(PRWEB) November 9, 2005 -- Avante Yachts Ltda - a Brazilian company is set to launch their new boatbuilding operation in a facility near Recife, Brazil in early 2006. The well experienced North American - European team, with many years in the Marine Industry, are primarily aiming to build innovative, sail and power multihulls using the latest eco-friendly, cost-effective marine technology on the market.

"We feel that Brazil is a viable option to building boats in China - as so many other boatbuilders in the industry look east," stated Allen Brown, an American partner in the new venture. "And that's for a number of great reasons... including the outstanding government support mechanisms in place to support boatbuilders in this country," he added.

Company co-founder Brown attended MIT in the sixties and has been a boatbuilder for over 20 years – bringing a wealth of innovative and creative engineering to the company.

“Not only do we feel that using emerging technologies to drastically save on the cost of, or completely eliminate fossil fuels (it may be inevitable), makes sense... I think it's simply smart boatbuilding to use what tools and products we have available to build better, more efficient boats,” said Richard Kastelein, Brown’s partner. “And the fact that we can build boats that are more environmentally friendly in an increasingly more sensitive ocean environment also adheres to our ethos.”

Like so many areas of technology that are growing exponentially due to the general explosion of knowledge in the information age - incredible advances in alternative and more efficient marine industry alternatives for power, design and communications are very real. And very exciting.

“What was not feasible three years ago is very possible now,” added Kastelein.

The company owners stated they plan to build a variety of boats using hybrid diesel-electric and straight electric drives for propulsion in their catamarans in order to capture market share in what they feel is the next wave in the industry due to the rapidly rising cost of fuel and pollution-restricting legislation.

“Imagine an electric day charter sail catamaran for a hotel that is plugged in to shore power every night and runs every day without a drop of combustible fuel,” stated Kastelein. “No pollution affecting sensitive reefs, lowering of operational costs, less noise, and no offensive diesel fumes… it’s a win, win situation.”

The group not only has day charter catamarans on their mind – but has also been discussing the production of cruising power and sail catamaran lines with several designers. With a startup five-axis CNC plug maker in Paraguay offering affordable moulds, Avante Yachts are looking towards capitalizing on the latest technologies in yacht construction to fuse efficiency, strength and quality in their boats.

The advantages of building in Brazil include – a government program allowing for duty free importation of quality marine products from overseas for boatbuilders that export their final product out of the country, a large pool of talented craftspersons, competitive salaries, low cost of living, vast array of fine products such as farmed hardwoods, resins, composites, fibreglass and much more…. all produced in the large and diverse country of over 200 million people.

Brazil recently put a rocket into space, they build jets that compete with Boeing and Airbus, refine uranium and are now making moves towards joining the G8 - which dispels the common idea that it is a 'Third World' nation.

Access to the American market from the bulge of Brazil is thin as Trinidad in the Caribbean lies a mere 1200 miles north of the facility. And the Caribbean lies on the doorstep of Miami, Florida - the heart of the global boating industry.

Brazil's boating industry is in its infancy - with little over a 1000 pleasure boats built per year. And, in Brazil, there is only one boat for 1,600 people, compared to one boat for 20 in the US or 1:7 in New Zealand.

However, a mature supply chain with a surprising amount of cost-effective products and services such as hardwoods, fiberglass, resins and composites, metal products and fabrication (aluminum and stainless are subsidized by the Brazilian government), as well as marine grade wiring, marine lighting, and a slew of other products are readily available.

For more information please visit www.avanteyachts.com.