Five questions to... Valentina Gandini

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[ FIVE QUESTIONS TO... ]

VALENTINA GANDINI GENERAL DIRECTOR OF MYLIUS

by Désirée Sormani

How would you assess the current sail market?

It’s not an easy time. The current uncertainty is causing a bit of a standstill. Still, I believe there’ll be a strong recovery as soon as the situation begins to return to normal.

We’re readying ourselves to deal with demand from a market we think will welcome elegant, fast and extremely comfortable yachts like ours. They provide a certain quality of life and a means of escape, an opportunity to isolate yourself while surrounded only by those dear to you.

The Covid emergency is still dramatically unfolding. What strategies have you put in place to make sure you can keep on operating?

The pandemic and especially the sudden hiatus of the first lockdown caused a significant slowdown in production. This generated an inertia that’s still dogging us. We’re trying as far as possible to use smart working practices in the design office, while for production we’re trying to create workflows and implement distancing measures preventing the entry of more than three workers at a time. We’ve installed Plexiglas dividers in the offices, we measure temperatures every morning and we ask our staff to keep their distance, always wear masks and wash their hands often. Companies that survive this series of obstacles will certainly come out stronger, and that’s what we’re working towards.

How was the 60th Geneva Boat Show, was it a positive experience? Have you made new, productive contacts?

The Geneva Boat Show was very positive for us. Above all I think that as human beings we need to recover a sort of

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‘normality’ shaped by sensible rules. It’s been important to have the opportunity to meet and exchange impressions about something that took everyone by surprise, an unprecedented situation that has had a significant impact on our daily life. We’ve had an unexpected amount of highly targeted contacts with whom we initiated dialogues and talks that are continuing with some success. Perhaps one of the best shows in recent years.

Can you describe your average owner? What are they looking for in your products?

I don’t like making generalisations. Of course, anyone who is attracted to a product like ours has recognised the great potential of this project. We work every day to achieve innovation and design but also great comfort and maximum safety. I like to think of Mylius as a big family, and our owners are a large, active part of that. We’ll improve through them and adjust our aim to take account of market requirements.

What projects does Mylius have under way?

We’ve taken advantage of this period to place a greater focus on technical as well as commercial areas by strengthening quality control and seeking out new markets to explore. We’re continuing to produce yachts between 60 and 80 feet in length, and we’ve made significant investments in this sector, like using female moulds and more extensive engineering at the design level. We’re also developing two new projects, the Mylius 72 and 92. We’re convinced that this is the right time to keep on moving forward – in fact, we must put our foot down and have confidence in our industrial project.