Awarded by The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC), the accolade recognises excellence in the design, functionality, sustainability and aesthetics of modern recreational boating facilities.
Singapore, 8 April 2016 – Marina at Keppel Bay, designed by world renowned marina builder, Bellingham Marine, has become the first marina in Asia to be conferred the Marina Excellence Design Jack Nichol Award by The World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure (PIANC), beating other international marinas from Turkey, Croatia and Italy to clinch the title. The award was presented today in a ceremony held at the Asia Boating Forum 2016.
“It’s an honour for one of our projects to be presented with PIANC’s prestigious Marina Design Jack Nichol Award,” remarked Mr Everett Babbitt, President and CEO of Bellingham Marine. “I can think of no greater accolade for our company than to be affiliated with an award that pays tribute to the late Jack Nichol and his work in the marina industry.”
Receiving the award on behalf of Marina at Keppel Bay was Mr. Trevor Fong, GM, Marina at Keppel Bay. He said, “Since our establishment in 2008, the team at Marina at Keppel Bay has been working hard to forge ahead to improve and upgrade our marina. At the same time, in caring for the environment, we also benchmark ourselves against the highest standards of environmental stewardship.”
“We are heartened that our efforts have garnered Marina at Keppel Bay international recognition. This award will spur us on in our journey towards achieving even higher standards in the Marina’s functionality and environmental sustainability for all our stakeholders, as well as the wider yachting community.”
The internationally-recognised Marina Excellence Design Award is administered by PIANC’s Recreational Navigation Commission (RecCom) and is evaluated by a judging committee which includes the International Council of Marine Industry Associations (ICOMIA) members.
Dr. Eng. Elio Ciralli, Chairman of PIANC RecCom, said, “Our Commission unanimously decided that Marina at Keppel Bay, which embodies excellence in design under functionality, sustainability and aesthetics points of view, to be the winner of the Marina Excellence Design Jack Nichol Award 2016.”
“It takes appreciation for the environment and a thorough understanding of the engineering requirements to ensure that a marina is properly planned, sited, laid out, protected and built – all of which are embodied by Marina at Keppel Bay.”
“The Marina’s comprehensive sustainability program is a fine example to the industry on how a well-designed and operated marina can have a strongly mitigated impact on its surrounding environment. Marina at Keppel Bay embodies principles to create a safe, sustainable, and pleasant place for boats and people – a truly enriching waterfront. The support for applying these principles is the main goal of PIANC RecCom.”
Setting new standards in marina construction and services, Marina at Keppel Bay’s state-of-the-art floating concrete pontoon system, designed and built by Bellingham Marine, can accommodate 168 yachts, including superyachts of up to 86 metres inside the Marina.
The Marina also features Singapore’s first individual pontoon berthing structure for superyachts and the first modern reticulated vacuum sewer pump-out system. Other notable features include:
- A generous entrance channel and fairways allow yachts to easily access the marina.
- Use of properly designed and placed wave protection ensures a calm, well-flushed basin.
- Extra-wide, stable pontoons and floating platforms enable the marina to function as a venue for industry events
Mr. Trevor Fong added, “We are proud to have partners such as Bellingham Marine who have provided Marina at Keppel Bay strong support and expertise in building and designing a world-class pontoon system. The quality and spacious pontoon infrastructure has contributed to the Marina becoming a much sought-after berthing facility in Singapore.”
The award ceremony will also be held in Europe on 18 May 2016 during PIANC’s Annual General Assembly in Bruges, Belgium, in the presence of delegates representing more than 40 countries.
About PIANC and MEDA
PIANC, the World Association for Waterborne Transport Infrastructure, is a non-political and non-profit organisation where professionals around the world join forces to provide expert advice on cost-effective, reliable and sustainable infrastructures to facilitate the growth of waterborne transport.
Established in 1885, PIANC continues to be the leading partner for government and private sector in the design, development and maintenance of ports, waterways and coastal areas. PIANC brings together the best international experts on technical, economic and environmental issues pertaining to waterborne transport infrastructures. Members include national governments and public authorities, corporations and interested individuals.
The PIANC Marina Excellence Design Jack Nichol Award was created in 2002 in memory of the late Jack Nichol, well-respected marina designer. The purpose of the Award is to recognise excellence in the design of modern recreational boating facilities around the world.
About Marina at Keppel Bay
Nestled on the historic Keppel Island, the award-winning Marina at Keppel Bay is the centrepiece of the premier Keppel Bay waterfront precinct – the only residential development in Singapore to have its own world-class marina on its very own private island.
The multi-award winning Marina at Keppel Bay is the preferred destination for international luxury yachts and water playground for the privileged. Set amidst beautifully landscaped grounds, the Marina enjoys proximity to the city centre and is in the necklace of entertainment hotspots. Featuring world-class berthing facilities with state-of-the-art concrete pontoons for 168 yachts, the Marina can accommodate yachts up to 86 metres in size inside the marina, while the berth alongside Keppel Island Plaza can accommodate megayachts up to 200 metres.
Within the Marina are exceptional dining and entertainment selections, exclusive waterfront venues, as well as a fleet of luxury yachts for private and corporate charters. The highly-acclaimed Keppel Bay Sailing Academy, an integral part of Marina at Keppel Bay, is the first sailing academy in Singapore offering sailing courses accredited by the UK-based Royal Yachting Association.
About Bellingham Marine
Bellingham Marine is the world’s leading marina design-build construction company which specialises in the design and manufacturing of floating dock, floating platform and floating wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. The company also produces dry storage systems for the upland storage of boats.
Ocean Reef Club has replaced the fixed piers at its Marina and Marina Village Condominiums with concrete floating docks from Bellingham Marine. The decision has proven to be a good one. A recent appraisal of the docks has them priced at more than two times the value of the old.
Key Largo, FL, USA – 5 April 2016 – Over the past four years, private dock owners at the exclusive Ocean Reef Club in Key Largo, Florida have been replacing their fixed concrete piers with modern concrete floating docks. “It’s a decision that has proven to have a huge return for the club’s dock owners,” remarked Keith Miller, President of Ocean Reef Club’s Marina Village Condominium Association.
Ocean Reef’s new docks reflect the latest in floating dock technology. Fully encased concrete floats, rounded finger ends, composite trim, telescoping pile and underwater lights are just a few of the features. The new docks are also engineered to withstand extreme storm events including winds up to 120 mph and an 8-foot storm surge.
“The decision to upgrade our docks was one we knew would pay off,” said Sandy Marks, board member of F-Dock. “What we didn’t anticipate was how large the payoff would be. A single slip that was priced at $250,000 before the renovation is now valued at close to $750,000. The returns are even more impressive for the owners of the largest slips.”
In November of last year, Bellingham Marine completed the replacement of E and F Docks at Ocean Reef Club Marina and the docks at Marina Village 1 and 2. Docks at D and H were replaced by Bellingham in 2011.
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine specializes in floating dock, floating platform and floating wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. The company also produces dry storage systems for the upland storage of boats.
Bill Huffman’s remarkable 37- year career as a marine structural engineer encompasses some of the best known and most elite marinas in the Northeast, Southeast, Gulf Coast and Caribbean. His years of experience in the field give him a broad perspective from which to advise marina owners about the storm worthiness of their marinas. Huffman is the president of Structural Systems Analysis (SSA) based in Savannah, Georgia.
St George Motor Boat Club uses an attenuator to protect the marina during storm events.
At the last International Marina and Boatyard Conference (IMBC), Huffman presented a talk titled “Determining Anchor Pile Type and Size for Marinas,” in which he described engineering marinas to weather severe storms. Afterward, owners and operators approached him with questions. “How do I know my marina will survive a major storm?” “What is the largest boat I should allow to tie to my docks if a storm is approaching?” To learn the answers to these and other questions, Robert Wilkes interviewed Huffman.
Robert Wilkes: For readers who missed your talk at IMBC, what was the “take away” there?
William Huffman: My talk was about how we design for storm resistance and how that has evolved over the last thirty years and how owners can understand their own vulnerabilities.
RW: You had a lot of questions from people after your talk. What happened? Continue Reading…
Taiwan yachting company, YuYue Yacht Company, and international marina expert, Bellingham Marine, have signed a Memorandum of Understanding. The agreement outlines a partnership between the two companies in which they will work together to create new marinas in Taiwan.
Kaohsiung, Taiwan – 31 March 2016 – Boating enthusiasts may soon see the construction of several new marinas in Taiwan. In an agreement entered into between YuYue Yacht Company and Bellingham Marine, the two companies identify several new marina projects planned for development in the region.
The growing popularity of recreational boating in Taiwan is straining available resources. Three marinas were completed in 2013 adding 200 slips to the region. However, all have been filled. “There is a shortage of boat slips in the country, which is having a dramatic impact on the cost of moorage – it’s pricing many out of the market,” said Vincent Kuan, Director of YuYue Yacht Company.
“A key element of building Taiwan’s recreational boating industry is the creation of quality-built new marinas.”
“As an island nation with beautiful coastlines and nearby cruising grounds, Taiwan has the potential to create a thriving boating community,” said John Spragg, General Manager for Bellingham Marine. “However, growing a new industry takes time and the support of developers like YuYue who are committed to doing it right from the start.”
YuYue Yacht Company is a dealership in Taiwan for a number of high end boat brands including Sunseeker, Galeon and Quick Silver.
As the world’s leading marina design-build construction company, Bellingham Marine specializes in floating dock, floating platform and floating wave attenuation systems for marinas worldwide. The company also produces dry storage systems for the upland storage of boats.
Brett Bolton, CEO of d’Albora Marinas, heads up the largest marina group in Australia. Speaking to Robert Wilkes from his office at a’Albora headquarters in Sydney, Bolton discusses innovation, strategy, customer service and branding.
Brett Bolton has held a number of high profile management roles in some of the largest recreation and marina companies in Australia and New Zealand. He started in the marine sector fifteen years ago in reef tourism as Operations Manager with Sun Lover Cruises in Cairns. Sun Lover takes as many as 600 tourists at a time on large, high-speed catamarans to the Great Barrier Reef for snorkeling adventures.
Wyndham Harbour in Australia has mastered the art of attracting boaters.
In 2003 Bolton was named manager of the marina serving tourism in Cairns. The facility had just completed a major redevelopment. “It was like a startup,” said Bolton. “We had to hire and train the staff and plan operations and maintenance for a new, larger facility. Daily traffic included fifty tour boats and 3,000 tourist passengers. We attracted many super yachts in the 50m to 75m range, some up to 120m.”
In 2007 Bolton moved to a new post at publically-listed Ariadne Australia Ltd headquartered in Brisbane.