Sail Lanka Charter recently hosted two exclusive events on board its luxury yacht, the Sapphire. The gatherings took place, whilst the yacht was docked at the Dikowita port and both the functions were attended by VIP guests from the public and private sectors.
The events were hosted as part of Sail Lanka Charter’s ongoing efforts to showcase its fleet whilst highlighting the potential of yachting as a key contributor to the country’s tourism industry and economy at large.
The guests who came on board the Sapphire included Fisheries Minister Mahinda Amaraweera as well as several government officials from Ceylon Fishery Harbour Cooperation, Cey-Nor Foundation and Export Development Board. Corporate sector guests and representatives from various travel agencies were also present.
Commenting on the events, Sail Lanka Charter Chairman Pierre Pringiers stated, “We are extremely honoured to have had the opportunity to host so many distinguished guests on board the Sapphire. We hope that they were able to experience our offering and learn more about our unique luxury yachts and travel services. We are also proud to support the development of the yachting industry at a national level and we are looking forward to helping Sri Lanka become a thriving destination for luxury yachting experiences as well a hub for yacht manufacturing.”
The first event that was hosted on the Sapphire brought together senior members of the Lions Club including Club District Governor Nimal Semadheera (MJF. MAF. JP, District 306 B2) and Cabinet Treasurer Kaushal (PMJF, MAF). During this event, Pringiers made the first donation to the Lions Club on behalf of ‘Building a Future Foundation’ (BAFF) to enable the club to build a new skill development centre in Biyagama.
This centre will offer the youth in the area an array of training opportunities, which will equip them for employment in various marine, boating and yachting related jobs. The project will be similar to the BAFF training centre Pringiers founded in 2007, which has helped Sail Lanka Charter to manufacture yachts locally. The third EXCO meeting of the Lions’ Toastmaster Club was also conducted at the venue thereafter.
The Sapphire also welcomed the members of the Export Development Board, Board of Investment and Boat Technology Institute (BTI), as well as other VIP guests, who came to learn about the future of yachting in Sri Lanka. Guests from BAFF POLYMECH, a sister company of Sail Lanka Charter, were also in attendance. Keeping in mind the rise of yachting on a global scale, the company believes that all this all-important industry can support tourism and provide valuable employment opportunities for people living in key coastal areas of Sri Lanka.
The other guests who were present included French yacht building group Grand Large Yachting Head of Manufacturing Christophe Commard, Nihonbashi and Ministry of Crab Founder Darshan Munidasa and Anna Lin from Quintessentially Travel. Ultra Bespoke Asia Country Manager Kanagaratnam Selvaraj was also in attendance along with Sanjaya Dahanaggamaarachchi, Hashan Silva and Jerome Daniel from Antiquity Sri Lanka.
Finger foods at the event were supplied by a new upscale Belgian cheese brand called CIAO and the guests were able to enjoy a delicious dinner, overlooking the port and ocean.
Sri Lanka Travel Feneteko