Time and again, we believe in providing accurate information about the boating lifestyle and yachts to all media-houses – in an effort to give the right idea of these to both the classes and the masses, and to eradicate misconceptions.

BTW – an Indian lifestyle-based magazine with a huge Internet following, published an article in its Jan ‘09 regarding the advent of the yachting lifestyle in India, excerpts from key industry players and information on how to go about buying your own boat.

The article is as follows…

The biggest thing happening in India in terms of the ultimate luxury market, yachting is no longer considered an extravagance meant for the super rich exclusively. In fact, fractional ownership is a great idea, since unlike a car, you don’t drive a boat daily.

Imagine catching the warm sunrays on your face as you lie down on the deck, staring into the horizon and gently bobbing on the blue blue sea. Yachting is the biggest thing happening in India in terms of the ultimate luxury market. Visit the Gateway of India and see the number of private yachts at anchor in the harbour. A few years ago there were hardly any. Today, there are hundreds.

“Socio-economic growth has opened the doors for indulging in luxury in India. At the same time, with the 7,600 km coastline of India and a yachting season that can span over all 12 months across both coasts of India – the trend of yachting is here to stay. The rich naval and sea-loving heritage of India would mean that yachting is only a logical extension of an Indian’s lifestyle,” believes Zinia J C, a yachting enthusiast who has helped set up Giira Yachts, which offers unbiased consultation in sales, charters, events and maintenance, besides taking yachting to the Internet.

Mumbai has one of the world’s biggest natural harbours and its coast runs through the entire length of the city. There are fantastic opportunities for sailing and a whole array of watersports that is not possible in the best of the cities around the world. Not surprisingly, those who can afford it want to indulge in yachting.

“The next few years will see a major acceptance towards yachting and related activities, once people realise the immense recreational value it carries,” predicts Meherzad K K of Team Giira.

Shakeel Kudrolli, managing director of Acquasail Pvt Ltd who launched the part ownership concept in yachts, confirms that companies are buying more sophisticated sports-cum-leisure boats to offer special hospitality to their premium customers instead of taking them to conventional five-star hotels. “Some of the corporations are buying yachts for meetings and leisure activities for internal teams, while some are using sailing as a teambuilding exercise,” he reveals.

Bringing this paradigm of luxury for the first time to the Indian shores is India’s first tri-deck 7-star super luxury yacht – M.Y. Ashena. Available for personalised charters, private celebrations, high powered corporate meetings and holidays on the Indian coast, this beauty draws inspiration from the unique Burmese style teak hull, embodying the charm of classic old style yachts, offering tasteful sophistication and refined exclusivity.

Today, boating is not for the super rich only. Anyone who’s well off can now afford one. In fact, fractional ownership is a great idea since unlike a car you don’t drive a boat daily. Also, the cost of ownership goes down. More on this later.

The first question that pops up is what kind of boat to buy? If you are new to boating, the first thing you’ll need to determine is the type of boating you will be doing. This may seem an obvious starting point, but you’d be surprised how many buyers purchase a boat that doesn’t fit their needs. Here is a basic classification of boats.

Power Boats

Powerboating presents the ultimate in instant getaways. Hop on your powerboat, turn the key and push the throttle, and you’re effortlessly transported across the world of water.

You can explore it in a pleasure boat, play on it with a waterskiing and wakeboarding boat, rocket across it in a high- performance boat, and pamper yourself on it in a yacht or splash your way to fun and excitement on a personal watercraft or jet boat. Whatever your pleasure, there is a powerboat and powerboating activity waiting for you.

Pleasure boating is recreational, weekend powerboating, usually for a single day but not excluding overnight stays. Common pleasure boating activities include cruising, touring, towing for recreational watersports such as tubing and basic waterskiing, and casual fishing. Pleasure boat styles include runabouts with small cabins or open-bow areas, deck boats and small cruisers.

The ultimate in powerboating, yachting involves offshore cruising, often for extended trips, entertaining and even living aboard large vessels with multiple cabins and deluxe accommodation. Motor yachts such as convertibles and sedan bridges also are used often for bluewater offshore fishing.

High-performance boating involves boats most often capable of running at100 km/h or more. Activities include high-speed offshore cruising, rallies and offshore racing. Found on inland and offshore waterways, high-performance boats include V-bottoms, stepped Vbottoms and catamarans.

Sailboats

Sailing is truly a lifelong sport. You can enjoy the wind and waves if you are are eight or eighty.Sailing can be a quiet, restful few hours on the bay, a long cruise to destinations unknown, or an exciting blast across bay. If you like to race, it can be done just about anywhere around the world … the sailboat racing community is a fun and joyous group. If you like to cruise around the lake with family and friends, or sail over the horizon to distant shores, there is a sailboat just for you.

Day sailing boats can provide you with a wide range of experiences. Depending on your interest and inclination, it can range from the safe and simple to the thrilling and complex. Day sailing refers to boats primarily designed for use during the day that have no, or minimal, overnight accommodation. Day sailing boats are either centreboard boats (smaller, simpler, off-the-beachor ramp-launchable windsurfers, dinghies, catamarans and small cruisers) or keel boats (larger, kept in the water).

If you’re headed out for a night, a weekend or longer, you’ll need a cruising sailboat with a place to prepare meals and bunks for sleeping. Despite their larger size, cruising sailboats are generally designed for handling and control by just two people. Cruising sailboats often include interior accommodations for two or more people, an inboard engine, and a place to cook (stove and icebox).

If you are opting for a used boat, it’s best to use the services of a marine surveyor, especially if you’re not the mechanical type. In fact, your loan and insurance agents will probably insist on it. And you’ll probably sleep better at night.

A licensed surveyor is an expert in the field of boat construction, who is also well versed in safety and manufacturing laws, requirements, recommendations and approved practices. Some banking institutions require that the boat be surveyed before a loan is given, especially on large vessels that represent a sizable investment.

If you do not want to make a large investment on a boat that would be used infrequently, think of fractional ownership. However, if you buy into a fractional scheme, make sure you (and your professional legal advisor) read the contract thoroughly.

Be very careful if you are sharing with friends and family – don’t assume anything, discuss what you want to happen in all eventualities, and if you can’t do this for fear of causing upset, then make your excuses and get out of sharing.

But a well set up fractional ownership arrangement can work wonderfully, either through a managed fractional scheme or as a group of private individuals. Just make sure you invest some time at the beginning ensuring it is well set up – always have a contract.

Even if you do not end up buying a boat, you can always charter one for an exciting weekend out at sea with your friends and family. All services are now available in Mumbai. At this point the only thing left to do is go boating!

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