Simpson Marine and Beneteau APAC to Host Asia's Second Edition of the Beneteau Cup in 2022

15 December 2021

Simpson Marine and Beneteau APAC are delighted to announce the second edition of the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong, a flagship sailing event for Beneteau in Asia that will take place on 28-29 May 2022. This popular event brings together Beneteau owners to enjoy a fun packed weekend of sailing in the spectacular setting of Hong Kong.

The inaugural Beneteau Cup Hong Kong, held in May 2021, attracted 21 teams, ranging in size from a First 25s to an Oceanis 51.1. The event brought together Beneteau sailing yacht owners, families, and friends for an exciting two day event that included a Round the Islands coastal race with an evening Gala Dinner at the ABC Middle Island Clubhouse. A Pursuit Race was held on day two, followed by a Sunset Beach BBQ in Tai Tam Bay. The event provided Beneteau owners with an inviting platform to connect or reconnect with one another.

Beneteau’s avant-garde yachts are suited for ocean sailing, spirited racing and relaxed family cruising with performance and comfort. With stylish sailing yacht models ranging from 14 to 62 feet, there is a Beneteau yacht for every occasion. With over 130 years of experience, Beneteau Group is the number one yacht builder in the world with Beneteau Sail and Beneteau Power offering a comprehensive range of yachts for boaters of all levels and experience. The Beneteau Sail division is comprised of the Oceanis and First ranges and One Design Figaro 3.Beneteau has been represented in most of Asia by Simpson Marine for the past 37 years, making it the most long-standing partners for the company.

Hosted by the Aberdeen Boat Club (ABC) – the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong 2022 is set to be a two-day regatta with a busy sailing and social programme. This includes two races – An Islands Race on Day One and a Pursuit Race on Day Two. A themed awards Gala Dinner will be staged at ABC Middle Island on Day One and the entire event will be rounded off with an afternoon Awards Ceremony at The Pulse Roof Top Repulse Bay for a gourmet food and drinks after party, including a prize giving and the announcement of the overall Beneteau Cup winner. Guests will be able to enjoy sunset views from this unique location while watching the fleet anchored up in Repulse Bay. This will be an exceptional way to conclude the event and let crews to unwind after an active fun weekend.

“The first Hong Kong edition of the Beneteau Cup was a tremendous success,” says Richard Allen, Simpson Marine Group General Manager. “We attracted an entry of 21 Beneteau yachts along with their owners and more than 200 crew and guests during the two-day regatta. With over 20 prestigious partners to sponsor and support the regatta, a great time was had by all. We expect to see even more entries in 2022 and there is already much anticipation for the 2022 Beneteau Cup as it has already become a firm favourite and was the talk of the town this summer. With the support of the Aberdeen Boat Club, the first edition was a very enjoyable and an entertaining event. The combination of competitive and fun racing and the social atmosphere, combined with fantastic prize presentations and dining experiences, was unforgettable. We had perfect weather conditions and everyone was keen to participate during two days of exciting sailing. We hope to see all Beneteau owners with their crews, friends and family again in 2022 to have a fun time on and off the water!”

“After the success of the first edition of the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong, I am delighted to announce to Beneteau owners that planning for the second edition is already underway in preparation for spring 2022,” says Erwan Her, Beneteau APAC Sales Director. “The 2022 edition will be another fun weekend mixing racing and partying, all organised by Simpson Marine, the Aberdeen Boat Club and Beneteau APAC, with the help of our dedicated partners. The scenic Hong Kong waters are an ideal place for this kind of event, and we believe this new yachting rendezvous is becoming one of the most awaited sailing events in the region. I would like to invite all Beneteau owners and their friends to come celebrate the 2022 edition with the same enthusiasm and happiness we had the pleasure of witnessing last year.”

Just as in 2021, the 2022 event will continue its initiatives to give back to the community. The Beneteau Cup Hong Kong 2022 will support charitable efforts to inspire, motivate and support underprivileged communities and encourage environmental causes and consciousness in Hong Kong.

Mark the date in your nautical calendars and don’t miss the second edition of this flagship event. All Beneteau owners are invited to join Beneteau APAC and Simpson Marine for this fun weekend. Registrations will open in January 2022.

To discover more about the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong please visit the event’s dedicated website – www.beneteaucuphk.com.

Simpson Marine and Beneteau Asia Launch Asia’s First Beneteau Cup in Hong Kong

22 April 2021

Simpson Marine and Beneteau Asia are delighted to announce the launch of the first edition of the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong, a new flagship sailing event for Beneteau in Asia on the 15th and 16th May 2021. ​ With 137 years of experience, the prestigious French Beneteau Group is the number one yacht builder in the world, offering a comprehensive range of yachts for boaters and yachtsmen of all levels and experience. The Group’s historic trademark, Beneteau has been a pioneer for recreational boating since 1884. With its world-leading ranges and iconic products, nearly 45 models offer diverse, high-performance capabilities. With one single idea in mind: innovating in terms of both boats and processes to enable as many people as possible to realise their dreams, making the avant-garde accessible. Beneteau has been represented in most of Asia by Simpson Marine for the past 35 years, making it the most long standing partner for the company. ​ Hosted by the Aberdeen Boat Club (ABC) – the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong 2021 is a two-day regatta with a busy sailing and social programme. This includes two races (Island Race on Day 1 and Pursuit Race on Day 2) in the HKPN and Family Classes, and an evening Awards Dinner Ceremony with live music and vibrant activations at the ABC Middle Island Clubhouse. The venue will be styled as a lush, tropical island and themed as the “French Antilles”. The Best Dressed Crew Award will be presented to the most imaginative team. ​ The entire event will be rounded off with a friendly beach BBQ on one of Hong Kong’s many islands after the Pursuit Race on Day 2, with prizegiving and the announcement of the Overall Beneteau Cup Winner. All Beneteau owners are invited to join Simpson Marine for this fun weekend. The regatta is set to start a new sailing tradition in Hong Kong as the Beneteau Cup will become an annualy held event. “We are happy to be launching this new fun regatta for all Beneteau owners in Hong Kong,” says Richard Allen, Simpson Marine Group General Manager. “There are Beneteau Cups taking place all over the world but we have never had a dedicated Beneteau Owners event in Hong Kong and that had to change! With the support of Beneteau and the Aberdeen Boat Club we would like to invite all Beneteau owners with their crew, friends and family to the Beneteau Cup Hong Kong 2021. With two days of fun racing, big social events, a treasure hunt, a white sails pursuit race and a beach BBQ there is plenty for everyone to enjoy. The event is aimed at having a fun time and growing the owners community around Hong Kong, so everyone is welcome, regardless of their racing experience.” ​ “On 15 May Beneteau, together with Simpson Marine, will fire the starting gun of the first Hong Kong edition of the renowned Beneteau Cup,” says Vianney Guezenec, Beneteau APAC Director. “For the first time in Hong Kong we will have the pleasure of celebrating the Beneteau family with a unique two-day experience of sailing and fun. I’m pleased to see that Simpson Marine and the Aberdeen Boat Club are organizing a truly exciting edition, mixing (fun!) races, sailing, parties, games, music and so much more! At Beneteau we are very proud to see such amazing event being held by Simpson Marine, our historical partner in the region, and are looking forward to being able to connect or reconnect with all the owners in Hong Kong.” ​ Making it even more a meaningful event, Beneteau Cup Hong Kong event will support SPLASH FOUNDATION, Hong Kong’s only charitable organization teaching under-resourced communities how to swim. They currently work with domestic workers, kids from low-income families and kids with special needs. The Beneteau Cup will be donating to Splash’s 2021 programmes and SPLASH Volunteers will join the Regatta on Day 1 to help with the fun water activities prepared for the teams in the free time between the end of the Race 1 and the evening Awards Dinner. ​ The event is supported by a number of Partners including CF Wealth Management, a reputable international Wealth Management Company, a Partner Practice of St. James’s Place. CF Wealth specialises in providing sustainable investment strategy to maximise the financial outcome for their clients whilst maintaining accountability for the social and environmental impact and Voyager Risk Solutions, a leading Yacht Insurance company providing all aspects of speciality insurance services to corporate and individual customers in Asia Pacific and South East Asian Region with over 25 years of in-depth experience on the market. Other Regatta Partners include Ateliers Pinton, prestigious French Creator of exceptional carpets, rugs and tapestries, Beaba, innovative and trendy French-designed Baby Care products, OBMG, Marine Electronics and engineering services Peters & May, Global marine transportation specialist and Rocna, Experts in boat anchors and reliable anchoring solutions. ​ We would like to thank all our prestigious brand partners for donating awards and prizes for the Beneteau Cup 2021 including Frette, Mazu, Toio, Kapok, CleanMax, UK Sails, North Sails, OBMG, Sotheby’s Wine, and many more.

Beneteau Introduces FIRST SE to the FIRST family

23 February 2021

As part of its ongoing mission to share a passion for sailing, last year Beneteau, together with Seascape, presented three new members of the 7th generation of the FlRST line. The First 24 and 27 are exciting sports cruisers, while the First 14 is an innovative dinghy that brings fun and exciting sailing to all. In addition, the new First SE – Seascape Edition line, consisting of four models (the 14SE, 18SE, 24SE and 27SE) was recently created with the mission to bring modern one­ design racing and adventure sailing to every sailor. ​ These new Firsts are drawing power from the same exhilarating hulls designed by talented Samuel Manuard as their SE cousins, while offering simpler systems, aluminium masts, more comfortable interiors and cockpits geared towards day sailing and coastal cruising. Adapting to the different needs and expectations of a wide variety of users has always been a staple of the Beneteau brand. First SE – Seascape Edition builds on the Seascape heritage and encourages and empowers sailors to expand their comfort zone. It brings high-tech performance, and event and community know-how from the cutting edge of racing into the hands of amateur sailors. First 14 SE – Seascape Edition will satisfy more demanding dinghy sailors who want to push themselves further with an extra layer of performance and high-tech. She delivers the excitement, speed and fun of high-performance racing skiffs in a modern, accessible, safe and easy-to-handle package. The build quality and high-tech materials allow sailors to push the boat in stronger winds, while additional sail area gives extra power in light wind conditions. The mast, boom and bowsprit are made of carbon fibre while the upwind sails are built from laminate. With smart removable wheels and easy to transport on the car-roof, she is the perfect answer to an active lifestyle. The 18 SE is a sailboat for people who want to start exploring sailing and grow into well-versed sailors, whether in one design club racing or adventure sailing. With 500 of the First 18 SE – Seascape Edition already sold worldwide she is a perfect sport boat for recreational sailors who would like to challenge themselves in well-established one-design class. Her wide flat hull and twin rudders cannot disguise the offshore DNA which offers complete control even when planing at double-digit speeds. Boat handling and deck organisation are simplified as much as possible with a snuffer system, furling jib and carbon mast without backstays. It has a small, but still spacious enough, cabin that can accommodate two adults. A large open cockpit and a small cabin with a big double berth makes it an ideal sea camping platform. The fully retractable swinging keel and removable rudder blades will give you access to the shallowest bays. Being easily trailered and dismantled, she is also able to fulfil racing ambitions as well as suiting those looking to head away for a night. ​ Whether you are hoping to expand your comfort zone in solo adventure racing or take your family on adventure holidays, the First 24 SE – Seascape Edition covers it all. She is a modern high-tech sport cruiser, delivering thrilling performance and an exciting sailing experience. Her carbon rig not only reduces the weight aloft but also removes the need for a backstay. This significantly simplifies maneuvers and allows the boat to carry a sizeable square-top mainsail. This results in a combination of very high sail area/displacement ratio which allows sailors to have fun in even the lightest winds. Being trailerable and slip-launchable together with a smart system to raise the mast even single-handed allows the 24SE to change sailing regions with great ease. The First 27 SE delivers extraordinary sailing experiences that until today were reserved for professional racers. This Samuel Manuard-designed all-weather, vacuum infused one-design offshore racer and adventure cruiser is built entirely in sandwich construction. This construction method helped make her the only offshore one-design class sailboat that can be towed on the road without special permissions and has allowed over 160 owners to gather and undertake long-distance races around Europe and USA. Please enquire with us about this new exciting range of sailing boats at beneteau@simpsonmarine.com