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Jetsetting with … Managing director of The Singapore Yacht Show Andy Treadwell

SINGAPORE — As managing director of the Singapore Yacht Show, Andy Treadwell knows his boats. From super yachts to small dinghies, he has seen and travelled on them all.

Managing director of the Singapore Yacht Show, Andy Treadwell, says a newbie to sea travel should opt for a trip around the region on a catamaran. Photo: The Singapore Yacht Show

Managing director of the Singapore Yacht Show, Andy Treadwell, says a newbie to sea travel should opt for a trip around the region on a catamaran. Photo: The Singapore Yacht Show

SINGAPORE — As managing director of the Singapore Yacht Show, Andy Treadwell knows his boats. From super yachts to small dinghies, he has seen and travelled on them all.

The 61-year-old makes it a point to take a trip on his own boat in Europe every chance he gets. His favourite place to take his family, which includes his wife and twin daughters, is Corfu in Greece.

“I’ve been everywhere, but the northeast coast of Corfu is the most beautiful. The sea, the scenery, the people there are wonderful and hospitable,” he said.

TODAY caught up with him to ask about where a newbie wanting to try out their sea legs might be able to go a-sailing around the region.

Q: If I am a newbie who wants to take an overnight yacht trip, what tips would you offer?

A: If you are just starting out, I would suggest you go on a catamaran because they are very stable and very comfortable. But your trip would depend entirely on your budget. If you have a few hundred thousand dollars to spare, I could fix you up for a couple of days on a superyacht. One of the best trips you can take around the region would be to go up the Andaman Sea through the Similan Islands, and up to the Mergui Peninsula in Myanmar. You will see unspoilt islands, beautiful dive spots and beaches that are totally unpopulated.

Q: Superyachts may be out of reach of most people, but we know that other water toys are available. Could you give us a few examples?

A: There are personal submarines that can take up to three people into the depths. Then there is stand-up paddle-boarding, which is the fastest-growing sport in the world at the moment. It is taking the place of windsurfing, for instance (because anyone can paddle-board). Also popular is the Seabob — a water-propelled engine that you hold onto in the water. You use it to cruise around, or it can even take you below the surface — you can dive with it.

Q: What do you hope to achieve with the Singapore Yacht Show?

A: We hope to get far more people from the Asian region into the world of boating and yachting, so they understand the fun and pleasure of yachting. To many here, the sea is associated with work — with fishing and for transport. Asians don’t enjoy the sun as much as Westerners do. Thus, when they travel on water, they do so on yachts, which provide good cover so you are not very exposed to the sun or the rain.

With the Yacht Show, we hope to grow the marketplace for the boating industry, as well as a demand for high-end tourism within Asia. Yacht tourism is important because it is associated with high spending power. It can help create the best sort of international public relations. If (Singapore becomes) a yachting destination or a yachting capital, it will draw the highest-spending tourists in the world. That is what I am trying to achieve for the region.

The Singapore Yacht Show begins on April 6 and runs until April 9. Visit www.singaporeyachtshow.com for more information.

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