Meet The Man Behind Asia's Biggest Superyacht Gathering

Annually, luxury pleasure boats gather at the Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous (KRSR) in Phuket, hosted by award-winning property investment firm Infinite Luxury. Designed to bring together the most extraordinary superyachts from all over the world for one exciting showcase and to raise awareness and funds for important issues such as ocean conservation, KRSR draws the attention of the world’s wealthiest and most influential. 

We speak with the man behind KRSR, Michael Nurbatlian, marketing director of Infinite Luxury, to discuss the underlying aspirations in creating such an impressive gathering.

What is your history with yachts? 

My father was an ambassador, and I had the privilege to travel to many exotic destinations, including Thailand. During that time, I had the experience of staying in wonderful hotels and experiencing yachting and luxury hospitality from a young age. Throughout the course of my life, I’ve experienced many aspects of the luxury sector, and it’s been a wonderful journey thus far. In addition to helping launch and organise the Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous, along with Richard Pope, our visionary CEO and owner of Kata Rocks, I have also attended the Monaco Yacht Show for the past five years, which has given me the chance to experience some of the larger superyachts of 200 feet or more. Some of the details of craftsmanship and design I have witnessed there, from the technology used to power the boats to the interior furnishing, have been mind-blowing. Then, there’s the attention to detail paid by the crew to the guests—it’s beyond the usual five-star hotel treatment, and that’s what I find so inspiring. 

So tell us about the Kata Rocks Superyacht Rendezvous. Why is it so important? 

KRSR has helped put Phuket on the global superyacht map as the must-attend event in the region. It offers an opportunity to see some of the most iconic superyachts here in Phuket. Statistically, only 10 per cent of superyacht owners come to this part of the world. As many know, it is easier to visit more recognised destinations in the Caribbean or Mediterranean, but why not discover somewhere new? Thailand is an incredible sailing destination, not just because of the scenery but also because of the amazing Thai people, hospitality and, of course, Thai food! Many people don’t know that we have developed the infrastructure and world-class marinas to handle both the biggest yachts in the world and the smaller ones for that matter, and there’s so much to do here.