The media is really beginning to pick up on the all-new Bavaria Yachts as we bring a new approach to yacht sales in the USA and introduce the all-new Farr Yacht Design and BMW Designworks USA Cruiser range. SAIL Magazine, Blue Water Sailing Magazine and the Robb Report, for the ultra-affluent, have all published articles recently.

Read some of the buzz….

Robb Report
The August issue of Robb Report, luxury magazine and one of the definitive authorities for ultra-affluent consumers, features the 217-MPH 700 HP Lamborghini Aventador on its cover. Inside, there’s also a nice piece on Bavaria Yachts.
Showing the Bavaria Cruiser 40 powering along in a brisk wind, Robb Report discusses “the streamlined exterior lines of the Cruiser Series, a collection of sailing yachts from German shipbuilder Bavaria Yachts, reveal the hand of BMW DesignworksUSA, which collaborated on the series with Farr Yacht Design.”

Blue Water Sailing

Blue Water Sailing’s editor George Day reviewed the Bavaria Cruiser 50, 45, 40, 36 and 32 in an 8-page feature “Bavaria Rising” in the August issue. George reviewed the Cruiser 50 in Turkey and the Cruiser 45, 40, 36 and 32 at our HQ in Annapolis, Maryland. “The new Bavarias have definitely been designed

 and engineered by sailors who know the difference between what works and what doesn’t aboard a well used cruising boat,” George comments in the article.

Here’s a snippet on the Cruiser 45: “Under sail, the 45 handled much the same as the 50. With twin rudders and a roller furling rig, the boat was easy to tack and jibe and managed to sail just as close to the wind. The boat is incredibly solid underfoot and gives the impression of a larger vessel. We noted during a change of crew on the fly that one of our larger sailors did not cause the 45 to heel at all as he climbed aboard from the chase boat. As very close sister to the 50, the 45 will appeal to those who want a big cruising boat with a lot of volume but do no need the size and extra volume the 50 provides.

SAIL Magazine
SAIL Magazine’s Charles Doane, had a great sail on the Bavaria Cruiser 45 earlier in the year and has published his review in the August issue.
He concluded that sailing performance, “in moderate to strong wind, is exceptional. The boat represents a great value for cruisers looking for both charter-boat comfort and performance-boatspeed.”

Here’s his thoughts on the performance of the Cruiser 45 in frisky conditions off Grenada:

“We had ideal conditions outside Grenada’s True Blue Bay – a strong 20-knot tradewind and a commensurate lumpy sea. The Cruiser 45, to put it bluntly, sails like a witch and reveled in this environment. Certainly it is one of the better-performing mass-production cruisers I’ve ever been aboard.

“In deference to the breeze, we sailed under the standard 110 percent jib and tucked one reef in the main. Although the mainsail was a little too full (I believe the reef points may have been out of position), we slipped to windward very efficiently. The powerful hull felt smooth and authoritative as it shouldered through the big waves. The motion was

Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH in Germany has appointed Bavaria Yachts USA as the sole US importer, distributor and dealer for Bavaria yachts on the East Coast of the USA and across to the Great Lakes and Texas. In May 2011, this new company will launch the Bavaria Yachts brand in the US with the all-new Cruiser models designed by Farr Yacht Design and BMW DesignworksUSA as well as the spacious Vision series. Founded by a new management team with a completely new business model, Bavaria Yachts USA will focus solely on the direct sales and after-sales support of Bavaria yachts. The company’s flagship office and a range of the newly designed Cruiser models are based in Annapolis, MD.

The business model of Bavaria Yachts USA is new to the industry and eliminates the three-tier structure currently in place for other manufacturers. The innovative format effectively provides “factory direct” purchasing from Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH in Germany. For the customer, this new approach translates to better pricing, a better selection of yachts available for test sails and charter, yachts built to personalized specifications, expert product knowledge and a dedicated after-sales support and service program. The Cruiser 32, Cruiser 36, Cruiser 40 and Cruiser 45 will be available for charter and test sails from Bavaria Yachts USA in Annapolis from June 2011.

Dr Jens Ludmann, chief executive officer of Bavaria Yachtbau GmbH, said: “With many new developments at Bavaria in Germany, we are very pleased that a new era for Bavaria yachts has begun in the US market too. We strongly support the new management team and their new business model that will connect customers directly with the shipyard here in Germany. This, combined with the superbly designed and engineered Cruiser range, means that we are very proudly re-entering the US market.”

Kenny Feld, managing director of Bavaria Yachts USA, echoed Dr Ludmann’s comments: “This is a very exciting time for Bavaria Yachts in the USA. The new Farr Yacht/BMW DesignworksUSA designed range differentiates itself from the competition by redefining quality, design, and value in cruising yachts. Bavaria Yachts USA distinguishes itself through its specialized integrated sales, charter, and service operation that is concentrated exclusively on Bavaria yachts.”

Andrew Thompson, a director of the new company, who has been importing Bavaria yachts into the Caribbean for a decade, added: “We feel very fortunate that as we re-launch the Bavaria brand in the US, we are able to do so with a complete range of Farr Yacht designed Bavaria Cruisers. Across the entire range of Bavaria Cruisers, from 32ft through 55ft, the Farr signature is boldly written: very strong and stiff construction certified by the exacting Germanischer Lloyd certification, class leading interior space, a wide range of joinery and upholstery finishes and styles, fine entry and beam carried well aft giving excellent performance and extravagant cockpit space, a large mainsail and easily handled jib has the husband and wife team smiling, and the lowerable transom gives a bathing/boarding platform that is just superb.”

Yachts from the new 2011 Cruiser range will be available for charter on the Chesapeake Bay from June 2011 when Horizon Yacht Charters, Annapolis, the charter arm of Bavaria Yachts USA, opens for business. The charter operation will also offer a full complement of services including learn-to-sail programs and comprehensive yacht management services. Horizon Yacht Charters, operating since 1998, has been the Caribbean importer of Bavaria yachts since 2000 and currently manages more than 50 Bavaria yachts in a fleet of 100 charter yachts at its bases in the British Virgin Islands, Antigua & Barbuda, Grenada and St Maarten.

Bavaria Yachts USA is co-owned by managing director, Kenny Feld and directors, Andrew Thompson and Sylvia Driver. Kenny was a consultant at McKinsey & Company and vice president of Electronic Data Systems. Andrew and Sylvia are the founding directors of Horizon Yacht Charters in the Caribbean and have a combined experience of 40 years in the sailing industry. Geoff McCord is the general manager for Bavaria Yachts USA and Horizon Yacht Charters, Annapolis. Geoff was previously the regional sales manager for Beneteau USA for twenty-five years.

Garmin® Marine Electronics Selected Exclusively for Bavaria YachtsBavaria Yachts, one of the world’s leading yacht manufacturers, has selected Garmin to be the exclusive electronics supplier to outfit their robust line of sailing and cruising yachts. This new OEM partnership is being announced in conjunction with the Düsseldorf International Boat Show, January 22-30, 2011, where the first on-board Garmin marine electronics package by Bavaria can be purchased.

“This announcement demonstrates that Garmin is making great strides in the marine OEM market by becoming the preferred electronics supplier for one of the world’s top yacht manufacturers,” said Engelhard Sundoro, Garmin’s director of marine OEM sales and marketing. “We are very pleased to be selected by Bavaria, and are confident that our range of innovative and award-winning electronics will meet and exceed the needs of the Bavaria customer.”

“We are very pleased to offer Garmin products to a larger group of boating enthusiasts,” said Dr. Jens Ludmann, Bavaria’s CEO. “After a long and intensive evaluation of electronics suppliers, we rated Garmin top-of-the-list in terms of functionality and value for money. This fits perfectly with our positioning and explains the link between Bavaria and Garmin products. I am sure that our partnership will be very successful in delivering quality products for our customers.”

Bavaria has selected a complete Garmin marine electronics package to offer its customers that includes multi-function displays from the GPSMAP® 4000 and 5000 series, the GPSMAP 720s with its brilliant 7-inch touchscreen display, Garmin’s GHP™ 10V autopilot system designed specifically for the Volvo IPS drive, as well as the GMI™ 10 marine instrument display, which makes it easy to monitor navigation, heading and environmental data. Bavaria Yachts is the first marine OEM to offer its customers the new, award-winning GHP 12 sailboat autopilot system which is designed for 20- to 70-foot sailboats with linear-actuated steering systems.

Bavaria Yachts is among several new OEM contracts Garmin has won recently. In 2011, Garmin has also added Ranger Tugs, Cutwater Boats and Broom Boats to its growing roster of marine OEMs.

Since its inception in 1989, Garmin has delivered 75 million GPS enabled devices – far more than any other navigation provider. Garmin’s market breadth in the GPS industry is second to none, having developed innovative products and established a leadership position in each of the markets it serves, including automotive, aviation, marine, fitness, outdoor recreation, tracking, and wireless applications. For more about Garmin’s products and services, go to www.garmin.com.