Thank you! My understanding of the catamaran market is that it is likely in its worst cyclical downturn ever as manufacturers just went insane during corona and flooded the market. Then that coupled with higher rates for new financing and the result is pretty ugly, and will likely remain so for a while. I assume the catamaran part of the sector needs a few years still. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Indeed! the moat is weak for the wider industry, but at the very top it is actually decent. The best parallel is comparing them to luxury cars. Lamborghini, Koenigsegg, Ferrari, Porsche, Bugatti. Many of these super high net worth buyers do not buy the cheapest or most customized yachts. They buy the one they heard about as a child, eg Riva.
Further, quality is vital. Looking at eg Sanlorenzo, you quickly notice its reputation is great. They excel in almost every metric. Good resale values, good chartability opportunities, durable, good overall owner experience.
Personally i have noticed that boats have even stronger cult like behavior than cars. Almost everyone has something bad to say about other boats, eg this one is bad quality or not great at sea.
Great post!
Great writeup. Have looked at the French Catamaran makers they seem optically cheap. Calling the cycles on these is quite difficult however.
Thank you! My understanding of the catamaran market is that it is likely in its worst cyclical downturn ever as manufacturers just went insane during corona and flooded the market. Then that coupled with higher rates for new financing and the result is pretty ugly, and will likely remain so for a while. I assume the catamaran part of the sector needs a few years still. Definitely worth keeping an eye on.
Longevity of fast growth seems fair enough. It seems to me the competitive advantage question is the more crucial one.
Indeed! the moat is weak for the wider industry, but at the very top it is actually decent. The best parallel is comparing them to luxury cars. Lamborghini, Koenigsegg, Ferrari, Porsche, Bugatti. Many of these super high net worth buyers do not buy the cheapest or most customized yachts. They buy the one they heard about as a child, eg Riva.
Further, quality is vital. Looking at eg Sanlorenzo, you quickly notice its reputation is great. They excel in almost every metric. Good resale values, good chartability opportunities, durable, good overall owner experience.
Personally i have noticed that boats have even stronger cult like behavior than cars. Almost everyone has something bad to say about other boats, eg this one is bad quality or not great at sea.
An intriguing, original idea and a joy to read.
Thank you for this fantastic post!
Glad you liked it!