MYS 2022: Vikal International on Leading a Niche Market

By George Bains

Shari Liu was joined in the Monaco Yacht Show Interview Studio by Lynden and Gunnar Vikingur, of bespoke tender manufacturer Vikal International, to talk about operating in a niche, high-end sector of the market.

Vikal International has a long history of delivering full-custom, luxury tenders to some of the world’s most iconic superyachts. Based in Australia, the company has distinguished itself from the rest of the market through an uncompromising approach to quality and innovation.

“We build for the larger yachts mainly,” explains Gunnar Vikingur, who founded Vikal and won its first contract to build a superyacht tender in 1992. “We’ve been doing this since the early 90s, for over 30 years, which is longer than any other builder in the market and we’ve been doing it in an unlikely place in Perth, Western Australia.

“We focus on the larger yachts because the tenders are bigger, they’re more complex, they are for the top end of the market."

Lynden Vikingur, Gunnar’s son and now Managing Director of Vikal International, add that “we operate in a strange niche market space where we’re delivering a one-off product to the largest yachts in the world. We’re asked to build something that performs and behaves like a production item, but we do it one time only and it’s highly customised.”

Lynden and Gunnar talk Shari through their process of working with a client to find the ideal tender for their needs, admitting that often it is the client’s requests that force them to find unique and innovative solutions.

“We respond to the customer’s needs,” says Lynden. “The best innovations come from a tricky question… to offer a solution that is hard to provide, we strive for that.”

Integral components of the superyacht experience, tenders help owners and guests to live out their dreams and passions on the water. Whether the luxury of a Limousine tender or the adventure of a Dive tender, Vikal has a proud record of world-first innovations.

In recent weeks, Vikal has caught the eye with a rather exceptional video of a Quadski being launched from one of its Catamaran tenders. The video features Gunnar, donning a tuxedo and white gloves, hitting the water on the Quaski from the back of the tender.

“It was just an idea, it was fun,” reflects Gunnar, though the stunt says a little more about the versatility of Vikal products. “It was a way of demonstrating the capacity of the Catamaran, its flexibility. It’s a beachable boat, you can run a car on and off it, but you can also run a Quadski off it out at sea. We were just having a bit of fun!”

Looking ahead, Lynden shares that Vikal, like many in the industry, is investing in new propulsion technology to find sustainable solutions. The core focus, however, is a continuation of the company’s specialisation in bespoke, one-off custom tenders for the largest superyachts in the world.  

"We operate in a strange niche market space where we’re delivering a one-off product to the largest yachts in the world."

Lynden Vikingur - Managing Director, Vikal International

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"We operate in a strange niche market space where we’re delivering a one-off product to the largest yachts in the world."

Lynden Vikingur - Managing Director, Vikal International
By George Bains