While international yacht shows in countries like South Africa tend to be at the beginning of the season (think Cape Town in October), traditionally the largest shows globally happen at the end of the season. This is to give enough time for clients to place their orders and for the luxury yachts to be built during the region’s traditional off-season – assuming there is a relatively short build time. If you visit a factory like Beneteau in February, for example, you’ll see the yards stacked with completed yachts wrapped in plastic and ready for delivery as the season starts. However, really large fully custom yachts have much longer build schedules – yards like Amels, CRN, Heesen, Oceanco and other top builders of mega-yachts can take years to finalise the design and the construction of a new vessel. For example, Roman Abramovich’s Eclipse, the largest yacht in the world and by some measure the most expensive, took 18 months from its launch in June 2009 to its final handover to its owner in December 2010 – this on top of the several years it took its builders, Blohm and Voss in Hamburg, to complete the hull and superstructure.
The largest international boat shows attract visitors from around the world – events like the Cannes International Yacht and Boat Show, the Genoa International Boat Show and the Monaco Yacht Show don’t just showcase the newest and best in the industry, they are also massive and important social occasions. Even though they are great places to see and be seen, they are still oriented around yachts and you should take this into account when planning your wardrobe for the day. For example, few yacht captains will let you onboard wearing shoes – make sure you’re wearing footwear that’s easy to slip on and off. Also remember that, even though it’s the end of the season, the weather is likely to be good. Light colours to keep you cool in bright sunshine are probably a good idea.
We’ve included a summary of some of the major 2011 boat shows below (in date order) so you know what to expect when you visit them. Remember that there will be some amazing yachts and mega-yachts, as well as some very persuasive sales people. If you do intend to visit, let us accompany you. We are there to help you buy the ideal yacht for you at the best possible price. We could, quite literally, save you millions…
The Dubai International Boat Show
1 – 5 March 2011
The financial woes of Dubai have been well publicised, but the reality is that it is still an important market for luxury yacht manufacturers. 2010 saw more than 700 exhibitors from 40 countries taking exhibition space and there were 15 global product launches. The UAE, recession or no recession, still has massive allure for high end consumers from around the world – last year, 23 000 people from 76 countries visited the Show.
This year, 10 members of the SYBA (Superyacht Builders Association) attended with exhibits from Amels, Benetti, Burger Boat Company, Feadship, Fincantieri, Heesen, Lürssen. Oceanco, San Lorenzo and Trinity. This in addition to luxury yachts from the likes Azimut, Bertram, Ferretti, Hatteras, Itama, Riva and others. There were also the local brands, probably the best known of which is Gulf Craft / Majesty Yachts – these compete on price but have some way to go before they match the quality of the European brands.
The Dubai International Boat Show takes place at the Dubai International Marine Club, Mina Seyahi. It’s close to the Dubai Marina and the Jumeirah Palm, and there is absolutely no shortage of five-star hotel accommodation. Dubai is easy to get to by Emirates airline and has a fantastic highway infrastructure. However, if you’re used to driving in a place like Europe or the USA, you might be bothered by the lack of lane discipline, some people not having much regard for speed limits and the on-going road construction – therefore it might be better to hire a chauffeur. If you come from South Africa, it’ll seem like home…
Despite the Middle East’s reputation for being incredibly hot, March is actually temperate and you can expect day time temperatures below 30oC. Apart from the obvious appeal of the city, it could be a good time to hit the beach or combine your trip to the Dubai boat show with a visit to one of the luxury desert resorts near Dubai.
The Abu Dhabi Yacht Show
24 – 26 March 2011
If the Dubai International Boat Show is similar to Festival de la Plaisance de Cannes in terms of the exhibitors and visitors it attracts, the Abu Dhabi Yacht Show is unashamedly the Middle Eastern equivalent of the Monaco Yacht Show. The Show is only three years old in 2011 but the Yas Marina, which is also the venue for the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, is a modern, sophisticated venue. This year, the race track that is part of the marina will play host to the 2011 FIA GT1 series opener which will see the Aston Martin DBR9, Lamborghini Murciélago R-SV, Ford GT and Nissan GTR do battle.
There is, as you would guess, no shortage of top class hotel accommodation at the venue. If the Yas Marina hotel is fully booked, there are several other five-star hotels close by.
This is a highly anticipated event in Abu Dhabi. Yacht exhibitors in 2011 include Azimut-Benetti, Baglietto, Feadship, Lürssen, Oceanco and San Lorenzo. While there is more to see at the Dubai Boat Show, Abu Dhabi is more exclusive, the crowds are smaller (only 6000 visitors over the three days in 2010) and it is more focused on the very top end of yachting.
Although the highways in Abu Dhabi are slightly less frenetic, many of the comments made previously about driving Dubai still hold true. The weather should also be comfortable.
The Antibes Yacht Show
7 – 10 April 2010
This show is different from the others discussed in that it is dominated by sale and charter brokers. There are very few shipyards amongst the exhibitors and the focus is very much on pre-owned yachts. In 2010, most of the 170 yachts were 20-40m in length, with several others at 50m+.
The Antibes yacht show takes place in Port Vauban which is already home to some of the world’s largest mega-yachts. The venue is very accessible. Nice Aeroport is close by and Port Vauban is within walking distance of the train station. However, using a car is practical as the timing of the show means Cote d’Azur will get swamped by tourists and be very busy. The organisers have a limousine service from the Nice Aeroport and have arranged free parking in the town with shuttles to the marina.
In Antibes, yachts are spectacularly viewed at the show, which is five years old. It is a good opportunity to seriously view yachts and superyachts for sale at the beginning of the season in a beautiful, accessible location. There are lots of good hotels around Antibes and the timing of the Show means that it should be easy to get a booking, even if you leave things a bit late.
The Cannes International Boat Show
6 – 11 September 2011
Also known by its French name, Festival de la Plaisance de Cannes, the Show is 34 years old in 2011. Cannes rivals Monaco for being international and glamorous, and this is reflected in the yachts on show – in 2010, 400 exhibitors came from 34 countries and 87% of the 500 yachts in the water were from outside France. Vessels range in size from 10 – 50m and are accommodated on land, in the Old Port (new yachts) and in Port Pierre Canto (pre-owned).
In 2010, there were 139 new yachts shown at Cannes, including two of this year’s best sellers, the Beneteau Sense 50 and the Lagoon 450 catamaran. Amongst the significant larger yachts, the show featured the Heesen 3700, a Custom Line 124, the Sunreef 102 and the Moonen 97.
While the Cannes boat show is not the ideal place to see really large mega-yachts (the Monaco Yacht Show 10 days later is better), it is likely to be perfect for 90% of yacht buyers. The global support it enjoys, the general quality of the yachts and the venue makes it a must-see. If you are interested in sailing yachts, the city also hosts the Régates Royales-Trophée Panerai from 17 – 24 September while, a bit further South, Voiles de Saint Tropez takes place in St Tropez from 25 September – 2 October. September is a fantastic month on the Cote d’Azur for anyone interested in world-class, top-end yachting.
The French Riviera has a good road infrastructure but traffic jams can be a problem and parking will almost certainly be difficult. However, buses and trains work well and Cannes is also served by a helicopter service from Nice. Furthermore, for those interested in attending an international yacht show, the Cannes Mandelieu Airport is able to handle private jets.