Despite everything the pandemic threw at the sector, Yachting Malta has built stronger relationships with its stakeholders and, in the words of its Chairman John Huber, punched above its weight. Huber reflected on the past year in an interview with SPINNAKER, the Royal Malta Yacht Club’s magazine.
When he took the helm, the industry lacked a unified voice. “There has been an improvement, but I believe that we are still far from where we should be,” he said. Yachting Malta helped the Superyacht Industry Network Malta keep its stand at the Monaco show, and joined discussions with Transport Malta and the health authorities to ease the burden of the pandemic. But the unified voice, he argued, “should not only be during a crisis but ongoing”.
His biggest satisfaction has been the direct help given to the clubs and the Malta Sailing Federation. “We have witnessed an increase in participation in sailing especially amongst children. We have just donated fourteen dinghies and all clubs are benefitting. This is where our investment lies.”
Covid-19 cancelled much of 2020’s programme, including the Yachting Malta Boat Show planned for November, but Huber insists that “nothing is lost”: the preparation will serve this year’s event. Yachting Malta was also the first entity to promote local tourism during the pandemic, with a television campaign for local charters that also helped lift small boat sales. The sector, he believes, “shall come out stronger when the pandemic is over.”
