty difficult time over the past couple of years, but I have to say sales are picking up well now – and I believe this is reflected by many of our colleagues in the yachting industry. We’ve all been waiting for the Bangkok market for boating to open up, and now it’s finally starting to happen. The idea of keeping the continuity of one professional yacht show but spread over the two main destinations in Thailand is an excellent one. We applaud the decision of Ocean Marina to keep the faith and bring in the region’s best boat show organisers to help drive the market here as well as in Phuket.”

All the other main brands and dealers have the same enthusiasm for the newly hatched bilateral yearly showcase, and organisers will be announcing their many confirmed lineups over the next few days – along with some other major news about developments with the Phuket show.