One of the world’s rising stars of mid-sized luxury yachts made a glamorous entry to Hong Kong with a lavish launch party ! Marquis Yachts, a US-based luxury yacht builder that sports the latest in Italian design, made a dazzling debut to Hong Kong with a sizzling launch party last month, on 3 September at the Aberdeen Boat Club.

Leisure boating aficionados and high net worth individuals gathered at the Club to witness the first public showing of the Marquis 420 Sport Coupé, a 42-foot yacht that’s been winning praise from boat reviewers for the fine work of Nuvolari-Lenard, the Venetian naval architectural firm responsible for the look and feel of the Marquis line.

The chic launch party took place on a terrace just above Aberdeen Boat Club’s main quay, allowing invited guests a chance to look over the sleek Sport Coupé while champagne and canapes flowed. A number of guests took the chance to personally inspect the 420, and were impressed with what they saw. The avant-garde Italian interior and exterior are beautifully complemented by the functionality, which includes joystick manoeuvring, a fully-enclosed cabin with aircon, a retractable roof and extendable rear deck.

Olivier Besson, managing director of Asia Yachting, the regional dealer for Marquis, said that four serious buyers came forward after just one viewing – a very impressive result.

Indeed, luxury sailing yachts and motorboats are becoming the ultimate accessory of the super-rich in China. Out of the just 400 private boats registered nationwide, almost all of them are motorboats. But, Adrien Magnan of Marine Dragon Consulting in Shanghai cites that the amount spent on luxury boats has been escalating upwards by tens of millions of dollars in the past few years. Pleasure sailing, virtually unheard of in China until a few years ago, is becoming increasing popular. Chinese millionaires are willing to spend a fortune on yachts and aircrafts. Looks like the wealthy Chinese customers are seeking a western lifestyle.

Robert VanGrunsven, the president of Marquis Yachts, arrived in a luxurious Maybach limousine, which dropped him off just yards from the speaker’s podium. VanGrunsven commented on the winning combination of European design standards and US build quality and pricing. Olivier Besson addressed the crowd shortly after, saying that the 420 offered Hong Kong boaters “total comfort, total style and total luxury when cruising local islands and bays.”

One of the key highlights of the glamorous night was a watch display by Blancpain, featuring models bearing best of brand products and riding onboard the 420, which executed several turns past the on-looking crowd. Rebecca Yeung, the 2003 Miss Hong Kong, was master of ceremonies at a night that illuminated and exhilarated. Asia Pacific Boating magazine and sister publication China Boating , both published by Blu Inc Media, were media partners of the prestigious event.

I have personnaly spent a day on this amazing yacht and wow, I must say it was very exciting.

This yacht is one of the first boats designed to take full advantage of the space-saving qualities of the Volvo-Penta IPS drive. The huge 60-sq.ft. cockpit with teak sole flows past a bi-folding door into the flush salon (inlaid hardwood) to create one huge entertaining area. No step up! Just one, large flowing deck which will keep cocktail parties mingling instead of breaking into two groups which always happens when the bridge deck is raised to accommodate the inboard engines. Just Check out the video below : )

Marquis Yachts in Asia are available exclusively through Asia Yachting (www.asiayachting.net).

More information on Asia-Pacific Boating can be found at www.asia-pacificboating.com.