Anyone who decides to buy a 27 Metri megayacht, from the Italian brand Azimut, in addition to spending at least R$ 54 million (initial price of the vessel), needs a good dose of patience: the waiting line for such a vessel – which is among the most expensive and luxurious in Brazil – reaches two years.
However, price and delivery time have not scared away customers. To give you an idea, since 2020, when the 27 Metri was launched in the country, the shipyard has already sold 12 units of the vessel, with four customers still awaiting delivery.
The full name Azimut Grande 27 Metri is already a literal description of the dimensions of the vessel, considered a “megayacht”. In Brazil, yachts from 24 meters (about 80 feet) are prefixed with “mega”. It is in such a model that the Portuguese player Cristiano Ronaldo rests his feet.
With 27 meters in length and around 350 m² of total area (including external spaces), the 27 Metri has five suites, with furniture and environments signed by renowned Italian designers and architects.
The aft area (rear) has a barbecue and a mobile deck, which descends to the water level, to create a private “beach”. The flybridge (deck on the third floor) has a bar, gourmet area, secondary command post and even a jacuzzi option.
The megayacht has a garage for watercraft or small boats, as well as two cabins with bathrooms and a crew dining area. The construction of the hull uses carbon fiber (the same material used in Formula 1 cars), which guarantees structural rigidity and low weight.
Just like Azimut Yachts, a brand that was established in Brazil in 2010, with an eye on the market potential, other shipyards have also seen an increase in demand, driven by the pandemic.
Less than 10 km from Azimut, in Itajaí, on the coast of Santa Catarina, Okean Yachts opened a second production shift in the second half of 2022, to increase production and reduce delivery time. According to the CEO of the Okean Group, Roberto Paião, operating from 6 am to 10 pm, the expectation is to produce 60 vessels per year.
According to the Brazilian Association of Boat Builders and Implements (Acobar), just the segment that includes sport and recreation fiberglass boats from 16 to 100 feet earned BRL 2 billion in 2021, up 25% compared to 2020 ( BRL 1.6 billion).
isolated at sea
“The pandemic brought the view that the sea is a safe place. People who never had a boat started using it as if it were an apartment on the beach”, says Paião, adding that 30% of his current clientele are buying their first boat.
He says that, during the period of social isolation, in the most severe phase of the health crisis, many families started to live on boats, moored in marinas or not, and this movement boosted what he calls the “economy of the sea”, which involves a wide chain of workforce in shipyards, marinas and on the vessels themselves.
The Okean shipyard moved from São Paulo to Itajaí in early 2021, and since then it has experienced constant growth. From the initial 40 employees, it jumped to 330 this year and, according to Paião, the plan is to reach 400 employees by the end of 2023, in a range of specialists that includes naval engineers, mechanics, carpenters, upholsterers and electricians, among others. The original plan, with 4,000 m², was expanded to 10,000 m² covered.
Advance sale, by the way, is a feature of this segment. The customer pays and joins the queue. There is hardly a new boat in stock. As an example, according to sources, even the most expensive boat displayed at the 2022 edition of the São Paulo Boat Show, held in September – the Intermarine 24M megayacht -, valued at around R$ 36 million, was already sold.
The CEO of the manufacturer Armatti, Fernando Assinato, highlights another trend. In addition to the growth in sales in absolute numbers, he reveals that the most popular boats are the largest. “The market is for big boats,” he says. Although Armatti’s line has models from 26 to 52 feet, Assinato says that in 2021 he has made more than 20 boats between 39 and 42 feet, and only two of 26 feet.
To increase capacity, the shipyard located in São José, also in Santa Catarina, expanded its facilities from 5,900 m² to 9,000 m². E Assinato reveals that it already has a plot of 10,000 m² reserved for future expansion. Currently, there are 140 employees (of which 60 were recently hired), but the CEO plans to create another 60 vacancies.
Source: CNN Brasil

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