Bright sunlight penetrated the glass dome of the Hotel Hafen Hamburg early in the morning. The ninth edition of the German Superyacht Conference (GSC) not only offered a contrasting programme to the weeks of rainy weather that the majority of the almost 150 participants from northern Europe had been experiencing for a fortnight. In his welcome address, moderator Michael Antwerpes began by talking about the coronavirus, which still felt a long way off at the end of February. But just two weeks later, we would probably have had to cancel the event - or stream it on video. One month before the start of the GSC, we received a cancellation from Philippe Briand, who was replaced by Guillaume Rolland.
Burgess CEO Jonathan Beckett travelled from London to introduce himself with his nickname "Joff" and continued with equally personal insights into his career. When Beckett showed a video clip of Donald Trump and the then record sale of his "Nabila" ("Kingdom 5KR"), the whole room laughed. He revealed the delicate wishes of his charter customers and even current deals such as the "Jubilee" under refit at Blohm+Voss. The 62-year-old Brit also shed light on the sailing yacht market: "It was dead for some time, but since 2018 there has been a resurgence." And told Explorers: "We sold two yachts to Larry Page and Sergey Brin from Google. Sergey envisions a yacht that flies fast and stable across the Atlantic - with living quarters underwater. He firmly believes in it." In conclusion, Beckett answered his own questions about a 200-metre yacht and a one billion yacht almost casually with "definitely, soon".
Pandora Mather-Lees (page 66) spoke about the appropriate handling of art on board. The Oxford-trained art historian, who advises owners and trains crews, emphasised: "Art belongs on yachts, but you have to take care of it." Dangers lurk in lighting or sprinkler systems, but above all in people. One Picasso fell victim to the knee of a first mate. When in doubt, paintings are stored in the safe and replicas are hung, most recently from the 3D printer. Matthias Voit from Dornbracht also reported on hiding in his presentation "Wellness on board". A spa trend on land is evaluating fittings such as those from Dornbracht according to function rather than appearance. It is increasingly about "healing - physical, mental and spiritual. The term healing will replace wellness." Voit developed a yacht spa with designer Gregory C. Marshall that focusses on the health aspect and "a real connection to the water". The result: the wellness area takes up the entire beach club. Interior designer Guillaume Rolland, who manages yacht projects for the Parisian studio Liaigre, propagated a more efficient way of thinking about space. His credo: "Space is limited, large properties don't work." Instead, Rolland, who grew up sailing in Brittany, orientates himself on small sailing boats and how they use every niche below deck. The interior designer showed "clever ideas" on supersailers, but also on motor yachts, where a bunk bed is used for the sake of space efficiency and cosiness or the shower is separated by a curtain to save space. Laurence Lewis from YPI Crew in Antibes focussed on how nautical, technical and service personnel find their way on board. Lewis explained how her agents conduct job interviews and will be using artificial intelligence in the future.
The finale was played by Michael Breman, who strode through the aisles in entertainer style and asked for statements on the central thesis of his presentation: "Size Matters". As if to bring about a decision, Lürssen's Sales Director tore off his shirt and revealed a shirt printed on both sides with "The Right Size" on the back. Breman revealed that the smallest project was currently 54 metres long and the largest 150 metres, and that a fuel cell test stand was also under construction. Ultimately, the Dutchman postulated: "It's not about what you buy - as long as it's a boat and you enjoy it."
