Safe Harbor Water Magazine 2022-2023

AMPED UP

Investing in sustainable infrastructure and the rising demand for electric boats is core to Safe Harbor.

A CLASSIC IS BORN

The inaugural Safe Harbor Race Weekend makes its mark on the sailing capital of the world.

A CLASSIC IS BORN

Safe Harbor Race Weekend is poised to become Newport’s newest tradition.

Newport, Rhode Island, is synonymous with some of the most prestigious sailing competitions of all time, so when Safe Harbor Marinas recognized they had a unique opportunity to become part of that tradition while simultaneously giving its Members a one-of-akind experience, it was an easy decision. But Newport is a location with a racing pedigree like no other, so it’s no small feat to pull off a successful new regatta in that town.

“We initially talked about creating a small local regatta, but as discussions continued, excitement grew and the vision expanded. If we were going to move forward, we wanted the event to be the best of the best,” says Rebecca​LeBlanc, Vice President of Partnerships and Sponsorships at Safe Harbor Marinas.

With a tremendous amount of collaboration with top experts in the racing scene, Safe Harbor Race Weekend took shape. “We recruited Peter Craig, President of Premiere Racing in Marblehead, Massachusetts, who was phenomenal throughout. He believed we had something here,” said Safe Harbor’s Veronica Brown, event manager for the regatta. Craig is no stranger to this kind of event, having been the principal race officer of Newport’s former annual superyacht extravaganzas, the Newport Bucket and Candy Store Cup. He is also the PRO of the Caribbean’s biggest superyacht event, the St. Barths Bucket. “His expertise unlocked a world of potential for making this event one to remember,” she says.

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS 25

REBECCA LEBLANC | VP PARTNERSHIP & SPONSORSHIPS

“

From the start, our goal was to deliver an exceptional experience from the race to the shoreside events and everything in between.”

Zenji races on day 1 of the regatta.

After months of preparation, 450 sailors on 47 boats (including eight superyachts) assembled at the start line for the inaugural event in August of 2021. Seven classes racing under ORC, PHRF, performance cruising (with and without spinnaker), and superyacht ratings participated in the regatta, and the talent on the water ran deep, with parents facing off against their own children and old rivals reuniting. Competitors remarked on how extraordinary it was to be sailing with superyachts in the mix, including two Perini Navis: the 60m Perseus3 and the 56m Zenji. The overall win went to the ORC fleet’s Stark Raving Mad IX, a Carkeek 47 owned by Jim Madden.

At times throughout the three-day race, sailors battled the occasional light wind, but the evening after parties were brimming with revelry. “From the start, our goal was to deliver an exceptional experience from the race to the shoreside events and everything in between. As word began to spread, there was so much excitement that we had to increase catering numbers and order bigger tents to accommodate our guests,” says LeBlanc. Five hundred people attended Friday night’s Coastal New England Dinner presented by Wheels Up at Safe Harbor New England Boatworks, and another 575 guests gathered at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard for the Talk of the Town Crew Party that was sponsored by Oyster Yachts.

The crew of Stark Raving Mad IX celebrates victory.

Talk of the Town Crew Party at Safe Harbor Newport Shipyard

The weekend’s festivities were also slated as a Safe Harbor Experience, one of the company’s nationwide complimentary events for its over 45,000 Members. “Safe Harbor Membership is about more than just having a place for your boat; it’s how you spend your time. These experiences are a way for us to host Members in amazing waterfront destinations across our network and allow them to explore what’s out there beyond the one marina they call home,” says LeBlanc. Safe Harbor even partnered with Barton & Gray Mariners Club to give Members front row seats to the racing action aboard a captained and catered Hinckley yacht, an on-the-water view typically enjoyed by only the racing crews themselves.

Race spectators are treated to a front row seat courtesy of Barton & Gray.

Ultimately, Safe Harbor Race Weekend gives sailors and non-sailors alike a chance to get a taste of ‘The Sailing Capital of the World,’ whether they’re tacking and jibing, taking in views of Narragansett Bay’s picturesque lighthouses, or simply strolling Newport’s cobblestone streets against a backdrop of historic New England cottages. And if you’re looking for an experience you won’t soon forget, mark your calendar for August of 2022. The 2nd annual Safe Harbor Race Weekend is on the books, and the event is well on its way to becoming a new classic. ▪

Live music, food, and drinks abound at the evening shoreside events.

DISCOVER MORE

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS 27

AMPED UP

Safe Harbor is preparing to meet the growing demand for electric boats while making its operations friendlier to the planet.

BRAD ALESI | CHIEF MARKETING OFFICER

“

We have always been immensely mindful of our waterways and the environment, our incredibly important silent stakeholders.”

Safe Harbor Marinas knows that gas- and dieselpowered vessels will be around for quite some time, but like electric cars, electric boats are becoming more common, so the company is putting plans in place to satisfy the growing demand for this type of vessel. Most notably, Safe Harbor will be adding electric boats to the fleet available for Member use, but they’re also working on initiatives that will be friendlier to the planet.

“We have always been immensely mindful of our waterways and the environment, our incredibly important silent stakeholders.” says Brad Alesi, Chief Marketing Officer for Safe Harbor Marinas. “We are building for the future by planning for and delivering upon the technical requirements necessary for the increasing number of electric vessels we expect looking ahead.”

Some visible changes that Members will see are new electric boats from builders such as X Shore and RAND, which will be added to the expanding Safe Harbor Member Fleet. “We’ve purchased eight new 26-foot X Shore Eelex 8000 boats,” says Isabella Ridall, Vice President of Hospitality for Safe Harbor Marinas. “We are increasingly navigating toward electric boats and expanding the number of locations where we offer this amenity to our Members.” The Safe Harbor locations for the electric

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS 29

boats in the first delivery are being determined, but a pilot program with two X Shore boats will get underway in July at Safe Harbor Charleston City in Charleston, South Carolina.

Patrick DeSocio, North American Head of Sales for the Swedish builder X Shore, believes it makes a lot of sense to introduce the Eelex 8000 in Charleston. “The location is perfect for the boat and for a typical day on the water,” he says. “You can go out for four hours or more - go up the bay, in and around harbors, anchor, or go out for dinner - and enjoy the experience while running at a speed that’s similar to that of a gas-powered boat. You can feel good about the X Shore and know that you’re not polluting while cruising to cool spots. It’s the perfect day boat and it does something great for the environment, for Safe Harbor and for its Members.”

PATRICK DESOCIO | NORTH AMERICAN HEAD OF SALES, X SHORE

“

[The Eelex 8000] is the perfect day boat and it does something great for the environment, for Safe Harbor and for its Members.”

Safe Harbor has also partnered with RAND Boats, a Danish company, for another electric boat trial. RAND — which is based in Copenhagen, Denmark — will bring 18-foot and 23-foot models to Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, where Members will have access to the boats for touring local waters. “Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center is more than two miles from the ocean. It’s up the river, where there are strict speed restrictions and no-wake zones,” says Morten Aagaard, Managing Partner for RAND Boats USA. “These boats are perfect for a run from Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center to Las Olas, where many great restaurants can be found. It’s the perfect place to cruise around in electric boats.”

Safe Harbor is exploring ways to electrify its operations, from electric boats for Members to zeroemissions lifts, LED lighting, and expanded infrastructure for solar power.

In addition to offering electric boats to its Members, Safe Harbor is exploring ways to electrify other aspects of its operations. “Something we’re very excited about is developing a zero-emissions, electric-powered dry rack that will be piloted at Safe Harbor City Boatyard starting in May 2022,” says Peter Clark, Chief Development Officer for Safe Harbor Marinas. Clark and his team have also been working with California’s Wiggins Lift Company to use its eBull — a zero-emissions, large-capacity electric forklift - to get boats in and out of the water. “These lifts are currently used to offload ships,” Clark says. “This will be the first marina application.”

To power all this electric equipment, which includes the electric cars some Members are driving to their marinas, Clark is working to expand the electrical supply at Safe Harbor properties. “We can’t rely on the existing infrastructure,” he says. “Our biggest challenge is getting additional power from service providers.”

To help grow its own electrical supply, Safe Harbor is working with Maffett Loftis Engineering in Cookeville, Tennessee, to expand capacity. Earlier this year, Safe Harbor put solar panels on a 200,000-square-foot facility at Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center. “We started in

Florida because Safe Harbor Lauderdale Marine Center has a huge power draw, and a sun resource that can support it,” Clark says.

Solar capacity is also growing through acquisition. Safe Harbor Puerto Del Rey in Fajardo, Puerto Rico, already had a six-acre solar farm in place to support its electrical needs. Now, Safe Harbor is in the process of adding solar capacity to 15 facilities in New England by retrofitting existing buildings and installing panels on new buildings. The company will continue to expand solar capacity at other facilities.

Clark is implementing efficiency improvements, too. He says Safe Harbor is already retrofitting more than half of its properties with LED lighting. And in California, five large properties are getting remote monitoring systems.

“No one can fully predict what the future is going to bring,” Clark says about electric boating. “It’s going to start in the under 30 feet boat market — where the technology makes a lot of sense. But as the technology develops, you have to imagine it’s going to expand into larger boats. We need the backbone infrastructure to support that. It’s a challenge, and it’s something we will be working on.” ▪

SAFE HARBOR MARINAS 31