As Singapore starts to position itself as a regional business and financial hub in the wake of the Hong Kong crisis, the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club (RSYC) has upgraded its marina with new superyacht berths

The oldest yacht club in Asia, the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club (RSYC), established in 1826, has just completed an extensive upgrade of its marina which commenced with the construction of a new breakwater in 2018 and was completed this September with the addition of new superyacht berths.

Berthing demand in Singapore may grow in the future, as the city state is increasingly seen as a safe haven in Asia for business, financial institutions and a place to live. According to a recent Singapore Straits Times article: “Unrest in Hong Kong may prove to be a blessing for Singapore, a long-time rival to the title of Asia’s pre-eminent financial centre. Hotel occupancy rates are at an all-time high, one of the most visible signs that Singapore is gaining as a regional centre. There has also been a pickup in luxury home sales, gold storage, and foreign currency deposits.”

The breakwater at RSYC, which cost the club S$4.43m (US$3.23m), has considerably reduced the wave motion in the marina, especially in periods of high tide and winds. “We now have a total of 115 wet berths,” says assistant marina manager Richelle Aguilar. “The increase means we now have 16 alongside superyacht berths where we can accommodate yachts of up 50m in length. The successful completion of the breakwater last year gives a much calmer berthing area in the marina basin and more yachts are coming to us. Our occupancy figure is 82% for the wet berths and 80% for the 206 dry-stack berths that we have for smaller boats up to 40ft. We are also gradually upgrading the pontoons and the dry-stack facilities.”

RSYC is still one of the few member-owned clubs in Asia, according to marketing manager Cordelia Liau. “Our membership is currently running at 1,700 and we are continually working to upgrade the club facilities for members,” she says. “In 2017 we doubled the number of residential rooms for members and their guests from 30 to 60. Early this year our Italian general manager, Claudio Schettino, introduced our own in-house Italian restaurant which is open to both members and public and is proving very popular.”

RSYC is conveniently situated near the city but still offers easy access to the southern islands of Singapore and to Indonesia’s Riau Archipelago, both of which are favourite cruising grounds with many destinations for weekend boating.

Formed in 1826 as the Singapore Yacht Club, the club gained Royal Patronage in 1922 becoming the Royal Singapore Yacht Club before switching to the current Republic of Singapore Yacht Club title in 1967 with the advent of Singapore’s independence. In 1999 the club moved to its current award-winning design clubhouse in West Coast Ferry Road.

by Mike Derett IBI Plus