Editors Comments: Week Ending 02/01/2015

While we’ve offered our choice list of the defining moments of 2014, I still feel that this only covers a tiny percentage of the real achievements across the industry; however, you only need look at our news sections to discover the whole list.

And even though this notion of industry achievement is our own small way of summarising the year, it’s my personal duty to highlight the things we’ve done and offer thanks to those who supported us in delivering these reports.

We began the year with the continuation of our own Top 100 Forecast Press Day and Event and we’re already at the stage where preparation for the 2015 edition is coming to a close. It’s nothing short of exciting but more news will emerge in good time.

Miami Yacht & Brokerage Show was then our first port of call in regards to the year’s travel schedule and it is always a welcome way to start the year. The film team and I documented the early signs of the American re-emergence and watched it grow throughout the year.

It was then a matter of travelling to China in order to gain an insight into the burgeoning market which was quickly gathering a lot of attention from the global superyacht industry. The Hainan Rendez-Vous was an eye-opening look into the world of the Asian high-net-worth and we’re looking forward to returning to the show in 2015 to see how the market has progressed.

After this - not insubstantial – trip, it was time for the annual HISWA Yacht Valley Press Tour around The Netherlands and a time of the year I look forward to greatly. Visiting the shipyards across the region to discuss each and every project underway is an essential tool for journalists who rely on travel and an amazing initiative in its own right.

While an undoubtedly bias notion, I can’t help but offer the notion of my own personal highlight of year as a travelling writer was flying to witness the ground-breaking of the new marina in Christophe Harbour, St Kitts. Seeing what was about to be created and experiencing everything that the small Kittitian island had to offer was an excellent renewal of energy in the middle of the year and I will be following the story until the very end.

Our film team has the very same notion toward the Pacific Northwest, an enviable trip which saw them travel and document the work going on across the shipyards of the region as well as dedicating their time to create a Destination Guide for Yachts International Magazine.

After the headline journeys of the year, it was time for the Monaco Yacht Show. An event which essentially makes up a lot of the DNA of our entire year as it was where we founded the Breaking News Centre in 2010 and I have had the pleasure of watching it evolve over four successful years.

With the intense run-up, hectic show schedule and a short break after Monaco, we headed back to America for the 55th Fort Lauderdale Boat Show; a show which is always close to the heart of our office which is almost exclusively inhabited by Americaphiles.

In order to swerve the inevitable rambling tone I’ll create trying to fit everyone in, I will say this: it’s been an incredible year which has given the team and I a lot to build on - and to everyone who has sat down with us for an interview, supported us, hosted us, clicked on to our site and continued to provide us with updates; thank you and Happy New Year from the entire Superyachts.com Team.