The Düsseldorf boat show returns this month, but with so many boats to see, it’s easy to get lost. We pick out the best of the best...
Boot Düsseldorf is the biggest indoor show in the world with everything from kayaks to superyachts all under one roof (well, 17 roofs to be precise).
Be warned though, it’s so vast you need two days to take it all in. Thankfully, there are plenty of low-cost flights to nearby Düsseldorf airport and a good selection of hotels to choose from, either near the venue or in the town centre, a 20-minute ride away on public transport.
In the absence of a London boat show the big yards are now viewing this as their key off-season show. Here are the debuts they are hoping to steal the show with…
The SR41 has a far neater and more cohesive look then the Sport range it will replace
1. Bavaria SR41
It’s only right that the biggest show in Germany is the launchpad for a German boat-building powerhouse to unveil the first model in an all-new range. The SR41 aims to combine the best of Bavaria’s Sport range and the R line. There are three different styles available, the hardtop (pictured), a soft top and fully open version.
A design partnership with Marco Casali of Too Design produced some of the key innovations, such as the transom module, which allows those on board to recline or dine as close to the water as possible.
Below decks, the aim was to create maximum space so there are two generous cabins, including an athwartships master ensuite, VIP cabin forward and a galley and dinette in between. It looks to be a solid package and, with a starting price of around €230,000, good value for money.
Specification
LOA: 43ft 6in (13.29m)
Beam: 13ft 1in (3.99m)
Engines: Twin 355hp-380hp sterndrives
Top speed: 34 knots
Price from: €229,600 (ex. VAT)
Location: Hall 1, Stand B37
There are three different IPS engine options and the largest has a 33-knot top speed
2. Pearl 62
The replacement for the popular Pearl 60 is a clever piece of design from naval architect Bill Dixon. Without building a traditional aft cabin boat to replace its predecessor, Dixon wanted to create the same level of privacy on a boat with an amidships master cabin and three guest cabins forward.
By using IPS he was able to utilise the space and provide direct access from the saloon to the master cabin separate from the companionway that leads to the guest accommodation.
Fitting a full-beam master, three further guest cabins and a crew space inside a boat of just over 60ft is an impressive feat and makes the Pearl 62 a rather unique beast in this section of the market.
No doubt the interior will have the usual Kelly Hoppen sparkle and the flybridge, with its large overhang, looks to have a great mix of dining and lounging solutions.
Specification
LOA: 61ft 0in (18.81m)
Beam: 17ft 4in (5.3m)
Engines: IPS950/1050/1200
Top speed: 33 knots
Price from: £1.26m ex VAT
Location: Hall 6, Stand A22
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With the bridge deck up top the whole of the main deck is free for socialising space
3. Princess X95
Confession time: the finished X95 isn’t actually going to be on the Princess Yachts stand but there will be a life-size mock-up of the boat’s main deck, transported all the way from the company’s South Yard facility in Plymouth. It promises to be quite the spectacle and will give us the clearest idea yet of what this extraordinary new model’s main living spaces will offer before the boat’s launch in the spring.
The main deck has a handful of different layout options but the most significant is the choice between a forward master cabin with 270-degree views or the extended galley configuration with a central island
and large dining table at the forward end of the deck.
Even without the main deck master, there are four generous ensuite staterooms on the lower deck with separate crew quarters for three. Princess will also unveil the F50, S62, S66, V55 and Y78 at the show.
Specification
LOA: 95ft 6in (29.1m)
Beam: 22ft 3in (6.77m)
Engines: Twin MAN 1,900hp
Top speed: 26 knots
Price from: £6.49m (ex. VAT)
Location: Hall 6, Stand B21
The whole superstructure is offset to port leaving just one side deck along the starboard side
4. Sanlorenzo SL96 Asymmetric
Sanlorenzo was so pleased with its first asymmetric yacht, the SL102, that it has built a slightly smaller one, which will have its global debut at the show. The Italian yard has once again employed the services of car designer Chris Bangle to bring the concept to life.
By having only one side deck on the main deck there is an extra 10 square metres of space in the saloon with the starboard passageway providing unbroken access from the cockpit to the seating and lounging area on the foredeck.
A raised deck on the port side arcs over the saloon and connects the stern to the bow but notice how a walkway and railing on the starboard side mirrors it so the boat’s profile appears the same from either side.
With the master suite split over two levels on the main deck, there is space below for three further guest suites including a full-beam VIP amidships. At a shade over 95ft, this will be one of the largest boats on show at Boot Düsseldorf 2020.
Specification
LOA: 95ft 3in (29.06m)
Beam: 22ft 2in (6.76m)
Engines: Twin MTU 1,947hp/2,216hp
Top speed: 28 knots
Price: On application
Location: Hall 6, Stand D21
Purposeful modern looks are inspired by timeless designs from 60s and 70s
5. Windy 37 Shamal
This all-new 37 Shamal is the successor to the superb 35 Khamsin and, with this model, Windy and Norwegian designer Espen Øino say they were inspired by Windy sportsboats of the 60s and 70s.
It’s a clean design, more modern and muscular than the Khamsin with an aggressive stance. But with dayboat duties its principal function, those sleek lines disguise a practical, spacious main deck. It’s an open boat but occupants sit protected in the deep cockpit that can be sheltered by either a new generation canopy system or a bimini top.
The dayboat moniker is a little unfair on the interior, which includes two cabins with double berths and a decent heads compartment with a separate shower cubicle.
With twin sterndrives and nearly 900hp it’s likely to be engaging to drive with a top speed close to 45 knots. We will test one in the spring.
Specification
LOA: 36ft 9in (11.25m)
Beam: 10ft 9in (3.33m)
Engines: Twin Volvo Penta D6 440hp
Top speed: 44 knots
Price from: £370,000 (ex. VAT)
Location: Hall 5, Stand E20
Well-specced Nimbus T8 is compact but refreshingly affordable
6. Nimbus T8
This is the third year in a row that Nimbus has launched a new outboard powered dayboat at Boot Düsseldorf 2020 and the T8 is the smallest one to date. It will be joined in the autumn by an enclosed C8 version but the T is a handsome little thing that can be left as an open or fitted with a T-top for some extra protection.
It’s an attractive package that isn’t crazy money given Nimbus’s reputation for quality. It comes as standard with a bow thruster, chartplotter and Zipwake trim system meaning you could have a turn-key package with a single 225hp outboard for around £80,000 including VAT.
Larger engine options are available and the top spec 300hp motor should have the twin-stepped hull fizzing along at 45 knots, if not more. The cockpit layout is typically clever and practical while below decks there is a vee berth and separate heads.
Specification
LOA: 26ft 2in (8m)
Beam: 8ft 7in (2.65m)
Engines: Single outboard up to 300hp
Top speed: 45 knots
Price from: £67,000 (ex. VAT)
Location: Hall 5, Stand A56
The new Axopar 37’s natty colourway is an option that’s likely to turn heads
7. Axopar 37
Despite the immense success of its predecessor, Axopar has seen fit to create an all-new 37 in order to stay ahead of the curve and the chasing pack.
The most obvious difference between new and old is the set of gullwing doors that the boat now sports, which give far better access to the forward cabin and a much improved connection between those inside and people on deck. The cabin is also larger than the old boat’s and there is an option to have a separate shower room, which there wasn’t previously.
The hull is the same weight and dimensions as before but thanks to some hydrodynamic trickery and Mercury’s latest range of outboard engines, the new Axopar 37 is a massive 30% more fuel efficient between 20 and 40 knots. A Brabus version of the boat, the Shadow 900, will also be launched on the Brabus Marine stand.
Specification
LOA: 37ft 9in (11.5m)
Beam: 9ft 8in (3.35m)
Engines: Twin 225hp-350hp outboards
Top speed: 45 knots
Price from: €88,500 (ex. VAT)
Location: Hall 4, Stand B59
The Lobster 48 looks set to be one of the best looking boats at the show
8. Solaris Power Lobster 48 Flybridge
By affixing a flybridge to the gorgeous 48 Power, Solaris may have created an early contender for the prettiest boat at the show.
Whether the lines remain this clean in transition from rendering to real life remains to be seen but there’s thought behind all that style. There are no guardrails along the sidedecks but because the decks are sunken and the bulwarks tall it should still feel safe for crew members moving forward to the bow.
The flybridge isn’t huge but it offers an elevated driving position and extra double sunpad or it can be specified without the helm, which leaves enough space to fit a sunroof that opens up the saloon to the elements.
Inside, there is a two-cabin, two-bathroom layout and IPS-only engine options of 440hp or 480hp, the latter good for 35 knots.
Specification
LOA: 47ft 1in (14.35m)
Beam: 15ft 10in (4.87m)
Engines: Volvo Penta IPS600/650
Top speed: 35 knots
Price from: €1.05m (ex. VAT)
Location: Hall 5, Stand A21
