EKKA YACHTS and RAYWHITE MARINE close new-build SANLORENZO order

Following hard on the heels of the announcement that EKKA Yachts facilitated the sale of the  10^th unit in Sanlorenzo’s 500EXP series, the Athens-based yacht brokerage house and brand representative of Sanlorenzo Yachts has sold a Sanlorenzo 44Alloy in partnership with Brock Rodwell of Ray White Marine in Australia representing the buyer. The yacht is the shipyards’ 151^st and the 6^th hull of the Alloy superyacht line.

“Ray White Marine is a long-standing partner for us in Australia and we have joined forces in a privileged delivery of a state-of the art yacht for a client that wanted immediate delivery to enjoy in Australia and the South Pacific” says Dimitris Kyriazakos, Managing Director of EKKA Yachts.

Given the characteristics of the market in the eastern Mediterranean and with a history in production boats, EKKA Yachts initially partnered with Sanlorenzo’s to represent their Bluegame, SL, SD and SX lines. Instead, result came rather soon also in the superyacht division.

There are several reasons for this. In recent years Ekka Yachts has seen its customer base moving up in size, and the booming charter market in the eastern Med is mostly populated by larger yachts.

“Moreover, there’s not a lot of choice for late-generation pre-owned superyachts at the moment and, in fact, both buyers looked extensively at the second-hand market before deciding to build new,” adds Kyriazakos. “I would add the fact that Sanlorenzo has a great brand image, great designs and great production capacity. A 12-month delivery schedule for the 44Alloy or a 24-month delivery for the 500EXP is something most builders are unable to offer.”

EKKA Yachts has extensive knowledge of the local market. Although smaller in scale compared to the world's largest brokers, it has a loyal customer base and offers the full range of services, from dealership sales, brokerage and technical support to yacht and charter management. This winning combination is proving increasingly attractive to brands such as Sanlorenzo looking for representation in key cruising areas, such as the East Mediterranean.

“We have long-standing clients and we aim to offer them personalised, 360-degree solutions irrespective of the market cycles,” says Kyriazakos.