Discovery Bay developer’s plan to attract superyachts draws mixed reactions from local residents and Hong Kong’s yachting community
- Lantau Yacht Club, which evicted more than 150 families during renovations last year, plans to offer 150 slips, including some to superyachts by 2020
- Discovery Bay residents feel plan will benefit only the rich, while yacht brokers point to limitations of the marina, such as lack of manoeuvring space
The developer of Discovery Bay on Lantau Island has announced plans to turn its marina into “Hong Kong’s most exclusive” superyacht club, which will hold vessels up to 100-metres (328 feet) long, but the plan has received mixed reactions from locals and the yachting community.
The renamed Lantau Yacht Club, which evicted more than 150 families living on houseboats for renovation last year, will offer 150 slips, including thirteen 60-metre-long berths with capacity to accommodate superyachts up to 100 metres, when it reopens in the second half of 2020, according to its website.
“We believe in the vast development potential of the maritime economy in Hong Kong, which will in turn contribute to tourism and the local economy,” Victor Cha, deputy chairman and managing director of the HKR International Limited, which owns the marina club, said in a statement uploaded to the club’s website earlier this month.
“Our world-class marina will offer an ideal berthing space to local yacht owners and will attract luxury and superyachts from around the world to visit Hong Kong, making our city a preferred yachting destination in the region,” Cha added.
Membership will be by invitation only.
