MARKET FOCUS: RUSSIA Left: Despite huge potential, there are only a couple of dozen marinas in the whole of Russia. Below: Marina infrastructure in place for a new marina near Sochi. The facility has not as yet been named. Big plans tempered by rules and rubles In recent years, Russian authorities have adopted several special-purpose programmes aimed at the development of a marina industry in Sochi and other main resorts in Krasnodar Krai and the Crimea with an overall amount of funding close to US0 million. This is a record figure for Russia, which has made little progress in encouraging private investors to put money into the marina sector. Vladislav Vorotnikov reports Almost all existing Russian marinas are located along the south shore of Kransodar Krai. This shoreline includes Sochi, Novorosiisk and smaller coastal towns. Industry opinion has fixed on this region as having the best conditions in the country for the development of yachting. There is excellent tourist infrastructure, ice-free sea and the opportunity for international sailing as the Black Sea has access to the Mediterranean. Effect of Olympics However, even on the Black Sea coast where there is such huge potential, the infrastructure has been poorly developed. “Compared to western countries we are still lagging behind in all indicators. For instance, on the Black Sea coast there are just two official fuelling stations for yachts and the distance between these two points is 130 miles. It is not possible for small motor yachts to cover this distance so the concept of a coastal trip is not actually possible for them,” commented Oleg Chernyh, technical director of JSC DockService-South, a Sochi-based firm offering yacht servicing and repair. “In addition, almost all berthing areas have problems with electricity and fresh water. So, in general, what we have on shore is hard to call a marina. It is rather a place for temporary mooring, partially protected from the weather. And most of the facilities are actually in a deplorable state as they were basically constructed in the time of the Soviet Union and have never been adapted for modern yachts,” he added. The same opinion is expressed by Maksim Condratenko, general director of Imeritinsky Sea Port, where Sochi Marina with its three harbours was www.marinaworld.com - November/December2016 19
