GIVEN the BOOT
If I’m lucky enough to be out sailing on a star-splashed night, the hunter, easyto-spot Orion, is my go-to if I need a guide to steer by. During boat-show season in the German city of Düsseldorf, it is “The Tourist”, clad in his blue swim trunks, who helps me get my bearings.
Bare chested, with a towel draped over his left shoulder, he is one of a handful of statues, called Stylites, by Christoph Pöggeler, that depict ordinary people working and living in the city. Each is whimsical, and several, like “The Tourist”, are on prominent display atop advertising pillars around town. With swim fins in hand, my talisman stands just down the street from the Messe, the sprawling trade-show complex on the banks of the Rhine River that’s home to what’s become the world’s largest watersports show.
Unlike American boat shows, where one often has to pay dearly to park for the day, Düsseldorf rolls out a red carpet for nautical visitors. Across the city, light poles are adorned with flags for Boot Düsseldorf, and anyone headed to the nine-day event can ride public transportation for free.
My German is nonexistent. So, several winters ago, when I attended the Boot for the first time with a Cruising World colleague and rode the trolley to the Messe from our hotel near the centuries-old city center, we pretty much followed the crowd as the train emptied out. That’s when I spotted my swimmer pal, and he’s been my valued landmark ever since.
Düsseldorf itself is a heck of a place, filled with fashion and the arts. Altstadt, or Old Town, is a maze of streets, shops and beer halls. Even in midwinter, tables are set on the sidewalk and packed with people, especially on weekend nights during the show. Pork is in abundance, with schweinshaxe (that’s pig knuckle to us Yanks) cooked in every way imaginable — boiled, baked, fried — you pick your poison. Altbier is the local brew of choice. At most restaurants, it’s served in small glasses that are refilled with great regularity by waiters who swipe pencil marks on a coaster and somehow keep track of what’s been consumed. After dinner, a sip or three of Killepitsch, an herbal liqueur distilled locally, has been known to wet many a whistle.
But the main attraction is the show, which by size alone is staggering.
This year it attracted more than 1,900 exhibitors from 68 countries, filling 2.3 million square feet of floor space in 16 enormous halls. There was a wave tank for surfers, a pool for paddlers and an entire arena full of charter companies to help you plan a get away to pretty much anywhere on the planet where there are water and boats to rent.
I never made it to any of the powerboat pavilions, and only had time for a quick stroll through just one of the gear and equipment arenas. Instead, it took an entire three days just to cover the goings-on in the Boot’s two sailing halls, where vessels ranged from tiny one-man dinghies to 70-plus-foot yachts and catamarans.
Dazzling debuts were announced at every turn, starting with the performance that German builder Bavaria put on minutes after the doors opened. With multiple versions of three new sailboat models on display, ranging from 45 to 65 feet, a crowd quickly gathered for a live Q&A with company CEO Lutz Henkel (all in German, alas, so I didn’t catch a word). When the talking ended, lights flashed from the rafters, and musicians perched on the bows of several boats let loose with a pulsating roar. From nowhere, a gymnast appeared and climbed hand-over-hand up flowing drapes to perform an intricate dance routine above the crowd. It was a sight to be seen, for sure. (For a report on the many other launches, see cruisingworld.com/0418boot.)
Show management says some 247,000 visitors from 94 countries attended this year’s Boot. We ran into several Americans there on a shopping spree/ holiday. Before or after the show, they had yard visits planned, since many are just a modest train or plane ride away.
All in all, Düsseldorf has turned into a global showcase of all that’s new in the world of boats, and takes place in a city that couldn’t be more friendly to visitors. Throw in the pork and beer, and what’s not to like?
Even in midwinter, tables are set on the sidewalk and packed with people, especially on weekend nights during the show.