Founded in 2005 by what was then Nigel Burgess, OceanStyle has like its big brother been given a rebranding. Dropping bright yellow for the same Burgess blue the company is in future to be known as OceanStyle by Burgess
The company will continue to specialise in the sale, management and charter of 20 to 45 metre semi-custom luxury yachts..
Unveiling the new brand identity at the London Boat Show, the company reported that it had witnessed strong sales for 2012 with 19 yachts sold during the year, an 11.7% increase on the previous year.
These 19 yachts equate to over 453 metres of yacht sold in 2012, with the largest being the 48.0m Oceanfast yacht, Australis.
Commenting on the figures Director, Richard Lambert says, “We saw good activity in the first quarter of 2012 and continued to see a fair degree of market movement throughout the year, with an upturn in the last quarter, despite quite a slow summer period. Whilst the level of enquiries remained relatively strong throughout the year, it has been difficult to manage the expectations of buyers and sellers and keep the transaction moving forward, partly due to the cautious nature of buyers in the current economic climate.
“Whilst there is no doubt that buyers are still attracted by the prospect of a deal, we found in 2012 that increasingly more buyers were seeking comfort in purchasing yachts from established yards with a recognised brand. We also saw moves towards a more conservative, fuel efficient and longer range style of motor yacht.”
Looking ahead to 2013, the company expects the steady levels of enquiries seen in 2012 in particular for the 20m to 45m range of yacht, and trends seen throughout the year, to continue.
“There are still difficult times ahead and whilst the downward pressure on pricing will continue in to 2013 and the market will still be very price driven, we have seen some stabilisation, especially in the American markets where we are seeing a positive upward trend”, explains Richard Lambert.
“We have also seen that buyers are not interested in yachts at inflated prices so asking prices need to be realistic with the deal orientated buyers market here to stay. The challenge for 2013 will be in ‘closing the gap’ between buyers’ and sellers’ expectations, and in educating both parties on the realities of the market.
“In terms of new markets, there is no doubt that there is an increase in interest from South America and Asia, which will certainly be a focus for us in addition to continuing to develop in the more traditional markets such as Europe and North America.”