The number of super and megayachts such as the Silver Zwei (above) at local marinas has more than doubled in recent years, from 20 in 2007 to 45 last year. Owners of such yachts tend to spend at least $273,000 on berthing and supplies per stopover.
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THE One(degree)15 Marina at Sentosa recently received its largest guest yet - the Silver Zwei, a 240ft (73m) luxury megayacht.
Its owner, German industrialist Guido Krass, had sailed from Hong Kong, where he spent 10 days seeing the sights. Standing on his yacht's helipad, he considered his cruising itinerary for the coming months.
'After this I will head to the Maldives. Perhaps Phuket too. And then I'll be back in Singapore for the F1,' he said.
Mr Krass is among a growing group of well-to-do tourists cruising into Singapore these days, and docking at marinas like Keppel, Raffles, One(degree)15 and the Republic of Singapore Yacht Club.
They are no ordinary boat owners: their boats are either superyachts (between 80ft and 120ft long), or megayachts (between 120ft and 260ft long).
Many of them are attracted to the convenience the Republic offers, thanks to its location within the increasingly popular Asian cruising zone. It is also close to popular spots like Phuket, Langkawi and Hong Kong.
