Boating Industry Intelligence You Can Profit From
AUSTIN, Texas – SailTime, a sailboat timeshare company, will enter the power yacht market after beginning a direct association with Mainship Corp., which will supply boats to the new corporate division, SailTime Power, SailTime said during a press conference at the Miami Boat Show.
“SailTime Power is a natural brand extension for SailTime Licensing Group,” said Jonathan Duffy, vice president of marketing for SailTime. ”We have been extremely successful with sail boats, and the power yacht market presents an opportunity that is 10 times larger.”
The initial power offering is the Mainship Pilot 34 with special equipment and luxury upgrades that are custom to the particular market. The tie-in with Mainship is a natural extension of the relationship built with the sailboat supplier to SailTime – Hunter Marine. Both Hunter and Mainship are part of the Luhrs Marine Group.
“One of the big deciding factors for us to come aboard was the positive experience being reported both by Hunter dealers and SailTime Members,” said Jim Krueger, Mainship’s sales and marketing director. “The SailTime program is opening up the boating experience to many that don’t have the time or are unwilling to make a full purchase investment. We are excited to be a part of this major initiative to grow boating.”
Duffy said SailTime Power’s business plan will deliver 10 boats in year one, with orders already pending for five. He said the company uses a conservative smart-growth plan, where new boats aren’t added until current ones are full, so the SailTime base has limited risk.
“We are very excited to be launching SailTime Power into the broader power yacht marketplace,” said George Bonelli, SailTime co-founder and vice president of operations. ”We have every expectation of being as successful with power yachts as we have been with fractional sailing. The program has been proven to drive new boaters onto the water that probably would not be there if it weren’t for the accessibility and affordability SailTime provides.”
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