The Sales Regatta – The ‘Spring’ effect on Boat Sales
Photography by Shakti Photogra Phy
Annually, thousands of sailors flock to the BVI by boat or plane to enjoy the hundreds of yachts available for charter here, and this season appears to be as busy as ever.
The November rain lasted right up to Christmas, but since the New Year turned—the typical time when the season really kicks in—the days have been bright and the trade winds strong and true.
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Sailing doesn’t get any better than the season we’ve had so far. I’m not one to focus on the international markets, but something must be going right because yacht sales are on the upswing and multiple buyers are once again on the scene for the same boat – this economic attribute of competition over the same commodity was sorely lacking in the last few years, causing prices to fall.
Yachties are once again finding the time and money to come sail the Caribbean – the BVI is the choice location to start with qualified marine surveyors and all the support services to make the process of yacht ownership easy and fun.
The BVI also hosts the best sailing due to the weather, surrounding islands and harbours, and a series of great local events that have gained international fame such as the arrival of the ARC Rally from the USA at the beginning of the season, and the BVI Spring Regatta that happens on an annual cycle this month.
The BVI Spring Regatta brings hundreds of sailors into the region and presents a great opportunity for yacht sales in showcasing the vessels.
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Whether they are racing yachts, or classic cruisers, every sailor likes his boat to sail well. Big Regattas like this hold racing in many classes of boats and this chance to be witnessed by yachties the world over should be capitalised on by yacht sellers. Moreover, while the number of buyers is high, it’s worthwhile to seize this opportunity to be seen with your ‘for-sale’ sign on the start line.
Traditionally, the months of March and April see sales of yachts spike about 20% each year. Such a recurring trend indicates that docks full of sailors having a ball as is common of Spring Regatta, lead to boats selling. Therefore, the advisable action to take if you’re selling a boat is to race and get a buyer’s attention.
So why would you race your boat, if you’re a cruiser?
It’s true that out and out racer boats don’t make the best cruising yachts. There are some individuals that will argue that fast is safe, dodging storms and all that, but really fast boats are only truly speedy when they are light, empty and sailed real hard; none of which fit the cruising lifestyle very well.
As such, the question remains – why race if you like to cruise?
Most of the boats sailors choose to cruise are a bit on the heavier side of design, have more modest rigs with smaller sails, and have lots of lockers that end up crammed full of stuff you might need one day, somewhere…or perhaps just crammed with bottles of rum and cans of coke, that are used every day.
In essence, a regatta like the BVI’s famed festival this month provides cruisers the incentive to get a yacht primed for selling in the act of readying it for racing. This means getting the bottom clean, tuning the rig and consulting a sail-maker about sail shape and condition.
It’s an excuse to stop into the marina for a few days and empty all the lockers of contents and consider what you really need on-board; it’s the excitement of handling your boat on a start line among dozens of others to find out at the end who took the right gusts and shifts around the race track and is an aspect of sailing that shouldn’t be completely dismissed; it might be the highlight of your cruise or sailing season.
The socialising and networking possibilities around Spring Regatta are an excellent place to meet other sailors, talk about boats, learn more about sailing or share your knowledge with others – sailors always seem to know more than the guy next to them, but the organised nature of a racing event really helps to break the ice and create a fantastic party atmosphere where you will recognise and socialise with competitors and make new friends as well.
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I hope to see you around the Spring Regatta Village at Nanny Cay or on the start line of one of the races this year whether your boat is for sale, you are looking to buy, or just out to have a great time.
Brian Duff, Broker - BVI Yacht Sales
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