Motor Boat of Year announced too
Motor boat sales were up at the HISWA Amersterdam Boat Show, which closed last week.
The show proved popular with visitors and exhibitors alike, organisers say. MBY’s Scott Walker, who was at the event, said: “It was very buoyant. There were plenty of steel boats, plus other Dutch boats looking to get a dealer in the UK.”
There was an increase in the number of visitors, up by 4,084 on 2006. The boat show, which was held in Amsterdam RAI from Monday 6 to Thursday 11 March, attracted a total of 61,127 visitors.
The Saffier 32 and Kuster A-42 were the winners of the title of HISWA Boat of the Year 2007 in their categories. The HISWA Innovation Award was won by ASA Boot Electro for the Torqeedo Travel electric outboard motor.
The number of definite sales and applications for quotations or sea trials rose from 43% in 2006 to 55% this year.
Most interest was generated at the 2007 show by the motor boats (34%) with sailing yachts and dinghies at 33%.
Wim van der Loo, director of HISWA RAI multimedia, the organisor of the boat show, said: “Not only did we manage to break the downward trend in the number of visitors in the past two years, but the atmosphere at the show was also very good. The show’s new layout and new activities and our customised marketing campaign have clearly borne fruit.”
HISWA Boat of the Year 2007
After making an advance selection, the jury shortlisted two sailing boats and four motorboats for the title of HISWA Boat of the Year at its first meeting. The jury subsequently tested the boats on Lake IJssel in October.
Ultimately the sailing yacht Saffier 32 made by Saffier Maritiem of IJmuiden and the motor yacht Kuster A-42 made by Consonant Yachts of Vriezenveen were chosen as the winners.
This was announced by the jury chairman on the first day of the show.
The Kuster A-42 is a luxury motor yacht with an open cockpit for open water and is designed by Willem Nieland. Despite its rugged appearance, it is designed above all to provide optimal safety and comfort for the crew in all conditions. The Kuster A-42 scored particularly highly in terms of its construction and design. The well-thought-out lay-out and the completeness of the boat as well as its stable and quiet sailing characteristics were so convincing that its builder, Consonant Yachts of Vriezenveen, was awarded the highest rating by the jury in the motorboat category.
HISWA Innovation Award 2007
The Torqeedo Travel electric outboard motors were chosen as the winner of the HISWA Innovation Award from the six shortlisted products. Asa Boot Electro, an Amsterdam-based company, thus captured the title for the most innovative product on display at the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show 2007.
AMSTERDAM BOAT SHOW 2008
The next edition of the HISWA Amsterdam Boat Show in Amsterdam RAI will be held from Tuesday 4 March to Sunday 9 March 2008.
