Coffee with olivier besson

He came to Hong Kong in 2005 as an automotive engineer. His lifelong passion for boats and his love of Asia led to the creation of Asia Yachting in 2007, with a mission of offering a range of yachts for fun on the water. The 10-year-old company also brought wakesurfing to Hong Kong and has recently entered the budding secondhand yacht market

Can Hong Kong's secondhand yacht market be compared to its secondhand luxury car market - meaning that when a new model comes out, customers here have to have it?

Yes, that's very much the case. One of the reasons we wanted to develop the secondhand market was to revitalize the market for new yachts. Hong Kong is a very, very mature market and a great many yacht owners want to upgrade or buy the newest model, but obviously they also want to be able to resell their current boat. So we're present in both markets - we help them get rid of their existing boat and then we sell them a new one. There's generally a secondhand clientele in Asia; some of our boats leave Hong Kong. It's the biggest boating center in Asia, with the largest fleet, and this generates interest.

How long does it take to close a yacht sale?

Six months to a year - it's a very long process. And Hong Kong doesn't make it easy for us, because moorings are hard to come by and clients always worry about finding a place to park their boat. At Asia Yachting, we guarantee that our clients will get a mooring - we're probably the only ones in the market that do this.

How does that work?

When a client buys a boat from us, irrespective of its size, we guarantee them a mooring at Aberdeen Harbour. This is part of an overall customer-care strategy. We don't just sell the boat;

we aim to provide all the related services - the mooring, crew and maintenance - to make their boating experience as enjoyable as possible. It's really how we differentiate ourselves. We try to position ourselves in a bit of a boutique segment. This means understanding the client's expectations and taking a personalized approach - in finding the best boat for them and offering the appropriate kind of service.

Who are your customers?

We have our repeat customers. An owner who loves boats will generally get a new yacht every three to four years. It's a key market for us and that's why we pamper our customers - so they think of us when it's time to get a new boat. We also have some newcomers, generally Hongkongers or Mainland Chinese established in Hong Kong.

Is boating fashionable in Hong Kong? Is there a younger generation who invest in a yacht after they've bought one or more luxury cars, and before they invest in a private jet?

We're clearly dealing with three generations. First, there are the seniors, who have already had several boats and who keep upgrading. Then, there are the dynamic businessmen, who mostly look for very new, innovative things. Lastly, there's the third generation - people who just love the water and want to enjoy the sea. Our customers range in age from 20 to 75.

So you need to offer a lot of choice?

We try to offer the best there is for having fun on the water. Nautique, one of the brands we represent, has developed some extraordinary little boats that carve such a big wave behind them that you can surf on it without a rope - that's called wakesurfing. We introduced this new sport to Hong Kong and it's become very fashionable. Many owners also have a boat like this to have fun with when they take their yacht out.

After the luxury electric car, is the electric yacht the market of tomorrow?

There is a trend toward ecofriendly products. Advances in technology enable us to limit fuel consumption. The fuel consumption of a Monte Carlo yacht, which is the top-end line of the Bénéteau group, who we represent, is almost half that of a boat of the same size 15 years ago. But we mustn't kid ourselves - a boat works by pushing through water, which requires energy and power, and this is pretty incompatible with all-electric operation in the open ocean.

How would you define Asia Yachting in three words?

Customer-oriented, hardworking and fair.

What's your definition of luxury?

Enjoying life on your own terms.

What would you take with you to a desert island?

Is it just me on the island? [laughs] I'd take only one thing - my boat, a Monte Carlo 80.

A final, important question: Do you have your boating license?

Of course! I've always been on the water and I've always had a passion for it. I never sell a boat without trying it out myself. That's one more guarantee of quality for our customers.