A SUPPORTING PARTNERSHIP
Leading support yacht developer taps Spanish builder for award winning projects. Robert Smith explains his rational for partnering with Astilleros Armón and talks about their future projects
“What was clear to us from the initial meeting was how much Armón cared about the final product and meeting client expectations,” explained Robert Smith, CEO of YCTS, Ltd. and founding partner of SHADOWCAT. “Their capacity, top-notch facilities and technical skill checked all of the boxes for us.”
“We are a family-owned, private shipyard that has been in operation since 1962,” added Armón’s Ricardo Garcia, Commercial Director. “Because we are primarily a commercial shipbuilder, productivity and delivery deadlines are a significant priority. Our work is rooted in tradition. We are passionate about what we do and the people on our team are like family.”
Today, Armón comprises of five yards located in the Northwest region of Spain, building vessels from 12 to 180m, in both aluminium and steel. Armón has constructed all of SHADOWCAT’s vessels at its Burela, Spain shipyard. This location boasts a total area of 13,500 m2
, with 5,600m2 of covered surface divided into
four pavilions. Also included are two slipways entirely covered, with the capacity to build simultaneously up to six vessels with a length of 30m. It has one outfitting dock, measuring 250m, among other assets.
The YCTS team fill a void in the yachting industry – providing a new level of technical support in line with the unique needs of the large yacht environment
W
ith leading superyacht builders primarily concentrated to Western Europe, in locations
such as Germany, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, it may not seem like an obvious choice for SHADOWCAT to have selected Spain’s Astilleros Armón Shipyards for the construction of its first new support vessels. It’s true that Spanish shipyards are generally thought of as exporters, delivering the majority of newbuild projects to overseas customers. However, the shipbuilding industry in Spain is arguably one of the most experienced in Europe, with many of the vessels constructed there incorporating the latest of technological advancements and award-winning designs.
These were important considerations for SHADOWCAT, the leading designer of bespoke support yachts, but ultimately, after many meetings with various other yards in northern European, Armón offered the right mix of quality, experience, technical skill and availability to ensure that its luxury new-build projects were completed successfully.
Across all its locations, a high-productivity capacity permits Armón to deliver more than 40 vessels annually. This volume, as well as the great diversity of the vessels delivered, places Armón amongst worldwide market leaders. “It was an easy decision to build our SHADOWCATs in Spain,” said Smith. “It was less about the location and more about the expertise of the team. Armón continues to deliver.”
Since 2019, SHADOWCAT and Armón have so far delivered three superyacht sized support vessels. This impressive feat flags SHADOWCAT and its naval architecture firm Incat Crowther as the group that has delivered the most catamaran tonnage to market in the past five years.
ARMÓN-CONSTRUCTED SHADOWCAT VESSELS
Multi-Award Winning Hodor Delivered in 2019, 66m M/Y Hodor was the first SHADOWCAT vessel to be delivered, a move that introduced renowned naval architect and engineering
120 | AUTUMN 2022 | ONBOARD
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