ZEN Yachts Opens a new Office & Showroom in Barcelona, home of the next America’s Cup.
Home to stunning architecture, fine cuisine, a world class football team, and now its first ZEN Yachts office & showroom, Barcelona is undoubtedly the beating heart of the Mediterranean.
Strategic location
With its close proximity to the South of France and its central location amongst the Mediterranean, Barcelona is the perfect choice for ZEN Yachts to open his first office & showroom.
The city also boasts easy access to other popular anchoring destinations such as the Costa Brava, Balearic Islands, Corsica and Sardinia.
Barcelona’s nautical and green vocation
In 2022, the Catalan city was selected as the venue for the 37th America’s Cup, marking its return to Europe after 14 years of absence since Valencia, 2010.
This exciting European comeback has a special flavor for ZEN Yachts: during the Valencian America’s Cup of 2010 made its debut the Wingsail, which was developed for the Oracle team at the time.
Fast forward 14 years to Barcelona 2024, this technology has been refined and implemented on the ZEN50 as a range extender, making it the first production yacht to be equipped with a Wingsail. Technology that first appeared in the racing fields of Spain has now evolved into much more, as we return to Spain we can now see this technology used as part of a complete production yacht.
All eyes will be on Barcelona as it hosts this worldwide event, the oldest international competition still operating in any sport, gaining the potential to increase the nautical vocation of the city. A city which prides itself on multiple marinas, one of the largest superyacht refit facilities in the world, and many boat shows such as the Barcelona Boat Show, the annual MYBA Charter Show and the Superyacht Show.
CEO of ZEN Yachts, and award-winning naval architect Julien Mélot describes why he found Barcelona to be the perfect place to open their next showroom
“We chose Barcelona because we wanted to be close to our manufacturing center, which is located in this region because it has a high concentration of skilled composite workers.
This geographical proximity allows for quick communication between the engineers, the composite specialist, and the company's management, resulting in better quality and project management control.
Furthermore, Barcelona's city hall is actively promoting and implementing clean modes of transportation, as evidenced by the introduction of several hydrogen vehicles for public transportation."
In fact, Barcelona's public transport operator was the first in Spain to use hydrogen buses, and will grow the current fleet to 60 hydrogen vehicles by 2025.Barcelona's plans for green and sustainable mobility resonate with ZEN Yacht’s mission, which supports and contributes to the vision of cleaner cities and cleaner coasts.
Offering 130 mooring, a fully automated state-of-the-art dry stack marina which accommodates a total of up to 222 vessels, and the capacity to deliver a boat every 5 minutes, the new Marina Vela is an ideal location to exhibit ZEN Yachts.
“The mission of ZEN Yachts is to accelerate the transition towards zero emission sailing and water mobility at large. We want to revolutionize the way humans relate to oceans and enable once again a true zero emission mobility on water with the comfort and safety of modern craft.The new showroom allows us to maximize the visibility of our environmentally friendly solutions and innovations.”
In fact, the office & showroom reflects the materials used for the interior of the ZEN50, embodying the company philosophy of adopting green and recyclable materials, like Bamboo and Cork.
Multiple elements of the ZEN50 are being incorporated in the showroom to allow future clients to touch and feel the quality and appreciate the design of the catamarans furniture and equipment.
Perfect stay for customers
The city has strong connections with other international airports, an indispensable feature for ZEN Yachts as we sell our boats worldwide: the first ZEN 50 currently being built is in fact for a US customer.
Whether it’s fine dining in one of the thirty Michelin starred restaurants, or a bite to eat from the famous food market located down the action-packed Las Ramblas, the city offers a mouth-watering scene for food lovers.
From fine food to fine architecture, Barcelona also possesses an interesting cultural scene.
Contemporary architects such as Frank Gehry and Norman Foster left their own stamp on a city that bears the hallmark of the father of Modernism, Gaudi - who has always been a great source of inspiration for Julien Mélot. Intricate structures such as the storied Basílica de la Sagrada Família have become one of the most popular tourist destinations in Europe, with millions of visitors coming each year from all corners of the globe.
The ZEN Yachts showroom is a close distance to the W Barcelona, popularly known as the Hotel Vela due to its aptly shaped sail-like structure designed by world-renowned architect, Ricardo Bofill.
The cosmopolitan city also hosts a variety of events, including F1 and MotoGP races, as well as music festivals for people of all ages. And of course, the biggest stadium in Europe: the Camp Nou.
It is safe to say that all those will guarantee a spectacular stay for the customers that want to discover more about the ZEN Yachts and our zero-emission performance yachts, in an iconic city that offers something for everyone.