Superyacht owner Lucas Silva encapsulates everything this year’s edition of The Superyacht Forum stands for. At just 32 years old, he is the very definition of the ‘next generation’, and yet the setting for the video interview that will open this year’s forum – his newly-delivered LeVen – is actually his fourth yacht.

Silva’s latest delivery is actually a step down in LOA from his previous 37m superyacht, although its semi-custom construction at Van der Valk, with owner representation from Barin Cardenas and his YachtCreators team, definitely follows the superyacht model. 

But when speaking to Silva about the vessel’s upcoming operational profile, it is clear this is a client who understands the idiosyncrasies of ownership, and has commissioned a vessel whose distinctive features meet his bespoke requirements.

As we usher in a new decade, our industry is at something of a juncture. Not only is a disproportionate proportion of our clients now of an age where they either won’t have the appetite or the time to commission another project, but we are faced with a new generation of clients potentially at odds with the traditional yachting value proposition. 

And that is what makes Lucas Silva the perfect case study when ‘Building for the Next Generation’. Silva represents a client who could potentially be commissioning vessels for the next 40 years of his life – if our industry meets his expectations. 

Having taken delivery of LeVen in October, and premiering her at FLIBS, he will now take her to the Bahamas. Therefore, we decided to sit down with Silva, who was joined by Cardenas for a special video interview aboard his new vessel, to discuss his experiences to date and, crucially, his projected future ownership timeline and his advice for us all when it comes to client retention and management.

While, ultimately, Silva is currently one of the happy clients and a product of the right ingredients producing the perfect recipe, he has some sage words of advice for the industry that are applicable to stakeholders at every stage of a superyacht’s lifecycle.

The need to provide owners with support, expertise and guidance can often be confused with imposing the views of the vendor on the client and this sometimes-patronising process ultimately inhibits the growth of the global client base.

There are many pertinent lessons the industry can take from a young and active superyacht owner, and many of them will be revealed, and then dissected on the opening morning of The Superyacht Forum. So join us at the superyacht industry’s premier gathering of key stakeholders on 18th November, by reserving your place here.

Profile links

Van Der Valk

METSTRADE

YachtCreators

LeVen Yachts

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