With September's international boat shows at Cannes in France and Southampton in England now over, one of the most noticeable conclusions from leading Irish boat brokers was the increase in Irish interest in boat buying in Eurozone France compared to the drop in interest at Southampton.
Irish exhibitor Gerry Salmon of MGM Boats who attended both shows says he saw a noticeable reduction in Irish buyers on the UK south coast, where the UK market is no longer seen to be as accessible by buyers after Brexit.
Cannes welcomed over 50,000 visitors, with almost 600 yachts on display in the south of France and has become the go-to European Autumn show over the past several seasons, especially with Irish buyers.
Salmon, an experienced exhibitor with over 25 years in the business, put the Irish Autumn boat buying perspective succinctly: "[There was] a noticeable reduction in Irish buyers where the UK market is no longer accessible but an increase at the Cannes Show instead, which was welcomed and overall a good two weeks".
County Wicklow broker BJ Marine at Greystones Harbour were also in attendance at both Cannes and Southampton shows.
"We found Cannes to be a particularly busy show this year, helped no doubt by a number of world premieres for new Beneteau models", James Kirwan of BJ told Afloat.
"With flights to Nice, Cannes is very easy for our Irish visitors to get to", he added.
Southampton certainly saw fewer Irish visitors than in years gone by, but as Beneteau dealers in the UK with our Bangor, Cardiff and Pwllheli offices, it still holds an important place in the BJ Marine show diary, Kirwan said.
The 54th Southampton International Boat Show drew to a close on Sunday, 24 September 2023, and despite the weather causing havoc mid-week, with high winds and driving rain, organisers say exhibitors, sponsors and visitors have heralded the show a success. Covering 70,000+ square metres, the show welcomed over 650 craft, with over 350 boats berthed in the marina alone, an increase of 17% year on year.
This year marks the first full Southampton show after bouncing back from Covid and since last year’s closure out of respect for the Queen’s passing and "the feedback from exhibitors from across the industry has been positive, with many indicating strong sales”, commented Lesley Robinson, CEO, British Marine.
