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The 2015 Fort Lauderdale Boat Show Round Up
It’s a well known fact that the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show, in terms of sheer volume, is the largest yacht show on the planet. Opening for the 56th time, this show acted as the perfect platform to not only showcase some of the world’s finest yachts, but for exhibitors to debut new projects and ideas to a legion of qualified buyers in a market offering nothing but exciting activity.
Yachts ranging from Lurssen’s 75m Northern Star to the newly launched Feadship superyacht ROCK.IT led the show in terms of size, all the way down a long list of varying build sizes and styles of superyacht to state-of-the-art sportfishers.
Exhibitors behind the impressive showcase of yachts on display also found the gathering crowds, qualified buyers and world press to be the perfect companions to discuss buoyancy and movement.
Brands such as Benetti chose the opportunity to announce their prosperity in the region after selling 8 yachts - out of 18 globally this year - to the American market. In North America four contracts were concluded for Fast Displacement yachts, while the sale of a 66 meter steel and aluminum hi-tech Custom Line represented a new challenge for the shipyard.
A further contract was sealed this year in North America - Hull N°1 of the Mediterraneo 116'. With delivery in 2016, the 35.5 meter long Benetti Mediterraneo 116' is an important turning point for the yard and clearly shows the recognizable Benetti family feel, while tracing the demand for European style in America.
For a closer look at the brands discussing the increasing buoyancy of the market, you can find our exclusive in-depth interviews with key players - such as Turquoise Yachts, Heesen Yachts, Westport Yachts, IYC, Denison Yacht Sales and Galati Yacht Sales - who all gave a complete market breakdown across all sectors to help us better understand the modern American market.
However, it was all just discussion, as brands such as WIDER provided exciting previews into a fresh new approach to building yachts, offering an exclusive insight into the recently launched WIDER 150 Project Genesi, as well as the new WIDER 165, the flagship of the fleet currently preparing for her future launch.
Alongside the impressive project display was the launch of Heesen Yachts’ new yachts, Project Nina and Project Nova. Project Nina, a yacht developed specifically for the American market, and Project Nova, a 50m hybrid designed to bring the outside in, were spectacular examples of how seriously this industry is taking America and how the Fort Lauderdale Boat Show acts a signifier of exciting times ahead for the region and its surrounding counterparts.
While we couldn’t cover all the news from the show in just a few paragraphs, stay tuned for dedicated in-depth features from the show, looks into each and every new project as well as walkthroughs of new and exciting yachts on the water.