It has been all hands to the pump since I took over as editor of Ship Year from my esteemed colleague Piet Coetzer, who successfully steered the ship for a number of years.

We have a jam-packed edition lined up for you this year, with enlightening interviews and opinion from the people who count in the wide world of shipping.

It has been a troubling time on some levels for the industry, with the recession biting a chunk out the bottom line of many operations – seeing many a good company go down in the process.

But with every loss comes a success story of streamlining and recession-busting.

The signs of hope are on the horizon, as naysayers’ predictions of a double-dip recession have been put down to pessimism more than foresight. Indeed, some of the large operations are showing profits again, which has been fuelled by ever increasing trade with the powerhouses of India and China.

Luxury cruise ship operations have been one of the few to escape the full clutches of the recession, as Ship Year takes a closer look at this dynamic industry.

Without a steady supply of fuel, the shipping industry would grind to a halt. We catch up with the man of the moment, Petroleum Agency SA chief executive officer Mthozami R. Xiphu, for an illuminating peak inside this multibillion-rand world, as South Africa grapples with shale gas exploration versus environmental concerns in the Karoo Basin.

Ship Year takes a closer look at arguably the most famous – and gruelling – boat race on the South African calendar, the Cape to Rio Yacht Race, before catching up with STEALTH yachts managing director Ralf Dill, for a peak inside Cape Town’s top pleasure boat builder.

Top maritime lawyers join the fray to explain some of the finer points of shipping before Mr Logistics, Nils Warner (director of World Shipping), rounds out the offerings for this 2011 edition.

Gregory Simpson

Editors Note

 

 

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