Amels, SeaXplorer, and Yacht Support unite forces

NEW DAMEN YACHTING DIVISION

TAKE THE LARGEST DUTCH LUXURY YACHT BUILDING FACILITIES, ADD IN THE BUILDER OF THE INDUSTRY’S CELEBRATED superyacht range, and bring together two further iconic explorer and support yacht ranges. Welcome to Damen Yachting!

ALL PHOTOS COURTESY OF DAMEN YACHTING. D amen Yachting is a new yachting division within family-owned Damen Shipyards Group. It unites the entire yachting portfolio designed to meet the broadest spectrum of yachting needs with fast delivery. Under the leadership of Rose Damen, Damen Yachting retains all of the yacht ranges associated with Amels and Damen. They will continue to deliver superyachts from the Limited Editions range under the industry-renowned Amels brand, whilst SeaXplorers and Yacht Support will now be delivered under the new Damen Yachting brand. The Damen Yachting portfolio also includes Full Custom yachts and Refit services. The move follows a solid decade of growth with a strong order book across the entire portfolio. The Amels brand has continued to prove an exceptional accomplishment with the Limited Editions designs and has made a successful move back into the Full Custom market. They have delivered more than fifteen Yacht Support vessels since the concept was launched in 2010 and this year they will deliver the first SeaXplorer. Controlled growth and fast delivery have been key to their success. In 2019, they delivered >>

Full custom.

Limited Editions.

a total of six projects and sold seven newbuild projects. Damen Yachting currently has more than twenty newbuild and refit projects on the go, with six yachts up for delivery this year. “I am immensely proud to be leading Damen Yachting. In bringing the entire yachting portfolio together, we are further strengthening our operations, fortifying our in-house expertise and teams of specialist craftsmen and women, and guaranteeing maximum efficiency across the world’s best yacht-building facilities,” explains Rose Damen, Managing Director Damen Yachting. “We are all facing the current and future COVID-19 challenges, but this new organisational structure puts us in a strong position for success. The diversity within the portfolio is a reflection of what modern yachting is all about and I am very excited to be taking on this next chapter in my family’s shipbuilding history.” Sarah Flavell, Damen Yachting’s Press Officer, comments, “Over the last decade, Damen’s yachting portfolio has grown significantly with a strong order book. It became a natural course of action to consolidate the yachting divisions within the group to form one Damen Yachting division as an umbrella for all of the group’s yachting brands. Amels has continued to see great success with the Limited Editions yachts and a move into full custom and Refit has seen a significant increase in the last five years. This new structural organisation is really part of the growth, success, and strong order book and is something we have been working on and planning internally for some time.” Asked about the benefits and challenges of uniting in Damen Yachting, Ms Flavell replies, “The benefits are multiple, from the diversity within the portfolio to the combined forces in

The new Damen Yachting: Amels, SeaXplorer, and Yacht Support.

terms of facilities, expertise, and workforce. Our clients have such a portfolio available to them that really can suit their specific yachting needs, albeit a full custom Amels, a proven Limited Editions design, refit or a yacht designed for exploration or support as part of a wider fleet. The challenges have been minimal. There are some logistical issues associated with centralising a head office location, but the rest are really all benefits. We are bringing teams, services, and facilities together under one division aimed at offering the client maximum benefit.” As for the future expectations of the new Damen Yachting division, Ms Flavell explains, “Being able to offer this diversity that meets the broadest of yachting needs ensures we are well-positioned to meet the future demands of our clients. We have the capacity, facilities, and

heritage behind us to ensure Damen Yachting has everything in place to continue to grow, meet the demands of the industry, and lead the way in modern yacht building.” Damen Yachting’s head office will operate out of the Vlissingen City yard, home to the Amels’ production facilities. The company benefits from a 500-strong workforce, including inhouse design and engineering teams, project management teams, and a Customer Care team. Other Damen Yachting locations include Vlissingen East, Damen Yachting Gdynia, and project sites in Damen Shipyards Antalya, Damen Shipyards Galati, and access to more than 35 Damen shipyards worldwide.

i. damenyachting.com