Superyacht-maker acquires site for plant in Pingsha

Heysea Yachts, a Hong Kong company intent on becoming one of the world's top 10 builders of superyachts, obtained the right to use a 30,000-sq-m (35,880-sq-yd) site in Pingsha Town of Jinwan District during a Feb 28 auction.

Its subsidiary, Zhuhai Heysea Yacht Manufacturing, will develop, design, manufacture, and sell yachts and sailboats on the base northwest of Zhuhai Avenue in the Pingsha Yacht Industrial Zone. The property has been designated for the manufacture of large-scale luxury cruisers and yachts.

The first phase of construction in Zhuhai will cost 250 million yuan ($39.4 million).

The project is to meet high global standards and become one of the most advanced of its kind. It will be magnificent enough to justify sightseeing, says Heysea Yachts chairman Allen Leng.

The Chinese mainland has become more attractive to yachters from Hong Kong and Macao since being allowed to navigate in Guangdong waters last year. For now, they must berth at designated piers in Zhuhai, Shenzhen, or Guangzhou.

Heysea's Asteria 96 super yacht [Photo courtesy heysea.com]

Founded in 2007, Heysea is committed to the R&D and manufacture of luxury and super yachts, and its products have access to large markets, such as those in the United States and Australia.

According to the Global Order Book which is published annually by Boat International Media, a world-renowned media group focused on the yacht industry, Heysea is the only yacht manufacturer in China to crack the top 30 in terms of yachts over 80 ft. This year, it ranked first in domestic yacht orders and 16th in international superyacht orders. With a yard in Jiangmen, it manufactured 100 yachts 60 ft and over in its first 10 years.

Pingsha Town has emerged as an industrial center for yacht building since it was inaugurated in 2002, boasting business clusters, favorable investment environment, and improved infrastructure.