An opportunity to start distributing boats
Sailing Stream has been providing boat rental and management services in Antibes for many years. In 2011, shortly after taking over the business, the new managers had started selling sailboats by becoming an Elan dealer. When Blue Touch, the Slovenian boat brand's importer, went into liquidation in the 1st half of 2019, they were among the first to know. "We had a front-row seat to the situation and thought there was an opportunity with the Elan brand, which we knew well. We also knew that Blue Touch distributed Italia Yachts. So we approached the 2 shipyards and the agreements were signed in the summer of 2019 to be ready for the Cannes boat show," explains Patrick Bascunana of Sailing Stream.
The company was able to draw on its technical knowledge of boats, thanks to its expertise in rental/management. "This gave us credibility with the shipyards, and enabled us to put together a project that was relevant to all 3 aspects: technical, commercial and marketing/communication," adds Patrick Bascunana.
Complementary sailboats for racing and cruising
Sailing Stream is already familiar with the Elan yacht range, having already sold several boats, and sees strong development potential in Italia Yachts, particularly in the regatta yacht niche. "Elan is a shipyard with 70 years' experience," explains Patrick Bascunana. "Italia Yachts is more recent, with a range containing some exceptional models, notably the Italia Yachts 9.98 and Italia Yachts 11.98. Typically designed for crewed racing, they stand out from the many yachts designed for double-handed racing launched in recent times. The 11.98, released in 2019, was ORC world champion as early as this year. There's a strong potential for seduction."
Building the sales network
Sailing Stream must now structure its sales network for Italia Yachts and Elan. "This is one of our challenges. We have a dealer for Brittany. The rest of France is in progress. These are 2 complementary ranges, with differences in price and performance, which means we can find a solution for yachtsmen. There's a real interest in single-brand resellers," sums up Patrick Bascunana.
