Australian luxury cruiser manufacturer, Maritimo, is set to showcase two of its most popular models at the upcoming Cannes Yachting Festival which kicks off the boat show season in Europe. The Maritimo M51 and M59 cruising motor yachts will be on display at the Cannes show with Maritimo’s Manufacturers Agent in Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia, Spencer Ship Monaco, already reporting considerable interest in the vessels and a growing appointments list with prospective buyers wishing to view the craft.
Maritimo M51 off the French Riviera coast. Photo: Joan Taché
Maritimo’s CEO Garth Corbitt said the Cannes Yachting Festival, from September 12 to 17, was a litmus test for the upcoming boat show season in Europe and the early indicators were that it would be a successful show.
“Spencer Ship Monaco has been helping us build awareness of the brand in Europe over the last few years and we are gaining momentum,” he said. “The Cannes show will be an important indicator for us and being the 40th anniversary show with more than 600 vessels being displayed we believe it will attract prospective buyers from around the globe.”
Spencer Ship Monaco owner and Managing Director, Craig Harvey, said the interest in Maritimo’s range of vessels was growing in Europe.
“The build quality of the vessels, their sea keeping ability, walk around decks and the enclosed, climate controlled flybridges are all elements of the Maritimo range that resonate with European boaties,” he said. “The comfort and safety that comes with the climate controlled flybridges is something that is now just starting to be understood by boat lovers in Europe and at this stage we do not really have any competition in that space. We have arranged a number of appointments already to inspect the M51 and the M59 and I am confident we will have a great show.”
Two visitors to the Maritimo stand at the Cannes show will be French couple Philippe and R’egine Jacquet. The Paris based couple own an M51 cruising motoryacht, which they took delivery of in Australia before it was transported to France.
Upon arrival from Australia the couple picked up their boat in Genoa, Italy with Maritimo representatives before sailing to Port Grimaud on the French Riviera and onto their home port of Porquerolles Island.
“I am fully happy with my boat and my wife and I are really enjoying it,” said Philippe. “The boat is very comfortable at sea, handles extremely well with the short wave length of the Med and manoeuvres very well in tight spaces of ports.”
The couple spent a week navigating Australian waterways in their new vessel before it was shipped to Europe.
Maritimo M51 owners R’egine and Phillipe Jacquet with Craig Harvey from SpencerShip
Maritimo’s International Sales and Marketing Manager, Greg Haines, said Maritimo had embarked on an international brand awareness development strategy several years ago.
“Central to that international brand building exercise are dealer partners such as Craig and his team at Spencer Ship Monaco,” he said. “They are the perfect fit for our product and our corporate ethos and we remain extremely confident that our European sales rates will continue to grow as a result of our partnership with them. After Cannes we will be displaying vessels at the Monaco Yacht Show and then others throughout the rest of the year.”
Corbitt said approximately 50 percent of Maritimo’s production was exported from Australia and the primary export markets were the USA and Europe. “When prospective buyers in both those markets see the quality of what we produce and the ‘fit for any conditions’ design of our vessels they are impressed,” he said. “Dollar for dollar we are well ahead of the competition in terms of what we produce.”
