Sanya, 27th March 2014 – Ferretti Group, one of the leading world players in the design, construction and sale of luxury motor yachts, with a unique portfolio of some of the most exclusive and prestigious brands worldwide, is taking part in the 2014 edition of the China Rendez-Vous - a unique, must-be event for the main worldwide players in the luxury sector, which is being held from 27 to 30 March in Sanya - with a fleet consisting of 7 among the most successful models of its brands, including 3 absolute premieres for the Asia-Pacific market. All models epitomize concepts like prestige, harmony, rationalism, and progress, which are the driving principles of the Group’s Design Philosophy.
The event, which has reached its fifth edition, takes place at the Visun Royal Yacht Club in Sanya, a renowned tourist destination on the island of Hainan, in southern China, and is truly a unique opportunity to display some of the most successful models on the Asian market in the Group’s 160 square-metre exclusive stand, located on a private, entirely-dedicated pier. The models on display include the Ferretti Yachts 530, the Ferretti Navetta 26 Crescendo and the Ferretti Custom Line 112’ Next for the Ferretti brand and the Pershing 82 for Pershing. However, the true stars are undoubtedly the 3 models, representing the Ferretti brand, presented as absolute premieres for the Asia–Pacific region: the Ferretti Yachts 960, the flagship of the “Yachts” product line; the Ferretti Yachts 870; and the first Ferretti Yachts 690 in the “Tai He Ban by Ferretti” special edition.
The Group has indeed chosen the China Rendez-Vous to present the first model in the Ferretti Yachts product line specifically conceived to meet the taste and wishes of Far East owners and drawing inspiration from the famous Hall of Supreme Harmony, one of the jewels of Beijing Forbidden City. The new layout of this Ferretti Yachts 960 embodies the core principles of the Design Philosophy of the Group's historical brand, in which values like prestige, harmony, rationalism, and progress are applied to build yachts where indoor spaces are specifically designed to host business meetings, official receptions, and informal and entertainment events, featuring ad-hoc decor solutions.
This year, for the first time, the China Rendez-Vous will also be attended by CRN, a brand of the Ferretti Group specializing in the construction of fully-custom steel and aluminium megayachts ranging between 40 and 90 metres in length. CRN will have a dedicated stand inside the "Superyachts" area that will introduce the public to its history and its yachts - unique examples of Made-in-Italy design -, presenting them to the Chinese market, which is growing extremely fast and is responding with great interest to every initiative taken by the brand. Indeed, last January CRN signed the first Letter of Intents of 2014 just with a Chinese client, for a 68-metre megayacht that will become the largest yacht ever built by CRN and Ferretti Group for China.
The activities performed by the Group on the Asia-Pacific market over the last few months and all models on display will then be illustrated during a press conference that will be held on Friday 28 March 2014, in the morning, at Ferretti Group's stand. On the same day, in the evening, Ferretti Group will welcome its customers and partners at a cocktail party at the Group's stand, surrounded by the wonderful setting of the exclusive Sanya Visun Royal Yacht Club.
During the show, Ferretti Group will also offer its clients and prospects the opportunity to take part in exciting sea trials onboard the Group’s prestigious yachts, allowing them to experience first-hand the pleasure of cruising on some of the best models of the Group’s.
Ferretti Group’s presence at the China Rendez-Vous – the leading event in China for the luxury sector - is part of a specific strategy aimed at the Group's expansion and growth in this area, which has been showing great appreciation for the yachts of the Group’s 7 brands for years now. Such appreciation and interest are confirmed by the Hurun Best of the Best Awards 2014 - one of the most important and traditional awards for the luxury industry in China - that was awarded to Ferretti Group and, more specifically, to the Ferretti brand, which was chosen in the "Best Yacht Brand" category as the favourite brand of wealthy Chinese men and women. In particular, the brand has proven to be the absolute leader among respondents in the age brackets above 45 years and under 30 years, confirming once more how yachting culture is constantly spreading among young Chinese HNWIs as well as providing an immediate positive feedback to the branding and sales activities carried out by the Group in China. Ferretti also ranked first in the two top wealth brackets over which respondents were divided and in the “lower income” group, bearing witness also to the great growth potential that the brand can rely on in the Chinese market.
The Hurun Best of the Best Awards 2014 is, in fact, an important acknowledgement for the entire Group, as Pershing - which specialises in the production of high-performance motor yachts ranging between 15 and 35 metres - was chosen as the favourite brand among Chinese HWNIs falling in the age bracket between 31 and 45 years, i.e. the one that already represents the Group’s ideal target. Indeed, although the brand was not included in the ones to be voted as part of the survey it was the respondents themselves that mentioned Pershing spontaneously, thereby showing how – just a few years after its appearance on the Chinese market – the brand has already achieved an outstanding brand awareness and a positive feedback among the younger Chinese wealthy people, taking on a special allure for the reference target and becoming a symbol of luxury yachts in China.
To sum up, considering the various age brackets into which Chinese HNWI respondents were divided for this survey, both the youngest group (below 30 years of age) and the 'oldest' one (above 45 years of age), expressed their preference for the Ferretti brand, while the 'medium' group - between 31 and 45 years of age - rewarded in particular the Pershing brand, confirming how Ferretti Group is already fully covering the Chinese market’s needs through the two leading brands of its portfolio.
The important acknowledgements received also confirm the growth strategy and results that Ferretti Group has already achieved in China and, more in general, in the Asia-Pacific area, also thanks to the establishment - slightly more than a year ago - of the subsidiary Ferretti Group Asia Pacific Ltd., based in Hong Kong, the opening of a representative office and a showroom in Shanghai, and the strengthening of a multinational team at a local level. Moreover, in order to develop further in this area, over the next few months Ferretti Group will be opening several sales offices and showrooms in Hong Kong, Qingdao, Xiamen and Sanya, as well as focusing on the sale of new yachts and the participation in all the main trade fairs in this Area.
“Ferretti Group is taking part in the China Rendez-Vous for the fourth time, thereby proving the strategic role that this market plays for the Group and its growth and expansion at an international level. The medium-to-long-term objective is strengthening our presence further on the APAC (Asia-Pacific) market – commented Ferruccio Rossi, Ferretti Group’s CEO. “We are extremely proud to be presenting in Sanya not only two models that are making their debut in the APAC area (the Ferretti Yachts 870 and the line’s flagship, the Ferretti Yachts 960), but also the first model of the Ferretti Yachts 690 “Tai He Ban by Ferretti” special edition. This model’s layout is the result of the in-depth studies carried out by the teams involved in the design and development of solutions aiming to meet the needs and requirements of Far East owners, who are showing an increasing interest in the boating sector and are looking for iconic products reflecting their way of enjoying life at sea. In creating this special edition we have therefore drawn inspiration from concepts that are deeply rooted in Chinese culture, like rationalism and harmony, and that have also always characterised our approach to boatbuilding, together with a constant search for absolute quality and safety. We are also delighted about the presence at the show, for the first time ever, of CRN, which confirms our will to further strengthen our presence in China, an area that is already proving its great development potential in the yachting sector, as confirmed by the signature - last January - of the first Letter of Intents of 2014, just with a Chinese client, for a 60-metre megayacht”.
THE PREMIERES AT THE CHINA RENDEZ-VOUS 2014:
FERRETTI YACHTS 690 - “TAI HE BAN BY FERRETTI” SPECIAL EDITION
The Ferretti Yachts 690 is a sporty yacht, but has also Ferretti’s unique style in its DNA. It is characterised by unmatched versatility also thanks to the various possible interior layouts, in which Ferretti’s classical-contemporary style goes hand in hand with modern solutions that are reflected in great functionality and a truly impressive design. The main deck interiors are extremely original: here, the “Tai He Ban by Ferretti” layout perfectly harmonises with specific solutions which the Owner of the hull on display in Sanya has chosen to further customise the yacht. As soon as one steps inside, a living area can be found, furnished with a linear sofa to starboard - behind which is the concealing TV screen - and a C-shaped sofa on the port side. Walking towards the bow, one step above this level is the open space, where the dining area, to port, can seat up to 10 people. The lower deck layout is exactly the one conceived by the shipyard for the “Tai He Ban by Ferretti” version of this model and includes a full-beam master stateroom in the central part of the boat, a guest cabin on the starboard side, and a VIP cabin at the extreme bow, all ensuite. The galley, in oak wood like the rest of the yacht and featuring very stylish lines, is located along the port bulwark, beside the guest cabin.
FERRETTI YACHTS 960
The Ferretti Yachts 960 is the largest planing pleasure boat ever designed and built in the Yachts product line and takes to unprecedented heights the design philosophy embraced by the Italian brand over the last few years, maximising its concepts and contents, with the aim of achieving a truly unmatched product in its category. This is the philosophy underlying the new line’s flagship. This yacht falls within the CE design category and, therefore, does not require the presence of a professional captain, but boasts an incredible onboard liveability compared to other models in its class. The new flagship is indeed the first planing pleasure boat in the Yachts line fitted, in the traditional layout, with the master cabin forward, on the main deck, and four guest cabins on the lower deck, all equally sized and with equivalent furnishings and fittings. The model on display in Sanya features an original layout, which reflects the choices made by the Owner and implemented by the team of the Group’s architects and designers and where the master stateroom on the main deck has been replaced by a large living area - a private play room furnished with a sofa and a coffee table.
FERRETTI YACHTS 870
An over-26.5-metre overall length, allowing to make the most of the onboard space available on a large Ferretti yacht, with a hull that, being below 24 metres, is classified as a CE-class recreational boat: The Ferretti Yachts 870, on display in Sanya, comes in the traditional layout, the same of the first hull presented in 2012 at Cannes boat show, while the décor features several custom elements, selected by the Owner and implemented thanks to the constant support of the Ferretti Group’s team of architects and designers. Walnut stained natural oak wood has been extensively used onboard, including for several furnishing details, like the bed bands and the solid wood parts of furniture, while polished walnut root has been chosen for curtain compartments and furniture tops. Throughout the yacht wood is combined with leather, for which the Owner has chosen a red shade for the sofa, the chairs in the dinette and the pilot seat on the main deck, as well as for the headboards, bed bands, sofas, poufs and TV column in the guest cabins, while the ceiling panels and the cabin walls are white.