How Simpson Superyachts is Ready for the Asia-Pacific Ascent

Asia–Pacific is the new Mediterranean.

Let’s rephrase that: Asia-Pacific is the new old Mediterranean. Virgin cruising grounds, idyllic and empty coves, crystal waters and undisturbed roaming in abundance. A rich tapestry of cultures, biodiversity and marine life and a culinary tour–de–force. Everything you could want from a superyacht experience.

The region is also incredibly diverse. It encompasses 62 counties, with more than 30,000 secluded islands between the Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia regions alone, and an ocean that covers a third of the world’s surface. It’s huge. Two tricky thorns have deterred many visitors, though: an underdeveloped network and infrastructure. But this is changing – rapidly.

The Alloy superyacht cruising Asia’s regional waters

Simpson Marine has spent four decades working on the first. It has built an impressive network throughout the AsiaPacific region and now operates from 11 offices in seven different countries. Single-handedly, it has created a robust infrastructure for the industry. In recent years, key players have weighed into the region, expanding this network exponentially.

Local economies are also booming, and many estimate that China will overtake the US in less than three years to have the world’s largest GDP. These margins are forecasted to increase exponentially in the subsequent years. There are then many South and Southeast Asian countries, such as Thailand and Singapore, with the fastest-growing countries. Added to that is a general relaxation on heavy taxation; Hainan is a case in point, which will become a fully operating free port trade by 2025.

Regarding tourism, there has been a considerable spike in superyacht visitors, with over 100 vessels larger than 30 metres cruising the Asia-Pacific region last season. There was also a 10% increase in registrations for this category in Hong Kong alone. It’s an exciting time for the Asia-Pacific.

James Clayton, Sales Director at Simpson Superyachts is full of spirit as he explains this sudden rush on the region. “Just look at the geography,” Clayton says, smiling. “There are quite literally tens of thousands of gorgeous, secluded islands to discover in Asia and unspoilt virgin waters, ripe for exploration. Superyacht owners are territorial and the lack of privacy in the Mediterranean and Caribbean waters is taking its toll on many. Pull into a beautiful Asian bay and you’ll find yourself alone – isn’t that what the superyacht dream is all about?”

James Clayton at Monaco Yacht Show 2023

Simpson Superyachts was founded just last year and is primed to actualise this emerging dream for both local and international clientele. “We’re a brokerage company that offers impartial advice and manages the design of new builds, pre-owned sales, charter, servicing, and management of superyachts,” Clayton explains. “As an organisation, we pride ourselves on being dynamic and client-centric.”

Since joining Simpson Superyachts, Clayton has been incredibly diligent in bringing two key elements to the team: intelligence and information. “Real-time intel is often lacking in this industry and yachts typically are shared off-market to select brokers ahead of their public announcement. I’m fortunate to be one of the few. My connections are beneficial for Simpson Superyachts clients in this regard. We got in the trenches to understand yacht design, trends and the performance of different boats over others. This mentality I’ve embedded in Simpson Marine and continual education is high on my agenda.”

It has proven to be a successful business model, with numerous sales within the first few months of operations, including the second hull from the Sanlorenzo Alloy series. When asked whether this was the typical yacht profile for the Asian market, Clayton explained, “Quality is vital; buyers love brands, beautiful designs and brilliance. Catamarans are popular, so too are sailing yachts. But the convergence in yacht design that meets the demands of a global market – Asia included. And we have the best inventory here that I’ve seen for at least five years. Boats we could have only dreamed about two or three years ago because of a lack of inventory.”

But despite this convergence of yacht design that caters to a global appetite, the sheer size of Asia Pacific and that troublesome infrastructural-shaped thorn still throw up a few challenges. “Cruising Asia-Pacific is incredibly diverse and there are incredible waters around more developed regions like Thailand and Hong Kong, yet for those looking to travel as far as Indonesia and the Philippines – which many do! – larger vessels are more practical,” explains Clayton. “You need a degree of self-sufficiency as there isn’t a large availability of marinas, which smaller boats are reliant upon. We need more of them; they’re slowly coming but more investment is necessary.”

500EXP visiting Hong Kong in January 2024

It’s just a matter of time; global interest is there for the region. This year, leading media house SuperYacht Times will host the inaugural Asia-Pacific Superyacht Summit. The event will raise awareness, and potential investment, to overcome these challenges.

When the necessary infrastructure is in place, regional tourism will flourish. Perhaps even more interesting, though, is that the AsiaPacific has an opportunity to become a leader in sustainability by building not only an impressive network of marinas but also a network that meets the needs of the yachts of tomorrow. Sanlorenzo will launch the world’s first superyacht with green methanol fuel cell technologies this year, and there are high expectations that this is a trend that will take off.

“We need to have an electrical architecture – there’s no doubt about it,” says Clayton. The forthcoming marinas must have rapid charging stations, but it would also be sensible to have methanol storage. I strongly believe that when these technologies become readily available, this will be the fuel of the future. Being set up for this would be incredibly wise.”

Steps are being taken to develop this infrastructure, and the region is by no means inaccessible. It is beloved by many, and its confident growth, both locally and globally, is a testament to this.

“Asia Pacific is a growing market and I envision it expanding up to five times its size within the next decade,” Clayton says. “Our vision is that Simpson Superyachts will grow in tangent with this regional explosion. The ethos we hold is through partnerships and collective action – together we’re stronger.”