Dubai March 21, 2006 (WAM) - The 2006 Dubai International Boat Show thathas just ended was the most successful in history for Gulf Craft Inc,the UAE-based builder of luxury yachts.
Sales worth more than $10 million were concluded during the event, anddeals worth at least as much again are under negotiation, according tothe company's executive manager Erwin Bamps,according to a press release.
"The Dubai boat show is always a landmark event for us, and more so thanever this year," he says.
"Particularly significant was the degree of interest from US customers- both individuals and dealers. Smaller yachts like our Majesty 44, Majesty50, and Majesty 61, as well as our super-yacht division have receivedmajor attention - and there is every prospect of significantly expandingour agency representation to new areas of the US.
"We received equally strong interest from existing and potential dealersin Italy, Monaco, UK and the Netherlands who are keen to stock and sellour range." Gulf Craft is one of a handful of specialist yacht-buildersworldwide with the skills and capacity to produce vessels of more than100 feet in overall length, and already exports more than 70 per centof its annual production of around 400 craft.
Middle East buyers have ordered two Majesty 88 luxury yachts, a luxurymodel that made its debut at this year's boat show, and the same numberof Majesty 66 luxury yachts were confirmed, underlining the continuedinterest in this 2004-introduced Majesty Yacht.
"Top of the bill is the sale of a Majesty 118 super yacht during thisshow event, which we haven't yet included in our boat show sales figuresas we will only finalise our customer's requirements in terms of interiordecoration and equipment specifications in the next few weeks," says Bamps.
"Our growth in the semi-customised super yacht market remains strongand we are confident about carving ourselves a significant market sharein this niche market." The Oryx 36 sport cruiser - the sea-borne equivalentof a high-performance sports car - was also unveiled at the boat showand became a centre of attraction at the Gulf Craft stand.
With a burnt-orange colour scheme, the Oryx 36 stands out from the all-whitehulls that dominate the yachting world.
"The Oryx 36 is a trendsetter for our ranges of smaller leisure and pleasurecraft that are benefiting from the reputation that our luxury and super-luxuryclasses have established," says Bamps.
"Customers are assured that the quality and craftsmanship of the largeryachts carry through to the smaller vessels as well, and this has beenresponsible for the surge of boat show interest in the smaller sector.
"During this year and next year, we will be investing further in thesmaller ranges and the 2007 Dubai boat show will see the launch of severalmore all-new or revamped models." Earlier thus year, Gulf Craft took overformer competitor GC Marine and it bestsellers Seabreeze 33 and Sooly26 also had continued success at the latest boat show, receiving ordersfrom territories as diverse as Saudi Arabia and the Asia-Pacific region.
"The new Challenger 47 introduced on this boat show, offers the GC Marinecustomers a reliable, luxurious fishing boat with style," adds Bamps.
"We have had tremendous response and enthusiastic feedback from this show,and are confident about the sales opportunities for this vessel in 2006,a year in which GC Marine will make more waves with the introduction ofnew models."
