The MGM Boats Ltd staff attended a pre-show sales presentation in Dun Laoghaire Marina today on board the company's Prestige 560 Powerboat in advance of the Autumn boat show season.

MGM Boats will exhibit in Cannes, France from 11th to 16th of September on the Prestige, Lagoon, and Jeanneau Stands.

And, starting on the 14th of September and running to Sunday 23rd, MGM Boats will continue its award-winning 150 square metre brokerage stand at the Southampton Boat Show. 

MGM's Prestige 560 was the appropriate venue for the company's own Sales Day

MGM Boats Ltd sales personnel will also be present also on Prestige, Jeanneau, Aquador and the Lagoon stand at Southampton on the English South Coast.

"For 2019 MGM will have a dedicated boat finance option available to offer on a range of new models"

"We look forward to showing our current and potential new clients to the very latest of technology and what the 2019 models have to offer. " Gerry Salmon told Afloat.ie after the sales meeting. "For 2019 we will have a dedicated boat finance option available to offer our Irish clients as well as special offers on a range of new models", he said.

Robert Louis Stevenson, the Scottish novelist who wrote ‘Treasure Island,’ didn’t have much regard for politicians.

“Politics,” he wrote in ‘Familiar Studies of Men and Books,’ a collection of his articles and essays is “perhaps the only profession for which no preparation is thought necessary.”

John de Courcy Ireland once described to me his vision of politicians, “standing on a headland, with the beauty of the sea behind them, their backs turned to it and looking inland.”

I am not dismissive of politicians, a democracy needs politics, but an island nation needs more dedicated attention from its politicians to its maritime interests.

Things have improved in recent years, but there remains a sense of much said and promised, but a lot more that could and should be done. The removal of the dedicated Department of the Marine and the hiving-off of aspects of maritime affairs to several other Departments have not been a positive indication of State support for maritime matters.

Gerry Salmon, Managing Director of MGM Boats believes that needs to be changed, which he made clear at Cork Week where we met to talk about the leisure marine sector, the new Prestige 460 which he is marketing and the increasing popularity of motorboating driven, he said, by people who are “cash rich but time poor.” Our discussion got onto what he would say to the Taoiseach about the maritime sector, if he could “grab him…”

Listen below, on my weekly Podcast, to what Gerry Salmon would say to Leo Varadkar.

• And if you’re wondering about the very impressive new Prestige 460 aboard which I was talking to Gerry Salmon … it costs €790,000 – but that’s the top of the market… Boats come cheaper than that….

Leading Irish yacht broker MGM Boats took to the waters of Cork Harbour yesterday for Cork Week Regatta's in–harbour race (photos and report here) to demonstrate their new Prestige 460 Flybridge motor cruiser.

It was a perfect day for the harbour demo where the brand new model was presented to clients and prospective new owners.

As Afloat.ie previously reported here, the 2018 marque, that is based at the Royal Cork Marina in Crosshaven for Cork Week, is fitted with Volvo Penta 'Pod Drives' and 'joystick docking' capability.

Leading Irish yacht broker MGM Boats have arrived at Cork Week's festival of sailing with one of their new Prestige 460 Flybridge motor cruisers for demos and display purposes.

The boat, that is based a the Royal Cork Marina in Crosshaven is fitted with Volvo Penta Pod Drives and Joystick Docking as shown in MGM's video below at their Dun Laoghaire Harbour base. The Joystick docking makes docking easier.  The driver just pushes or rotates the joystick in the desired direction and the boat follows: forward, reverse, sideways, or spins on its own axis.

The boat is available for viewing in Crosshaven this week by appointment.

Irish Jeanneau agent MGM Boats have been quick off the mark to congratulate the Jeanneaus that completed the Volvo Round Ireland Yacht Race this week.

The firm's Ross O'Leary says 'Jeanneau was one of the best-represented brands in the race with eight starters in the 54-boat fleet.

A tough 2018 edition included all conditions with ideal starting conditions, downwind sailing off the south coast, tough upwind work on the West Coast to some of the fleet being becalmed off the north coast. 

Three Sun Fasts 3600’s completed the race – ‘Bellino’ & ‘Diablo’ 2 handed and Dublin Bay's ‘YOYO’ competed in the fully crewed division. ‘Bellino’ finished second in Class 2, third in the two handed division and eighth overall, an impressive two-handed sailing feat.

Dublin Bay' Jeanneau ‘YOYO’ Photo: Afloat.ie

One Sun Fast 3200 ‘Hakuna Matata’ and an older JOD 35 finished within two hours of each other.

Jeanneau Sun Fast 37 Photo: Afloat.ie

There was a shout out too from MGM to the two Sun Fast 37s from the Irish Offshore Sailing School.

And it was a case of Better luck next time to ‘Wild Spirit, the’ Sun Odyssey 40 who retired off the south-west coast.

A brand new 45–foot Lagoon catamaran will be the highlight of a display of new craft going on show at Howth Yacht Club this weekend. The north Dublin club, in association with broker MGM Boats, will host an 'open weekend' at HYC this Saturday and Sunday 12th to 13th May.

On show will be over €1m of new boat stock including new Jeanneau sailing and motor cruisers. Also on display will be Aquador and Bayliner power craft. 

The idea behind the weekend is an attempt to help HYC members who might be thinking of trading-up to cruise further afield. Alternatively, the weekend will also appeal to those thinking of selling up but equally it will appeal to those looking for their first boat in a welcoming club with a members berth or mooring.

This new Jeanneau Leader 33 powerboat with twin diesel and Joystick Control will be on display in Howth

The event is open to all members of the yacht club but is strictly on an invitation only for non–members.

The full line–up of new craft on display is: 

• Sun Odyssey 349 (Sail)
• Lagoon 450 S Catamaran (sail)
• Aquador 27 HT (power)
• Bayliner Element 5 (power)
• Jeanneau Leader 33 (power) twin diesel with Joystick Control

A Sun Odyssey 349 will be on show at HYC

MGM Boats Boat Survey & Sale Weekend

MGM's team of professional yacht brokers will be available to discuss selling or buying a boat. Marine surveyors will also be on site to discuss the buying and selling process. 

Contact [email protected] or call on 01 2802020 if you wish to attend this invitation only event.

The Aquador 27 HT

Boat Sales Company MGM Boats in Dun Laoghaire have put together a "Get You Started Pack" on the new Bayliner Element 5 motoboat this Easter weekend,  just in time for the 2018 Irish boating season.

What's more, the package has proudly gone on display in front of Dun Laoghaire Marina, a location – and at a price – that is bound to grab some eyeballs.

The boat, already exhibited this season at an Anglling show in Swords in February, is built by one of the largest boat builders in the world, comes with a 'complete package' and pitched at the starter boat market.

For families, in particular, it offers a safe and enjoyable first time on the water experience, according to MGM Boats', Gerry Salmon.

The boat comes with a 60 HP engine, a full safety kit, a two day professional tuition course, insurance for the first year and a marina berth for one year in the largest marina in Ireland at Dun Laoghaire.

The all in price is €32,000 inc VAT and MGM say they also have a finance option. The offer is limited to the Element 5.

What sounds like an attractive offer already has the first two boats being delivered to two new owners in the coming weeks.

'While we cannot guarantee the weather we will do whatever we can to get new boaters out on Dublin bay and beyond', quips Salmon, a marine industry stalwart.

The full specs of the boat are displayed on the vessel in Dun Laoghaire and are downloadable below too. 

The ISORA fleet's newest arrival, a brand new Jeanneau Sunfast 3600 named Yoyo, made its debut at Dun Laoghaire Marina this weekend and although only partially commissioned by MGM Boats at this point, the Daniel Andrieu design looks more than ready for the first race of the ISORA calendar next month.

As Afloat.ie readers will recall, the twin rudder yacht arrived into Dun Laoghaire Harbour last month and is a sistership to the hugely successful BAM! from Howth Yacht Club.

Adapted to solo, doublehanded, and crewed regattas, the Sun Fast 3600 is designed to compete in both inshore and offshore races.  

The first ISORA race of the season is a 40–mile coastal shake–down on April 21st.

Yoyo is berthed at the end at the entrance to Dun Laoghaire marina and she's well worth a look. The starting price for such a boat is €172,000 including VAT but excluding sails and delivery charges. Temptingly, an MGM Boats  notice displayed on a stanchion says 'two more available for this season'....

YoYo is set up with a twin wheel configuration. Available with twin, composite tillers or wheel steering and choices in mainsheet management, the SF3600 deck layout ensures easy handling through well thought-out ergonomics and optimised sailing functions

Just as the Jeanneau Sunfast 3600 success story that is BAM! celebrates yet another victory in the West Indies this weekend, a sister-ship is being unveiled in Dun Laoghaire Harbour by Irish Jeanneau dealers MGM Boats. 

The new Dublin Bay arrival is a welcome addition to the Irish racing fleet that will most likely be seen first racing on the ISORA circuit, according to Afloat.ie sources. The first ISORA race of the season is a 40–mile coastal shake–down on April 21st.

The 2018 Irish Sea schedule runs right through to the end of September with 15 races in store thus giving plenty of time for the return of this week's Caribbean 600 class champion to line up against her new rival at a time when ISORA numbers are buoyant.

Afloat.ie understands the new 3600 is almost identical to BAM! with a sail wardrobe by North Sails Ireland. One big difference between the two boats, however, is the new owner has opted for a double wheel configuration instead of BAM's tiller arrangement.

The new boat is expected to be sailed mostly fully crewed or double-handed.

The boat, commissioned by MGM Boats this week, includes a spray finish antifoul by the boatyard.

MGM Boatyard in Dun Laoghaire Harbour is offering a new antifouling service with a performance finish that will likely be of interest to the large resident Dublin Bay Sailing Club fleet of over 250 boats.

Boatyard Services Manager, Paul Gavin explains 'We stripped down a Beneteau First 260 (pictured above) we have for sale and sprayed her so we have a boat to show the results. We're offering this service to racing boats looking for the extra edge'. See video below.

The finish achieved by spraying is far superior to a regular antifouling brush finish for underwater flow, so important to racing yachts.