Officials tour superyacht facilities, marinas.
SAN DIEGO – The newly formed San Diego Superyacht Association (SDSA) recently hosted representatives from a major Chinese yacht building firm, offering tours of local large-yacht repair businesses and marinas equipped to host mega-yachts, Aug. 4.

The visit, aimed at strengthening the relationship between San Diego and Wuhan, China, allowed officials from Wuhan Nanhua High-Speed Ship Engineering Co. Ltd. to tour of all the superyacht facilities the city has to offer.

“We were honored to welcome our Chinese counterparts to San Diego,” said Paul Daubner, president of SDSA. “This is the first step toward creating an ongoing exchange of business ideas and projects between our two cities.”

Ted Wang, CEO of Wuhan Nanhua High-Speed Ship Engineering Co. Ltd., along with five of his top executives, toured Knight & Carver YachtCenter in National City, The Marine Group in Chula Vista and Driscoll Boat Works on Shelter Island.

They also toured two full-service megayacht marinas — Island Palm Marina and Kona Kai Marina — as well as marine supply outlets San Diego Marine Exchange and West Marine.

Wang’s firm ranks among China’s largest shipbuilders and is also an emerging leader in that country’s luxury yacht-building industry. He is also the owner/operator of a yacht club and marina in the central China city of Wuhan.

“Wang made it clear that China intends to be very active serving the international yachting market,” Daubner said. “For example, there are nearly 60 new first-class mega-yacht marinas under construction in China right now, with many more to come.”

The SDSA is a nonprofit coalition that promotes the city as a superyacht destination. Led by led by Daubner of Fraser Yachts, the association includes 16 founding firms.