Dublin's MGM Boats are on the international boat show trail this month and having concluded a successful Cannes Show in the South of France last weekend, the Irish yacht broker set up in Southampton this week where the Cote d'Azur weather has followed them. 

The Dun Laoghaire Harbour firm are on stand E096 at Southampton where they have 130 brokerage listings displayed. The firm also have representatives on the Jeanneau and Prestige stands too.

At the halfway point of the show, the firm's Ross O'Leary says the Jeanneau NC 37 and Leader 36 are attracting 'lots of interest' among an impressive line out of yachts available to view on the pontoons.

As previously reported, MGM Boats are promising great deals on early orders for the new Sun Fast 3300 which is entering production this autumn in time for the 2020 sailing season.

Dublin couple George and Mary Coombes have achieved the cruising dream writes W M Nixon. Having departed from an increasingly wet and windy Ireland in late July of last year, their Lagoon 450s catamaran Realta Bheag has now sailed more than 15,000 miles, and they are currently exploring the ultimate cruising paradise of French Polynesia – for the time being, the exotic islands of Tahiti and Bora Bora are at the centre of their world.

When we met them at the MGM Boat Show in Howth early last season their plans were initially aimed at less distant horizons, with an extensive exploration of the Caribbean’s many islands being central to the project.

Realta Bheag in Howth at the MGM Boat Show in May 2018. Photo: W M Nixon

But having crossed the Atlantic via last Autumn’s ARC (Atlantic Rally for Cruisers), they found that they’d acquired such a taste for the voyaging life that soon Realta Bheag was headed for the Panama Canal and the much longer passages of the Pacific. So now they’re in Tahiti in the world of magical tropical sunsets, and Realta Bheag has lain to a mooring off the fabulous island of Bora Bora.

They bought their dreamship through Ross O’Leary of MGM Boats in Dun Laoghaire, and thanks to the worldwide contacts which he has built up through his top-of-the-range selection of marques, they’ve found that when matters of routine maintenance and servicing arise, the man from MGM has been able to direct them to qualified providers wherever they’re needed.

A team project. Ross O’Leary of MGM Boats (left) with Mary and George Coombes aboard Realta Bheag. Photo: W. M. Nixon

Thus the crew of Realta Bheag have been able to devote all their energies into putting purpose into their carefree existence, and the word is that although Tahiti and Bora Bora have them currently in their spell, with each passing day the western horizon calls with increasing resonance, for there are always other exotic islands beyond the seas.

Living the dream……the tropical sunset brings a pause, but soon the western horizon will be beckoning again. Photo: W M Nixon

MGM Boats is staging an ‘Open Boat’ event onboard its new 2019 Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 490 this weekend.

The ‘Open Boat’ will take place on Saturday the 6th, from 11:00 till16:00 on Kinsale Yacht Club Marina.

MGM Boats will be on hand to walk you through the boat, discuss the new design features of Jeanneau, and answer questions.

If you would like to join MGM for the afternoon and experience this top of the range vessel from Jeanneau, please RSVP Francis Roche at [email protected] or by phone 087 749 5203.

MGM Boats says invitations will be issued by request only!

One interesting outcome of this weekend's MGM New and Used Boat Show in Dun Laoghaire Harbour is that the majority of show-goers were first-time boaters keen to get on the water this season or next. 

As Afloat previously reported, the leading Irish yacht broker MGM Boats has 13 new models on display including a recently arrived Sun Odyssey 349 yacht and a Prestige 420 Fly. The show has been a very positive experience both in terms of new and used boat markets. 

"We have two offers under consideration by owners as of this morning on our brokerage listings", Managing Director Gerry Salmon told Afloat.

The firm also picked up three new boats for its 300-boat brokerage listing.

A Jeanneau Merry Fisher motorboat has also been sold subject to a trade-in being in good condition. 

On the Sailboat front, MGM Boats have three test sails lined up for the new Sun Odyssey 349 (on display) and are expecting two further offers this week, Salmon says.

The show continues at the Coal Harbour today.

Leading Irish yacht broker MGM Boats will stage a New and Used Boat Show in Dun Laoghaire Harbour from Friday 7th June to Sunday 9th June.

At least 13 new models are going on display including a recently arrived Sun Odyssey 349 yacht and a Prestige 420 Fly.

Broker Martin Salmon says the firm will have 'a host of new and used boats on display in the water and on the hard' at MGMs headquarters at the Coal Harbour.

Here is a sample of the MGM Boats boat show line-up:

• Sun Odyssey 349
• Prestige 420 Fly
• Jeanneau NC 9
• Jeanneau Merry Fisher 695
• Bayliner Element 5
• Jeanneau Leader 33
• Jeanneau Merry Fisher 795
• Flipper 640 DC
• Prestige 36
• Jeanneau Leader 46
• Dufour 36
• Bayliner 246
• Hanse 350

Please contact [email protected] or call us on 01 2802020 if you require more information or directions.

Dublin Bay's MGM Boats have been showing off the versatility of the firm's 50–Ton Marine Travel Hoist at its Dun Laoghaire Harbour boatyard.

'Ever wondered how we get a 50 foot yacht from hard standing to the water?' is the question posed on a social media post. The answer of course is with the proper equipment and to prove the point the Irish Jeanneau agents added a short vid (below) revealing how a brand new Jeanneau Sun Odyssey 490 is launched with the custom-built hoist.

In Hall 5 Stand E45 of Boot Dusseldorf, Ireland's MGM Boats did their best to give Europe's largest Boat Show a fair wind on Saturday, especially after the loss of the London Show.

The Irish broker, that also has a presence on the Prestige and Jeanneau stands at Boot, is flying the flag for the Irish marine trade at the show.

"We'd a busy day here yesterday and lots of Irish boaters turned up. We had over 60 people on the stand at one stage – all were Irish! MGM's Martin Salmon told Afloat.ie

"Tom Crean's Lager and Tayto Crisps were flowing!"

"Our Isle of Wight Gin, Tom Crean's Lager and our Tayto Crisps were flowing!" Salmon added.

For the seventh year running MGM Boats has its own dedicated brokerage stand in Hall 5 with a wide selection of used powerboats and sailboats.

The 50th anniversary German Show is the largest indoor Boat Show in the world and features over 1,500 boats on display in 16 halls along with chandlery, electronics and accessories. Afloat.ie's WM Nixon previewed the massive German show here.

MGM Boats will be showcasing the new Sun Odyssey 410 at the 50th anniversary Dusseldorf Boat Show which runs from the 19th to 27th January.

With the absence of the London Boat Show this year, the leading Irish brokerage firm has managed to encourage most of their customers to the Dusseldorf event and have lined up a substantial number of viewing appointments for the newly designed Sun Odysseys.

The latest edition in the eighth generation of the Sun Odyssey range is the Sun Odyssey 410. This new design combines some of the same tried and tested features of its predecessors with the latest technology and sailing innovations.

Like the 440 and 490 launched in 2018, this new model is Designed by naval architects Philippe Briand and Marc Lombard, with contributing designer Jean-Marc Piaton. Innovative features such as the walk around side deck and cathedral rigging provide uninhibited ease of movement on board for enjoyable sailing.

Exploring the open sea has never been so thrilling as with the Sun Odyssey 410’s powerful hull, perfect for navigating during calm and windy days alike.

The 410 is available in two or three-cabin versions, with the possibility for further interior customizations. Additional available features include a retractable bow thruster, cathedral standing rigging, an L-shaped keel, and an integrated bowsprit.

If you can make it to the show and would like to secure VIP passes please contact [email protected] or call 01 2802020

For those who cannot make it to Dusseldorf MGM have a brand new Sun Odyssey 490 in stock in Dun Laoghaire and available for viewing.

For more information visit www.mgmboats.com

Jeanneau's new Sun Fast 3300 high-performance sailboat will be launched next Spring, Irish agent Gerry Salmon of MGM Boats told Afloat.ie at the opening of the Paris Boat Show this weekend.

Jeanneau has enlisted not one, but two renowned naval architects: Daniel Andrieu and Guillaume Verdier to design the new marque which is to be sailed either fully crewed or short handed.

David Andrieu, the naval architect behind the Sun Fast line since its inception, is a 'proven expert' in optimising for the IRC rating rule, as well as working with the Jeanneau builders to deliver boats of exceptional quality which Jeanneau customers expect. Guillaume Verdier, who is renowned for his work in the America’s Cup and Vendee Globe, will bring a 'mastery of computational fluid dynamics'  to this project, as he has in the past with other high-performance boats, such as the 100’ Commanche and the IMOCA 60 Hugo Boss.

This new Sun Fast 3300 was launched yesterday in Paris

"Jeanneau has enlisted not one, but two renowned naval architects: Daniel Andrieu and Guillaume Verdier to design the new marque"

The hull of the Sun Fast 3300 shows a double 'concave', forward and aft according to the designers who say as follows: 

These curved hollows on the centre line enable an improved distribution of dynamic pressure while limiting drag on the hull and minimizing the surface below the waterline for greater performance.

The structure and shape of the keel, carefully studied on this new Sun Fast, also enable a reduction in drag and an optimised centre of gravity.

The sail plan has been designed to be large and powerful while being highly efficient and easy to handle.

The hull features maximized buoyancy aft, so the rig has been moved aft as well. The maximum area square top main is controlled by a long traveller and twin backstays for improved upwind sailing.

The long list of international awards won by Sun Fast 3200s and Sun Fast 3600s is impressive at home and abroad, with victories in such iconic races as the Sydney Hobart, the Spi Ouest France, the Transquadra, the Giraglia, the Commodores’ Cup and the Caribbean 600. And of course, Irish Sailor of the Year 2017 Conor Fogerty achieved his magnificent solo success on his 3600 BAM! from Howth.

Today, nearly 400 Sun Fast 3200s and 3600s sail in waters around the world.

MGM Boats in Dun Laoghaire Harbour are well represented at this week's Salon Nautico de Barcelona – the Barcelona Boat show – one of Europe's fastest growing on the water boat shows.

Jeanneau Sailboats have an impressive display including the new generation of Sun Odyssey’s the 490, 440 & 410 which will be arriving in Irish shores in 2019.

 MGM's Martin Salmon and Ross O'Leary are present on the Jeanneau power and sailboat stand.

Catamaran brand Lagoon has the 40,42, 50 and 630MY on display and Ross O'Leary is dealing with Irish enquiries. Regular Afloat.ie readers will recall how one Irish couple bought a Lagoon 450s from O'Leary with the dream of a retirement cruise.

Meanwhile, Gerry Salmon is on the Prestige stand where the line out includes the Prestige 460, a sister ship to the one MGM boats debuted at Cork Week in July.

Also present is a Prestige 520 (which will debut in Dublin in March 2019) and a Prestige 590 new model (replacing the Prestige 560 displayed this year in Dun Laoghaire Marina) along with the new Prestige 630 and Prestige 680.

The Prestige 590

With easy access with regular from flights from MGM Boats say they have an increasing number of clients visiting Salon Nautico de Barcelona this year.