Martin Hager
· 10.01.2024
The world's largest yacht and water sports fair is not only unique in the show world with visitor numbers exceeding 230,000 from over 60 countries. Above all, its concept sets it apart from the multitude of trade fairs worldwide at which the latest yachts and boats are presented.
In the state capital of North Rhine-Westphalia, prospective buyers can see the boats in their entirety, including the underwater hull, keel and drive train - a major advantage of the indoor boat show. Only the exhibitors of the large floating formats feel the disadvantages of this trade fair model, as they have to transport their new boats across the Rhine by ship and then by road at great expense. "Big Willi" crane and heavy goods transport to the halls.
The themed layout is the same as in previous years. The market leaders for tenders and shadowboats will be on board in Superboat Hall 5, including manufacturers such as Frauscher, Nautor and Axopar. The focus on electric drives can also be clearly seen in this segment, and the selection of models is constantly growing. This is followed by the superyachts in Hall 6, a "must-see" at the trade fair according to boot boss Petros Michelidakis. Princess will be showing the 28.96 metre Princess X95, the largest yacht at the show, while the 21.11 metre long and 50 knot Pershing X7 is likely to be the fastest format. Wally is bringing a world premiere to Germany with the Wallypower 50. Next door in Hall 7a, shipyards, designers and brokers will be exhibiting with information stands, as their yachts are simply too big for an indoor show. Halls 9 and 10 are the Silicon Valley of boot. The latest technological developments for boating and propulsion systems of all sizes, as well as small and large RIBs, will be on display here.