United Kingdom

Shoreside Support

Attendees to the inaugural Miami Grand Prix on Sunday May 8th can expect a particularly warm welcome at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6698" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="DIEGOLUCA Yacht Group (Company)">DIEGOLUCA</a> Grand Prix Superyacht Lounge at the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/3068" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yacht Haven Grande Miami at Island Gardens (Company)">Yacht Haven Grand Marina Miami in Island Gardens</a>. Situated just a stones throw from the heart of the city, Island Gardens is a popular superyacht hub with 50 superyacht berths with a maximum length of 167 metres. SuperYacht Times is the media partner for the event, and will be covering the lounge on social media – visitors will be able to watch SYT footage and pick up the latest edition of the newspaper.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/225537/image/large-c569369845a176d8f2eeeb2da7e0eafb.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/225537">With the berths now fully booked for the event, Diego Luca has set up the most exclusive lounge to greet superyacht owners and potential clients to provide them with an unparalleled entrance to the Miami Grand Prix. Diego Luca founded his yacht company <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6698" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="DIEGOLUCA Yacht Group (Company)">DIEGOLUCA</a> eight years ago and has since been providing yacht brokerage sales and charters in Miami, Monaco and Mexico. As one of the top yachting influencers, we caught up with Diego to find out how the lounge became established and discover more about his collaboration with the founders of Sunset Monaco, the legendary F1 party in Monaco. <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/225539/image/large-5e209a96d46aff0d7648c92d662ff627.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/225539">Where did the idea of the&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6698" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="DIEGOLUCA Yacht Group (Company)">DIEGOLUCA</a>&nbsp;Grand Prix Superyacht Lounge come from? &nbsp;When it was first announced that Miami would be hosting the Formula 1, I saw the opportunity right away and immediately contacted the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/806" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Yacht Haven Grande Marina (Company)">Yacht Haven Marina</a> and rented out the space with the idea of creating an exclusive space for superyacht owners and guests. With Formula 1 being such a popular sport in Europe and me attending the Monaco Grand Prix for the last 8 years. I knew I needed to bring an event like this for people to really experience what a Formula 1 Weekend should be like. Unlike Monaco, Miami is a major city with a lot of nightlife and places to go, more private airports to land, more Superyacht Marinas to Berth for yacht owners to really benefit from having a base from which to launch into the F1. &nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/225534/image/large-4564c0c04060d30e95e64cfc31b63f39.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/225534">How does the lounge relate to the Sunset Monaco/Miami party?As things progressed with the plans for the event, the founder of Sunset Monaco, the most exclusive event following the Monaco F1, Thomas Peeters visited the venue and realised how special it was. We both agreed our goal was to bring the best F1 party to Miami and now together will be hosting the first Sunset Miami F1 party and not the last on the 7th and 8th of May. The Island Gardens venue features a large deck with very exclusive capacity for only 800 attendees per day, guests at the marina will have exclusive access to the event, the lounge and are in perfect proximity to their vessels.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/225538/image/large-bbae3dd515f56a30e308bfe3437c5303.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/225538">In addition, with Miami traffic and big crowds expected for the F1, we have organised tenders to collect VIP clients directly from the marina and ferry them to the Sunset Miami party, avoiding the traffic and ensuring a smooth delivery to the event. The exclusive tender service will be offered to clients from the 5th to the 8th of May directly from the Yacht Haven Marina.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/225542/image/large-1165ff34ded40dda1ec81babd8192029.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/225542"> <img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/225536/image/large-9a53da3faad78ffd2c1f0ecb19e60090.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/225536">What can owner’s expect when they enter the lounge?My entire goal is to provide value for my clients and guests and so the lounge will be the ideal location for them to relax in a more private setting, with all of the best amenities. Petrossian Caviar has sponsored the lounge, alongside Tommy Baldwin III of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/941" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shoreside Support (Company)">Shoreside Support</a>. Malibu Rocky Oaks Vineyard and Superyacht owner Howard Leight will be Hosting a wine tasting. The food will be provided by David Foulquier. He is a restaurateur behind We All Gotta Eat Group, most known for the Miami-based restaurant Fooq’s as well as the Michelin-starred Sushi Noz in New York City. After the Formula 1 Race, Sunset &nbsp;Monaco and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/6698" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="DIEGOLUCA Yacht Group (Company)">DIEGOLUCA</a> Grand Prix Superyacht Lounge will be the hottest ticket in town with the exclusivity of only 75 guests for the lounge on Sunday May 8th. &nbsp;<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/225540/image/large-b5f7e238f7a08ec266f0cffef67c55e9.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/225540"><img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/225533/image/large-72d6753246f1bc66e21cec882101e5df.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/225533">

DIEGOLUCA Superyacht Lounge Miami F1

Diego Luca has set up the DIEGOLUCA Superyacht Lounge for the upcoming Miami F1.

Diego Luca and the DIEGOLUCA Annual Miami Grand Prix Superyacht  Lounge 

<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/941" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shoreside Support (Company)">Shoreside Support</a> is a full-service superyacht provisioning company that caters to the top chefs in the Caribbean, USA, and Mediterranean. Through a network of warehouses in Florida, Boston, San Diego and Monaco, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/941" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shoreside Support (Company)">Shoreside Support</a> has found a way to deliver rare and hard-to-source ingredients with speed and precision. The company was founded in 2017 and continues to find new and innovative ways to make the lives of yacht chefs more efficient. Founder and CEO Tommy Baldwin III joins us in conversation to explain where it all began.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/219035/image/large-645a2b36ec8466856d531225182a2d82.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/219035">What initially led you to the yachting industry, and why then provisioning?It’s kind of a crazy story, actually! I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset. Both my father and grandfather had several businesses in the automotive industry. My grandfather was a race car driver, and my father owned several NASCAR teams. I started young, sweeping floors and watching the NASCAR races up close. As I got older, I started getting more hands-on with the business side of things. My passion for business development and relationship building flourished. When I went off to college, I decided to develop those skills.&nbsp;I worked for an energy drink company during my freshman year, where I made some new friends who were just as hungry as I was. By senior year, we were raising capital to start our own brewery. Once we successfully raised the capital, I dropped out of college so I could focus on the business full time. Within just a couple of years, we had 150 distributors in 27 states; our product was sold by 7-Eleven, Walmart, and other big retailers. I left in 2017 to pursue other projects. I moved out to Miami, and before I knew it, I was delivering meat to superyacht chefs out the back of my car!<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/222126/image/large-e76f3bb3dadd1f4b184311cf9a532fcd.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/222126">That’s quite the entry point – can you tell us a little more about this experience? I had a friend in Miami who was selling meat to his friends, who happened to be superyacht chefs. It was a small operation, and right away, I recognised an opportunity for growth. I pitched a partnership, we came to an agreement, and days later, I was down on the docks selling produce to yacht chefs. I didn’t know anything about food, and I didn’t know anything about yachts. Still, I sold an order of Wagyu beef to the very first person I spoke to. I remember going home that night buzzing with excitement and that same evening, I downloaded Photoshop and put together a flyer advertising high quality specialty meats.&nbsp;The next day I was back at the docks and learnt that there was a real need for high-quality and reliable provisions – and for more than just meat. Caviar, fruits, seafood were all in demand. No matter what people asked for, I told them I could get it. I would walk out of meetings, immediately fire up Google, and look up what certain products were and where to get them. It was pretty wild.I started to build a reputation among yacht chefs and captains as the guy who could source anything. Behind the scenes, I was frantically establishing a small network of vendors. It wasn’t long before I realised that this need extended way beyond Miami. Chefs were asking about deliveries in Europe, the Caribbean – all over the world. It was going to take some serious investment to meet those needs, and my partner wasn’t ready to commit. So we ended our partnership, and that’s when I founded <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/941" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shoreside Support (Company)">Shoreside Support</a>.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/222128/image/large-85b8ddc48358e79d6b15eb3b6ca17c42.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/222128">How did you handle this growth while ensuring that your clients receive the same level of service, regardless of where they are?I’m a laser-focused human being, and I had my sights set on getting the highest quality products in the world to my clients, whenever and wherever they needed them. If that meant driving several hours to an overnight fish market and speaking to vendor after vendor at 3 A.M. to assemble an order that needed to be ready by 10 A.M., I did it. I understand how stressful a chef’s life is and how inefficient and unreliable provisions make things exponentially harder. I decided I was going to solve that problem at any cost. I wanted to build a network that could deliver anywhere, on time, every time. That’s what we do.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/222273/image/large-3de4e89b361c0475bb421f999e72c802.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/222273">What’s next for&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/941" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shoreside Support (Company)">Shoreside Support</a>?We’re going to keep scaling this beast! 2021 has been all about fine-tuning and we’ve brought in some new technology to improve the customer experience. We've developed a platform that automates the entire ordering process. The app for the chefs is easy to use, and once the order is placed, it goes through our entire pipeline – from picking, packing, and delivery – at lightning speed. We want Michelin star chefs to have the ability to order rare, fresh, word-class ingredients anywhere in the world. And we want it to be easier and faster than someone ordering UberEats to their apartment. Our average turnaround time is 3.2 days, and on average, each order has over 300 unique products. Tricky and complex orders allow us to learn and adapt, making our system and our network better and stronger. We’re constantly improving and evolving.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/222127/image/large-a6ee95530f6fbaf7db436c00e5a30a11.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/222127">Do you have any tips and tricks for new entrepreneurs entering the industry?Create boundaries to protect your own personal health. That’s the most important thing. We provide such a high level of service in such a crazy and unorthodox industry. It’s so easy to forget to take care of ourselves. Everything is intense 24/7, but you have to find time for self-care. It’s also important to build all of your relationships around trust and integrity. The yachting community is small and tight-knit. Mistakes are forgivable, but word will get around quickly if you break someone’s trust. So, trust, integrity and self-care are critical – it’s a crazy and demanding industry. It’s not for everybody. But I love it and could never imagine ending up anywhere else.<img src="https://photo-assets.superyachttimes.com/photo/222272/image/large-0f5a203466b3363b6bef2a85e20e85b4.jpeg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/222272"> This article was originally published in&nbsp;<a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/superyacht-times-issue-40-published" target="_blank">Issue 40 of SuperYacht Times newspaper</a><a href="https://www.superyachttimes.com/yacht-news/superyacht-times-issue-40-published" target="_blank">.</a> To read more stories like this one and to never again miss another issue of the SuperYacht Times newspaper, <a href="https://shop.superyachttimes.com/report/the-superyacht-times-subscription" target="_blank">subscribe here</a>.

Interview with Tommy Baldwin

Alexander Griffiths chats to the founder and CEO of Shoreside Support, Tommy Baldwin III to explain where it all began.

Entrepreneur in Yachting: Tommy Baldwin III Founder & CEO of Shoreside Support

Company founder Tommy Baldwin III made his first provision delivery in 2015 at the Sag Harbor Yacht Club in New York. From then on, he has utilised his experience and knowledge of the industry to create <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/941" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shoreside Support (Company)">Shoreside Support</a> - the young superyacht provisions company that has quickly become a global leader after recently acquiring its 200th client. With their order book filling up, notable clients already include the 95.2-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4095" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Kismet95.2m (312'4&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2014">Kismet</a>, <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/23" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lürssen Yachts (Company)">Lürssen’s</a> 85-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6327" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Areti85.0m (278'10&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2017">Areti,</a> <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/4455" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Lionheart90.0m (295'3&quot;)Benetti SpA2016">Lionheart</a>, the 126.2-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/270" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Octopus126.2m (414'1&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2003">Octopus</a>,&nbsp;<a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/338" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Tatoosh92.42m (303'3&quot;)Nobiskrug2000">Tatoosh</a>, and the <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/96" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Devonport (Company)">Devonport</a> built <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1711" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Vava II96.0m (314'12&quot;)Devonport2012">Vava II</a>.&nbsp;<img src="/uploads/store/photo/60045/image/large-ce4a6ba9eee40ed3502cf4103d463718.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/60045">“In our infancy, 100% of our new clients came from me walking on the docks and cold calling boats. Now, I would say we gain around 10% of our clients from cold calling and 90% from word of mouth or similar. Cold calling, however, is still one of my favourite activities!” explains Tommy. Soon to be a team of 20 by the end of 2019, the company works to provide 50+ metre superyachts with a range of meats, seafood, fruit and vegetables, dairy, dry goods, international and gourmet products, furniture, electronics, galley equipment and toiletries from their bases in Miami, Monaco, New York and St Thomas. <img src="/uploads/store/photo/53104/image/large-9eb9d6ec333d257806ac3610da96d95c.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/53104">Taking the time out from launching their latest operations in the Mediterranean and Asia, Tommy and his team had the pleasure of sponsoring the first and second place winners of the coveted Antigua Charter Yacht Show 2018 Chefs Competition. Chef Peter Frost, or “Frostie,” of 65-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/1970" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Eternity65.0m (213'3&quot;)Codecasa S.p.A.2010">Eternity</a> was awarded first place as a result of the competition, with Chef Micail Swindells and Dom Horsey of <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/224" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Turquoise Yachts (Company)">Turquoise’s</a> <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/5999" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Go77.0m (252'7&quot;)Turquoise Yachts2018">Go</a> placing second. <img src="/uploads/store/photo/60049/image/large-88b042505c2c55f724633b0411d4b094.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/60049"><img src="/uploads/store/photo/60041/image/large-2f1ccbbb4c7e1dd8d4d5b9bd4918bf84.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/60041">Having been supplied by <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Company/941" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Shoreside Support (Company)">Shoreside Support</a> with Petrossian caviar, wagyu from Snake River Farms, Armand De Brignac champagne, Harpke Family Farms’ micro herbs and edible flowers, contestants were challenged to create a three-course ‘New Year Eve’s Dinner Party’ in just 30 minutes. <img src="/uploads/store/photo/60044/image/large-0587616ffb7294aa329638216c3f70ab.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/60044">Despite the company’s infancy, Tommy and his team have established a bullet-proof strategy of how best to meet client requests, regardless of how extraordinary. “We strategically place team members in the most emerging and popular markets so the demands of our clients can be met with personal attention by people who have local knowledge and connections. This is a huge advantage compared to blindly shipping items from one of our offices and relying on third-party freight or logistics companies,” commented Tommy, who ensures that he can personally visit vendors regularly “to verify product quality, the facilities and maintain personal relationships. Personal attention and relationships are vital in this industry.”<img src="/uploads/store/photo/38900/image/large-dd1522866d8bd39367c54e8d5d3dc335.jpg" data-gid="gid://syiq/Photo/38900">Although they have served luxury superyachts such as 74.5-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/6403" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Elandess74.5m (244'5&quot;)Abeking & Rasmussen2018">Elandess</a>, 62.97-metre <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/408" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Polar Star62.97m (206'7&quot;)Lürssen Yachts2005">Polar Star</a> and <a data-gid="gid://syiq/Yacht/7886" href="#managed-by-system" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank" title="Ulysses52.94m (173'8&quot;)Frederikshavn Værft & Tørdok A/S1967">Ulysses,</a> not all provisions have been high-end. “We also provide anything and everything for the crew. The crew can range from 15 to 70+ members, so they consume quite a lot. With our buying power, we are able to provide all of the crew’s food, beverages and even toiletries at competitive prices to a grocery market all within the crew’s budget.” Whatever the request, this new, fresh-faced company will ensure their top priorities are: “sustainability, product integrity and safe handling,” which will surely secure a bright future in this ever-changing industry.&nbsp;