Heysea Yachts

SA ILING THE SE A S OF

Since its establishment in 2007, Chinese superyacht builder Heysea Yachts has developed a build portfolio and an order book that would make many European yacht builders envious. The company’s recent, highly successful launch of a range of large new sailing catamarans has further cemented its position as the number one Chinese yacht builder in mainland China. Richard Hagan met with CEO Fang Yuan to learn all about how Heysea Yachts has carved an impressive niche in such a competitive industry.

Heysea Yachts was established by a group of three co-founders, including naval architects Allen Leng and Ma Xiaodong, and current CEO Ms Fang Yuan, who holds a Master’s Degree in Engineering.

The group’s goal then was the same as it is now: to prove to the global market that the Chinese are not only capable of building extraordinary superyachts, but also that their yachts can be as good – or better than – their Western counterparts. And by all accounts, the company has thus far managed to do just that.

Eastern experience & expertise

Heysea Yachts is headquartered in the bustling port city of Hong Kong, while its main production base is in Jiangmen City, adjacent to Macau and across the Pearl River estuary from Hong Kong. This 66,700 sqm factory has a deep draft frontage, making it especially well-suited for accommodating superyachts. It is strategically located a short 30-minute drive from the area’s boat-building zone, which hosts a number of other shipyards and various yacht industry suppliers.

Heysea Yachts’ staff roster of over 200 people is a particular highlight, alongside a management team that boasts over two decades’ worth of industry experience. Amongst its staff is a highly experienced team of yacht design specialists, an R&D team, a veteran quality assurance team and a variety of highly trained technicians. These teams work hard at the company’s comprehensive footprint of modern workshops, alongside its launching slipway and berthing dock.

Staff are crucial to Heysea Yachts’ ongoing quest to be the best in the business, according to CEO Fang Yuan: “Our workers are very skilled, with many having worked in our shipyard for over a decade. This level

of commitment and time-honed skill is one of our hallmarks and it guarantees consistent quality in our craftsmanship.”

Booking big numbers

Heysea Yachts offers two major product ranges, including luxury motor yachts between 58ft and 142ft, and sailing catamarans ranging from 42ft to 56ft.

In its sixteen years of operation, Heysea Yachts has risen to be the number one Chinese builder of yachts 80 feet or longer, based on both the total length of deliveries and the number of yachts built annually. Additionally, amongst mainland Chinese clients, Heysea Yachts has proven to be the most popular builder of yachts with a length of 80ft or more.

During its first decade of operation, Heysea Yachts delivered over 20 units of its Heysea 82 superyacht model - its most popular model at that point. The 82 was subsequently overtaken in sales volume by the larger Asteria 112, of which the company had already sold 15 by early 2023. Having only just launched its new Seaview range of sailing catamarans, Heysea Yachts delivered its first order for a Seaview 56 in

Heysea Yachts CEO, Fang Yuan

May 2023, which is planned with delivery of Seaview 48 in August of the same year, as well as several more orders for its Seaview 56 and 48.

In recognition of Heysea Yachts’ ongoing strong order book, between 2014 and 2016 Boat International Media - a respected superyachting industry publication - ranked Heysea Yachts within the top 30 of its Global Order Book listings. “By 2017 and 2018, we ranked sixteenth and in 2019 we reached twelfth in the world,” said Ms Fang. “Despite the challenges relating to Covid, Heysea Yachts still ranked seventeenth while remaining number one in mainland China.”

Going beyond the superficial

Heysea Yachts believes that it owes its success in China to its ability to understand and integrate the specific needs of Chinese customers into the designs of its yachts from the keel up. “When we first began designing yachts for the Chinese market, the industry told us that the yachts should

be designed and built in line with American or European markets,” said Ms Fang. “Everyone said that we simply need to put Chinese furniture or Chinese-style interior décor into the yacht in order to localise it. But this was too superficial for what we had envisioned.

“We believed right from the start that we could take substantial market share in China because we really understood what the Chinese customer really wants and could match their expectations to the yacht, from design through to construction.”

For example, for Chinese-owned vessels, Heysea Yachts places the galley at the aft corner of the lower deck as opposed to in

the salon - like on western yachts. This is done to hide the strong smells typically associated with the cooking of Chinese food. Additionally, since Chinese customers prefer not to tan or be exposed to the sun, Heysea Yachts has fitted hard tops to many of its yachts, including smaller ones in the 60ft to 70ft range.

Success by design

The success of Heysea Yachts’ business strategy is by design, as Ms Fang explained: “In 2007, when we established Heysea Yachts, there were only two types of yacht builders in China. One was shipyards which primarily produced commercial boats but would occasionally produce yachts on-demand only: The other type was Taiwanese yacht builders with production

facilities in mainland China, which did not have R&D teams or salespeople within China, and all of their yachts were made for international export; none were built for the Chinese market.

“We saw an opportunity in that there were no high-quality, well-known brands serving the Chinese market, and that’s when we decided to establish Heysea Yachts.”

Heysea Yachts’ ability to move fast and exploit opportunities within the market has repeatedly delivered value to the company. By 2015, the company estimates that it was receiving the majority of orders for yachts longer than 80ft within China.

Despite ongoing geopolitical challenges, Heysea Yachts remains optimistic. “Demand for yachts and especially sailing catamarans is growing,” said Ms Fang,

“and thanks to increased recognition of our brand globally, we are looking forward to strong international interest.”

Concluding, Ms Fang reiterated her enthusiasm for the work being done by Heysea Yachts. “I’m very excited by our daily mission of building a unique Chinese brand and telling the world that the Chinese have the ability to build worldclass, high-quality yachts” n

PYROTEK LTD

Our technical experience and support for the design and build staff at Heysea Yachts provided a solution on board a superyacht that pleased the owner. Recommendations included vibration damping and isolation, floated walls/floors, flexible noise barriers utilised in the correct areas, and thermal/fire and sound absorption solutions, ensuring a comfortable boating experience. Pyrotek delivered these products and a full insulation plan including weight distribution, CAD engineering and drawings for fitout. We also oversaw installation through multiple site visits and progress reporting.