Against the background of the deepening second phase of the global economic crisis, threatening to turn into «the Great Depression V 2.0», it is rather surprising to see triumphant statements of some yacht-building companies, which are not associated with the cheap mass segment.
The first among them was Oyster who shortly before the London show started saying «all is well, beautiful marchioness». But not as good as Najad's, much better. In the first week of the new year alone, the company signed two contracts (for the construction of the Oyster 54 and -625).
All told, according to Liz Whitman - Oyster Marine's Marketing Director - the past two years have been the most successful (!) in the company's history, bringing in a total of over £100 million! And this at a time when some shipyards (including the pillars of the industry) are either going bankrupt or have to halve their production volumes (like Beneteau for example).
And then there is more. News came from the Polish shipyard Sunreef which is engaged in production of not cheap catamarans. According to Ewa Stachurska, Sunreef's marketing specialist, the years of 2010 and 2011 were very successful, launching two or three boats each year,
and 2012 brought a brand new order for a brand new type of 80 foot tall sailing catamaran combining high speed performance and comfort. The new Gdańsk-based company is looking to the future with optimism that does not reflect the state of the Polish economy nor the physical appearance of the notorious Gdańsk Shipyard, where it leases its facilities.
In third place Perini Naviis pleased to announce that it has signed a new contract for the construction of its second largest (69m) sailing yacht in its history. This contract gives Perini Navi the second-highest projected profit for 2011 with a turnover of 170 mn Euro.
If you add here a report from a completely different segment of the market «lacquerware» - namely the press release by Rolls-Royce, which claims that 2011 was the most successful year in the history of the firm at all, then a simple fact becomes obvious. The current crisis, if it concerns anyone, certainly not «the cream of society». « Up there», things are much better than they have ever been.
