The view from the offices of the Grand Harbour Marina are pretty impressive, even on a grey day. BEN STUART, the general manager, has worked in the yachting sector for 12 years. He spoke to Michael Carabott about the operations of the marina in the context of the relocation of the headquarters of world yachting leaders Camper and Nicholson to Malta.

The last time I had spoken to Ben properly was on a night out in our mutual old haunt, long since closed down. We caught up recently during a press conference to announce that Camper and Nicholson had relocated in Malta, with a view of basing their world operations here. I decided it would be interesting to interview Ben about the yachting sector in Malta. In the event, I was not let down.

Ben has been the general manager of Grand Harbour Marina Plc for about a year and a half now in its five years of operation. He explains that the marina has a capacity of 250 berths with 33 of those reserved for super yachts.

“It all looks very crammed, but the nice thing about water is that it’s flexible, we can put down temporary pontoons when and where necessary to suit our needs and the needs of the client,” he explained.

Ben went on to break down the classes of yacht owners. “Essentially, I would say there are three categories. The first is your ordinary man in the street who likes his sailing and has a 15-metre yacht which is perfect for the family,” he said.

The next category is 25-metre yacht owners, which starts to see the introduction of small permanent crews. 30-metres and above is the third category which then falls into super yachts. “On a 30-metre boat, you see permanent crews of three to four people, but in reality, these are still ‘small’ boats to us, when you consider that we have a 110-metre yacht berthed by St Angelo,’ he said.

He said the marina had an average of 10 40+ metre yachts berthed at any time, along with full capacity of the smaller berths. “We are definitely meeting our targets in capacity sense,” he said.

The backbone of the marina’s operations is catering for local yachts in the 15-metre category. “They tend to be owned by Maltese families who just enjoy a sail and therefore just pay for a berth here and that is what makes up the bulk of business,” Ben explained.

Ben said that yachting has become a more affordable pastime. “It’s become cheaper to buy and maintain a yacht, and at the end of the day it’s a beautiful and peaceful way to pass the time.”

I asked Ben what effect the relocation of Camper and Nicholson would have on the Maltese yachting industry. “Having an international of any size in Malta is a boost. The relocation of Camper and Nicholson in Malta takes any limitations that the local market might have had and simply sweeps them away,” he said.

“They bring the know-how and the ‘get it done’ attitude with them. On a financial level, the company, which owns a majority shareholding in the Grand Harbour Marina, has just given us an e200,000 marketing budget. Simply put, they have clout and that clout will help us attract more customers,” he said.

Perception is very important in the yachting world. “Overall, people have a good impression of Malta, and we are cheaper than other destinations, for example the South of France. Word of mouth is very important in this industry and we need to earn an even better reputation,” Ben said.

He said that Malta, unfortunately did let itself down on the consistency front. “We need that bit more consistency. These are people that are used to having things on demand. It is a time-restricted industry and we need everyone to brush up and offer more consistency, whether it is an air-conditioning repair man or a mechanic,” he said.

However, he said, things were changing. “Malta is gradually getting to that level. We must understand that owners have high expectations and it is the captain and crew that have to suffer the repercussions of shoddy work or bad time keeping. They demand excellence and it is up to us to deliver.”

Ben said that Malta is a very favourable environment for yachters. “There’s a lot of promise and Malta is really nice. It just needs polish and that polish is exactly what Camper and Nicholson will put on our product,” he said.

He explained that Maltese yachting businesses carry out brisk trade, but are sometimes wary of investing in projects that cost thousands of euros. “Camper and Nicholson just cut through that, they have the money available and they spend as they see fit. This will boost the local economy in general, as well as other branches of the yachting industry,” Ben confides.

He said that embellishment was being planned for the Vittoriosa area, around the marina. “It will make it nicer, but that has to go hand in hand with a sense of ownership and responsibility by businesses and residents alike,” he said. “We must do away with the attitude of cleaning from one’s doorstep in-over. Again, we are improving in that regard,” he said.

In 2009, the company will be sponsoring two students at MCAST to receive maritime and yachting training. “It would be lovely if they could come and work with us once done, but there are no obligations, it’s a purely philanthropic initiative,” Ben explains. He added that it would be a great advert for Malta to have crewmen on board foreign yachts. “The Maltese are excellent and capable workers and we are sure that their presence on boats will be an excellent advert for Malta as well as a possible business boost. What better than a capable Maltese crewman telling the master to come and berth in Malta?”

I pointed out that yachting generated some e3 million in tax revenues for the government last year and asked what other contributions the sector made to the economy. “Well for starters, you have ancillary services – maintenance, food, drinks and day to day running needs. And of course you have crewmen who like to spend their money. At present there are some 70 crew based here who have a good wage and enjoy spending their money on the trappings of Malta, plus of course, the fees that yacht owners pay,” he explained.

Ben explained that when he took over the running of the marina, there were maybe five employees. “Now there are 17. We believe in offering quality and excellence and to do that, we need to invest in people. We have a 24-hour operation and we are in the top five Mediterranean yachting facilities when it comes to value for money versus services offered,” Ben said.

“If we want the industry to expand, and there is plenty of potential for it to do so, we need to continue to improve and offer the very best services possible. We need to strive for the utmost in quality because that is what these people expect, excellence and consistency,” Ben said.

All in all, the future of the yachting industry looks good and is set to go from strength to strength. “What we must ensure is that we capitalise on that fact and we must continue to attract big clients. That must be balanced with catering for ordinary Maltese yacht owners, as well as attracting passing trade,” he said. He added that passing trade is important as it increases Malta’s profile. “It’s good when a passing yacht comes in. They come here, get good service at a competitive price and they leave satisfied. That not only boosts the coffers, but also boosts our reputation as an excellent venue,” he said.