Photo by Davor Žunić
ANDRIJA ŠIMIĆ
THE OWNER OF SIMMOR MARITIME AGENCY
Captain Andrija Šimić, the winner of the annual state award for the contribution to the development of maritime economy, claims that Croatia lacks 15,000 new berths, since it is a paradise for yachting tourism.
“In 2017, the Caribbean felt how ruthless and devastating nature can be. A hurricane destroyed around 2,000 boats, large and small. Sometimes that happens: when someone loses, another one wins. Climate changes that are present in the world certainly benefit Croatian yachting tourism.”
What happened in the Caribbean will never happen in the Adriatic Sea
I believe that the Adriatic Sea will be more interesting, more sought after, more desirable for yachting tourism precisely due to weather, and, I would like to add, safety reasons. According to many, even in the worst meteorological scenario, this part of the world will be spared. The Adriatic is, namely, so far north, that the dangerous subtropical climate zone that carries awfully bad weather with winds up to 200-300 kilometers per hour, will not come here. Such winds literally break large yachts like toys in ports. That happened in the Caribbean when the Siera Romeo, a huge 50-meter yacht, simply sunk. It was worth 30 million euros, it was on secure berth within the actual port, but the yacht was completely destroyed due to the incredible force of the hurricane. The captain sent me the picture of the yacht, and the hurricane “stacked” another yacht on its prow. Terrible!
Mega yachts in Rijeka port
Those are the words of captain Andrija Šimić, the owner of the maritime agency Simmor, who ended his career after sailing in the merchant navy as a captain on a 56-meter-long yacht of an Italian billionaire. Then he decided, somewhat abruptly and to the surprise of many, to end his captain career and start working in an agency specialized for servicing the needs of great yachts. Mega yachts became his basic activity. He is successfully bringing them to Rijeka, once an industrial city, and now, a city in search of a new business identity. Because of his work and business success that made Rijeka an interesting destination to owners of mega yachts, the Ministry of Maritime Affairs presented him with the annual award for his contribution to the development of maritime economy.
“The Rijeka city port is the most beautiful port in Croatia and that is why Rijeka can be a serious nautical destination for mega yachts and superyachts longer than 100 meters. Its two piers, Molo Longo and Porto Baroš, are a comparative advantage that no other port in Croatia has. That is the so-called double breakwater that guarantees complete safety to the biggest yachts on berth.