Maritime businesses from the UAE and abroad are celebrating positive early sales at the Dubai International Boat Show and expect to close a number of deals as the five-day luxury leisure marine event concluded its 25th landmark event.

Emirates-based Gulf Craft reported an opening day sale to a client for the build of their Majesty 135, which is set to be delivered in spring 2018, while the brand also unveiled the Majesty 100 for the first time, a semi-convertible flybridge superyacht which has caught the eye of boat owners and admirers throughout the show.

Jalboot, the local distributor for Wajer and Mastercraft, sold the Mastercraft NXT20 from their stand at the Dubai International Marine Club to an international client, and reported a good volume of interest in the Wajer 38.

Rob Chinman, head of sales and marketing for Jalboot, said: “This show has been about announcing our distributorship and partnerships with Wajer and Mastercraft, and I am happy to say it has been a success for both of those brands.

“We are very positive about the interest in the Wajer 38 from potential buyers and it’s been a successful first outing.  We’re very pleased to say that putting the Mastercraft NXT20 on the stand has been a success because we’ve sold it. Despite its international buyer, the boat will be staying in the UAE which is positive for us as we will be able to provide the after-sales service that the client needs from a local stand point.”

Superyacht distributor and charter company Royal Yachts were one of several exhibitors out in full-force showcasing the latest and greatest in vessel designs.

Kasper Jakobsen, charter manager at Royal Yachts, said: “The biggest seller for us at the show has been the Flipper which is a fantastic family boat popular with expatriates over here. The entry level for the Flipper goes for around Dh650,000. It usually sells for Dh720,000 but we run a special for it at the Dubai International Boat Show and we have closed several sales for the boat on site.”

Showcasing the latest in the mid-sized segment, including their Sport 348, 43 Flybridge and the 49 Flybridge, Princess Yachts experienced an increase in leads and sales.

Salim Tayssoun, managing partner for Princess Yachts, said: “Princess Yachts International are delighted to be back at the Dubai International Boat Show. Year on year we see increased sales and market share through our partners.
“Interest in the Princess range has been the best yet at this year’s show with confirmed orders from both existing customers upgrading their yachts and new customers alike.”

Speed Marine, distributors of family-sized Gulf Craft and Scarab vessels, have also sealed several deals throughout the show on boats which retail from Dh140,000 for the 5-seater Scarab 165 Impulse, to Dh360,000 for the13-seater Scarab 255 Impulse.

Offering a completely new concept for the marine industry, encouraging customers to use their vessel as an investment to generate income during the charter season, Royal Yachts offered a complete package which covers all the costs of running the vessel as a charter boat.

Added Jakobsen: “If a client buys the 48ft Fairline, valued at around Dh3 million, we will take on all the responsibility for it during the times the owner isn’t using it and we will run it as a charter vessel, which will see the owner earning 5 per cent return annually. So not only do they get to own a luxury boat they get see a return on their investment.

“This is a first for the market and we hope to pioneer this new concept based off of similar models seen in the real estate industry. What we are offering is a whole package of 15% return with around 10% of that going into the annual running costs.”

The 25th edition of the Dubai International Boat Show ran from February 28 to March 4 at the Dubai International Marine Club, and hosted local and regional exhibitors showcasing the latest technology and designs for products in the marine industry. - TradeArabia News Service