Feb 12, 2018

John Morris

As enjoyable as our shows are here at home, a trip over to Dusseldorf, Germany for the biggest European boat exhibition, boot, really adds some perspective. Besides the comprehensive array of power and sail boats that make your eyes pop and heart beat you’ll get up close to some boats that simply are too grand for us – superyachts that defy your imagination with size and luxury. Win the lottery, and then a second and you’re eligible.

Superyachts in Hall 6 – Wow

It’s part of a January ritual in Europe that never grows old. Television news captures the images of stunning, huge (70 80 90-foot?) mega yachts being taken from the Rhine and trucked in motorcades then moved indoors with impossible looking lifts. And there they are for you to devour when you enter Hall 6.

That’s just a start: Hall 4 is packed with every conceivable smaller motorboat from the Four Winns, Wellcraft and Scarabs we know from home (and now part of the Beneteau empire) to more Euro looking small boats like Jeanneaus and a wealth of other brands we may not have ever seen on these shores. Then there are several Dutch and other boats aimed at displacement lower speed canal cruising.

In Hall 5, the larger cruisers that will really catch your eye. Some European builders, like Italy’s Riva and Cranchi make incredibly high styled boats that drip with Mediterranean love. I took a long look at T36X ‘crossover’, which North South is bringing to Canada this season! What a looker “in collabrazione con Christian Grande” it combines sportboat with cruiser and you can probably throw in a couple of Italian movie stars to complete the picture.

Hall 6 is filled, this year with nine superyachts, half of Hall 15 has a collection of large sail cruising catamarans; the other half of the hall is packed with sleek one designs and luxury daysailers, none of which are for sale (or sail) on this side of the pond. The only major American sail brands – J Boats was in this hall with their new, and somewhat expensive in Euros, J121 award winner.

Hall 15and 16 are quite a payoff for sailors. Moody, X-Boats, Halberg-Rassy, Baltic, Waquiez, Dufour and several other major builders we don’t see join the important Dehler, Beneteau, Jeanneau, Hanse and the huge Bavaria World showcase – brands we do see but not in the panorama boot presents.

Then, on top of all that, Hall 4 is packed with diving and ecology; Hall 7 just filled with maritime art; Hall 8 has ‘trendsport’ surfing, kites, paddling, skimboarding and so on; Hall 11 is equipment and accessories; Hall 12 adds fashion; 13 is all beach and destination resorts, houseboats, sportfishing and so on; Hall 14 is destinations, schools, charters and associations.
Here are the prerequisites: really comfortable shoes, perhaps three or four days and a love of all things boat-related. You’ll join 2,000 exhibitors and a quarter million visitors who share your enthusiasm.