2017 July August Marina World

WATERFRONT DEVELOPMENTS
Azimut-Benetti
and marinas
• Moscow Marina, an oasis
of prestige and success,
overlooks Lake Himki,
20 minutes from the city
centre. It covers an area
of 45,000m² (53,819yd²)
and has 190 berths,
includes the exclusive
Royal Yacht Club and has
a service area of over
10,000m² (11,960yd²)
that includes commercial
spaces and a good
restaurant. The marina
is managed by Azimut-
Benetti.
• Marina di Viareggio in
Viareggio, Tuscany, Italy
has a dock run by Lusben
refit shipyards that is
partly used by the Azimut-
Benetti Group. It also has
an area for rentals and
a megayacht quay. The
marina has 15,000m²
(17,940yd²) of water
space with 50 berths for
boats of 20 to 65m (66 to
213ft), dockside pedestals
and CCTV security.
• Marina di Livorno in
Livorno, Tuscany, Italy
is planned as part of a
redevelopment plan for
the port and adjacent
area. There will be two
basins accommodating
200 berths and an
area dedicated to refit
and maintenance.
Negotiations are still
under way, however, for
state grants.
• Marina di Varazze,
Varazze, Liguria, Italy
is managed by Marina
di Varazze Srl, the
marina division of
Azimut. It is an elegant
and environmentally
friendly facility with
over 800 berths and
144,000m² (172,222yd²)
of water space, seafront
apartments, restaurants,
bars and shops.
Above & below: The Floriana waterfront in Valletta is seeped in architectural glory.
This is an enviable position to be in when
there is a shortage of berths so the dealer
benefits. Malta is a good market area,
a transit point for people sailing in the
Mediterranean and the stage for many
important nautical itineraries.
Q: Your marina faces another port with 720
berths. Are you not worried about the
competition?
A: No. There’s a waiting list. Malta still has so
many boats moored up at hard-to-reach
buoys and on average the marinas have
a low level of equipment and services.
We aim to have high levels of quality
especially when it comes to services and
we are tending to attract a clientele that
is largely Maltese and not very satisfied
with what’s been available to date. Over
the last few years, there has been a lot
of building activity in Malta and many
historic centres are now highly valued.
Malta is in a recovery and rebuild phase
that is being accelerated by the 2018
focus for Valletta as the capital of culture.
We will be within this world that is rich in
important history and now newly valued.
Our quays are dominated by bastions
that are being restored to their original
splendour.
Q: How is the marina positioned in
comparison with others in Malta?
A: In terms of luxury and prestige, we
certainly can’t compete with Camper &
Nicholsons at Grand Harbour Marina.
They’re able to moor a large number of
megayachts and they do very well. But we
have great opportunities for boats up to
24m (79ft).
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www.marinaworld.com - July/August 2017