Alberto Amico has no doubts: "The future of boating lies in refits."

Genoa - The future of large-scale yachting lies in refitting. Alberto Amico, president of the Genoese shipyard Amico & Co., specializing in the restyling and rebuilding of yachts and pleasure boats, is convinced of this now more than ever.

During the Genova for Yachting meeting, the experienced Genoese nautical entrepreneur explained this reflection, saying: "When we started out, 30 years ago, this sector had 700-800 boats worldwide; today there are 7. Service will become more important than new construction, because now we have between 250 and 350 new units debuting and entering the market every year."

According to Alberto Amico, "Service currently accounts for between 5 and 7% of the new yacht market each year, but with 7 yachts and large yachts in service, the increasingly older fleet will require more service. This is why there are opportunities here; it's an emerging market, and investment funds have understood that new construction is important, but now the greatest opportunities are in this refit sector."

Precisely in defense of this sector, the management of the Amico & Co. shipyard has called on local institutions (the Region, the Municipality, and the Port System Authority) to engage in dialogue and focus, because "those who stand still will go backwards in this sector. Genoa has a very complex landscape and port, but there are opportunities we must seize without waiting for the next Port Master Plan, otherwise we'll go from the Champions League to Serie D." What's needed is "good management of the territory, of relationships, and sharing visions and opportunities to translate them into investments. All the entities involved in Genova for Yachting would like to expand, and now," he continued, "we need to engage not only with the port but also with the Municipality."

At the top of the future wish list is the "issue of the incompatibility between nautical activities and other ship repairs at the port. The two sectors absolutely must be separated in the upcoming redesign of the port. We have had worrying experiences with our customers regarding the environmental impact." Matteo Paroli, president of the local port authority, offered an openness in this regard: "The goal we are working toward is to try to reconcile needs that are not always compatible. The large-scale boating and yacht sector is not compatible with the adjacent naval and industrial carpentry sector; they are distinct and divergent market segments. Sandblasting large ships cannot be performed alongside painting yachts," he stated. He then added: "Up until now, a puzzle has been created, and in that area, the patchwork isn't virtuous because it doesn't allow either ship repairs or the nautical industry to function properly; there's incompatibility in terms of the operational logistics of the businesses. The new master plan will aim to bring order so that both sectors can grow in a non-conflictual manner," even if it will require "some sacrifices from everyone."

Good news also came regarding the new areas available for the sector, to be obtained through new culverts or bodies of water dedicated to mooring and storage. "There will be expansion toward the sea thanks to the new breakwater," Paroli announced, linking this possibility to the fact that "the importance of the current eastern access channel to the port will be reduced, with possible expansion toward the sea."

SUBSCRIBE TO THE FREE SUPER YACHT 24 NEWSLETTER

SUPER YACHT 24 IS ALSO ON WHATSAPP: JUST CLICK HERE TO SUBSCRIBE TO THE CHANNEL AND ALWAYS BE UPDATED