Why DT&F Yacht Sales?

RETURN OF A LEGEND

Dwight Tracy & Friends Yacht Sales Signs Agreement to Provide Exclusive Worldwide Distribution for Expanded Production of Blackfin Sportfishing Boats and Yachts

Palm Beach, Florida – As the Palm Beach International Boat Show opened, well-known yacht brokerage firm Dwight Tracy & Friends and boat manufacturer Blackfin Boats Inc. jointly announced their launch of a strategic partnership for the marketing, sales and exclusive worldwide distribution of a new, expanded line of thoroughly modernized Blackfin sportfishing boats and yachts.

According to DT&F founder and CEO Dwight Tracy,

“Unbeknownst to most, Blackfin has during the past decade continued quietly building, in small numbers, superbly hand-crafted center console and open sportfishing boats. These contemporary products are firmly based in, and evolved from the legendary bloodline that pioneered offshore fishing in small craft. Recently, the company decided to expand its current production and product line, to meet a rapidly growing market demand. They contacted us to discuss how best to ‘re-introduce’ the Blackfin brand, which for the past ten or so years has been, perhaps, the best kept secret in the boating marketplace. We felt that their exceedingly high quality product range would very nicely complement our current strong dealership and brokerage coverage in yachts from 45’ on up to more than 180’ LOA.

The Blackfin line currently ranges from 27’ to 34’, and will soon re-expand to include express sportfishing yachts 34’ to 42’ LOA. This dovetails nicely with our McKinna Yachts dealership coverage, which runs from 48’ to 120’. The result is a long-term agreement for DT&F to become the exclusive sales and worldwide distribution arm for Blackfin boats. Needless to say, all of us involved are extremely pleased with the partnership, and really excited about bringing this sportfishing legend back to a level of deserved prominence.”

Blackfin Boats Inc. principals Gustavo Cardona and Jose Suarez added,

“We build boats, terrific boats, whose bloodlines trace back to the original Blackfin offshore sportfishing boats that were proven in the best test tank in the world, the open sea. Building high quality boats is what we do, what we do best, and what we want to continue doing. So, when we decided the time had come to expand both our production numbers and our product line, we carefully looked around for a Florida-based firm that could provide us with a turn-key marketing and sales solution. By far, the best candidate for the job was Dwight Tracy & Friends. Their home office is relatively close to our facility. Their principals and associates have in-depth experience in marketing and branding boat and yacht lines. And their accumulated years of experience in the marine industry totals more than a century. We are very pleased to have come to an agreement with them, and we look forward to a great future together.”

In order to assure a smooth transition from its current level of production to one more in line with presently growing market demand, Blackfin engaged marine technical and business consulting firm, the Port Royal Group, to plan and manage the expansion, as well as work with them in terms of new model development. The Port Royal Group is headed up by Phil Friedman, who has a long and varied background in the marine industry, as a boat builder and marine operations and business manager and consultant.

According to Dwight, Friedman is perfectly suited to help in the plan to carry current-day Blackfin to re-emergence as a powerhouse in the sportfishing boat marketplace. Not only does Friedman have significant hands-on boatbuilding experience, but during several years as president and CEO of Palmer Johnson Yachts, was responsible for executive management of two major shipyards with annual gross revenues in excess of $60 million and nearly 600 employees across the country. And prior to his stint at PJ, he was VP-Operations and CFO for a multi-location luxury yacht dealership and chain of boatyards, so understands issues and problems both on the manufacturing side and on the marketing, distribution and sales side.

Said Friedman of his latest undertaking,

“When Dwight Tracy, whom I’ve known personally for many years, asked me to take a look at getting involved with this project, I literally jumped at the chance. My “spiritual” connection with Blackfin boats dates back to the early 1990s, when I was testing, evaluating and writing about boats as Senior Editor for Power & Motoryacht magazine. Blackfins have always struck me as paradigm examples of how, every so often, a multiplicity of factors coalesces to produce a superior vessel, whose performance in the broadest sense of the term is very difficult, if not impossible to improve on. To my mind, they are true “classics”, albeit today fully modernized in terms of materials and production technology.”

Asked what Blackfin Boat Sales upcoming promotional activities will be, Dwight said that they will be interesting and novel, but declined to disclose details at this point. He did, however, say that a Customer Loyalty Promotion was in the making, and that current and previous owners of Blackfin boats are invited to contact the company for further information and the opportunity to get in on the ground floor of this exciting time in the history of Blackfin Boats. He also invited current and previous owners of Blackfin boats to share their experiences and opinions with other former and new Blackfin owners at blackfinownersgroup@blackfinboats.com.

Dwight Tracy & Friends is described by those familiar with the firm as a tight knit, family-oriented organization, with a sterling reputation built upon honesty, integrity, and dedication to professionalism and a tireless work ethic. DT&F founder & CEO, Dwight Tracy, is the former owner and chief executive of the Allied Marine Group (AMG). Dwight was widely credited with transforming AMG from a single-location operation to a global marine powerhouse, and for helping make brands such as Hatteras, Azimut, and Ferretti virtual household names in this country.