The triumph of FC Bayern, Europe’s new football champions, earlier this week must have been a delight to the unknown shipowner who has a knack for naming some of his ships after the German squad.
FC Bayern Shipping, a Marshall Islands-based entity, has been the registered owner of the 26,400-dwt handysize bulker Bayern S (built 1994) since 2016.
The same interests behind the Bayern S paid about $4.4m this summer to buy the 32,700-dwt bulker Almendro (built 2003) from Chile’s Nachipa. They promptly renamed the ship Super Bayern — as the Munich-based team’s fans love to call the club in their chants.
The unknown owner probably comes from the Middle East, where football is immensely popular. Brokers reported in June that the Almendro was sold to interests resident in the region. Another clue in that direction is that the Bayern S was managed after 2016 by VRS Maritime Services DMC, a Dubai-based company.
The shipowner, however, may also be based in equally football-crazed Greece. Both the Bayern S and the Super Bayern have been recently transferred to the management of Sonar Ships Management Co, a company registered two years ago.
Managers at Sonar did not respond to a request for comment. The company is listed as technical or commercial manager of 11 small bulkers and general cargo vessels. Most Sonar ships were previously managed by VRS Maritime Services.
FC Bayern beat Paris Saint Germain 1-0 in the UEFA’s Champions League final on 23 August. This is the most prestigious club title in football and the German team has won it six times in its history.
All eyes will now be on whether FC Bayern Shipping names its next ship after the scorer of the winning goal in the final, Kingsley Coman.
