From the Drawing Board to the Boat Show

Five boatbuilders discuss what the breakout yacht-design trends will be at this year’s Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show.

BY Daniel Harding Jr.

Crowds of boaters bump shoulders as they shuffle along the docks, their eyes transfixed by gleaming yachts. Glasses clink as champagne is passed around on shaded superyacht afterdecks. Shoes are slipped back on—then off again—as one boating couple after another eagerly steps aboard boat after new boat for a closer look. Yes, the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show is an exciting time but it can also be overwhelming, what with more than $1.6 billion worth of product on display and over three million square feet to cover—there’s a lot to see.

That’s why we sat down with five seasoned specialists, with dozens of Ft. Lauderdale shows on their résumés, and picked their brains about how new trends and customer demand are influencing the new yachts that you’ll see on display this year. Armed with this knowledge, we hope you can better appreciate all the new designs, or better yet, find your perfect next boat.

This article originally appeared in the November 2015 issue of Power & Motoryacht magazine.