Boat Show Fever

Mid-January saw the annual pilgrimage across the cattle grids, away from the New Forest and up the big smoke for the annual London Boat Show. Having been quietly disheartened by the gradual decline of the show, this year was seen through fresh eyes and a realisation that although ‘Boat Show’ outwardly implies boats, the show is also a very important outing for those businesses which support the yacht manufacturers. These businesses were in abundance and much time was spent checking out the latest equipment and developments in technology that helps to make yachting more accessible than it has ever been before.

Having battled our way back to the Forest through the snow and ice, a quick refuel sent up packing across the Channel for Boot Dusseldorf ’17. The original plan had been to fly, but the fog had other ideas, so the trusty Grabau International company 4×4 was pressed into action and pointed towards the Channel Tunnel and on to Germany, driving through the night to arrive in snow-covered Dusseldorf in time for the first meetings of the following day.

The Dusseldorf Show is without doubt one of the most impressive boat shows anywhere in the world. With over 1,800 exhibitors from 70 countries and over 1,800 boats displayed across the 17 bustling halls, in excess of 240,000 visitors attended the 48^th edition of the show. Highlights were too numerous to list fully, but particular yachts/stands that stood out included:-

Allures 45.9 – Extremely clever alloy lift keel boats from the same stable as Garcia. With a number of our clients planning to take delivery of these exceedingly practical yachts during 2017, the new Allures 45.9 is worth a close look. For those looking for something a little larger, we are delighted to offer the only Allures 52 presently on the market. A 2016 yacht within minimal use and a simply enormous specification. Full details can be found here.

Amel 55 – A firm favourite with Grabau International. The stunning grey-hulled Amel 55 boasted a modern and stylish interior which really shows how far this legendary company has come in recent years.

Baltic 67 – Still in build stage, renderings of the new Baltic 67 Performance Cruiser could be found on the Baltic Yachts stand in hall 7a. An extremely important yacht for Baltic as it now provides the perfect step-up from the popular 55ft bracket. Guaranteed not to be cheap, but there will almost certainly be nothing out there to come even remotely close. For those looking for a more immediate delivery, we are pleased to offer a fantastic example of her spiritual predecessor – the 2006 Baltic 66 ‘SEI TU II’. Full details can be found here.

Contest 67CS – Okay, so we gushed unashamedly over this stunning yacht in our Cannes review last September, but with Contest 67CS hull no.2 on display at Dusseldorf, she really deserves a second mention. Few do it as well at the guys from Medemblik.

Club Swan 50 – A genuine show-stopper. Arguably not the most practical of yachts thanks to her striking 3.50m keel, but the Club Swan 50 was certainly up there with the most entertaining way to scare your friends witless.

Nimbus 405 Coupe – Hidden away in the middle of the motor yacht hall was this absolute gem of a boat. A fantastic example of continual refinement in design, this stunning aft cockpit motor yacht demonstrated attention to detail and build quality that few can match. The Nimbus 405 Coupe is simply the perfect coastal 4×4 for Northern European waters.

Solaris – No particular yacht here, but the general appearance of the stand. If ever there was a sign that Italian yacht building was becoming a dominating force in European boating, the Solaris ‘fleet’ was it.