Cluster Yachting Monaco hosts Open Day

Oct 10, 2020 by Lauren Coles

By Lauren Coles

On Thursday, Oct. 8, Cluster Yachting Monaco organized Open Day for yacht charter and sales brokers to learn more about and visit yachts for sale or charter in the area.

The setup resembled a yacht show. Although not a replacement for the 2020 Monaco Yacht Show, the Open Day showed how the yachting industry in the Med is very much working, and supporting those within the industry.

Marcella De Kern Royer, founding member of YPY Monaco and blogger of Onboard with Marcella, was onboard M/Y JoyMe for the event. She explained how the event was like a private yacht show for professionals. Although it was mostly business to business, some yacht brokers brought clients. De Kern Royer pointed out that brokers prefer these private events versus mass market events. She could be seen chatting with captains and learning about their plans for the winter.

Capt. Zelijko Smolkan of M/Y JoyMe, a 164-foot (50m) custom yacht, joined the vessel two weeks before the show. He has been a captain professionally for 12 years, and described the day this way: “This show is just perfect. One of the best shows I’ve ever been in. Lots of the right people have passed through our boat.”

Former Capt. Johannes Palm and Florian Garbaccio, a former water sports instructor on yachts, now working for Awake electric surfboards. Now working on land, they described their career switch. Palm was a competitive sailor who got his captain’s license to travel and grow his career in the industry. After seven years, he moved ashore and now represents Awake, an electric surfboard company, as a sales director. Garbaccio started as a water sports instructor on yachts, training crew, guests and owners how to use various water sports equipment. He switched to work with Awake because he wanted to be on the development side of the product, and now works as a brand and sales coordinator.

Local industry was welcomed at the event. François Richard, founder of electric boat company Leneva Boats, attended. CUT: François Richard holds his mask to smile for a picture.

Part of the Monaco Yacht Club, Cluster Yachting Monaco is an association that brings together brokers and industry specialists in Monaco. Open Day was organized together with Young Professionals in Yachting (YPY), which promotes professionalism and education in the industry.

Lauren Coles is a freelance writer and founder of Yoga Yacht living in Port Hercule, Monaco. She holds a master’s degree in education. Comments are welcome below.

Topics: