42 Yachts want Modifox!

Hey, this is for you …

My last 15 days were crazy!

In 2 weeks, I traveled 4 countries, visited 11 ports and spoke to 56 Yachts.

I think writing this is meaningful to your brand. But you judge.

WE HAD 3 GOALS:

a) Test with yachts if our product meets demand

b) Gather interested yachts and forward them to collaborating brands

c) Reach minimum order quantity to hit production

Here’s how it went 👇🏻

A) How did we prove demand?

1. By walking the dock

Mallorca was my first reality check in yachting. Before, we already sent a sample to MY Legacy. But I didn’t directly interact with crew yet.

→ WEEK 1 | MALLORCA

That changed as I dockwalked Club de Mar & Port Mallorca. Every morning, for 5 days. Here, I met 16 yachts and discussed the daily hassle of hopping on and off board (see reactions below).

→ WEEK 2 | FRANCE, MONACO & ITALY

My plan? Get feedback from 25 vessels. At least. Mallorca wasn’t enough, so I continued dockwalking Cote D’Azur. 5 more days. 8 more ports. From IYCA, to Hercules Harbour, to Waterfront Marine. 🏃🏽

2. By testing with crew

But not only did we talk. People hardly even know what they want until they have used something for a while. So we tested …

With 5 Yachts. From 27m up to 87m. Tests ranged from 2 days to 2 weeks. Mostly, because of tight travels and the fact that we only had 10 samples.

Among the testers: deckhands, chief officers, chief stewardesses and captains. Spoiler: 8/10 reactions were wildly confirming!

But what I found equally interesting: What was not so good? Here’s what yachties liked /disliked most.

So here’s how we deal with that.

1. Sizing. Our factory pushed a model change within 4 weeks. Without getting to technical, we widended the last but kept the smaller textile cut. In a nutshell, the cut was too tight, so the shoe felt small. 2 weeks later this is fixed, and out for fit testing.
   

2. Naming. Together with a yacht we fixed a way to identify both shoe & sole. Within the upper we stitch a white label. Here the crew can write initials or names as they please. The toebox of the sole has perfect space on the inside to stick a name tag, made with a label machine.
   

3. Water repellency. 3/4 yachts tested a blue sample, which (time issue) was not yet produced with water repellency treatment. The black and water repellent sample, however, was approved by the remaining yacht . This was communicated with crew prior to their tests, however, perhaps in cases not sufficiently.
   

4. Sole stitching. 1 yacht was worried if the deck sole would wear through fast and expose the stitching. 2 things are important here:
   1. Stitching is the most durable fixture in all of footwear. It lasts longer then any glue. 2. While the feedback is appreciated, 4 months intensive tests of the initial samples have not shown any signs of heavy wear & tear, let alone stitching exposure.
   

5. Breathability. 1 yacht was worried that the upper fabric (Tencel), will be too warm in summer. While our model is a closed shoe, Tencel is among the most breathable and sweat resistent materials on the market. It is used in the Allbirds Tree Dasher, one of the popular shoes in yachting right now. For anyone who has never worn Tencel, it comes across ‘too warm’ and winter-like. This, however, is a misconception.

→ IMPORTANT: None of this is to downplay critique. Any critical feedback is priceless. We keep it in mind, to create the best possible version of our product.

B) Does any yacht want to buy?

Dockwalking confirmed the problem.
Testing confirmed the solution.
But will any yacht buy?

To answer with evidence: Here is the list of all yachts that confirmed a purchase interest. And we actively look for uniform brands to fulfill them.

MALLORCA: 

1. G Force → 37 meter, 6 crew, M, Club de Mar

2. Mac One → 33 meter, 6 crew, M, Port Mallorca

3. Coco → 27 meter, 4 crew, M, Club de Mar

4. MY Donna Amelia II → 33 meter, 5 crew, M, Club de Mar

5. Mystery → 34 meter, 4 crew, S, Club de Mar

6. Limitless → 21 meter, 3 crew, M, Club de Mar

7. Anemos → 34 meter, 4 crew, S, Club de Mar

8. Chrimi III → 40 meter, 7 crew, M, Port Mallorca

9. Y4H → 38 meter, 6 crew, M, Port Mallorca

10. Paraiso → 47 meter, 9 crew, M Club de Mar

11. Acqua → 33 meter, 6 crew, M, Port Mallorca

FRANCE:

1. Astralium → 31 meter, 4 crew, M, Port Vauban

2. Sea Pearl → 82 meter, 25 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

3. MY Legacy → 56 meter, 13 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

4. Sibelle → 67 meter, 17 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

5. Montkaij → 78 meter, 22 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

6. Malahne → 50 meter, 11 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

7. Bacarella → 60 meter, 8 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

8. Bartali → 47 meter, 9 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

9. Blue II → 56 meter, 11 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

10. MY Loyalty → 49 meter, 9 crew, M, Port Vauban (IYCA)

11. Ariela → 54 meter, 14 crew, M, Port Camille Rayon

12. Sea Huntress → 55 meter, 14 crew, M, Port Camille Rayon

13. Lady Tahiti → 41 meter, 9 crew, M, Port Camille Rayon

14. Domino → 41 meter, 7 crew, M, Port de Cannes

15. White Socks → 22 meter, 3 crew, M, Vieux Port de La Ciotat

16. Deianeira → 39 meter, 7 crew, M, Port de Beaulieu-sur-Mer

17. Olivia → 37 meter, 8 crew, M, Port de Beaulieu-sur-Mer

MONACO:

1. Atlantis II → 116 meter, 27 crew, M, Hercules Harbour

2. Dar → 90 meters, 31 crew, M, Hercules Harbour

3. The Great Escape → 31 meter, 5 crew, M, Hercules Harbour

4. Sans Souci → 35 meter, 5 crew, M, Hercules Harbour

5. Cecile B → 43 meter, 7 crew, M, Port de Monaco

6. Pamela V → 45 meter, 10 crew, M, Port de Monaco

7. AHS → 66 meter, 18 crew, M, Port de Monaco

ITALY

1. MY Grace → 81 meter, 23 crew, M, Waterfront Marina

2. Energy → 78 meter, 27 crew, M, Waterfront Marina

3. Renaissance → 112 meter, 44 crew, M, Waterfront Marina

4. Rush → 50 meter, 9 crew, M, Waterfront Marina

5. Vega → 55 meter, 13 crew, M, Porto Antico

6. Canova → 43 meter, 9 crew, S, Waterfront Marina

7. Leila → 29 meter, 4 crew, M, Waterfront Marina

C) Do we actually produce?

Well, with 42 out of 57 yachts willing to use the product, it’s hard not to.

Gladly, during those 2 weeks, we also gathered uniform partners in the US, France, and Turkey. 680 pairs are reserved.

Meaning, 320 pairs are still available. Sole distributorship is possible in:
Spain, Italy & Croatia.

The only thing left for us now is to complete final orders with uniform brands until 31st January 2024.

Coming February, we jump right into production. To deliver the Modifox Ocean Kiss right when the season kicks off in March.

Can’t wait for this 🔥 

That’s it for now. Thank you for taking time to read this!

It means the world to me.

Best,
Devin

PS: I was asked about a marathon. It’s true. On 24th March, I take part in the St. Tropez Marathon. To prove that our tech holds up over 42km of running. More on this 🔜