THE Isle of Man Ship Registry is aiming to make its presence felt at this year's Monaco Yacht Show which started yesterday (Wednesday).

The show is seen as a key event for the Isle of Man’s yachting industry and a number of companies have travelled to Monaco to represent the Island.

The Isle of Man Ship Registry has 11 Isle of Man registered yachts present in the harbour.

Director Dick Welsh said: "There are a number of yacht shows but Monaco is the one that we really do target and we have to make our presence felt.
 

"The Monaco Yacht Show is the showcase for the European super yacht industry. We represent ourselves as one of the most important flag registers and the Isle of Man is very successful in bringing in the super yachts."

Isle of Man registered yachts present at this year’s show include Azteca, a 72 metre pleasure ship and Onyx, winner of a Showboats Award 2009.

Dick explained: "Eleven of our yachts are showcasing at the show so that’s eleven yachts there with Isle of Man ensigns on the back and the Isle of Man as port of registry. It's a big thing for the Isle of Man."

Three staff from the registry are in Monaco - two surveyors and a senior registrar - along with Alex Downie MLC, political member with responsibility for yachting, and Colin Kniveton, chief executive for the Department of Economic Development.

Dick is not at the show as he has decided to send team members who he thinks will bring most benefit to the registry.

He said: "Really it's the guys who are involved with the yachts on a day to day basis that are going to add a lot more value to the stand than I could ever add.

"We send the best team and the team who are going to make the most impact and be able to help people on the day."

In the last year the Isle of Man Ship Registry has added 12 new commercial yachts to its fleet taking the total number of super yachts to 97.

Dick continued: "Obviously we want to get more yachts out of the Monaco Yacht Show but that's not an immediate win.

"It's a networking opportunity and you never know who's going to turn up on your stand and what they're going to look for. It's quite a slow burn. We can't immediately say 'we went to the show and we came back with another five yachts'.

"Our goals are to spread the word that the Isle of Man is open for business and that the Isle of Man is a yachting centre of excellence."

With some of the companies from the Island in direct competition with one another Dick believes competition must remain friendly.

He said: "This is a new industry and you have to move with it. It's not just about what we do here as a ship registry. It's a whole one stop shop if you like and we have to work together to provide the absolute best service that we can otherwise the yachts can choose from new people on the block.

 
"It has to be friendly competition and there are some clients that suit some and not others. Everybody recognises that. As we've moved on year by year they've gained a greater understanding of each others strengths and areas of operation. It works. They recognise they're in competition but its good old friendly competition.

"We have to make sure that we can be the very best we can be, if we do that we get the repeat business."

When the team return from Monaco there will be a full debrief and discussion will turn to the 2011 show.

Dick explained: "We have meetings with the local Manx Yacht Forum and we say how can we do better next year?

"I think we'll see slowly see a much more Isle of Man in its entirety promoting itself there and everything that we can offer and not just the yacht industry.

"Every year there is more and more involvement from different sectors in the Isle of Man. Everybody wants to get there and showcase what they can do so it's massively important for the Isle of Man.

Dick, who has attended the show once, was left with a lasting impression. He said: "The first time I went down it blew me away. You hear about it, you can read about it, but it blows you away when you see the size of the show and the scale of what's on offer.

"You see how the other half live to be honest. These yachts are unbelievable. Until you've seen it you can't possibly imagine it."  

 
Also see: Monaco Yacht Show is the place to be for those in the yachting business

Keep checking isleofman.com for more on the Monaco Yacht Show