Barriers to yachting slowly being eroded in Brazil

Brazil’s economy slowed yet again in the third quarter of 2012, posting sluggish growth statistics of just 0.6 per cent, almost half what market analysts had predicted for the period.

The disappointing figures are likely to accelerate president, Dilma Roussef’s privatisation of much of the country’s transport framework, which includes its ports and coastal infrastructure.

The selling off of these assets could conceivably pave the way for marina development along Brazil’s coastline, with astute investors capitalising on the opportunity to develop suitable sites ahead of both the World Cup and Rio Olympics.

Westrec Marinas is one such company, having already opened four Brazilian sites, with plans to expand its portfolio in the country to 10.  Ronaldo Basilio de Souza, Westrec’s director of operations for Latin America says the Brazilian marina sector is currently a small operation but it has potential because “wealth is rapidly growing [in Brazil] and the interest in yachting isn’t being forced like it is in Asia.”

The challenge remains, he said, “to sell the Brazilian yachting experience to affluent Americans”, but thanks to an effective lobbying process the traditional barriers to expanding the industry are slowly being eroded.


Although progress is being made in Brazil Jorge Camasmie, of Brazilian-based Master Marine insists bringing a superyacht to its waters is still very much an esoteric process. Non-domiciles, he explained, visiting the country as tourists can bring their yachts to Brazil for the length of their stay – up to six months – and the vessel can reside in Brazil, albeit dormant and not in operation, until the ‘tourist’ returns. But this classification does not extend to the captain and crew, who still require Brazilian visas. Furthermore, superyacht charters only become commercial activities in the eyes of legislators, if the charter begins in Brazilian waters.

Where Camasmie says things get a little more complicated is when a superyacht is brought to Brazil by its crew, with the intention of undertaking multiple charters. The vessel, he explains, must be affiliated with a local administrator who assumes the vessel's fiscal various commitments. “By paying these taxes”, he said, “the yacht can be chartered by anyone - tourist or non-tourist, resident or non-resident, Brazilian or non-Brazilian.”


With the raft of legislation that is being applied to superyacht charter in Europe, the requirements for Brazilian charters do not appear as prohibitive as popular opinion would have one believe. However, with under 18 months left before the first of Brazil’s mass-participation events begins, investment in the country’s superyacht infrastructure needs to advance at pace, in order to have any chance of luring superyachts to its waters. The availability of coastal sites, and incremental deregulation of the sector will contribute to that.

Related Links

Westrec Marinas Website

Master Marine Website

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