Show Boats!
A bellwether for the $36-billion U.S. boating industry, the Miami International Boat Show and Yachts Miami Beach are among the most anticipated boat shows of the year. Manufacturers from around the globe use them to debut their latest models and unveil exciting innovations in marine technology and gear. For the second year in a row, more than 100,000 boating enthusiasts from 35 countries flocked to the iconic waterside Miami Marine Stadium Park & Basin on Virginia Key, where sea trials in front of the picturesque skyline set these shows apart from all others.
There’s also the not-to-be-missed Yachts Miami Beach along Collins Avenue. The in-water-only display of new and preowned vessels covering more than 1.2-million square feet from 41st Street to 54th Street is situated across from the legendary Fontainebleau and Eden Roc hotels. It’s a remarkable stand-alone show in its own right. A favorite of this boatfest? The gorgeous new Superyacht Miami location at Island Gardens Deep Harbour on Watson Island, accommodating behemoth-sized, deep draft vessels up to 500 feet.
When boat shows roll into Miami, the world takes notice.
ASTON MARTIN
Miami is benignly being invaded by the British luxury car marque. Last fall it was announced that the Aston Martin Residences is to break ground next to the Epic Hotel in downtown Miami. So, what better place than Yachts Miami Beach for the U.S. debut of the Aston Martin powerboat? The residences, which include such lavish amenities as a rooftop helipad, a superyacht marina behind the building and private outdoor pools on penthouse balconies, form the perfect backdrop for the $1.6-million powerboat with its sliding deck, wraparound windscreen comprised of one piece of sculpted glass, and carbon fiber dashboard evoking the Aston Martin’s most sophisticated sports cars. Residences and powerboats seem to complement each other, don’t they?
SUPERYACHTS
Now in its 29th year, Yachts Miami Beach is bigger than ever. No longer limited to a mile-long stretch of docks, the show has returned to the marina at Island Gardens Deep Harbour on Watson Island. Island Gardens can accommodate the big yachts—we’re talking the biggest of all—including the jaw-dropping
206-foot 11.11 from Benetti Yachts (the oldest luxury shipyard in the world) and the brand-new, 180-foot, all-aluminum Quinta Essentia. These sublime state-of-the-art megayachts were drool worthy.
STRICTLY SAIL
Launching the Oyster 745 last April, Oyster Yachts’ third hull has arrived stateside. The 74-foot sailing vessel made her U.S. debut at the Strictly Sail showcase at the Miami Boat Show. The largest sailboat present at the show features Oyster’s contemporary styling with clean, easily driven hull lines drawn by Humphreys Yacht Design. The largest catamaran on display, the 76-foot Lagoon Seventy 7’s design simplicity belies such highly sophisticated, innovative features as a forward hull door that opens out to a private balcony, a large stern platform that serves as a sunbathing area and a tender dock.
VROOM, VROOM!
The engine companies that put the power in powerboats were on hand at the Miami Boat Show. Unveilings included new products from Mercury, Suzuki Marine, Volvo Penta, Honda Marine and more. Evinrude reengineered the E-TEC lineup to produce 30 percent more power while maintaining a fuel efficiency that rivals that of comparable four-strokes. Volvo Penta introduced its new joystick for inboard system on a Tiara 4300. And the all-new Raptor 460 from Indmar Marine Engines has less displacement, is lighter and more powerful, and has better fuel economy than the Ford’s Legacy 460. These aren’t your grandfather’s engines. More than 150 impressive boats were docked in the water for guests to view.
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