14th China International Boat Show good for trade buyers

by Guy Nowell, Sail-World Asia on 19 Apr 2009 The 14th China International Boat Show opened in Shanghai on Friday, and runs through today.

This year’s edition of China’s oldest boat show attracted 380 exhibitors, covering an space of 33,000 sq m, and once again was housed in the rather down-at-heel but still impressive Shanghai Exhibition Centre on Yang An Road.

Besides the usual well-known international brands on show - Sunseeker, Ferretti, Azimut, Benetti, Jeanneau, Beneteau – the show featured pavilions from the Italian, French and Australian marine industries. Superyachts were represented by Lurssen and Heesen. The mainland Chinese boat building industry also presented strongly this year – Shanghai Double Happiness and Changzhou FRP among them, as well as foreign-owned companies in China building for the export such as Red Dragon and Watermark Marine.

Visitor numbers appeared to be slightly down this year, although according to Olivier Decamps, CEO of Jebsen Marine, agents for Atlantis Yachts and Riva, 'the quality of visitors was up, and potential buyers seemed to have a better understanding of the boating industry and what they were looking for in a boat.

At the other end of the exhibitor’s scale, Storm Force Marine, a distributor for over 70 marine equipment brands, also reported satisfaction with the show. 'We are very happy with this year’s event and have made significant new contacts in the industry', said Simon Boyde, Director.

Indeed, one UK industry specialist remarked, 'this is more of a trade networking meeting than a boat show. There are a lot of industry suppliers talking to each other (which of course is good), and less emphasis on the big brands and people looking to buy a boat and comparing what’s new in the market'.

For the first time the show also featured an in-water display, with six powerboats moored at the new Shanghai Yacht Club, a 25-berth facility in the shadow of the Nan Pu bridge at the southern end of Shanghai’s famous Bund.

Well-known Asian brokerage Simpson Marine presented the 37’ Monte Carlo motor yacht for the first time in the region. And after a successful introduction in Shenzhen recently, Simpsons – in conjunction with Beneteau yachts and the China Cup International Regatta – announced plans to expand their 'Introduction to Sailing' programme using the CCIR Beneteau 40.7 one design fleet based at Longcheer Yacht Club.

More sailing enthusiasm has been generated by the new J-World Asia sailing centre at Xiamen: Jeff Brown, Director, said 'we have had a substantial number of enquiries from people wanting to know how they can get out on the water. We offer the ideal learn-to-sail programme, from beginners to advanced, using our China-built J/80 sportsboats.'

At the Gala Dinner on Friday night sponsored Remy Martin’s Louis XIII cognac, the Longtze Premier was voted 'Best Sail Racing Yacht', and Pierre Mas, former helmsman of the AC China Team, was on hand to accept the trophy.