The 65th Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show

In the afterglow of another successful show in Fort Lauderdale, numbers from the 65th edition of the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show continue to deliver good news from show producer Informa: more than 100,000 attendees from around the world, 1,300 boats on display, and 1,000 brands represented, delivering an impressive $1.79 billion economic impact for Broward County and surrounding communities.

The show, which ran from October 30th to November 3rd, 2024, is often called the largest in-water boat show in the world. One cannot truly appreciate how big this show really is until they’ve walked the docks from the Las Olas Marina, through Hall of Fame, Bahia Mar, Pier 66, and the Superyacht Village, as well as the Convention Center. It is one enormous beast, but a fun show adopting Fort Lauderdale’s casual vibe.

Owned by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida, MIASF, FLIBS delivered a number of new features and some surprises this year, experimenting with some logistical changes for the Windward VIP location and the Superyacht village water taxi stop, among others.

Our schedule began with a Tuesday dinner hosted by Heesen at the Lauderdale Yacht Club. Breezy but pleasant, a small group enjoyed an al fresco repast in the company of Heesen Yachts PR and Press Office Manager Sara Gioanola, CCO Ruud van der Stroom, Agent North-America, Mexico, Bahama’s & Caribbean Thom Conboy, and Sales Director Robert Drontmann. Engaging discussions ensued embracing everything from Heesen’s showstoppers Bookends, ELA, and After You, with touch-and-go chats on politics, hurricanes, water quality, and the future of yachting.

Wednesday began with a lively gathering at the Ferretti showroom on 16th Street, showing off this fabulous facility decked out with Rivas, Wallys, Pershings, and an authentically Italian coffee bar as prep for the presentation. CEO Alberto Galassi noted that it was the first time he had seen the completed facility.

Remarking that it was something quite special, Galassi announced his approval, saying, “I pay the bills and I can tell you, the money was very well spent.” Galassi went on to underscore an interesting statement, commenting that, “We’d like to switch from selling boats, as we have done that already, to lifestyle.” The Fort Lauderdale facility embraces that philosophy with 323,000 total area square feet, three covered slips, eight land storage spaces, dockage for 16 boats, and $1.5 million USD in spare parts, employing a workforce of 40.

With 10 yachts in the show, three of which were American premieres in the Wally Cento, the Infinyto 80, and the Pershing GTX 80, Managing Director Valerio Venturelli took the mic and presented Fort Lauderdale’s new Riva branded real estate project on the Middle River, just north of Sunrise Blvd. Venturelli stated there would be 36 seriously posh units, with eight berths in a private marina, ready for owners to move in by 2029.

Next on our agenda, Azimut Benetti CEO Marco Valle welcomed press with another delightful Italian coffee bar stocked with appropriate noshes, as he discussed the importance of their partnership with Rolls Royce Marine divisions MTU pod propulsion systems.

Denise Kurtulus, Senior Vice President of Global Rolls Royce Power systems, applauded the 41-year history between Rolls Royce and Azimut while pointing out the advantages of pod propulsion: 15 percent increased efficiency, reduced consumption, improved handling and maneuverability, more accommodation space, and decreased noise and vibration.

Azimut had 20 yachts in the show, from the highly efficient Seadeck 6, to the Trideck Grande and the fiberglass Class family 44 Diamond Abbentures, making its American debut.

Feadship’s Resale Manager Arjen van Elk talked with us about the extraordinary yacht Double Haven, the first Feadship to launch under the group’s new Resale Division. Meticulously maintained, timeless yacht capable of ocean explorations lasting up to six months, the 167-foot Double Haven was built in 1993 but does not show her age. The classic yacht underwent a 2024 refit, polishing her impeccable comforts and credentials for the next owner.

From build through refit and resale, Feadship is “safeguarding the value and pedigree of each yacht,” van Elk confirmed, preserving the balance, elegance, and proportion of Feadships that find their way to the Resale Division. Feadship Marketing Manager Francis Vermeer emphasized the importance of knowing each ship’s history, presenting us with an exceptional book, The Feadship Anthology, meticulously chronicling every known Feadship build since 1949 in celebration of their 75th Diamond Anniversary.

Lürssen’s presence in booth #1 at the superyacht village emphasized the powerhouse builder’s progress on improvements in fuel efficiency, emissions reduction, noise reduction, and methanol fuel cell technology along with Rolls Royce MTU propulsion systems work. Sporting bright raspberry dresses and key lime trousers, the team shared professional, knowledgeable, informative presentations through models on display. A celebratory mood prevailed due to Lürssen’s three yachts of 2024, the 138.8-meter Luminance, the 122-meter Kismet, and the 82-meter Haven. Looking forward, the team displayed excitement surrounding the imminent delivery of the 142-meter German Frers designed Alibaba, taking the new moniker Dragonfly.

Next up, CEO of Bering Yachts Alexei Mikhailov spoke to press about their capable, versatile, go-anywhere steel hull explorers, highlighting the Bering 105, but extolling the virtues of their newest Bering flagship, the 165. Developed with Valentin Design of Switzerland, Mikhailov described the yacht as “A steel expedition boat to the bone,” but emphasized its style, comfort, and safety for adventurous yacht owners.

The big news at the Sunseeker press conference was the sale of Sunseeker to two private equity firms. Miami-based Lionheart Capital, after a successful venture with Cigarette Racing, joined their elite real estate development experience with Italy-based Orienta Capital Partners, to garner more than 90 percent ownership in the UK boat brand from China-based Dalian Wanda Group.

Our day then took us to a gorgeous intracoastal estate for a presentation by Northrop & Johnson, also celebrating their 75th Diamond Anniversary. The presentation was accompanied by an extravagant lunch from MAASS by Michelin-acclaimed Chef Ryan Ratino, one of Fort Lauderdale’s most delicious new dining experiences.

President and CCO Cromwell Littlejohn then invited us to have a closer look at a pair of stylish blue Zeelander tenders, known for their silent, fast, luxurious qualities. We then boated over to the show for a tour of Unbridled and Star Diamond, two of Northrop & Johnson’s yachts on display at the show. Unbridled, a 191-foot Trinity yacht built in 2009 with a 2019 refit, offered accommodations for 16 guests and 13 crew in old world luxury. Star Diamond, a 154-foot Admiral yacht built in 1998 sported a sparkling new 2024 refit that kept her quite current. Star Diamond accommodates 10 guests served by 10 crew.

Heesen Yachts was a popular destination for a 5 pm Frites en Flutes fete at their elegant Superyacht Village booth. A very merry crowd enjoyed effervescent Dutch hospitality, along with its two semi-custom yachts Bookends and ELA, and the fully custom After You, launched as Quinta Essentia.

We enjoyed an engaging interview with Gulf Craft COO Kostas Christodoulou regarding Majesty Yacht’s newest composite build superyacht, the 110. Combining aesthetics from Christiano Gatto Design Studio and naval architecture from Van Oosennen, the 110 is one of six Gulf Craft superyacht models measuring between 100 and 175 feet.

As the horns on Sunday signaled the close of the show, most of the exhales were accompanied by smiles. As it does every four years in the States, the presidential election subdued some enthusiasm for buying, but expectations were high that a robust return would follow the election results.

See you next year when the show is scheduled for October 29th through November 2nd, 2025. Here’s hoping the Pier 66 redevelopment, adjacent to the Superyacht Village, will be ready to welcome boat show guests by then!