Edito, 1st of the name !
For the last 5 years, BoatIndustry has been informing yachting professionals about the latest news in the sector. The specifications were clear when I joined the Bateaux.com team to launch this "sister" site: to cover the news of the yachting sector with a BtoB eye, by taking an interest in all its trades. To remain impartial, to deal with the maximum number of subjects with the greatest possible clarity and rigor. If this remains the watchword, it has been decided to leave a little room for affect and subjectivity by opening this new column: the editorial. Regularly, the editorial staff will share with you its points of view, its analyses, its feelings, its favorites or its outbursts on the evolutions of the nautical industry, while remaining open to debates and contradictions.
The 1st lasting consequences of Covid19
While, like the summer of 2020, the 2021 summer boating season has seen many boats on the water, the euphoria of the yards in the face of orders and the influx of new boaters is not what it was a year ago. The effects of the Covid-19 crisis are being felt on many levels. Supply difficulties and the rise in the price of raw materials have put a strain on cash flow. The long absence of physical boat shows, which is difficult to compensate for by virtual events and private shows, has made it difficult for some shipyards to renew their order books. On the international boat rental side, travel restrictions continued to hamper activity. Faced with this, the most fragile structures are not resisting. In our columns, we read about the judicial liquidation of small shipyards such as CN Franck Roy and Naval Force 3, as well as heavyweights in the yachting industry such as Perini Navi or Nobiskrug . Others are opening up their capital, like the leading yacht charter company Dream Yacht Charter, with the the Bénéteau Group's arrival is noticed . The latter is taking advantage of the period to restructure and diversify into marina rental and management. Similarly, its competitor Brunswick is investing heavily in its equipment activities with the purchase of Navico.
To maintain the diversity of the nautical industry
Crisis often rhymes with market concentration. Boating does not seem to escape the rule. Let's hope that this will not be to the detriment of the variety of yachting and that the medium-sized shipyards, which are the source of the sector's wealth and innovation, will survive this delicate period.
