Yacht parties make waves in S'pore as Fl fans seek new thrills

Yacht chartering firms see up to 50% rise in bookings for Fl season here

- Alyssa Woo Assistant Business Editor

While the paddocks groan with the weight of Formula 1 and racing car enthusiasts, the docks at the marinas will be the bridge between Fl-weekend partygoers keen for speed on the seas.

Yacht chartering companies in Singapore that spoke to The Straits Times have seen an increase in bookings between 20 per cent and 50 per cent - during the F1 Singapore Grand Prix season.

At The Yacht Club, there is "at least a 50 per cent increase in bookings compared with the normal months", said the company's yacht charter manager Jeremy Tay.

The company can handle a total of 1,000 guests over 45 different yachts, which are docked at either ONE°15 Marina at Sentosa Cove or Keppel Bay.

Customers mostly book the yacht before or after the Oct 3 to 5 race days, and a lot of corporate and personal parties are held on board the yacht, Mr Tay added.

Mr Tan Jian Yong of Infinity Sails said while the firm does not record the intention of specific bookings by customers, it has seen "a clear increase in inquiries and confirmed charters in recent weeks by about 20 per cent".

His company has two yachts - one can take up to 18 guests and the other, 32 - and they have each been booked to sail out between three and four times a day during the F1 weekends.

With yacht charters becoming a common getaway day or weekendtrip for the affluent Singaporean, companies are planning more exclusive experiences to tie in with the F1 glamour.

Mr Nick McLaughlin, general manager of ONE°15 Charters Luxury Yachting, said there has been an uptick in berth booking inquiries from visiting yachts looking to be part of the action.

"Most sail in from regional yachting hubs such as Thailand and Indonesia," he said.

Yacht charters have also increased - the marina's ONE°15 Charters has seen a 40 per cent increase in inquiries and 20 per cent rise in bookings, he added.