Dean Smith (D-Marin) talks to DN: “This is how we make boating a stress-free experience” – Video

“For us, premium means providing an effortless, quality experience.” This is how Dean Smith, Chief Commercial Officer for D-Marin, perfectly sums up the company’s mission during an interview with Daily Nautica during the Monaco Yacht Show 2025.

In the elegant setting of Port Hercule, Smith illustrated D-Marin’s vision, a selected network of premium marinas across France, Greece, Croatia and, increasingly, Italy, created to provide yacht owners a stress-free, fluid and personalised experience. “D-Marin – explains Smith – is a selection of high-end marinas and our most interesting characteristics is the pleasure yachters can move from one location to the next. So for us, being in Italy is a natural choice.”

A connected network with “Happy Berth Days”

One of the most valued innovations in the “Happy Berth Days” program, which allows clients to dock in the different marinas of the group with no additional costs. A system created for freedom of navigation, as well as to simplify boat management through an increasingly advanced technology ecosystem. “If you need a berth – notes the Chief Commercial Officer for D-Marin – Happy Berth Days allows you to move from one marina to another without additional costs. This is something quite unique in the boating landscape.”

D-Marin’s approach is not just limited to marina management, but also extends to long-distance boat services through smart sensors, video surveillance, advanced Wi-Fi connections and an app that manages it all. “We have sensors and technology – shares Smith with DN – that allow us to monitor your yacht’s vital statistics from home. We provide these technological solutions in order to provide an excellent experience when staying in our marinas.”

A network that in Italy is strengthened by marinas in strategic locations, like Marina degli Aregai and Marina di San Lorenzo, for those travelling between Cote d’Azur and Liguria, the sophisticated Marina di Varazze, part of Azimut-Benetti, as well as Marina di Livorno, currently undergoing important changes, and Marina Resort Punta Faro, already a point of reference for the Adriatic.

A clear philosophy

Every development curated by D-Marin follows a well-defined path. “Investments – notes Smith – start with people, they move through the infrastructure and are completed with technology.” An approach which results not only in curated and functional marinas, but also in services that provide the client with a truly premium experience, including tidy gardens and highly trained staff, ready for every need, “We are not talking about – notes Smith – ‘camping services’, but of facilities that are a pleasure to use.”

In addition to innovation and hospitality, D-Marin stands out for their work in environmental sustainability, with an ambitious ESG plan. “We have set ourselves the goal – says Smith – of reducing our carbon footprint by 45% by 2030. We produce energy from renewable resources and we want to be self sufficient wherever it is possible.” Sustainability, therefore, is not just a slogan, but a set plan that is audited every year by independent bodies like EcoVadis.

Sailing with D-Marin

D-Marin isn’t satisfied with just offering mooring places, but aims to redefine the entire tourist marina experience, so that it is digital, connected, relaxing, and environmentally friendly. A philosophy, according to the Chief Commercial Officer for the company, always starts with a simple, yet fundamental, idea: “If you are a pleasure yachter and have invested a lot in your vessel, then we want you to truly be able to enjoy it.”

And for the future? As part of their investment in Italy, they are launching a marketing campaign called “Feels Like Yachting Should Feel”, and they are continuing to expand their network with the aim of providing yachters exactly what they want: the pure pleasure of worry-free sailing.

by Ludovica Palì