Investors plan to build dozen yacht marinas on Bulgarian coast

Dnevnik a.m.

Investors have earmarked more than 100 mln euro for the construction of about a dozen yachting marinas on the Bulgarian Black Sea coast over the next couple of years, it emerged at the sailing conference held in local resort Riviera.

At the moment, sailing crews can dock at yachting ports in Balchik, Sozopol, Nesebar and the resorts of Sunny Beach, Golden Sands and Sveti Vlas.

New yacht marinas on the drawing boards boast locations like Nesebar, Sozopol, Tsarevo and Ahtopol.

The existing marina in Balchik will be extended to another 100-150 berths to the current 100.

Hypo Alpe Adria Leasing said it has agreed financing for three new yachting ports and is in talks for at least another four.

One of the agreed projects is for a new facility in Nesebar. It will be bankrolled by Yachting BG, one of the nation's biggest sailing boat importers, and its Italian partner Azimuth Group. The 300-yacht port should be ready in 2009.

The capacity of the 200-yacht Marina Sozopol in Sozopol is about to be doubled with the addition of a hotel, apartment buildings, spa center and a conference center on land.

Hypo Alpe Adria Leasing estimates local yacht sales at 60 mln euro in 2007. That figure is expected to top 120 mln euro in 2008.