fbpx

One is Better Than Two

Sail joins power at Miami International Boat Show

By Martin Lenkowsky

Sailboats and powerboats at the same venue will highlight the 77th 2018 Progressive Insurance Miami International Boat Show, Thursday, Feb. 15, through Monday, Feb. 19, at Miami Marine Stadium Park and Basin.

Both the boat show and the Progressive Insurance Strictly Sail Miami show will share the spotlight for the first time. Boaters and sailors alike will have the opportunity to browse, board and buy from a selection of more than 1,400 boats in the water and on land at the show’s Virginia Key location. Strictly Sail Miami previously was held at the Miamarina at Bayside the same weekend as the Miami International Boat Show.

“The decision to combine these two world-class events is due in large part to feedback from sail and power exhibitors as well as attendees, for a single, streamlined experience that encompasses all the boating industry has to offer,” says Larry Berryman, manager of the Miami Boat Show. “We’ve built the ideal, most-picturesque boat show venue at Miami Marine Stadium that’s perfect for both power and sail, and bringing these two shows together will, without a doubt, deliver the ultimate boat show experience.”

Another plus: No more worries about transporting visitors back and forth from two separate locations. Organizers expect as many as 100,000 boating enthusiasts from all across the globe.

Making its U.S. debut will be the Ferretti Group’s Navetta 33. This 108.3-foot introduces considerable technical advances to the series, as well as bountiful space.

Yacht and brokerage retailer MarineMax will have many displays, including the North American debut of the 2018 Azimut Yachts Grande 27 Metri Wide Body.

More than 50 sailboats, including catamarans and monohulls, will be at Pier 9. Sailing exhibitors will showcase gear and accessories in Sailor’s Cove, inside tents F and J. The cove will host daily seminars presented by top sailors, along with meet-and-greets with well-known sailing experts.

The show is expected to have an $854 million economic impact statewide.

“Boating and the Miami Boat Show are big business for Florida, bringing visitors, sales and revenue from around the world to our state each February,” Berryman says.

Berryman also is excited about this year’s enhanced and elevated VIP Experience. “We have an exclusive VIP lounge and outside patio deck with all-inclusive food and beverages,” he says. “It’s an area attendees can sit down and enjoy the show at a different level.”

MarineMax will have the North American debut of the Azimut Yachts Grande 27 Metri Wide Body at the Progressive Insurance MiamI International Boat Show

This is the third year for the show since it moved to its current Virginia Key location, and the marina has expanded to 700 boat slips—up from 420 the first year. Berryman says there will be more than 150 yachts 40 feet and longer. That’s up from 100.

In addition to the Miami International Boat Show, the 30th annual Miami Yacht Show will be held simultaneously, on Collins Avenue in Miami Beach, across from the Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels. This display of new and used vessels covers more than 1.2 million square feet, from 41st to 54th streets.

The show will feature extraordinary yachts and super yachts from custom builders, as well as a new layout and design at its Indian Creek Waterway location. Transportation between both shows is available from the Miami Yacht Show’s bus stop at Collins Avenue and 44th Street directly to the International Boat Show from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily.

Boat show organizers describe Kevin Murphy as their “go-to” guy when it comes to sailing. For more than 20 years, he managed Strictly Sail Miami for the National Marine Manufacturers Association. He also is pleased with the decision to combine both shows.

“Combining the shows is a great way for new people to look at sailboats,” he says. “It’ll have luxury. It’s clean and quiet. You’ll have everything in one place.”

For some in the community, the boat show is more than an opportunity to see and buy the boat of one’s dreams. Mahogany Youth Corporation, a Miami-based nonprofit organization, aims to get disadvantaged youngsters into fishing and the environment as a way of life. It has been involved with the show for more than six years, says Kathleen Elliott, the organization’s vice president of operations.

“They give us support. They support us with an opportunity to raise money,” she says.

Elliott, whose husband, Robert, is the organization’s founder and director, says the boat show provides a space in which to operate. “As you come in, we’re very visible,” she says. “We sell raffle tickets and tell people about our organization. We have environmental information there. The kids get involved, inspired and motivated.”

For information about the organization, visit mahoganyyouth.com

 

Sailing industry undergoing changes

By Martin Lenkowsky

The lyrics of “Sailing,” the timeless 1980 song from singer-songwriter Christopher Cross, say it all: “And if the wind is right, you can sail away and find tranquility. Oh, the canvas can do miracles, just you wait and see. Believe me.”

In this day of high-tech powerboats coming in all shapes and sizes, what makes Mother Nature’s power source—the wind—still so appealing to some mariners?

“It’s quiet, green and peaceful,” says Kevin Murphy, who, for more than 20 years, managed the Strictly Sail Miami Show for the National Marine Manufacturers Association. “Sailing is good, quality time.”

Sailing makes up only about 5 percent of the marine industry worldwide, Murphy says. However, South Florida’s prime location and climate appeal to boaters who prefer sailing. “Florida is the gateway from the U.S. to the Caribbean,” Murphy says. “A lot of boats here go to the Caribbean for charter.”

Murphy says the sailing industry has taken a hit for a variety of reasons. High insurance costs, recent hurricanes and economic factors all have been contributing factors. But, Murphy says, the sailboat charter industry is doing well. He says some boaters enjoy traveling to foreign ports and chartering sailboats, often with captain and crew. “That’s very hot right now,” he says.

Midsize sailboats aren’t as popular as they once were, he says, but things are looking up for smaller vessels. “There’s been a surge in small-boat sailing,” he says, “and that’s a good sign for younger kids getting into sailing. Catamarans are doing really well.”

Sailing requires more skill than simply turning on an engine, and Murphy says that knowledge often is passed down the generations. Many of today’s sailboats come equipped with technology to make sailing easier, but some old-school sailors prefer doing things the traditional way. “They’re just tools in the tool box. You don’t have to use them,” he says. “An old-time sailor enjoys the bad weather and struggling with the wind.”

Staley Weidman, a licensed yacht- and ship broker and CEO of the Catamaran Company’s yacht sales division, says the catamaran market has seen huge growth in the past five years. “We’re selling newer and larger catamarans,” he says. “There’s a great variety of products available. There’s a lot of innovation in terms of design and use of space. There’s now more interior living space.”

You May Also Like
Yacht Controller System to Debut at Miami International Boat Show

The Yacht Group plans to make a splash at the 2023 Discover Boating™ Miami International Boat Show in February with the debut of its Yacht Controller Maximo™ and Yacht Controller Supremo™

Read More
Yacht Haven Park and Marina in Fort Lauderdale Undergoes Luxurious Upgrades and Renovations

Yacht Haven Park and Marina in Fort Lauderdale recently underwent numerous luxurious renovations and upgrades to transform into one of the nation’s premier motorcoach and yachting destinations. The luxury motorcoach and

Read More
Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show Returns for 63rd Edition

The 63rd Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) will take place across five days at seven locations in Broward, including the Broward County Convention Center (BCCC) and the Bahia Mar Yachting Center. The yearly show,

Read More
Report Reveals 2022 Palm Beach International Boat Show Generated Over $700 Million in Sales

Exhibitors at the 40th Palm Beach International Boat Show of the show brought in $725 million in sales, according to an economic impact report conducted by Thomas J. Murray &

Read More
Other Posts
Miami International Boat Show Generated Over $955 Million in 2022

In February, the 2022 Discover Boating® Miami International Boat Show® helped cement its status as a critical economic engine and tourism booster for Florida after the show’s producers revealed vast

Read More
Boatsetter Aims to Bring Yachting to the Masses

“Boating is one of those experiences everyone should be able to have,” says Jaclyn Baumgarten, CEO and co-founder of the online marketplace Boatsetter. So, in an effort to share her

Read More
Sea Tow Forecasts Summer Boating Trends From Annual Member Survey

To help gauge how boaters feel about recent trends in the marine industry and how fuel prices impact their boating habits, Sea Tow released its Spring 2022 findings from its annual member

Read More
Informa Markets Expands Corporate Sustainability Efforts in South Florida

Informa Markets’ commitment to producing some of South Florida’s top boating and yachting events also extends to conservation efforts to help strengthen and protect Florida’s natural resources and marine life. Informa

Read More

Drew Limsky

Drew Limsky

Editor-in-Chief

BIOGRAPHY

Drew Limsky joined Lifestyle Media Group in August 2020 as Editor-in-Chief of South Florida Business & Wealth. His first issue of SFBW, October 2020, heralded a reimagined structure, with new content categories and a slew of fresh visual themes. “As sort of a cross between Forbes and Robb Report, with a dash of GQ and Vogue,” Limsky says, “SFBW reflects South Florida’s increasingly sophisticated and dynamic business and cultural landscape.”

Limsky, an avid traveler, swimmer and film buff who holds a law degree and Ph.D. from New York University, likes to say, “I’m a doctor, but I can’t operate—except on your brand.” He wrote his dissertation on the nonfiction work of Joan Didion. Prior to that, Limsky received his B.A. in English, summa cum laude, from Emory University and earned his M.A. in literature at American University in connection with a Masters Scholar Award fellowship.

Limsky came to SFBW at the apex of a storied career in journalism and publishing that includes six previous lead editorial roles, including for some of the world’s best-known brands. He served as global editor-in-chief of Lexus magazine, founding editor-in-chief of custom lifestyle magazines for Cadillac and Holland America Line, and was the founding editor-in-chief of Modern Luxury Interiors South Florida. He also was the executive editor for B2B magazines for Acura and Honda Financial Services, and he served as travel editor for Conde Nast. Magazines under Limsky’s editorship have garnered more than 75 industry awards.

He has also written for many of the country’s top newspapers and magazines, including The New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Miami Herald, Boston Globe, USA Today, Worth, Robb Report, Afar, Time Out New York, National Geographic Traveler, Men’s Journal, Ritz-Carlton, Elite Traveler, Florida Design, Metropolis and Architectural Digest Mexico. His other clients have included Four Seasons, Acqualina Resort & Residences, Yahoo!, American Airlines, Wynn, Douglas Elliman and Corcoran. As an adjunct assistant professor, Limsky has taught journalism, film and creative writing at the City University of New York, Pace University, American University and other colleges.