Visit Sirocco Marine Australia Triton Networking returns to Sirocco Marine in March
The Triton hosts its monthly networking events on the first and third Wednesdays of every month during season, and always from 6-8 p.m. Only the location changes.
Catch up with us on the first Wednesday in March at Sirocco Marine, dealers of the Ukranian-designed Brig RIBs. Come check out these high performance tenders and enjoy some camaraderie on March 4 at Sirocco’s showroom and warehouse at 3277 SE 14th Ave. in Fort Lauderdale (33316).
Until then, learn more about the company from CEO Boyd Tomkies.
Q. Tell us about Sirocco Marine. And what’s the difference between Sirocco and Brig?
Sirocco Marine is Fort Lauderdale’s premier RIB retailer featuring the Brig and Fluid Watercraft brands. On average, we carry 100 boats in-stock in our 20,000-square-foot showroom, ready for captains and owners to immediately take home. No other South Florida dealer carries the volume of RIBs we do.
Our inventory ranges from 9 feet to 36 feet to be used as tenders, tow-behinds or family boats.
Brig is the primary product line we carry. The Brig factory has been producing RIBs for 28 years and is, by volume, the largest RIB manufacturer in the world. Its designs are innovative, functional and visually appealing. And the prices are pretty incredible for high-quality material and construction.
Q. Why do Brigs make good yacht tenders?
Our Eagle 10 is a 33-foot (10m) tow behind for $240,000. That’s a highly competitive price – about half that of a comparable hard-sided, tow-behind tender. And it has advantages over hard-sided boats as well. It’s lightweight, making it efficient to tow and, like RIBS in general, easy to maintain. We sold six of this particular model last year and we expect it, along with our other models (E8, E6.7 and E5) to be top sellers in 2020.
Q. A year ago, you were named Brig’s No. 2 distributor in the world. How’d you do it?
Our Fort Lauderdale retail location is home of the U.S. distributorship for Brig products. We work with a strong core set of dealers, but are always looking to expand our network. I see our 2020 footprint heavily expanding into the western United States. We are fortunate to have Tom Thies, director of dealer development, leading this charge.
Q. With all that growth, have you encountered any surprises in your client base or perhaps trends?
No question, we had a great 2019. And the sales trends today have changed since we first opened. Early on, our top sellers were 10- to 14-foot tenders, mostly white or light grey. Now, we’re selling larger models; our top sellers are 15-33 feet. We always thought there was an unmet market need for larger RIBs and we’re seeing that play out. Plus, the fact that we have them in stock means we can meet customers’ immediate needs. Additionally, we are seeing a growing interest in darker tubes – black and navy.
Q. Sirocco donated a few tenders to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian. Tell us about that.
We donated two RIBs to United Badges of Honor. The organization’s goal is to inspire and mobilize the military and first responder community in Miami through camaraderie and brotherhood. In this particular instance, the group collaborated with the city of Oakland Park and other relief organizations on work in the Bahamas. Seeing the human suffering as a consequence of Dorian really inspired us to take action, albeit a small action in the greater scheme of things.
Q. So what’s next for you guys?
So much! This year, we have launched the Eagle 6.7 and the Eagle 4. Both are upgraded versions of the Eagle 650 and Eagle 380. We took the best parts of those boats and made them even better. On the E6.7, we completely redesigned the deep V hull to improve seaworthiness, handling, and stability. The E6.7 console can now accommodate up to two 9-inch devices. The Eagle 4 is just a bit longer than the E380, now allowing a roomier experience on board. With a new console design, this tender can take you places.
Our consignment program is up and running and we need inflatables … of any brand. We also accept trade-ins. For captains or owners just wanting to sell a RIB, we offer no storage fees for the first 90 days.
As for events, we have worked out a calendar of boat shows, trade shows, local events, and networking events — such as Sirocco hosting the Triton Networking event on March 4.
We plan to grow our network, so don’t be surprised to see more of Isabelle, Catherine and Gina at more industry events.
All yacht captains, crew and industry professionals are welcome to join us for great networking on March 4 from 6-8 p.m. at Sirocco Marine. It’s a little tricky to find, tucked around under the 595 exit ramp in Port Everglades. If you’ve ever been to LauderAle Brewery, then you are there. No RSVP necessary; just bring a smile and some business cards. You never know who you’ll bump into at Triton Networking.
