Words of Wisdom from Colin Dawson, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association (Part 1) ( 2014/02/28 )
| The yachting industry in the Asia Pacific region has started to grow quickly. More and more pristine cruising destinations were explored and added to the cruising map, giving sea-adventurers the excitement as if they have retrieved lost pearls. Starting from this issue, we are honoured to share with you words of wisdom by Colin Dawson, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association (APSA), with his valuable opinion on the thrilling development of yachting in Asia Pacific in Blog of Baroque. To address the growing needs for a united voice to represent and promote the interests of the yachting industry in Asia Pacific, the APSA was established in 2011. Colin Dawson, Chairman and one of the key founder of APSA, has made the below comment when mentioning the core value of the organisation. “When APSA was formed in 2011 there was a call for a voice of the region to promote the yachting industry in general and super yacht traffic in particular. Since then people are valuing more and more the nature of our work, hence APSA has built a solid foundation with a good reputation in the region to make comments, to facilitate the exchange of information and details, and to promote and improve the prospect of the yachting industry in Asia Pacific.” “While we do not expect Asia Pacific to overtake traditional cruising grounds such as Mediterranean or Caribbean in terms of the level of visiting yachts, facilities are improving all the time in the region attracting increasing number of visiting yachts and ASPA is definitely part of the drive and enthusiasm for the Asia Pacific to emerge as a new star in the field of yachting.” The development of the yachting industry is accelerating; opportunities were seen emerging within Asia Pacific. Does Hong Kong have what it takes to maintain the leader in the region? And how does Asia Pacific compare to established cruising grounds such as the Mediterranean and Caribbean? Let us hear what Colin has to say about this. “The development of the yachting industry in Asia Pacific is significant. The region is opening up and we can see a significant increase in the number of super yachts around here. Hong Kong is undoubtedly a leader in this. However, unfortunately we are hampered by the lack of mooring facilities and would be further ahead if improvements are made. From this, APSA has felt the need to impress upon governments in the region the values and advantages the visiting super yachts can bring to them.” “A couple of years ago I saw a breathtaking photograph taken from the top of a hill in Thailand. In it I saw a 56-metre sailing yacht anchored in a bay, alone embraced by crystal clear water and white sand beach. It was absolutely perfect. And last year I went to Porto Cervo in Italy. The bay was so crowded with boats of all shapes and sizes that one could barely move between them! Therefore, one of the major advantages we have in the region is that there are still many pristine places and these places are not crowded. Taking Burma as an example, a yacht captain with 30 years experience once told me that it was the best cruising he has ever done. I think we have huge advantages with our pristine cruising grounds.” We shall continue to share with you professional opinion from Colin in the next issue regarding development of yachting industry in the Asia Pacific region and the problem of shortage in berthing facilities in Hong Kong. |
 Colin Dawson, Chairman of the Asia-Pacific Superyacht Association.  Events occur in Portofino Italy annually, such as large scale outdoor concerts.  Porto Cervo, one of the renowned sea travel destinations in Italy. |
