Sailing Brothers bring Agapi to the Balearic Islands

Technology, design and freedom. They are some of the key concepts on which the Swedish manufacturer Agapi base their work since the foundation of the company back in 2006. Just over a week ago we were able to witness first hand the presentation for the first time in Mallorca of one of their creations: the Agapi 750. It is a light RHIB (Rigid-hulled inflatable boat), that successfully combines the carbon technology and Scandinavian design.

The Hotel Portixol in Palma was the chosen venue to present the Agapi Center and the Balearic Sailing Brothers. A large group of invitees came to the event, amongst them entrepreneurs, sailing enthusiasts and media. Agapi was represented by the CEO and co-founder Peder Asplund, and Alejandra Levinas, owner and co-founder of the company. The president of the Nautical Trade Association in the Balearic Islands, (AENIB), Margarita Dahlberg, attended the event to show the association´s support for the entrepreneurial spirit of the Sailing Brothers.

Peder Asplun, Margarita Dahlberg,
Alejandra Lavinas  and Carlos Samblás.

On behalf of AENIB, we got in touch with Carlos Samblás, from Sailing Brothers, to find out more about Agapi 750 and Carlos´ plans for the future with the Scandinavian company. 

Agapi is a relative newcomer (it was founded in 2006) and therefore quite unknown in our latitudes. What inspired you you to bring Agapi to Spain?

Agapi represents something completely new in boating, encompassing much more than the boat itself. The philosophy of Agapi is based on freedom and simplicity in all of the aspects of navigation. No concept will work without an excellent product and primarily, the Agapi series (with the 750 launched in 2013 and the 950 ready to launch in October 2014) represent a new type of boat with a unique combination of qualities. The Agapi 750 was awarded the titles for the "Boat of the Year" and the "Choice of the Public" in 2013 in Sweden thanks to these qualities.

Club de Mar will invest 60 mill. to modernizing and opening up the marina towards the city

The owners of Club de Mar have presented to the Balearic Port Authority (APB) a comprehensive remodeling  project of the current installatons, with an aim to renegotiate and to gain an extension by 25 years of the current concession, which runs out on the 19th of October 2019.

The director of Club de Mar, José Luis Arrom, points out that this project “has the purpose  of modernizing all the installations and services, as well connecting Club de Mar with Palma. The project that we have presented to the Port Authority adjusts perfectly to the Master Plan of the Port of Palma, which has recently been presented to the public”.

The project, which will involve  an investment of 60 million euros over three years, according to Arrom, “ is based on an integration of the port with the city, giving continuity to the seafront”.

Building works and moorings

In the project presented to the APB, the remodeling work planned in the marina would consist of rehabilitation of the existing infrastructures, renovation of the surfaces and all the installations  and an extension of the docks by 7.150 square meters.

Full article: Última Hora.

ANEN coordinates again the joint participation in METS 2014

Since the year 2007, ANEN, with the support of ICEX, coordinates the joint participation of the Spanish nautical industry in METS (Marine Equipment Trade Show), the biggest European fair dedicated exclusively to the equipment industry of the nautical sector, organised by RAI in the Dutch city of Amsterdam.

In 2013, METS logged 21.500 visitors  and 1.500 exhibitors from over 100 countries. In the Spanish Pavilion participated, under the umbrella of ANEN; Termometros Anvi, Remolcs Cortés, Sadira de Carlos Fusté, Solé Diesel, Eco-Systems Watermakers, Importaciones Náuticas S.A, Industrias Plásticas Castro, Marine Business S.A, Star Mar, Toscano, Cies Technologies, Onesailor, S. Folch and Stop Gull.

The next edition of METS is going to take place  from 18th to 20th of November 2014, and ANEN is already busy organising the Spanish contingent for this event, which has the application period for participation open.

The King´s Cup sailing regatta generates business for over 11 million euros in Mallorca

The Copa del Rey de Vela - the King´s Cup sailing regatta has been object of a complex study from a social, economic and international tourism promotion point of view, by the Palma resident Joan Isern for a Master´s Degree in Protocol, Production, Organisation and Event Design Management in the Department of Communication at the University of Camilo José Cela.

The study, qualified by a 10 by the Supervisory Board, analyses the impact of this sports event in Mallorca in depth, as well as the positive effects of the presence of the Royal Family since the very beginning, specially of the king Juan Carlos I, " who has been the cornerstone of the development and prestige of the regatta", affirms Isern.

The details of the economic impact, along with the social and media relevance, reflect the fact that this event  generates a volume of business of over 11 million euros. The study is based on the data  from the Chamber of Commerce from the year 2004 - the last report done about the significance of this event to the island - and field work to see the evolution in all of it´s statistical components.

Impact

According to the Master´s Dissertation, the average direct expenditure per person and day in 2004 was 216 euros, well above that of the traditional tourist (84 euros).

With this variable Isern  points out that "if we take as a reference the average stay and the number of participants, the quantity adds up to 5.643.000 euros that same year, and to 6.771.600 euros in the edition of 2013, which means an increase by 20%. When it comes to average indirect expenditure, it was 124 euros per person and day in 2004 with a total of 3.239.500 euros, and 3.887.400 euros in year 2013. Which means that the total economic impact in year 2004 was 8.882.500 euros, and 10.659.000 in year 2013".

Read the complete article in Última Hora.

The Yacht Club El Molinar readjusts the extension plans from 315 moorings to 220

The Yacht Club El Molinar de Llevant is determined to carry out an extension of its premises, but because of opposition from residents and other collectives, the board of directors have reconsidered the scope of the plans.

According to the first project the size of the club was going to be multiplied by seven, occupying 70.000 m2 of surface, while the new proposal reduces the initial plan to 40.000 m2. The club would increase fourfold in size, but the extension project would diminish by 43%. The first design proposed to create 315 moorings of up to 20 m in length, but the second plan reduces the number of moorings to 220, with a maximum length of 15 m.

While initially the plan included a construction of three buildings and a technical area, the new draft leaves out big infrastructures. It proposes one building only, which would host both a restaurant and the headquarters of the yacht club. The existing club house would be demolished, as it is in a very bad condition, according to the technicians.

Read the complete article in Diario de Mallorca

Letter from the president - August 2014

This summer we have good reasons to be optimistic about the future of our sector. Last month we received the news that Balearic Islands continues at the top of the national ranking of boat registrations. On top of that, the charter companies are getting busier despite being disadvantaged compared to the mainland, due to bureaucratic obstacles. Also recently the final text of the Law of the Maritime Navigation was approved in the Congress. Furthermore, AENIB proposed in a recent meeting of the Organizing Committee of the Palma Boat Show to create an area in the show dedicated to the nautical tradition of our islands, a legacy that deserves all possible support.

During the first half of the year, 367 recreational vessels have been registered on our islands, 87 more than in the same period last year. In percentages, this means an increase by 31% in year to year numbers. The Balearic Islands continues to be the region with most registrations of this type of boats, ahead of Barcelona and Cádiz. This is a tendency that will carry on in the future, as it is closely related to a national and international economic recovery with resulting benefits to the nautical sector (although – truth to be known – the recovery is slower in Spain than around us). We have to keep in mind also that the growth we are witnessing is partially due to the different legal and administrative changes we have achieved, thanks to a great effort by ANEN.

An increase of recreational nautical charter has been registered on our islands, although Alicante is the region where the largest number of charter yachts have been registered. That is no coincidence at all. Our islands are disadvantaged in a sense that companies that are dedicated to charter have to apply for a license to be able to carry out the activity. The license procedure has a cost which means that our companies are not competitive compared to the companies from the mainland. The vessels are registered in Alicante, a port closest to our islands, and afterwards used here by the clients. We believe our region would benefit if this license was eliminated, and the income would stay with our companies rather than elsewhere in Spain.

ANEN formulates another binding consultation about the “Matriculation Tax” to the Directorate General of Taxation

The Directorate General of Taxation in their ruling on the 11th of July to a new binding consultation formulated by ANEN, in Collaboration with Miguel Angel Serra from Garrigues Lawyers and AEGY (The Spanish Superyacht Association) has clarified various confusing questions related to the “Matriculation Tax”, in cases  where a company or a person, resident in another member country (other than Spain)  charter in Spain a boat registered in an EU country (other than Spain).

In the consultation ANEN formulates various questions related to three distinctive scenarios:

- Regular charter in Spain by a non-resident company or person during the summer seasons.

- Occasional charter in Spain by a non-resident company or person  during some weeks in the summer.

- Occasional charter outside of Spain by a non-resident company or person, with boarding and disembarkation of passengers outside Spain.

In the following we detail the conclusions of the Directorate General of Taxation in relation to each of the questions formulated by ANEN:

- Regular charter in Spain by a non-resident company or person during the summer seasons.

The Directorate General of Taxation considers the owner of the vessel to have an establishment in Spain, which means that he/she should apply for an exemption according to the article 66.1.g) - exemption is granted in the Law 38/1992 for vessels that are dedicated exclusively for charter activities - but the owner can not use the vessel in Spain despite being a non-resident, as he/she is considered to have an establishment in Spain.

- Occasional charter in Spain by a non-resident company or person  during some weeks in the summer.