Dear Islanders,

Since the establishment of the company in 1992, Lantimar Group has been growing and increasing its services portfolio positioning itself as one of the most trusted yacht agents in Balearic Islands and Spain: last year 2020 we were recognized as the Best Superyacht Agent in Spain by the Acrew Awards. With almost 30 years in business, our company has gone through many successes and many crisis and difficulties, ones longer others harder, but we have always set the sails and kept navigating no matter what.

We are now at the forefront of the yachting scene, constantly striving to an excellent assistance both to captains, crew members, management company and guests on board, reminding that transparency is essential to maintain trust and respect.

We like to describe our department as a boutique superyacht agent: as experience and expertise are not directly linked to size, we have same access to market resources and the same global connections as larger companies, but with a tailormade and personalized care to deliver first class service and remarkable experiences to our “family” of clients.

Marta Spreafico, Head of Operations of Lantimar Yachting, says: “we are in a peculiar moment in history and the role of the agent has partially changed during this period: from what we can define as a supplier of ad hoc and high-end services, we turned into a point of reference in the nautical sector within the chaos and uncertainty generated by the COVID19. Considering the fact that as a company we have never been a mere supplier of services, but a group of persons going the extra mile for our clients, at COVID-19 time we felt like our role was a key one in guiding yachts when making decisions and assisting them while copying with the challenges and difficulties generated by the pandemic: crossing or not, shipping their yacht, how to keep on with refits, how to get authorizations from authorities and so on. With a proximity and a dedication that I would consider more typical of a personal relationship than a business one, all my team has been working tirelessly to reinvent their way of working and be captains’ right end.

As Mandela used to say: ‘it always seems impossible until it is done’. And indeed, we managed to keep our business running and alive”.

Thus, this challenging period has demonstrated that our greatest resource is our dedication, passion, and capability to understand new changes and that our greatest investment is our team.

Well, what a year 2021 will turn out to be, this is quite still unpredictable. As holiday hopes rise, our major wish is that summertime will be a recovering season for yachting and tourism, followed by a busy winter of repairs and refit.

With COVID19, Superyacht cruising itineraries will be for sure also challenging this year due to diverse and constant changing entrance procedures from country to country, from port to port. Our agents/angels team will help sharing the burden when it comes to paperwork, procedures in place, current national rules and legislation regarding VAT, customs, immigration and general navigation, cause is indeed our responsibility to provide correct documentation and information facilitating vessel and authority’s liaison.

Unforeseeable challenges and situations, outlandish requests for bizarre items and services, preposterous and capricious last-minute demands, are always at the sight, but as agents we will always be there to soak up the stress and responsibility, and make the impossible possible; in short, we like to think that the industry would not be the same without us.

Brexit has also changed the nautical panorama bringing along some new business opportunities, even though dark sides are still to be cleared. The UK stopped being a member of the European Union on December 2020, but a clear road map for the relationship between the UK and the EU for the superyacht community is still a pipe dream. There was lots of speculation, and even now there are still uncertainties. At Lantimar Yachting, we do not really like to sit and worry much and so we have created together with our Logistics&Customs department an ad hoc Brexit Team, working restlessly to keep us up to date with all latest changes and procedures. What do we know? Can a UK flagged yacht charter in Spain? Can she apply for Inward Processing? What about crew and tax payment? Many questions and lot of study, but we finally have the measure of it and ready to share our professionalism and understanding of the Britain Exit.

As we write today, we are very hopeful for the future: we will all keep our heads above the water! So, if you share our same optimism and feel same summer vibes, feel free to contact us and plan your cruising Mediterranean itinerary with Lantimar Yachting team. And do not forget to book a spot for winter refit and take advantage of a VAT FREE one.

info@lantimaryachting.com – refit@lantimaryachting.com

LANTIMAR GROUP

Head Office:  Carretera Porto Pi 8, 6C, Palma

+34 971 702 050

Marta Spreafico

Head of Operations – Lantimar Yachting

+34 609 728 152