Marinetek Builds Megayacht Marina for America’s Cup Site

When the America’s Cup fleet arrives in Bermuda in January 2017 a new destination resort and marina with a range of mooring options will be open to visitors eager to follow the action. Marinetek, an internationally acclaimed marina design and build company headquartered in Finland, is putting its expertise to work on a marina system that includes berths for 21 visiting megayachts at the resort’s King’s Point Marina.

King’s Point will be the hub of a new luxury residential community designed by SB Architects as a ‘contemporary interpretation of British Colonial architecture’. Its landscaped low to mid-rise waterfront homes and 79-room Ritz-Carlton hotel with spa and luxury restaurants will ensure that Morgan’s Point is a desirable place to live and to visit.

Like many new waterfront communities, Morgan’s Point is built on a rejuvenated brownfield site, in this instance a former US naval base. This was subject to an extensive government funded clean-up operation that started in April 2013. Craig Christensen, President and CEO of the developer Morgan’s Point Ltd, described the project in a recent statement as a huge milestone. “We are very grateful to the Ministry of Public Works for their tireless efforts in completing this job so that we can begin to construct a world-class resort that is sure to enhance our tourism offerings and put Bermuda back on the map as a luxury destination,” he said.

Designed by waterfront specialists Edgewater Resources, working closely with Marinetek’s North American division, King’s Point Marina will offer much needed quality berths for visiting vessels and will be managed in luxury style by the on-site Ritz-Carlton.

“King’s Point Marina will provide state of the art, full-service mooring during the America’s Cup event and beyond,” noted Ron Schults PE, CEO of Edgewater Resources. “Marinetek 5300BRK breakwaters were selected for the project to mitigate southeasterly waves and provide a safe and comfortable mooring achievement within the marina. We are honored to be involved with such a world class facility.”

The breakwater pontoons selected for the turnkey project have side keels to maximize wave attenuation. They offer a total of 2,070ft (630.5m) of outer pontoon space to accommodate megayachts up to 250ft (76m) in a mix of alongside and stern-to positions. The breakwaters also provide interior mooring for smaller vessels and safeguard a further slip arrangement for vessels of 40-80ft (12-24m) in length built using a Marinetek aluminium pontoon system. This system is anchored by steel pipe piles and features concrete floats and ipe hardwood decking. “All mooring has been designed to meet appropriate hurricane loading regulations,” confirmed Richard Murray PE, Managing Director of Marinetek North America, Inc.
Marinetek Group Chairman and CEO, Ilkka Seppälä, commented: “It is always a privilege to build marinas that will play a part in prestigious race events and Marinetek rises to the challenge of the tight time frames that are often in place for such events. Our multi-local supply chain and project execution capabilities are the keys to a smooth delivery in a remote location.”

Marinetek has an impressive portfolio of projects for high-end resorts, such as the ongoing Portonovi resort in Montenegro, and event-driven marina facilities. In 2011 the company built the Volvo Ocean Race Marina in Abu Dhabi and in 2014 it completed Sochi Grand Marina in Sochi, Russia, as an integral part of the preparation for the 2014 Winter Olympic Games. In the USA, Marinetek North America built the City of San Francisco’s West Harbor breakwater, which was a pivotal site for the 2013 America’s Cup.