IGY Sète Marina: The First and Last Port of Call in the Med

An ideal stopover for yachts cruising east or west, IGY Sète Marina in the south west of France can now assist with the import and export of yachts into and out of the European Union. This is an exciting addition to a growing list of services available at the marina, and welcome news for yachts previously reliant on another port just east of the Spanish border.

“Following a two week stay in our marina to complete maintenance works before crossing the Atlantic, the captain of a 45m superyacht told me they were cruising to the French/Spanish border port for exportation before heading to Gibraltar for fuel,” says Jerome Cuaz,  General Manager of IGY Sète Marina. “With easy access to customs officials in the commercial port here in Sète, it made total sense for us to offer this service ourselves, and I’m delighted to confirm that we can now do exactly that, having successfully completed the first exportation of that same 45m vessel last week.”

Located midway between Barcelona and the Cote d’Azur, this is a gamechanger for a marina that already has everything going for it. A purpose-built superyacht marina owned and managed by IGY Marinas since 2019, Sète continues to strengthen its appeal for summer and winter berthing and, with several leading refit yards just hours away, it is rapidly gaining ground as a perfect pre-shipyard destination.

For yachts needing to carry out repairs or maintenance ahead of a yard period or an Atlantic crossing, the marina’s proximity to the commercial port of Sète affords easy access to a range of contractors and skilled labour, while the marina itself has wide quays and is well equipped with cranes and containers for temporary storage.

Having customs officials on the doorstep makes light work of other benefits too, including the processing of tax relief for non-EU flagged vessels under TPA (a fiscal regime also known as Inward Processing) which are exempt from paying 20% VAT on maintenance work and equipment.

In a vibrant town full of history and culture with music festivals, gastronomy (including the world’s best oysters!) and year round activities for owners, guests and crew, it’s no surprise that a growing number of yachts are making IGY Sète Marina their homeport of choice. “As well as having a great location, a state of the art facility and a dedicated team on the ground, we offer exceptional concierge services for our guests – we can organise everything from local wine tasting tours to helicopter trips,” adds Jerome. “We are always trying to expand the services and facilities for our superyacht clients and we go to great lengths to avoid ever saying no!”

For more information about current rates and availability at IGY’s Sète Marina, please visit the marina website here.

About IGY Marinas

IGY Marinas is the world’s only global superyacht marina network, with 23 marinas operating in 13 countries across the US, South America, the Caribbean, the UK and Europe.