Episodios

  • The America’s Cup in Jeddah

    The America’s Cup in Jeddah
    Dec 11 2023
    Welcome to this edition of Yacht Business partly recorded in Jeddah where one of the preliminary rounds of the America’s Cup has just been delivered – in style. There is a lot to unpack here – from prejudiced pre-event commentary by sections of the western and social media to lessons in destination marketing and stakeholder management to direct comparisons between this event and the SailGP Dubai event. I’m going to try and cover all of these things.. BUT FIRST we have a special interview with David Graham, CEO of World sailing… The Script… Intro Welcome to this edition of Yacht Business partly recorded in Jeddah where one of the preliminary rounds of the America’s Cup has just been delivered – in style. There is a lot to unpack here – from prejudiced pre-event commentary by sections of the western and social media to lessons in destination marketing and stakeholder management to direct comparisons between this event and the SailGP Dubai event. I’m going to try and cover all of these things.. BUT FIRST we have a special interview with David Graham, CEO of World sailing… David Graham Live interview… America’s Cup Preliminary Event in Jeddah In the interests of disclosure, we were not paid to attend this event. Not one flight. Not one room night, not one kick-back. We have no sponsorship from any of the organisations mentioned. However, unlike many of the armchair pundits, we probably have a better understanding of what the reality of life in Saudi Arabia is really like. We’ve spent months on the ground around the country talking to business leaders and extra ordinary people. Pre Event Controversy Which brings us to the artificial ‘controversy’ and hypocrisy from sections of the sailing community and media in the lead-up to the event. I want you to Imagine a regime. Since coming to power, these leaders have thumbed their noses at the international community in relation to human rights. You know exactly who I’m talking about – of course it’s the current UK conservative government. Now imagine booking a trip to London to watch the Premier League or Wimbledon and being asked why you were supporting a government that is committed to pulling out of the European convention on Human Rights so they can send refugees to Rwanda. Do any of us really want to be judged by some of the words and actions of our leaders? Should the next Ashes cricket test in Australia be boycotted on ‘sustainability’ grounds because a previous Prime Minister held up a lump of coal in the parliament and proclaimed it as the future? Or maybe we should not attend the F1 in Texas on the basis of oppression of women by banning their access to abortion. I’m tempted to say, “let he who is without sin, cast the first stone..” and speaking of throwing stones, doesn’t the USA still have the death penalty? Of course, there is a lot of work to be done to change hearts and minds when it comes to the (re)building of brand Saudi in the eyes of the international community. One way to do that is to invite people to visit, to experience it for themselves. To be made to feel welcome in a genuine way. That’s easier said than done. There are thousands of tourist destinations to choose from all around the world. So how to give people a reason to visit. Sport is a tried and tested way of literally putting cities on the map. Sport as Destination Marketing Strategy In fact, Sport may be the Ultimate Destination Marketing Tool. Quick, think of a city in Saudi Arabia. Now think of an Australian city. Competition for visitors and inward investment isn’t just between countries, it’s also between regions and cities within countries. Back in the early 90s, the Australian Grand Prix was held in Adelaide. The MotoGP was raced at Eastern Creek in NSW. But Melbourne had a strategy to change all that. Bringing the F1 Grand Prix to Melbourne was controversial. More controversial than running an America’s Cup preliminary event in Jeddah. Firstly there was the cost. The right to host a Grand Prix is expensive. Money that could be spent on ‘better things.’ The race is a street circuit on public roads causing disruption to traffic and users of Albert Park for weeks before the race. Then there is the noise from the cars and helicopters and general disruption to thousands of local residents. The first race was in 1996, and nearly 30 years later, some still complain about the nuisance. But… for a few hours a year, the MELBOURNE brand is broadcast live around the world to a desirable demographic who follow Formula 1…. And with the popularity of new formats, like the Netflix documentary – Drive to Survive, the coverage reaches a wide audience. Some of that audience might say – why don’t we go to Melbourne for the Grand Prix next year or… why don’t we hold our APAC regional conference in Melbourne next year or… why don’t we relocate our APAC HQ to Melbourne? ...
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  • Musto’s Marketing Man – Nick Houchin

    Musto’s Marketing Man – Nick Houchin
    Aug 28 2023
    In this episode, I talk to Nick Houchin, Head of Marketing for sailing apparel brand Musto. We chat about how he got into the business, innovation and challenges around keeping a brand relevant and top of mind. Show Notes & Bookmarks 01:22 – The RYA youth squad system includes summer camps and competitions to promote sailing to a new generation. 02:26 – The Dark Blue Book was a directory of the Who’s Who of the sailing world loosely based on the F1 Black Book published in 2008, 2009 and 2010. 02:33 – Oman Sail is a ground-breaking program to build sailing in the Sultanate and was a great success. It’s still going strong after over a decade. 06:34 – SAP has been a strong supporter and sponsor of sailing for a long time. The company sponsored Team New Zealand’s defence of the America’s Cup in 2001, then provided digital and data insights for series like the Extreme Sailing Series and continue to be involved. 09:59 – You can keep in touch via Facebook and Instagram10:32 – Nick is now Head of Marketing for Musto, a brand that was born out of competitive sailing. 11:32 – The business was founded by Keith Musto. 14:05 – What are the main drivers of Innovation? Is it the best technical garments or are there other influences like being more sustainable?16:30 – Rip Curl have a wetsuit recycling scheme. They say my old steamer will be turned into rubberised flooring for children’s playgrounds. 17:17 – What does the sailing apparel market look like? Are the barriers to entry too high for new entrants? Is there enough competition to push the incumbent brands to keep innovating?21:39 – How long does it take to bring a new product to market, from design to on the shelves?25:31 – Things change. Offshore sailing used to be about being wet. Now teams are enclosed in cabins for a large percentage of the time. What does that mean for product design?27:21 – There are a lot of buyer persona’s and edge cases in Sailing. 29:27 – We spoke to the Australian Boating Industry Association about trends in the market … 30:37 – The ‘Trickle Down Effect’ might be a dirty word in economics, but in sailing there are definite advantages of brands innovating at the high-end and letting those developments become normalised over time. Some things never change. See this video from 2011.32:44 – “There is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing choice” Nick says that Musto invented that phrase, but ChatGPT says.. The phrase “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing” is often attributed to the Norwegian saying, “Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlig klær.” This saying reflects the Scandinavian approach to dealing with challenging weather conditions. In regions with cold climates like Norway, Sweden, and other Nordic countries, people emphasize the importance of proper clothing to stay comfortable and safe in various weather conditions. It encourages individuals to be prepared and properly dressed for the weather, rather than simply avoiding or complaining about it. ChatGPT – What do you think? 33:32 – Musto is now part of the Helly Hansen Group and the ultimate owner is Canadian Tires! The post Musto’s Marketing Man – Nick Houchin appeared first on Yacht Business.
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    37 m
  • Sustainability in Sydney

    Sustainability in Sydney
    Aug 7 2023

    In this episode of the Yacht Business Podcast, recorded at the Sydney Boat Show, host David Fuller explores disruptive technology, innovation, and the state of sustainability in the boating industry. The Boating Industry Association introduced the inaugural Sustainability award, won by Go Boat. However, sustainable boating examples were scarce, with Eyachts’ RAND range being a standout. Interviews with Ross Turner and Peter Hrones from Carbon Yachts shed light on market trends and the game-changing fully foiling Candela boats. David Meehan from Mercury discussed the smaller, outboard engine boats. The Boat Show also featured a ‘Sailing and paddling’ showcase with interviews by Nic Douglas.

    Bookmarks & Show Notes
    • 00:31 – The Australian Boating Industry Association introduced a ‘Sustainability Award’ which was won by Go Boat.
    • 01:07 – Nick Tyrrell from Go Boat explains some of the things that the company does with sustainability in mind. Boats are made in Australia, they are electric and everything is done in the company to be sustainable.
    • 04:31 – Electric is a better boating experience. It’s cleaner…
    • 05:54 – Electric boats are quiet…
    • 06:39 – Electric boats are better business
    • 07:46 – Go Boat is trying to make boating more accessible for a larger audience and 75% of customers are women.
    • 09:55 – Ross Turner from the EYachts Group talks about electric boating and their RAND boats.
    • 11:05 – RAND boats are made from recycled PET bottles and have an electric engine option.
    • 12:19 – Is change coming? What is driving the change?
    • 12:53 – Seavolt provides charging network for electric boats from renewable energy sources. We will be chatting to Seavolt in a coming episode of the podcast, so subscribe to get notified.
    • 14:06 – Understanding boating behaviour helps to push electric boats.
    • 15:30 – Peter Hrones from Carbon Yachts spoke about Candela foiling boats which changes the game again.
    • 17:24 – Foiling looks cool! Which gives the boats a wow factor.
    • 17:58 – Ross Turner on the experience of electric boating.
    • 18:29 – Understanding buyer personas and user cases is important for pitching electric boats to the market.
    • 20:45 – Speed limits have traditionally been determined not because of the speed itself, but the wake created. Foiling boats leave much less wake at speed, so should limits be different for them?
    • 21:32 – David Meehan from Mercury is seeing strong demand for electric outboards, especially in the tender market. Advantages include not having to carry fuel and being able to know exactly what the range is.
    • 24:05 – Nic Douglas from Sailor Girl HQ spoke with Olympic sailor Matt Belcher at the Sailing and Paddling showcase.

    The post Sustainability in Sydney appeared first on Yacht Business.
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    29 m
  • Sydney Boat Show Preview

    Sydney Boat Show Preview
    Jul 23 2023

    An interview with Neil Patchett from the Australian Boating Industry Association about the Sydney International Boat Show (3rd – 6th August, 2023)

    In this episode of the Yacht Business Podcast, we preview the Sydney Boat Show. We talk about the state of the industry in Australia post-pandemic and look at efforts to make boating more sustainable. We also get into why getting out on the water makes us feel good and the benefits for society.

    Bookmarks & Show Notes

    • 01:07 – The 54th Sydney International Boat Show will be held in Cockle Bay and ICC next to the Sydney CBD from the 3rd to the 6th of August, 2023.
    • 03:53 – Sailing will have a bigger presence at the boat show. A sailing and paddle hub will be part of the show with events and talks.
    • 06:39 – What is the state of the boating industry post pandemic? Approximately 5 million people go boating every year. Licence numbers are up around 8%. Growth of licenses issued to women is up 17% year on year. The industry is worth AU$ 9.64 billion, employing more than 25,000 people and over 7000 contractors.
    • 09:27 – What do the demographics look like? Are younger people still getting into boating? The growth will be supported by a focus on safety.
    • 12:41 – Are boaters and the industry doing enough around sustainability? Perhaps not. But there is a sense that the boating industry needs to be seen as taking action so that policy is not dictated to them. Suzuki has announced outboards that collect microplastics. Teak decks are being replaced with Cork.
    • 23:52 – Boating is good for you. Check out ‘The Blue Mind‘ by Wallace J. Nichols. It’s also good for business. The ultimate team building exercise and mental workout.
    • 27:56 – What are you optimistic and excited about for the future? The value of boating is being recognised by government, leading to better infrastructure. And further into the future, the 2032 Olympic games.

    The post Sydney Boat Show Preview appeared first on Yacht Business.
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    31 m
  • Middle East Yachting Conference & Dubai Boat Show

    Middle East Yachting Conference & Dubai Boat Show
    Mar 9 2023

    In this episode, I travel to Dubai for the Middle East Yachting Conference and the Dubai International Boat Show. The world order is changing and things are moving. Can the Middle East be a rival to the Caribbean for superyachts during the northern hemisphere winter and can the regulations be changed to make yachting a key component of the economy?

    Bookmarks & Show Notes

    • 00:59 – The Race is On. How are the Middle East’s Mega Projects transforming the region into an iconic superyacht destination? With Captain Saif al Mheri, Managing Director Abu Dhabi Maritime & AD Ports Authority, Abdulla Bin Habtoor – Chief Portfolio Officer SHAMAL / Dubai Harbour and Luc Khaldoun – Chief of Staff & Director of New Projects Cruise Saudi.
    • 01:39 – Co-operation between destinations is key to create a regional network. Destinations do not compete with each other in the Middle East, instead the competition is the Caribbean.
    • 16:35 – Regulation and User Experience. Abeer Al Shaali – Deputy Managing Director Gulf Craft & Eng. Hanan Ekhzalmy – Head of Strategy Federal Transportation Authority for Land and Maritime.
    • 23:30 – Dubai Harbour building a maritime hub and yachting destination.

    The post Middle East Yachting Conference & Dubai Boat Show appeared first on Yacht Business.
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    28 m
  • Yacht Management with Aquator Marine

    Yacht Management with Aquator Marine
    Feb 1 2023

    In this episode of the Yacht Business podcast, I speak with Gerben Visser and Keegan Leslie from Aquator Marine, an app designed to help with the management of large yachts. Then a bonus segment from the Pilote Podcast about using VR and AR for displaying and selling yachts.

    Show Notes & Bookmarks

    • 00:37 – Gerben Visser is CEO and Founder of Aquator Marine.
    • 02:46 – Many yachts are still managed using paper log-books and Excel spreadsheets.
    • 03:24 – Keegan Leslie is Business Development Manager of Aquator Marine. His career progression is from Deck-Hand to Chief Officer which is important when designing systems that are not used by ‘techies’.
    • 05:07 – Superyachts have well defined ‘personas’ or stakeholders who require different things from a yacht management system – from owners, to a captain or people responsible for crew and maintenance.
    • 06:21 – Customer-centricity is important when analysing complex organisations and designing software or tools.
    • 08:00 – Not all yachts are the same, so the Aquator platform includes modules that be added as required.
    • 08:57 – There are aspects of managing a yacht, like security, safety and compliance that can be very complicated. Keeping track of all that on a spreadsheet gets harder and harder.
    • 09:56 – A superyacht has more systems, more staff, more suppliers, more regulatory requirements than most small businesses.
    • 11:10 – Integrations for popular partner products are essential. For example, foreign exchange and international banking apps like Wise
    • 12:57 – A lot of private data is transferred using unsecure methods like email or spreadsheets. Privacy and data security should be a focus of the industry. IoT monitoring and Digital Twins will also be used more, which also requires that data to be managed and stored somewhere secure.
    • 17:10 – There are some large opportunities to combine data and insurance activities. The ability to customise insurance based on the actual activity of the vessel.
    • 18:56 – A quick discussion about the Asian yachting sector.
    • 21:41 – How VR and AR can be used to sell yachts, create virtual boat shows, save costs and create digital twins
    • 22:33 – Links from the Pilote podcast relating to VR for trade shows, including superyachts.

    The post Yacht Management with Aquator Marine appeared first on Yacht Business.
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    28 m
  • Tracking Kanara With Gaby Hernandez

    Tracking Kanara With Gaby Hernandez
    Dec 13 2022

    This is the Yacht Business Podcast – I’m your host David Fuller. In this episode we talk to a software entreprener mixing wearables with watersports. In this episode I am joined by Gabriella Hernandez who is Co-founder and CMO of KANARA Sportech.

    Kanara is an app which is designed to help kite surfers and paddleboarders and sailors keep track of their data and share their sport with others.

    Bookmarks & Shownotes

    • 05:39 – Listen to our podcast from SailGP Dubai.
    • 10:31 – 3D visualisations will become part of an augmented or mixed reality layer that we experience data through.
    • 12:15 – The Samsung Gear 3 was launched in 2016 with GPS. Earlier models used the GPS of the phone connected by Bluetooth.
    • 13:14 – Listen to our interview with WMRT’s James Pleasance
    • 15:47 – Performance data could be used as part of sponsorship presentations to show training activity or how an athlete ranks against others.
    • 23:33 – How will 5G wearable devices change tracking?
    • 24:02 – Gamification is a key trend – not just for sailing, but for travel too.
    • 26:28 – Full body haptic suit – Telsa suit is ONLY $12999
    • 31:59 – Become a Patreon Subscriber
    • 32:13 – The Yacht Business podcast is produced by Pilote Media

    The post Tracking Kanara With Gaby Hernandez appeared first on Yacht Business.
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    32 m
  • SailGP Heats Up in Dubai

    SailGP Heats Up in Dubai
    Nov 17 2022

    Welcome to the Yacht Business podcast – I’m your host, David Fuller.
    In this episode, we take a look at the first ever SailGP event in Dubai, the fan experience, the challenges of running an event in a new market and a new environment and we talk to Tod Reynolds, director of Web3 strategy for SailGP. about the DAO based team owned by fans.

    • SailGP is an ambitious project. The latest attempt to create a global, professional sailing league with a consistent calendar that attracts sailors, partners and fans alike. As the name suggests, SailGP is modelled on Formula 1 – perhaps even trying to compete with the motorsport series for sponsors and fans.
    • We spoke with a local Abu Dhabi sailor about the Inspire program.
    • Dubai is a tough market for live events. Residents are spoilt for choice when it comes to entertainment options – and sailing – which is niche in almost every country – is even more so in the Emirate. It’s rare to see a mast at the annual Dubai boat show among the superyachts and the large traditional show racing scene is confined to locals.
    • Here’s what TeamGB skipper Ben Ainslie said about the course…
    • But the teams had prepared for the heat… right? The organisers weren’t the only ones who weren’t quite ready for the weather, but some teams did better than others. Australian skipper Tom Slingsby underestimated the heat…
    • TeamUSA’s Jimmy Spithill had help from his sponsors – Red Bull
    • 08:23 – One way you might be able to get yourself into the Addrenalin lounge, is by owning a piece of the new Bermuda and Caribbean team via a DAO on Near. We talked to Tod Reynolds – Director of Web3 Strategy for SailGP about the concept.
    • Don’t forget to subscribe so you get episodes as soon as they go live. In the coming months, some content will also be restricted to Patreon members, so if you get value from the podcast, consider becoming supporting the show through that platform – it’s only a few dollars a month.

    The post SailGP Heats Up in Dubai appeared first on Yacht Business.
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    19 m