FROM MARBELLA TO DUBAI

How did the relationship with SAY start?

Marbella is a full-season destination, and it is lifestyle focused – you know all the crazy stories from the 60s, 70s, and 80s? I wanted to recreate those times with my development, making it a boutique hotel. We created a campaign called ‘Take a Moment’ and I wanted a boat brand that fitted the idea my colleague suggested SAY Carbon Boats.

The ideal business/leisure tool?

When we invite people to Marbella for the first time, we like to show them the area from the sea – from the ocean, Marbella is quite different. Everything changes; the sound, the view, and the situation with yourself change. The idea is, when I am with someone who wants to buy an apartment, at the end of the day, we go on the boat to catch the sunset and close the deal.

The SAYs stood out?

I never had a boat. To me, boats looked the same. I hadn’t seen a boat like a SAY before. It looked like a sports car, like a Lamborghini. I was like, that’s very cool, it’s German, I need to add it to my business.

You ordered a SAY 42 first?

Ya, I decided to order a SAY42, and then as the production time was about six months, I thought, I need to buy a SAY 29 too. It’s small, it can carry up to six people and it’s perfect for watersports. The SAY 42 is a little bit bigger, ideal for sundowners. I needed both.

And now you are starting SAY Yachts Dubai?

Although my wife doesn’t like to fly anywhere longer than four hours, I said to my wife, instead of Spain, lets fly to Dubai. When we were here I met some friends from the real estate including Lena (the SAY Yachts Dubai representative) and realised Dubai is very nice and full of big opportunities. There’s similar high net worth individuals in Dubai as there are in Marbella, but where are the boats for them? I thought, “I have another mission here, I have to bring SAY Yachts to Dubai.”

Will you be up and running for the new season?

First, we will get Cannes over and done with in September, then we will need four weeks to bring the boat here to Dubai, so hopefully, we’re looking at the middle of October.

The boat will be built for the UAE?

We have a special gold colour and also we will install the AC. You don’t need AC in the Mediterranean, but a boat here without AC is not a boat!