How audiovisual and information technology are coming together to enhance superyacht owners’ experience of life and pleasure at sea

Delivering successful audiovisual and communication systems for the world’s biggest and most complex superyachts requires mastery of cutting-edge electrical engineering and sympathy for the passions and ambitions of the world’s most successful businesspeople. In association with Bond Technology Management, we meet three people whose insights are helping shape expectations for tomorrow’s superyacht technology.

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10 YEARS

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What are your minimum requirements? How have things changed over the past decade? And what still needs to improve?To be effective, I need simple and reliable phones and internet. Internet is much improved over the past few years. On the first Aviva, where we had one of the first larger VSATs, Will was constantly nursing it to get me Reuters news. ETOs today have it much easier with the newer equipment. But I would like to spend less on internet costs and have increased reliability.

Does having an office aboard Aviva give you any kind of thinking or business advantage? Aviva is more than an office; it is also my home for much of the year. So, for me, it is relaxing working from home, wherever Aviva may be in the world. It‘s important enough for me to have an ETO onboard and on call 24 hours a day.

Being one of the backbone technology companies of the yachting industry, Crestron’s insights into what customers are looking for next is informing options available to yacht designers, owners and their guests.

“In the wider terrestrial markets where we operate globally, smart rooms and homes are coming online quickly,” says Robin van Meeuwen, President and CEO of Crestron EMEA.

The rapid evolution in the last decade of technologies that have merged audiovisual and IT means that customers are vastly more experienced on every project, van Meeuwen says. Crestron is working on smart living solutions like home automation that

Y.CO, one of the most technologically-advanced companies of its kind in the superyacht market, provides charter, sales, management and new build services from offices around the world.

Their significant investment in digital technology highlights the company’s deep understanding of how audio-visual and internet technology can make or break an experience. The Y.CO team start by asking owners what tech they’re already using.

“Technology develops quickly, so that in the period between concept and delivery, a TV can become antique,” says Lennard Leeflang, technical director of Y.CO. “For large custom build projects, it’s challenging to predict technology and cabling requirements, so we involve an AV/IT integrator very early in the process and we always recommend working with an independent specialist to build a detailed brief for each client prior to any

For some yacht owners, the dream is to be able to sail away and explore the world with their friends and family while still being able to attend to business.

One owner who exemplifies this kind of focused experience is Joe Lewis, chairman of Tavistock Group, whose yacht allows him to manage his investments from his onboard home and office. He is owner of the 68m Aviva, delivered in 2007 and her next iteration, both built by Abeking & Rasmussen.

What is the most important piece of advice that you can give to a new or existing yacht owner?Make sure you have the details clarified in terms of what you need versus what may be the newest technology. Vagueness can cost money. Will Faimatea has certainly helped us with this over the many years we‘ve known him.

Built by Abeking & Rasmussen, Mr Lewis‘ 68m yacht will soon make way for a new, 98m Aviva.

assesses an owner’s desires as they walk through the door, putting on the music and suggesting a bottle of wine.

Aboard yachts, where the latest integrated Crestron technology offers decentralised control of music, video, climate, lighting and security, the critical matter is ensuring the owners’ real needs and expectations are understood early on.

“Proper design and installation relies on the brief from the owner,” van Meeuwen says. “Increasingly, customers are technology–aware, and know exactly what experience they want. Planning the technology in the beginning makes all the difference.”

Robin van Meeuwen, Crestron

Charlie Birkett, Y.CO

technical specifications. Determining the client profile with regards to AV/IT is critical to success.”

Technology is only ever in service to the experience it delivers. Both charter clients and superyacht owners simply want to relax, enjoying time exploring and experiencing the unique lifestyle yachting affords. Clever technology, and the experience to deliver it seamlessly, is the silent servant to the experience of a lifetime.

Getting the information experience right has been a particular focus for Y.CO’s charter division, whose digital tools are significantly ahead of the curve. “There are so many elements to a yacht charter,” explains Charlie Birkett, co-founder and CEO of Y.CO. “We need to communicate a lot of information – from the essentials like accommodation and layout, to lifestyle and content – rich details about the itinerary and each destination.”

Owner of Aviva Managing techspectations

Supporting lifestyle

W O R K I N G F R O M H O M E I N S I G H T : T E C H N O L O G Y S U P P L I E R

I N S I G H T : B R O K E R A G E

MR. JOE LEWIS THE INTELLIGENT YACHT

THE INFORMATION EXPERIENCE

T H E S U P E R Y A C H T R E P O R T + B O N D T M T H E S U P E R Y A C H T R E P O R T + B O N D T M

B O N D T E C H N O L O G Y M A N A G E M E N T I S R E F L E C T I N G O N 1 0 Y E A R S O F W O R K I N G W I T H T H E Y A C H T I N G

W O R L D ’ S M O S T F O R W A R D T H I N K I N G O W N E R S , S U P P L I E R S A N D B R O K E R S .

EXPERIENCE THE DIFFERENCE is a series of conversations with these thought leaders

to reflect on how developments in IT, AV and communications have helped shape the modern day ownership experience.

Read and subscribe to the series

B O N D T M . C O M / I N D U S T R Y V O I C E S

When your home is a superyacht, your internet is more than just social, news and entertainment; it’s business-critical.

Founder of Bond Technology Management

E X P E R I E N C E

WILL FAIMATEA

Bond’s offices above the start/finish line of the Monaco Grand Prix are a far cry from the 24m2 room in Hamburg where Will Faimatea first started writing specifications for superyacht audio-visual and IT systems.

Today, a decade after launching his company to deliver AV/IT specification-writing, tender-management and support services for superyachts, Faimatea, founder and CEO of Bond, can reference, among others, three of the four largest yachts on Earth: Azzam, Eclipse and Dilbar.

“Ten years ago, writing functional specifications and putting them out to tender was done in other industries, but not with yachts,” Faimatea explains. As projects grew, assessing quotes based on loose specifications was like comparing apples and bananas, and decisions too often were decided on price.

Faimatea was an early ETO, called on to deliver functional AV and IT aboard Ecstasea. Realising there was a better way to ensure the entertainment

and communication tech matched expectations, Faimatea started Bond in December of 2006.

“We’re experts in specifying superyacht AV/IT jobs correctly from the start. It saves the owners money and makes them happy because the tech is up to date and managed so it works.”

New businesses have launched also offering technology consultancy, a development Faimatea says confirms his insight about the gap in the market. A maturing market for AV/IT consultancy is making things better for owners—and that’s a good thing, he says.

Faimatea has remained true to his core insight that independent management of superyacht technology integration delivers better results than the alternative. Today, it’s Bond’s experience that makes all the difference.

In 2006, yachting was introduced to the idea of an independent approach to technology management. Today, that success speaks for itself.

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10 years together: Will Faimatea (centre) with Norman Janneck and Zeb Robin of Bond TM