Conversations and Camaraderie

Captains and industry leaders kicked off the summer season with the 2024 Sydney Superyacht Captains’ Long Lunch.

The 15th annual Sydney Superyacht Captains’ Long Lunch united a stellar guest list gathered from across the industry, celebrating the end of another eventful year.

Hosted by Rivergate Marina & Shipyard, Sydney Superyacht Marina and Major Yacht Services, this year’s Long Lunch was held at Ploós restaurant (meaning ‘Voyage in Greek) at Campbell’s Cove, overlooking the iconic landmarks of Sydney Harbour, its Bridge and Opera House.

35 guests, including superyacht captains and representatives from AIMEX-Superyacht Australia, tourism, trade, charter and support services, and Hillary Buckman from Ocean Media attended and savoured a menu drawn from the culinary traditions of the South Aegean Sea.

It was also a much-appreciated opportunity to take time to exchange insight, experiences and opinions about a range of topics.

Flowing on from the introductions and catching up over entrees, the first ‘order of business’ was celebrating the 25th anniversary of the Sydney Superyacht Marina – a genuine reason to toast the growth and evolution of an industry that employs so many people across its various segments.

Clemens Overdijk, Marina Manager at Sydney Superyacht Marina explained the history of SSM, which was built ahead of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games to cater to the influx of vessels both privately owned and charter.

“Over the past 25 years, SSM has welcomed close to 1,000 superyachts making it among the most significant superyacht marinas in the Southern Hemisphere,” he recounted.

“To cater for the ever-increasing number of visitors, it has expanded from humble beginnings and now offers an extensive facility with a vast array of logistical support services making it the captain’s choice when visiting Australia and Sydney. And complementing its facility at Rozelle Bay, SSM has supported berthing at the iconic Campbell’s Cove location, offering a spectacular backdrop of the Sydney Opera House and views of the Harbour Bridge.”

The annual Sydney Superyacht Captains’ Long Lunch is particularly important for SSM, Clemens continued, “because it’s a chance to thank our existing berth holders and captains”.

“The lunch allows for easy two-way dialogue around recent maintenance and refit, upcoming itineraries, client expectations and service delivery. And now, after eight years of managing the marina, many conversations include personal chat about family and our plans. For most captains it is one of the few remaining truly social events before the busy summer season starts.”

Clemens mentioned the support of event-partner, Geoff Major, “who has a long-established relationship with SSM over many years, and captains like Paul Maguire, Danny Horvat, Brock Schutt, Sean Bennett, Mark Falconer, Ed Woodman and Stuart Anthony who have seen the developments here during the past 10 years or so.”

For his part, Geoff Majer, Managing Director of Major Yacht Services, said the Long Lunch was an important means of nurturing relationships and supporting colleagues.

“This is not about selling, it’s about coming together to network in the best sense of the word. Especially in the case of new people coming through, junior captains or people new to the industry – the introductions are made on the day and that opens dialogue and breaks down the walls that often exist.

“Captains can be fully focused on their boats, rather than socialising. Taking time to create valuable, meaningful connections creates a healthy industry. Some younger captains may be about to make their first international trip and they can benefit from speaking with more experienced skippers.”

A 20-year veteran of the superyacht industry, Editor in Chief at Ocean Media, Hillary Buckman said “It’s always such a pleasure to attend the Long Lunch each year.

“Not only does it provide the perfect opportunity to discuss important industry issues with both local and international guests, but it’s also a chance to enjoy pre-Christmas festivities over a fabulous lunch and drinks overlooking the best harbour in the world. A personal congratulations to Sydney Superyacht Marina on celebrating their 25th anniversary. What a milestone for an industry icon!”

Other hot topics of conversation included the difficulty in securing short-term superyacht berthing during peak summer months, as well as the challenges of finding and retaining qualified junior crew.

Sharing an owner’s perspective, Mark Rawson who owns 30-metre Moonen Belle, provided an overview of his search for a renewable fuel alternative.

Hydro-treated Vegetable Oil 100, or HVO100 was delivered to the Sydney Superyacht Marina earlier this year, and Belle made a successful trip to Queensland on 100 percent HVO despite the challenges with engine manufacturers, Regulatory Authorities such as AMSA and suppliers to get HVO100 fuel approved and more readily available.

Among the newcomers to the Long Lunch tradition, Benjamin Samuel from Sydney Superyacht Marina joined the event for the first time and with his broad international experience on commercial yachts over the past 10 years, he was able to offer his comments on transitioning to the shore side of the marine industry.

Captain Mark Falconer, skipper of Coast charter yacht and a 10-year veteran of the Long Lunch praised the hosts for their “generous hospitality and a great initiative”.

“It’s always a great restaurant and interesting people,” said Mark, adding that it’s always a thrill to catch up with old faces and meet new ones.

“Most of the people who attend mark it on their calendar as a must-do each year. It’s refreshing to discuss current topics, and reminisce about ‘back in the day’ with old friends.”

Mark has just returned from a long stint repositioning MY Ilonka for the owner, helming her from Sydney to Miami trans-Pacific then trans-Atlantic to the Med. “A delivery turned into three weeks in the Bahamas and then 100 days in the Med. Fortunately, I took a good crew from Sydney, and they stayed on board until the Med, as it can be hard to get suitable crew.”

In his travels, Mark has had the opportunity to compare Australia’s facilities and offering with those in the world’s yachting hot-spots.

“We have world-class facilities and trades here, and magnificent cruising grounds, no doubt. But it’s interesting to look at New Zealand and see they’re miles ahead in terms of infrastructure and the ability to lift bigger vessels. It’s hard to convince owners of these massive boats to come to Australia and that’s one area that needs investment.”

AIMEX-Superyacht Australia CEO, David Good and Operations Manager, Maddie Spencer were at the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show, so Samantha Rouhan represented the organisation. Katrina Matheson from Cook Island Registry attended and informed the group of their plans to expand their surveying and support services in Australia.

The effervescent and always insightful Peter Mahony, General Manager Benetti Asia, updated guests on new facilities, trends in the Asia-Pacific superyacht industry and happenings at Benetti.

Steve Fisher, Rivergate’s Director of International Business reported discussions with a local captain who had delivered a vessel into Florida and commented on how competitive Australian refit yards are compared with their US counterparts.

“In the US, owners can pay 40 percent more on average that in Australia for the same scope and quality of work. This is an extremely important selling point when we take our message to yacht shows and rendezvous.”

Wrapping up the 14th annual Sydney Superyacht Captains’ Long Lunch in his inimitable style, Steve thanked one and all for their enthusiasm for the event, saying “We’re pleased the event is held in such high regard by captains, who look at it as a chance to mingle with their peers and keep up to date with innovations, as well as a bit of gossip, and camaraderie in abundance!”