Fanfare, Successful Sales, and Fun FLIBS 2022

Squarely positioned between the “M” shows of Monaco and Miami on the calendar, the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show ran through its paces for the 63rd time, October 26-30, 2022. Monaco, is always an exclusive collection of brilliant, elegant, sumptuous superyachts. Think luxurious with a capital “L.” Miami is pretty much the king of the fast and the fabulous. Think flamboyance and flash. Fort

Lauderdale, however, is a show with something for everyone. Why attend, you ask?

Fort Lauderdale is just plain fun, with lots of movers and shakers from the yachting world in attendance, a sampling of some of the world’s top yacht premieres, and a 360-degree view of the complete range of ways to enjoy time in, on, under, and even over the water. This year proved no exception.

The Biggest Show on Earth

Fort Lauderdale is billed as the biggest in-water boat show on the planet. More than 1,300 boats on display, over 1,000 exhibitors, and 100,000+ attendees kept the show busy across seven venues. The

Superyacht Village, small but mighty, hosted upscale events surrounded by some of the biggest names in yachting: Lürssen, Benetti, Heesen, Abeking & Rasmussen, Overmarine, and Oceanco. In the center of it all, a nice cocktail and dining space invites guests to lounge in a comfortable respite.

The 2022 show saw $800+ million in sales at the event, while the state of Florida saw upwards of a $1.79 billion economic impact. Rufus James, Airport Manager for the Fort Lauderdale Executive Airport, pointed to a 20-25 percent increase in operations from roughly 500 to 700 per day during the show.

Ferretti Sets the Bar High

On the eve of the show, the opening of Ferretti’s remodeled Fort Lauderdale showroom was a definite highlight. Twelve covered slips, the largest accommodating a Pershing 8X, displayed a handsome array of worthy craft bearing various Ferretti brands. The 20k square foot showroom floor reflected clean, Italian design, sky-high ceilings, and streamlined furnishings that created a number of more intimate gathering spots. Refined and casual, The Riva privé was the icing on the cake for this, the largest in-water showroom in the US.

Stefano de Vivo, CCO of Ferretti Group, along with Simone Meletti, Managing Director for Ferretti Group Americas, and Fort Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, cut the ribbon opening the facility, followed by festive bubbles and a beautiful selection of amuse-bouche. DeVivo made a brief presentation, highlighting accomplishments, launches, and events, then an invite: The gorgeous Riva Anniversario special edition, displayed on the showroom floor, had purpose. Its appearance was to gather bids for an auction benefiting David Beckham’s 7 Fund for UNICEF, helping children in El Salvador. The auction runs up to the Miami show, when the winning bid will be announced. Stunning facility. Gorgeous furnishings. Lots of yachts. In a word? Exquisite.

Heesen’s Sexy, Beautiful Boat

At the show, Heesen’s third build in the 50-meter steel series, Ocean Z, found Captain Billy Lockhart singing praises for the 2022 launch. “She is a really sexy, beautiful boat, not overdesigned,” Lockhart stated, adding that the Clifford Denn designed Ocean Z has earned her title as a legitimate, big, ocean-going boat, performing well above and beyond expectation with comfort as a key component.

Heesen PR and Press Office Manager Sara Gianola highlighted Ocean Z’s versatility, with three layers of style ranging from formal to casual, and an MTU propulsion system that could easily be built as a hybrid. Gianola hinted at the exciting builds in progress for the Dutch firm: the 67-meter Project Sparta and the 60-meter, 37-knot Project SkyFall, both scheduled for 2023 delivery.

Best in Show: Mangusta Oceano 50

Awarded to the most innovative yacht at the show with regard to performance, design, technology, and architecture, the FLIBS Best in Show award went home with Mangusta Yachts for their Oceano 50.

The impressive 68-square-meter, tri-level beach area and the convertible tender space on the bow that transforms to a large, transverse pool are some of the distinctive features that earned the award.

Also in the running for the award were the Benetti 37-meter B.Yond, Heesen 50-meter Ocean Z, Ferretti Riva 102, Pursuit Boats OS 445, and the Solaris Power SP 50.

Sanlorenzo Trendsetting Style

A remarkable yacht at the show from Sanlorenzo turned design on its heels, creating superior loft-like open space and efficient jet propulsion operation on a 33-meter yacht with just a 1.3-meter draft. At first glance, the SP110 looks like a very large limo tender, but upon inspection, she is clean, thoughtful, cushy accommodation for six to eight guests and five crew in a very contemporary atmosphere with exceptional light.

As groundbreaking as the SP110, the SL120 Asymmetric maximizes space normally used for stairs by adding nicely organized living areas. With a very beamy feeling, but in a good way, the SL120A feels spacious and comfortable, with attention to the carefully crafted details that unmistakably stamp the Sanlorenzo marque on the yacht.

C & N: How Old?

240 years. Now that is a long time, and Camper & Nicholsons has reason to celebrate. While they have switched up their business model to embrace yacht charter, brokerage, and all phases of building a new yacht, from choosing a shipyard through design and delivery, their history boasts exceptional yachts that continue to command regatta respect. At the height of production around 1937, C & N turned Cowes Week into Charlie Nicholson’s Regatta: all J-Class yachts, three-fourths of the 12-meter yachts, half of the 8-meter yachts, and many of the ocean racers came from Charlie’s drawing board.

Considering racing yachts were just 10 percent of his business at the time, those are impressive statistics. Congrats, C & N, well done!

Azimut Benetti Group Premieres 

Benetti’s 37-meter B.Yond Goga and 40-meter Oasis Seascape captured rapt attention for their stylish sterns, particularly the glass-walled elevated infinity pool on the latter. Once on board, the Benetti magic continued. Sleek curved glass panels moved effortlessly aside via sensors, opening the doors to expansive salons that truly and seamlessly merged with the outdoor space with a graceful flow.

Thoughtful, inspiring design, including teardrop faucet and fishbowl sink details even in the day head, showcased Italian design.

And, just as the show had begun with a splashy event, Azimut closed it out with a fabulous fete at their booth on the Face Dock, with music, bubbles, a great band, and delicious gourmet nibbles. Cheers till next year, currently scheduled for October 25-29, 2023, and on to Miami!