The Superyacht Show 2-5 May 2018

The brand new LYBRA show known as The Superyacht Show will run from the 2- 5 May this year.

No matter how positive your outlook on the superyacht market, the question must be asked: Hot on the heels of the MYBA Charter Show and the Palma Boat Show, what niche in the market will The Superyacht Show fill?

We'll have to wait until May for an answer, but the organisers of the confidently named The Superyacht Show have all advantages on their side. Eight members of LYBRA and world leaders of yacht brokerage, Burgess, Edmiston & Company, Fraser, IYC, Merle Wood & Associates, Northrop & Johnson, Ocean Independence and Yachtzoo will all be exhibiting yachts at the show. Along with yachts, the finest luxury brands will also be on display for prospective owners and representatives to peruse in an 'enjoyable and relaxed environment'. 

LYBRA's members represent the most sought after and largest yachts on the market but will the calibre of yachts on show be enough to draw the high net worth individuals who may instead wait until Monaco to see what's on offer? 

Jonathan Beckett, president of LYBRA, sets out the unique profile of The Superyacht Show by promising a “fresh, unique and appealing format” where the client is the focal point, distinguishing it from other boat shows with a B2B focus. Although, Beckett admits that expectations are “modest” for the first year.

Eric Blair, secretary general of LYBRA has high hopes for the show's future, saying, “Our members are acutely aware of their responsibility to exhibit their clients' vessels at a time and place that is most likely to produce serious enquiries from qualified buyers. Over time, we therefore plan to develop the show into the definitive, pre-summer buying opportunity in the Mediterranean.”

OneOcean Port Vell is the ideal venue, located in the heart of Barcelona in close proximity to Barceloneta beach, the sophisticated Born neighbourhood and the iconic Ramblas. The marina is a known quantity, reliably attractive to discerning clientele with a beautifully designed members' club and private access. Everything is in place to make the show a great success.

By choosing Barcelona the organisers implicitly confirm the Catalan capital's ascendant and indisputable position as a superyacht hub. Spain's east coast has also profited from the unaccommodating legal environment in France, causing owners to look beyond the Côte d'Azur, and is also tempting yachts away from over-crowded and expensive berths in the Balearic Islands. 

Beyond OneOcean Port Vell, marinas along the Spanish coast are seizing the opportunity to expand the size and number of their berths, from the well established Port Tarraco and Vilanova Grand Marina to the South, to the newer Mataró Marina 30km North and the expanding Club Nàutic de San Feliu de Guíxols on the Costa Brava. 

LYBRA has so far kept its cards close to its chest and the full list of sponsors, partners and attending yachts has yet to be released. However, among those expected are 69m Lady S, 68m Triple Seven, 52m Latitude and 44m Lady Duvera. 

 

 

 

 

Photo credits: All from The Superyacht Show