Estela Superyacht Agency takes us into “2001: A Space Odyssey”

In the superyacht sector, service and responsiveness are everything. Captains, yacht owners, and crew need companies capable of solving any requirement anywhere in the world and at virtually any time. With this philosophy, Estela Superyacht Agency has been operating for years as a specialist provider of comprehensive services for vessels in both the Mediterranean and the Caribbean.

Beyond its day-to-day operations, Estela has become a benchmark in the sector thanks to a very distinctive tradition: an annual guide aimed at captains, owners, and crew, which each year surprises with a completely different theme and a production approach that goes far beyond the concept of a traditional nautical catalogue.

To discuss this project and explain how this initiative began, now a true industry experience, Francesco Gennai visited the program Passion for the Sea.

“We started by making a guide with useful information for boats, but we wanted it to be more than just data and nice photos, we wanted it to have a story behind it,” he explained.

The first edition of the guide was released in 2017, inspired by 1960s Mallorca. Since then, each edition has revolved around a different theme linked to the destinations featured in the publication. Napoleon, Greek gods, Marco Polo, and artistic references connected to Dalí and César Manrique are among the concepts chosen in previous years. “Every year we develop a different theme related to the destinations included in the guide,” Francesco noted.

The launch of each edition has also become one of the most anticipated events for crew members and maritime professionals, especially the traditional captains’ dinner held during the Palma International Boat Show.

This year, however, Estela has taken things a step further by choosing a theme inspired by 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick’s iconic film, and incorporating artificial intelligence to develop much of the presentation short film. “It’s the year of artificial intelligence, of returning to the Moon, and we wanted to play with that modern, futuristic concept,” he explained.

Although the audiovisual production represented a major technical and creative challenge for the team. “It all started with the problem of how to make a spacesuit. That’s when we thought: why not try to do it with artificial intelligence?” he recalled. From there began a long process of testing, recording, and visual experimentation.

“There was a lot of uncertainty because we didn’t know what the final result would be. We did many tests, and what you see is the best outcome we got,” he said with a laugh.

Still, the key message behind the project is that no matter how many digital tools or technological advances are used, human and personal relationships remain the true differentiating value of Estela. “Artificial intelligence will certainly change many things, but human contact will never be replaced,” he stated, adding: “For us, the yacht is material, but people stay. What matters are the relationships we build with clients and crew.”

For this reason, the company’s events play a central role in its strategy. “Events allow us to connect face to face with our clients and create special moments.”

They also generate great anticipation every year among captains and crew, who look forward to discovering the theme chosen for each edition of the guide. “We want it to be more than just a dinner, it should be a fun and different experience,” Francesco explained.

This year, Son Amar was chosen as the venue to stage the 2001: A Space Odyssey theme, immersing guests in a space-inspired experience.

After this extensive creative process and the guide presentation, Estela is already beginning to think about the next edition, although the theme is still undecided. “Ideas always appear when you least expect them,” he concluded.