A completely different type of marina

Not all marinas can be put in the same category or are equal. Some have different standards of service, some have better large-yacht berthing facilities and some are well-known harbours that have become part of the superyacht ecosystem.

Ultimately, a marina is either a significant home port, a seasonal destination, or a combination of the two, but occasionally there are marinas that need their own category, and this applies to IGY Sète Marina in the South of France, best described as a technical service and maintenance base for large yachts.

Pre-season preparation harbour

Nestled on the South of France coast between Barcelona and Marseille, this unique marina, managed by IGY Marinas, is a jewel in the Mediterranean that is perfect for any yacht over 60 metres as a technical base or pre-season preparation harbour. In fact, looking closely at the technical specifications of Sète Marina, it’s hard to think of a yacht in the entire fleet that couldn’t be accommodated.

When referring to the graphic, it hardly does the space justice. The main Quay D is 425 metres in length, so two of the largest Lürssen yachts currently being delivered could easily fit there, with up to 2,000 amps of shore power. Quay C is 100 metres, and Quay B is 157 metres, with 8 metres of draft, no beam restrictions, and no overhead clearance issues. It is therefore, the perfect berthing location for any large new-build yacht planning to start their season or a yacht that wants a private, affordable space for significant maintenance or service works with subcontractors and mobile cranes, all with easy access alongside. It is also well served by Montpellier International airport which is a mere 25 minutes’ drive away.   This airport has year-round daily flights to Paris, London, Amsterdam and over 30 other destinations.

One of the IGY Trident members, M/Y Just J’s, took advantage of Sète Marina as part of their European season and both captains sang the praises of the facility and the service they received.

Captain Eric Edscorn: 

“We spent a lot of time at IGY Sète this summer. Just to put it out there, Jerome was fantastic to work with. He and his team really bent over backwards to accommodate us and make our visit outstanding. To add a cherry on top, Jérôme helped us accomplish more technical works during our stay there than we did in the shipyard. What an amazing guy, with a tireless work ethic and great personality.”

Captain Scott E. Teele:

“As an update on Sète, Jérôme is going above and beyond to make our stay as simple as possible, and the facilities are exactly what we need at this time of the year. The privacy and security and the surroundings are amazing! Thanks for helping us and kudos to your Sète team.”

20% VAT savings on imported goods

In addition to providing safe, secure and private deep-water berthing for even the largest yachts, what is so interesting about Sète Marina is the relationship it has with French customs and the opportunity to use the marina as a technical service basin, with import benefits for anything needed for yacht repairs. Imagine a new build arriving from Holland or Germany, and before the Mediterranean season you still have a variety of owner supply items to install or works still needing to be carried out. During a handover phase, the customs arrangement can deliver 20 per cent VAT savings on imported goods.

Import-Export assistance

In addition, for a yacht arriving from the USA for use or sale in the European market, the team at IGY Sète Marina can provide import-export assistance. Therefore, this large-yacht basin – or technical service and maintenance base for large yachts, as it’s better described – has a multipurpose value that makes it unique among the various home ports and parking lots across the South of France, but without the high prices and expenses.

Other benefits include the peace and tranquillity of a small French maritime town, with the upland rural experiences and affordable accommodation for subcontractors and crew. It all makes this base a great location where a manager or captain is able to set up a three to four-month project process for a significant piece of in-water maintenance or a reasonably sized self-managed refit project.

As several large yachts over 60 metres leave their new-build shipyards this spring and plan their maiden voyage to Gibraltar, looking for a safe, secure and private Mediterranean base to set up and do their pre-season conditioning, provisioning, crew training and other tweaks, it’s hard to find fault in what IGY Sète Marina and Jérôme Cuaz, the General Manager, can provide.