Subic company completes first-ever luxury yacht

SUBIC BAY FREE PORT — Australasia Marine Alliance Corp. (AMAC), a unit of Mustang Marine Australia Services Pty. Ltd., yesterday said it has completed the first-ever leisure yacht to be built here.

The 28-feet Mustang Marine 2800 Sports Cruiser worth A$120,000 was built by Filipino boat craftsmen. It is one of the smallest boats under the Mustang brand name.

AMAC Managing Director Henry Co said the Mustang Marine 2800 Sports Cruiser has passed intensive sea trials with "very impressive performance."

The first Filipino-made Mustang 2800 Sports Cruiser maneuvers in Subic Bay. The boat clocked 30.4 knots per hour during recent trials.

AMAC is an "alternative manufacturer" of recreational boats of Mustang Marine Australia Services Pty. Ltd., the flagship company of Australasia Alliance Corp., the oldest and second-largest boat builder in Australia.

The leisure yacht is powered by a MerCruiser 5.0L MPI Bravo 3 260-horsepower, 300-liter gasoline engine. It went as fast as 30.4 knots or 35 miles an hour during sea trials in Subic Bay.

With technical assistance from Mustang Australia, it took five months to finish the first boat, which is now ready to be shipped to a Thai buyer, Mr. Co said.

"We have to train people step by step, so production of the first boat took quite long. But by the end of the year, we will gear up to about two to three units a month of this size," he added.

"[This] is practically a livable boat with superb craftsmanship and elegant designs found in its kitchen, toilet, bedroom and lounge," Mr. Co. said. — R.T. Garcia - www.bworldonline.com