Spring boutique show success
High turnout and good weather set cash registers ringing at four local shows
All four pre-season boat shows proved a success this year, with strong attendance and sales being made across the board.
At the British Motor Yacht Show in Swanwick, the big news was the debut of the Princess 62 and the recently launched S60. Almost identical in length and price with similar threecabin layouts and a flybridge up top, this was the first chance for buyers to compare the two. At the other end of the spectrum, Charlotte, the exquisitely restored Project 31, also put in a guest appearance.
Roger Lipman of Princess Motor Yacht Sales reported visitors from as far away as Belgium, and sales exceeding £5 million. Sunseeker Southampton also reported strong sales. James Lumley of Sunseeker Southampton commented, “We sold a total of four new boats, including a custom black and grey 68 Predator and a Sunseeker 95 Yacht, both of which were on display at the show.”
Poole Harbour Boat Show, held over the same weekend and enjoying similarly clement weather, saw attendance up by 30%. In total, over 30,000 people enjoyed the 200 exhibitor-strong show, as well as the four tall ships and on-water demonstrations.
David Jones from the show’s sponsor Sunseeker Poole said, “We sponsor the Poole Harbour Boat Show because Sunseeker is the largest employer in the area and it gives us the opportunity to engage with the local community and show them the best of British marine products.”
Further east, the inaugural Brundall Boat Show had a positive response. Jenny Simpson, marketing & communications manager for Brundallbased Broom Boats commented, “We were overwhelmed by the amount of people that got in touch during the days following the show to tell us what a lovely time they had.” The date for next year’s Brundall Boat Show has already been set for the May 19. London On-water got off to a blustery start due to the weather and the unexpected clash with the General Election in June. But by the weekend, the sun and the crowds had returned.
“We had steady interest,” said Freddie Devere of Bates Wharf, which was displaying models from the Bayliner and Chris-craft range, “but the weekend was busy and we came away with some strong leads.”
The British Motor Yacht Show, Poole, Brundall and London On-water all came out strong