Sailing in luxury Delphia

SAILING IN LUXURY

Growing from a small family business to one of Europe’s leading yacht builders, Delphia is today a renowned brand and a proud manufacturer of some of the best sailing and motor boat vessels on the European continent. Piotr Sadowski reports.

Established in 1990 by brothers Piotr and Wojciech Kot, Delphia Yachts has grown to become Poland’s largest manufacturer of sailing boats. “The recent years have certainly been a very interesting period for our company,” explains Bogdan Skórkiewicz, president of the board at Delphia. “We have faced many challenges, but nevertheless we have been able to pursue our goals of introducing brand new models of vessels onto the market. In January 2011 we launched the Delphia 46CC – Central Cockpit – boat, which was premiered in Düsseldorf at the 2011 ‘boot’ trade fair. The sailing yacht was received extremely well by the market, with the industry recognising it for being a luxurious mid-size cruiser, fitted with a large engine, air-conditioning, big water tanks and, of course, a fantastic cabin design.”

Another addition to the range of products offered by Delphia is the Escape 1350, which has been nominated for the ‘European Powerboat of the Year 2012’ title, with the official ceremony taking place in January 2012 at the ‘boot’ fair in Düsseldorf. It is a spacious and comfortable slow-cruising yacht, with a maximum speed of 10–12 knots, ideal for relaxed cruising. This captivating yacht, which was introduced to the market in August 2011 during the ‘Wind and Water’ trade fair in Gdynia in Poland, offers convenient accommodation for six to eight passengers and is available in a three-cabin version, with two or three bathrooms. Strength and credentials

Delphia Yachts, despite the challenging economic times, has managed to perform very well over the course of 2011. “In 2009 we manufactured 93 sailing yachts, followed by 154 in 2010 and this year we are expecting another increase of 9–11 per cent in our output,” explains Mr Skórkiewicz. “In terms of powerboats, in 2009 their production reached 519 units, followed by a massive increase to 1188 in 2010, and again for 2011 we are forecasting a rise of several per cent.”

These strong capabilities are achieved by the company’s over 400 staff, working to promote both the Delphia brand, as well as to work in partnership with a number of other global sailing brands. “We have a long-standing relationship with Brunswick, for whom we produced significant numbers of powerboats for the European market,” adds Mr Skórkiewicz. “Delphia also cooperates with the American company G-Boat for whom we produce the G80 sailing boats. So far this partnership has resulted in Delphia manufacturing over 1000 of these boats.”

In order to secure its continued growth, Delphia focuses a lot of its efforts on ensuring that innovation remains one of the pillars of the business. The company has an excellent prototyping department which means it is also able to cooperate with a range of clients outside of the sailing and powerboats industry. Nevertheless, the core area of activities is the sailing and powerboat market and Delphia manages to be in the vanguard of this particular sector in Europe.

“Our yachts are designed by highly professional craftsmen who use state-of-the-art computer software and high-tech equipment, such as CNC machinery,” points out Mr Skórkiewicz. “We use infusion technology for the development of our boats. We use ERP systems in order to control and manage costs in all of our processes. Over the years we have also addressed the need for environmental protection in all areas of our operations. The company also cooperates closely with leading educational institutions in Poland, as well as with the Ship Design and Research Centre, where our boat prototypes are examined and tested.”

Investments and market growth

Delphia Yachts is currently in the process of building its own department for manufacturing INOX elements for its vessels – previously such items were bought from external suppliers. The company is also strengthening its prototyping department to ensure its maximum efficiency and effectiveness in carrying out final surface works on vessels. “Another area of innovation is the purchase of a CNC machine for the furniture department which will ensure that the internal fittings of our vessels meet the highest standards and satisfy the expectations of the most discerning customers,” says Mr Skórkiewicz.

By ensuring the ongoing development of its production capacities, Delphia is able to continuously strengthen its position on the European market, as well as outside of the continent. Western Europe is clearly the area in which Delphia Yachts is confident, but it does not fear expanding its brand globally. “We have dealers who successfully sell our yachts in Canada, Brazil, Japan and Australia,” points out the president of the board. “Currently we are building vessels for each and every one of these markets. One missing destination in the world is China but we hope to address this issue in the very near future.”

Raising brand awareness

During the upcoming ‘boot’ trade fair in Düsseldorf, in January 2012, Delphia will be showcasing a wide range of its yachts and boats, including Delphia 47, 40, Delphia 31 (which is a novelty, being a sailing yacht filling the gap between 29 and 33 feet vessels), as well as the Escape 1350, already nominated for the title of the European Powerboat of the Year Award. Delphia is hoping that the boat will secure an award from the trade fair in Germany, as it is part of the process of building brand awareness amongst customers in Europe.

“We find that the most effective way of promoting our company is through channels where our clients are already present,” explains Mr Skórkiewicz. “The PR and brand communication activities are carried out by Mr Maciek Kot and his team, who are working hard to strengthen the marketing philosophy of the company. This includes promotion in trade magazines and publications, as well as the internet – we are in fact in the process of preparing for the re-launch of our website, which will be much more informative and share more information about our products and our company.” Growth in the future

In the current economic climate there are opportunities for development generated not only through organic growth, but also through potential business tie-ups. Hence, a takeover of another business in the sailing yachts and powerboat industry is something that Delphia Yachts will definitely consider in the near future. “Organic growth is, of course, important, but there can also be benefits from acquisitions,” concludes Mr Skórkiewicz. “Most importantly, we want to remain very close to our clients, as well as make sailing more accessible for them. This was the reason why we invested in our own yachting port in Górki Zachodnie in Poland – we want sailing to be easier for our customers, give people access to this fantastic hobby through our own charter company, as well ensuring that the Delphia brand goes from strength to strength over the coming years.” n