For buyers, the most appealing part of the exhibition is the opportunity to view luxury yachts for sale. Some of the biggest and best boats in the world are on display at the exhibition, which features a large display of multi hull sailboats. Not only are the most opulent and outrageous boats on display, there are also a multitude of new accessories, marine electronics, nautical apparel and gear on show – not to mention the wide variety of powerboat, sailboat and engines all waiting to be test driven and taken home by a worthy sailor.

If sailing is your passion, the Strictly Sail Boat Show is the place to be. You’ll be able to test sail some of the latest releases in the industry, buy gear and accessories from suppliers around the world, and take part in seminars and activities all relating to sailing. Kids will love the free boat building workshops and beginners will learn from some of the introductory courses on offer – all designed to get your sea faring knowledge up to scratch in no time at all.

If you have already been assisted with a company that does reputable yacht sourcing and simply want to explore the vast world of boating, you should make it a goal to visit the annual exhibition or any other boating exhibition of its kind. There are events all over the world relating to this very popular industry and it’s always a great way to renew your love of the ocean, scratch up on your boating knowledge and network with others who enjoy the lifestyle as much as you do. And who could pass up an opportunity to view some of the most desirable luxury yachts the world has to offer!

1. Alysia

When it comes to luxury yachts for sale nothing will be snapped up as fast as this five-deck dream boat. The ultimate in extravagance, this 280 foot marvel boasts elevators, sundecks, bars, hot tubs, gyms, a spa, wine cellar, movie theatre and more. The master bedroom has a bathroom decked in marble as well as a private deck that’s home to its very own Jacuzzi…and if you get sleepy after all the champagne and partying in the sun, you can take a nap on its king size bed. Annaliesse, sister ship to the Alysia, is a 280 foot long yacht which is just as luxurious. She boasts a library and a children’s play area, fifteen opulent rooms and a movie theatre.

2. Octopus

Run by a crew of 40, this super yacht was the biggest of its kind at its time of construction in 2003. The 126-meter dream supreme carries two helicopters, and two submarines, one of which is controlled by remote radio as it is used for studying the bottom of the ocean. There is also a sprawling pool and host of other gadgets, including a dock for jet skis and a 19 meter tender on board. It seems if you were yacht sourcing for a mega boat that had not only awesome technology but an air of grandness met by few – something similar to this would be perfect.

3. Lady Moura

Less a boat and more a sprawling, opulent holiday mansion on sea, Lady Moura is a 105-meter long beauty owned by a Saudi businessman. While only the 24^th largest private yacht in the world, it is astounding nonetheless. The name is emblazoned on the side in 24 carat gold and its numerous impressive features include a lavish interior, a pool with a retractable roof and an artificial beach to make tanning in the middle of the ocean a cinch. There are also rumors that she has a garage in which a Boston Whaler and a Venetian Taxi reside. The luxurious yacht has a crew of 60 and is a well known sight at events like the Cannes Film Festival.

4. Rising Sun

This 453-foot motor yacht is the sixth largest in the world and boasts five storeys with 82 rooms and an abundance of living space. The swanky teak decking and onyx countertops make this one stylish boat. It also has a wine cellar, private movie house, gym, spa and sauna as well as numerous Jacuzzis to relax in. The helipad on this monster also doubles as a basketball court. This is just one of the luxury yachts we could happily live on for a very long time!

2010 was one of the toughest races in memory, with massive seas, 40 – 50 knot winds and conditions described by Volvo Ocean race veteran (and navigator of the 100 foot line honours winner, Wild Oats XI) Adrienne Cahalan as the “worst crossing of the Bass Straight she had ever encountered” and “violent and awful”. Of the 87 starters, 18 retired.

For Beneteau, the wins come after First 40s claimed:

• 1^st and 2^nd overall in IRC (and in class) in the 2009 Sydney to Hobart

• 1^st in IRC Class 2 at Cowes Week 2010

• 2^nd and 3^rd in Class 2 at the 2010 Commodores Cup

These results make the First 40 one of the most successful IRC yachts in the world during the last 12 months. Significantly, the 2009 Hobart Race winners went cruising around Tasmania after the prizegiving, showing that the First 40 is, indeed, a true dual-purpose boat.

The First 45 also has a great track record, winning various events since 2008, including taking 1^st in IRC Class 3 at the 2009 Rolex Middle Sea Race around Malta.

We are very proud to say that, working with the official local agents Dudov Marine, we have sold the first South African Beneteau First 40 and it will be in the country in time for the MSC Regatta in July. The yacht will be based in Durban afterwards and will have a full racing and cruising programme.

If you’re looking for a smaller (i.e. 80 – 110 foot) semi-displacement yacht, Ferretti’s Custom Line builds the Navetta in 26m and 33m sizes. The range has existed for a while and, apart from pre-owned 26s and 33s, we will also be able to help you find older 27m and 30m yachts. However, the yard has learned a lot about maximizing space and we’re likely to recommend a newer Navetta 26m in preference to a 30m – interior capabilities are similar and the 26m will benefit from lower running costs and is likely to have lower engine hours.

Explorer / Expedition style

The Explorer / Expedition style has caught on rapidly of late. Many of this type takes design cues from traditional workboats – a good example of this, at just 52 feet, is the Beneteau Trawler. This yacht has luxury accommodation, massive range, relatively low running costs and the pedigree of being built by one of the world’s oldest and most successful (in fact, it is the largest) yacht manufacturers. Larger Explorer / Expedition designs not only have long range and relatively low running costs, they also frequently have a lot of space for “toys” such as helicopters, speed boats, sailboats, 4x4s and even submarines. With ice certified hulls, they can explore some of the most remote and beautiful parts of the planet, giving their owners experiences that few people are privileged enough to enjoy. When choosing your Explorer yacht, make sure that it has an economical easily driven hull which is capable of a reasonable turn of speed – going everywhere at 10 – 12 knots will end up being rather tedious. Also ensure that it has at least two main engines – while just one is likely to be more fuel efficient, a second will give you a level of redundancy for when you do want to go to out of the way places.

Hybrid power

Hybrid power has become a reality in luxury yachts. Its main benefits include extending range and enabling silent, zero emissions cruising in environmentally sensitive locations.

One of the more impressive, relatively affordable (about €4m, pre-owned) hybrid motor yachts is the Mochi Craft Long Range 23. Although styling is not to everyone’s taste, a range of upto around 1500n.m, an incredibly stable hull and construction by the Ferretti Group might be deal clinchers.

Hybrid power is finding its way onto larger and larger yachts. While some run under a combination of diesel engine and battery power, others effectively use diesel engines like generators to supply power to electric engines. While yachts obviously can’t create power from regenerative braking (like the Toyota Prius does), hybrid power will become more efficient and its ability to provide low environmental impact cruising when required will mean that it will become more popular.

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This option is definitely not for everyone. Sailing yachts tend to heel over which is not to all tastes… They also tend to be a bit slower (unless there is a lot of wind and waves) and it’s more difficult to plan one’s schedule because their speed tends to be less predictable than a motor yacht’s. They also have greater drafts (which can limit access to some anchorages) and require greater skills from the crew. The flipside is that they don’t control much in the way of fossil fuel and, as a result, have an almost unlimited range. A full sail inventory tends not to be cheap but should work out considerably less costly than thousands of liters of diesel.

There is now much more cross-over between sail and power than there used to be. Some of the obvious ways that motor yachts have influenced sailboats include:

• Fewer, more luxurious cabins
• Flybridges
• Garages for tenders and other water toys

In addition, spearheaded by Wally Yachts, there has been a trend towards making sailing yachts more automatic to sail by getting rid of unnecessary controls and, on the face of it, simplifying methods of sail handling. However, many of these innovations have been facilitated by greater complexity in the hidden systems, particularly the hydraulics. Nevertheless, the effect is very clean deck layouts and yachts which are much easier to sail than their predecessors.

On the other hand, sailing yachts are also influencing motor yacht design. Generally speaking, sailing yacht hull design is more advanced and efficient – sailboats frequently end up doing racing of some sort (while your average large motor yacht never does) and you can’t overcome an inefficient hull shape by adding a few extra (thousand) horsepower. While motor yachts kept getting wider for their length, sailboats have tended to remain fairly slender (the bloated sailing yachts designed to the International Offshore Rule (IOR) in the 1970s and 80s were an exception) and its interesting to see that top sailboat designers (e.g. Rob Humphreys and Philippe Briand) are getting commissions to design fast, highly efficient motor yachts.

If you opt for a sailboat and your budget doesn’t extend to a Wally, you could look at the new Beneteau Sense 50. It has a very crisp, modern design, simple sail handling systems and lots of space.

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The simple fact is that many yacht builders will not survive the economic downturn. While to some extent, from the point of view of an existing owner, this is not as serious as a car company going out of business (simply because the major, complicated components in a yacht, like engines, tend to be bought from very stable suppliers), it can affect the resale value and any guarantees that were made at time of purchase.

Our opinion is that yachting brands established decades (or centuries) ago by enthusiasts, who also happened to be good businessmen, are likely to stay in business and provide the best after sale service to their clients, especially if they offer great quality. They were established by people that are passionate about yachting, as opposed to those who simply hoped to make a quick buck during the boom time in the industry which lasted for the first 8 years of this century. There are a few brands we specifically like. You’ll see that some of them are absolute premium (e.g. Riva and Swan) while others are relatively low-priced (e.g. Beneteau). However, all of these provide good value, even if there are significant differences in price:

• Beneteau
• Riva – established in 1842 (now part of the Ferretti Group)
• Ferretti – established in 1968
• Custom Line – now part of the Ferretti Group
• Hatteras
• Bertram
• Dutch brands
• CRN
• Riviera
• Swan
• X Yachts

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