It scored for its pontoon system, wave attenuator, service standards
Marina at Keppel Bay has beaten seven other new marinas in the region to win the Best Asian New Marina/Yacht Club award at the Christofle Asia Boating Awards in Shanghai.
Twenty judges - industry experts from Thailand, Malaysia, Hong Kong, China, India and Singapore - assessed entrants on such criteria as staff service, facilities, pontoons and other dock equipment and location. Assessments were carried out on site and included meeting boaters at marinas to get their views.
Features that gained points for Keppel included its pontoon system built by US-based Bellingham Marine Industries, which incorporates a pump-out system for waste and a wave attenuator to dampen the effect of wake. The marina also scored well for service standards - it is the only marina in South-east Asia where all staff undergo a management course.
The marina beat the only other new marina launched in Singapore last year, Sentosa Cove's One Degree 15 Marina Club, as well as new developments in Dubai and China.
Among established marinas, Malaysia's Royal Langkawi Yacht Club took the top prize. Other awards included Best Asia-based Charter Company, which went to Simpson Marine and Best Asian Maritime Capital which went to Qingdao. Altogether, 21 awards were given.
Accepting its award, Marina at Keppel Bay's chief marina officer Francis Olsen said: 'Our guiding principle is simple - to offer best-in-class services as we strive to become Asia's waterfront lifestyle destination of choice. This award will spur us to work harder and lend strength to our efforts to put Singapore on the world's prime waterfront playground map.'
Although brand new, the marina has already staged a number of flagship events including hosting the 10-yacht Clipper fleet for their stopover in Singapore on the Clipper 07/08 round the World Yacht Race. It will also host South-east Asia's biggest boat show, Boat Asia 2008, next week.
The annual Christofle Asia Boating Awards is widely known as the region's premier event for recognising the efforts of boat builders, marinas, clubs and individuals in creating a diverse and exciting boating community. It has also become a must-attend event for Asia's jet set.
'This is the chance for Asia to celebrate its achievement as a growing centre of luxury boating that will rival places like the Caribbean and the Mediterranean in the near future,' said Olivier Burlot, managing director of Blu Inc Media. The awards are sponsored by Christofle and organised by Blu Inc Media, publisher of Asia-Pacific Boating and China Boating magazines.
Source : Business Times - 17 Apr 2008
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