With close to 150 megayachts delivered to date, Sunseeker is “an iconic brand, an iconic product,” says Andrea Frabetti, the shipyard CEO. Sunseeker clients have large yachts from the Sunseeker Superyacht Division and the Yacht Division. Like other builders, it’s seen tremendous demand over the past two years, too. However, Frabetti says it’s focusing on diversity, versus volume of sales. “We are not building 50, 60, or 100 superyachts per year,” he says, “We want to maintain exclusivity, to maintain quality.”
At the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show, our editor, Diane M. Byrne, sat down with Frabetti to delve more into what it’s doing for Sunseeker clients, and what they want.
Diane M. Byrne: People are much more protective of their leisure time today. Are you seeing other differences in attitudes among Sunseeker clients these days?
Andrea Frabetti: Of course. It’s becoming more and more the complete family wellness environment. Nobody is looking for a vehicle when buying a boat. Everybody’s looking to cover every part of the family’s expectation. I’m not talking about design. Today, customization, design, and interior choices are where most people enjoy re-creating the best environment you can dream of on the boat. But, they are looking always at how to enjoy their family, to make their life more attractive for everybody. So, the boat is more and more an island where they can live the best experience. And more and more, the designers are fully focused on that.
Diane M. Byrne: How big is the design team in house?
Andrea Frabetti: 250. There are people who only conceptualize new projects, isolated from the day-to-day production needs. They are dreaming about the future. They are looking at what’s happening in society in the world. And they are living in a different world, to interpret the future. Sunseeker was always like that. Sunseeker was always making innovation. And, we are empowering them.
Diane M. Byrne: What are some of the things that the concepts design team is looking at? Are they looking at other sectors to bring to Sunseeker clients?
Andrea Frabetti: Lifestyle. Sometimes we have a meeting where we analyze five or six different things, because they are working in one direction and then say, “Okay, now we got this.” I’m quite proud because they are inventing the future, but our marketing and sales team is sitting, listening every day to our customers. So in some way, we need to come together.
Diane M. Byrne: What else do you see as opportunities over the next couple of years? Is there anything that that strikes you as being quite interesting for Sunseeker?
Andrea Frabetti: We are ready for new technology, and of course, we are still innovating products. But more and more, it’s wellness. In that sense, if you visit our 90 Ocean, you can see how many areas that you felt were not usable for guests that suddenly become your patio area, or your cinema, or whatever. And so we are attracting also newcomers in the industry for many reasons; as I said before, families are attracted on different levels. Technology, yes; watertoys; everything. And we are putting together all these things.
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