Dusseldorf Boat Show 2014

Gone are the New Years, a passport with a visa and plane tickets in my pocket, a backpack with a camera and a dozen “Segeln in Russian” numbers on the back, and I'm going to the airport. Just over two hours aboard the plane and less than an hour on the regional train, and I am in front of the exhibition grounds.

A lot says about the exhibition in Dusseldorf: an abundance of exhibition flags all over the city, leaflets still at the station, an abundance of cars with advertisements of various yacht companies on board, which begin to meet many blocks before the exhibition. The Dusseldorf Exhibition Center is a building worthy of a separate story. This is a whole city within a city. Seventeen huge pavilions located next to each other allow accommodating everyone, cafes and restaurants, well-thought-out communications. Convenient transport links and perfect operation of public transport. You can find out about the timetable of trams, for example, from the Internet, and if it is indicated that the tram will arrive at the stop in 6 minutes, then exactly in six minutes its doors will open in front of you.

To say that the exhibition is great is to say nothing. It's just huge. This year 1,660 exhibitors from 65 countries have built their stands in strict German order. To see the whole exhibition, it takes a week. It only took a few days to take a quick look at the large stands and take some pictures! You can find anything here.

We entered the exhibition from the east entrance. From the first meters of the pavilion you plunge headlong into the world of the water element. In the first pavilion there is a stand of the German rescue service and a huge pool with huge fans installed along one of the walls. There are several "Optimists" and new "Bug", in the corner is the hull of a large yacht to showcase new products used in rescue operations. And all the time of the exhibition, small yachts are available for children! Any child who wants to, under the guidance of an instructor, can go sailing on the pool. Fans create different conditions and can even simulate wind sets! In general, there is a special attitude towards children, and it is not only about children's tickets and bags of sweets that every kid gets.

Here are several dozen schools in Germany, ready to open their doors, for kids from 5 years old. Colorful sails and hulls, stylized life jackets, all kinds of equipment, well-thought-out training and education systems, a huge selection of boats, hiking, recreation, literature from all this bright, inviting variety, there was a feeling of delight, but at the same time it became a little sad: alas, we only have several yacht clubs can boast of such an approach, and even then it is rather approximate. The next pavilion could shock any even experienced yachtsman: on several thousand square meters there were stands with clothes and accessories for yachting, waterproof clothes and wetsuits, all kinds of vests, jackets, gloves, glasses, shoes, safety belts, equipment for yachts, winches, blocks and something that, at first glance, does not even find application.

Nearby are the stands of world famous sailing companies  North, Ullman, Elvstrom, Quantum, Doyle all - just do not list all. You can talk to everyone and place an order for tailoring. Several stands are filled with fashionable products made from used sails, these are jackets, bags, wallets. The sails that served as raw materials for the products have their own history, you can learn about it from the attached certificate. A few steps, and in front of you are the stands of the world's largest trade companies according to catalogs. Here and Lindemann and AWN, ranging from stainless steel hardware and plastic cleaning equipment, ending with the most complex navigation systems.

A short walk and in front of me is the yacht pavilion. The first thing that caught my eye was the classic Eagle 44, the epitome of beauty and elegance, a boat that gives you the mood. There are yachts that you just want to touch, this is one of them.

I go to the stand  Aluressyachting... A very decent boat with an aluminum hull and glass-plastic deck, at 40 feet in length it also has a centerboard. All this attracted a large influx of visitors to the boat. We climb aboard her. A very light and spacious yacht that will hear a lot of good reviews from her buyers.

Nearby - Gunfleet, beautiful, great, but for a yacht with a price of one and a half million euros, there were more expectations. Dutch Contest 62 CS is a stone's throw away - expensive and solid. You stand on the deck and realize that under your feet there are 18 meters of reliability and confidence. Just opposite there are several boats that can be described very simply - a diamond in the crown of the exhibition. OYSTER 825 and that says it all! A boat that overwhelms with its size and performance. If you have more than five and a half million euros in your pocket and you are ready to part with them for the sake of your dreams, then an island of living space made of the most modern materials, thought out to the smallest detail with maximum comfort and gloss, lies at your feet. I just don't want to leave this boat! True, in order to get on it, you need to defend an impressive line and go through a preliminary registration.

Nearby is the younger model Oyster 575, more modest, but no less attractive. In this corner of the exhibition you can spend all your time. Before us is the pinnacle of the development of two-masted ketch - the Amel 55. This two-masted yacht is an example of an ideal yacht for long-distance ocean voyages. Low sail center, sail length distribution, watertight bulkheads, sealed engine compartment, excellent handling and seaworthiness, impeccable workmanship, these and many other pleasant moments that this yacht will give to its owner.

Next door to these boats stand Salona... Wide lineup, largest 60ft and super fast sports modification, but nearby neighbors are getting a lot more attention. Further into the pavilion and in front of us is a whole group of world manufacturers with a name, here and Beneteau, light and bright Oceanis 38, deservedly became the yacht of the year, next to the rich Sense 55.

Bavaria stand. The designers of this manufacturer have worked quite hard on the style of their boats. A little further, just gorgeous X-Yacht with a range of premiere boats. A little apart is the Chinese manufacturer Fareast, a high-speed carbon fiber 9-meter boat that is simply mesmerizing.

I go to the stand Tofinou, the first feeling is that this yacht cannot be walked, it should stand against the wall in the yacht club, and passers-by will admire this beauty. Perfect classic lines and unmatched performance of the vessel, words and emotions are simply not enough.

Here, next to Dehler and Hanse, other brands. Lots of boats in the size of 68 meters, a lot of carbon fiber. A large crowd of visitors at the fast Seascape 27 and x18. Near the stand with Farr 45, the imagination is stumped, what else you can think of in a yacht, I just don't know! I go to the pavilion to the catamarans, and immediately the first surprise, the updated Lipari 41 in all its glory, I go to the inspection. To the credit of many companies represented at the exhibition, the boats have representatives who speak many languages. Russian-speaking visitors are greeted here by representatives of "Interparus" and held an educational show of the catamaran. Spacious saloon, magnificent cabins, comfortable helm station. The model claims to be the best-selling catamarans of this size.

Nearby beauty Lagoon and countless small multihulls, from the small Hobie 16 to the sleek one with tucked-in floats Dragonfly... A little off to the side there is a large group of stands of German, and not only, craftsmen. Here you can see how ancient ships are being restored step by step. How to work with wood, and see the long-term wooden "Finn", get skills and advice on working with tools and devices. Make interesting souvenirs yourself and take part in making bow ship figures. In the same pavilion, a large area is occupied by the stands of children's and Olympic sports: here are the Optimist Association, the Olympic 470, and the huge Laser and Rs lineup, the handsome Flying Dutchman and just a huge number of national and international classes, striking in their diversity.

Quite a few cases are made from recycled plastic products. Ecology is at the forefront! Sailing motorized trainers. One of them has a catamaran and right in front of you the members of the German national team are showing the technique of making turns. All this was accompanied by comments and explanations from a professional trainer instructor. In the next pavilion there are inflatable and small boats, then super-yachts, pavilions for diving, surfing, fishing, charter companies and so on, so on, so on.

Every evening we returned to our hotel. Gathered in a small restaurant nearby and shared their impressions. And there were a lot of them. The organization of the exhibition itself, the thoughtfulness in the details amazes. Even such a trifle as the fact that a ticket to the exhibition allows you to travel on any public transport in Dusseldorf for free. The organizers take care of their guests. And the language barrier was not such a serious obstacle. On the second day of our stay at the hotel we were greeted with the words “Hello” and said “Thank you”.

The exhibition is over. I sat at the Cologne airport and thought about how I would draw up a report on the exhibition. What was successful and what was not. Nearby is a young couple with a child of about six years old. The girl asked her mother: "When will we come here again?" I didn't hear her answer. I don't know if this little child will come here again. But I know about myself for sure: see you at the Dusseldorf boat show in 2015!

The exhibition area was 213,000 square meters and was spread over the territory of 17 thematic pavilions. The visitors were presented with goods and services from 1,661 companies that came to Dusseldorf from 60 countries of the world. The largest number of foreign exhibitors came from Holland, followed by Italy, France, Poland and the United Kingdom. According to the organizers' estimates, 248,600 people from 65 countries of the world managed to become visitors to the exhibition.

Text: Sergey Shumilov

07.06.2014