The largest pavilion exhibition of yachts, related equipment, and goods for life on the water and water sports called boot Düsseldorf was held at the Messe Düsseldorf exhibition complex from January 21 to 29. The feeling of a yachting holiday, which was almost forgotten in the past two years due to COVID, returned to Düsseldorf. The 17 pavilions were categorized by theme, from superyachts to yachting clothing, and were full of visitors during the first two weekend days of the show. The exhibition had 237 thousand of visitors in nine days, according to the organizers’ results. Visitors from all over the world were present at the show, and although yacht dealers from Russia were not optimistic, some of their clients were happy to study new models and were interested in charters. Among the exhibitors, there were also a few companies that were not ready to cooperate with Russia and the Russian yachting press.
The Super Yacht Show, which is Pavilion Number 6, was especially active during the show. The largest European shipyards, which are manufacturers of luxury yachts, held press conferences and presented new models one after another, starting from the morning of January 21. The British shipyard, Sunseeker Yachts, demonstrated its Superhawk 55 for the first time in Dusseldorf and received much attention. The Italian giant Ferretti Group, represented by Director Alberto Galassi, reported that the group had received orders for 1 billion 43 million 200 thousand euros in the first nine months of 2022. They also plan to introduce 29 new yacht models from 2022 to 2024. They introduced their new model, the Ferretti 580, in Düsseldorf, built on the principle of a “spacious yacht for a small company.” Navetta 38, the first displacement yacht in the history of the Custom Line shipyard, will be seen on the water in a year, and the Pershing GTX 116, known as the “Ferrari Purosangue on the water,” will be promoted primarily in the USA.
Azimut-Benetti CEO Marco Valle reported that the company prefers the wording “investment in more efficient, lighter boats” instead of the word sustainability. The company plans to modernize and update 70% of its boats from 2019 to 2024, and the first representative of the new Azimut Sea Deck line, which will include three models with indexes “6,” “7,” and “8,” will be seen on the water in 2024. At the Cannes Yacht Festival in September, the premiere of the explorer Azimut Magellano 60, with an exterior designed by the extravagant Englishman Ken Freivoch, is expected. In Dusseldorf, the Italians presented the Azimut S7 for the first time.
The Italian shipyard Absolute Yachts proudly showcased its strengths at boot Düsseldorf, such as its ability to create equal volume master and VIP cabins, a commitment to simple interior designs, and the most spacious flybridges on the market. However, the model 57 Fly premiere was postponed until the February boat show in Miami, as this market has become crucial for Absolute Yachts in recent years. Europeans can see the novelty at the Venice Yacht Show in late spring/early summer and then in Cannes.
Guests in hall No. 4 were treated to a vibrant display of motor boats, including electric boats. The nominees for the Motor Boat Awards, the XO DFNDR 9 and X Shore Eelex 8000, attracted particular attention. The Finnish boat, XO DFNDR 9, is an excellent versatile option for fishing and water activities in any water area and was listed as one of the premieres of the exhibition. XO competed with two new items from the British shipyard Arksen: Adventures 28 and 30, exhibited next door. Finnish reliability and austerity were pitted against the British ability to create reliable and aesthetically pleasing boats, similar to Land Rover cars. The young Swedish brand X Shore also had a new model, the X Shore 1, on display – a 6.5-meter high-speed pleasure boat powered by batteries. In the same hall, the Spanish company Magonis actively attracted visitors with a demonstration of two of its new inventions: a MagBuoy charging buoy and a soft folding awning with solar panels built into it. A prototype of the latter has so far only been installed on the only Magonis model – a boat with an electric motor Wave e-550.
From hall four to hall five, where luxurious tenders and escort boats for large yachts were exhibited, it was almost impossible to leave without being inspired to buy an electric yacht.
In Hall 5, the Breeze 20, a novelty from the Danish shipyard Rand Boats, was the most attractive exhibit. Again, the boat had an electric motor and an application that allows the owner to control the state of the yacht when they are not around. The Rand Breeze 20 has something that could make the brand great in a few decades. These are not only the recognizable rounded lines of the hull and the high-quality finish but also the very concept of the boats, which is inherently very “humane.” The Rand Breeze 20 is built around the idea of a picnic on the water, with the helm position shifted as far back as possible, freeing up space in the bow for a table and sofas, which can easily be converted into sunbeds.
The theme of yachts powered by electric engines continued from hall to hall, with pavilion No. 1 dedicated to motor yachts 10 meters long, attracting many visitors to the new Delphia 10 from the Beneteau group. In hall No. 10, where water “toys” and RIBs are traditionally presented, surfboards with electric motors of varying degrees of lightness, beauty, and high cost were on display. The burning topics of alternative fuels for yachts, reducing harmful emissions, and carbon footprint were discussed from the Blue Innovation Dock stage.
This year’s exhibition had some curiosities. The tradition of presenting the European Yacht and Powerboat of the Year awards during the show, established by a group of eminent European yachting magazines, continued gloriously. But this year the British magazine Motor Boat & Yachting also decided to present its Motor Boat Awards in Düsseldorf. We present the results of each award to help readers figure out which boats won which award. We hope that next year the award ceremonies will return to their usual schedule.
