TW3: The FLIBS Blur Blog 2019
That Was The Week That Was, aka TW3, the 2019 Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show delivered new highs, new lows, fabulous parties, lots of news, and of course, extraordinary yachts. Here's a look in the rear view mirror on what happened last week at the FLIBS self-proclaimed world capital of boating.
Superyacht Village
Arriving on Tuesday to a flurry of workers in a feverish pitch to get things polished for the VIP superyacht audience, the vision was quickly falling into place. More space, a lovely walk through the most gorgeous neighborhood at FLIBS, and lots of familiar faces promised a much more elegant experience. The new digs for the bigs is located at Pier 66 South, giving even yachts as lengthy as Here Comes The Sun a lovely dock. Here's a peek around the new Superyacht Village:
By Wednesday, most was shipshape as a ribbon-cutting ceremony featuring Ft. Lauderdale Mayor Dean Trantalis, FLIBS organizer Andrew Doole, and FLIBS owner Phil Purcell highlighted the big changes afoot for the show and the city. Consul General of the Bahamas Linda Mackey opened the show by cutting the ribbon, acknowledging commitment and donations to Bahamian hurricane relief. Festive junkaroo dancers broke us all out of our coffee daze, jump starting the show with an upbeat musical parade.
Calm Before the Storm: Organized and Fresh
A lovely media breakfast was laid out courtesy of Informa in the new Superyacht Lounge. Spacious, with lots of posh sofa seating and an array of high and low top tables surrounding a square bar and service area, the company and the coffee were grand. There was Champagne on offer, but the OJ was a refreshing option alongside fruit and pastries. My thanks to whomever was responsible for the chocolate croissants!
Ferretti is Always a Highlight
Leisurely riding a stylish shuttle back to the main show, I headed to the Ferretti Press Conference for my favorite media event. Always welcoming and gracious, I love listening to the passion and positivity of the Ferretti Group team. What's not to love about 16 boats and 2 premieres?
As if the lineup was not already chock full of the most delicious brands like Ferretti Yachts (Oooohh, the 720!), Pershing, Riva, CRN, Mochi Craft, and Custom Line (Best Power Yacht Award from ISS at FLIBS), the icing on that superb cake was the recent addition of Wally Yachts (If you didn't see the Wally Tender 48, you really missed something!). A room full of stylish, impeccably dressed Italians, fabulous espresso, perfect nibbles, and more Champagne set the stage for the announcements.
Chief Commercial Officer and Managing Director Stefano de Vivo gave up lots of good news starting with the order portfolio, up 18 percent to 465 million Euros in new orders for the first nine months of 2018 compared to 2018. Stefano gushed about the Wally line with appropriate praise for the W101 high performance sloop with exterior styling by Pininfarina due to launch in 2021.
He then highlighted the DolceRiva, the Riva 190 (launching 2021), and the Riva Lounge and Riva Privé locations around the globe, listing Venice, Monte-Carlo, Palm Beach, Sarnico, Mikonos, Formentera, Porto Cervo, Milano, and the new opening of Splash Bistrot in Paris.
The T? (tee-zero) project from Pershing features Fulvio De Simoni design focusing on performance and enjoyment in a new product range framed by Generation X. Then there's the 165 Wallypower sailing yacht from the dream team Luca Bassani and Espen ?ino. Does it get any better than this? Their future looks bright in America, with new designs tailored to unique preferences.
More Appointments and Press Events
Additional media shares came from Hargrave about the G-120 launch, and a 2 pm presentation at the Superyacht Village Lounge reviewing the state of the market. More to see and take note of, Boston Whaler introduced two new Conquest models, Hargrave touted the 186-foot Babas (their largest craft to date) and the G-120 (five staterooms!).
International Superyacht Society Awards
The 29th Annual Superyacht Design and Leadership Award Gala at Ft. Lauderdale's Broward Center was held on Wednesday, October 30. A review of the deserving winners can be found here: https://megayachtnews.com/2019/11/design-leadership-feted-by-international-superyacht-society/
Of particular note, leadership awards included the captain and crew of the beautiful Christensen Motor Yacht Loon. Arriving in Marsh Harbour on Great Abaco in the Bahamas as the first response to Hurricane Dorian, Captain Clarke and crew received the Distinguished Crew Award. They immediately contacted YachtAid Global to guide them in performing over a thousand medical interventions, assisting in as many airlifts, and removed obstructions from the water that endangered arriving ships.
Thursday: The Blur Sets In
Hitting the docks early, Groupe Beneteau presented its new lineup, followed by Fraser, Viking, Silent Yachts and Majesty. Rossinavi previewed the fluid and stylish Super Sport 65 Pininfarina concept. The chic, understated Palm Beach 70, tucked in with loads of beautiful wood cabinetry and trim, yet displaying a slim and elegant profile, kicks up an efficient, minimal wake at 24 kts.
A swift tour of several others, then off to the SeaKeepers Founders Gala had me dressed to the nines and assisting the team while appreciating what they do to try to keep our oceans clean (despite the widely-distributed plastic single-use water bottles and disposable plastic dinnerware, plus gift bags that easily contained 10 pounds of glossy paper publications).
Held at a glamorous mansion on the water, clever masks donned by 150 guests in black tie/cocktail attire ponied up their cash for exclusive auction items like a Paul McCartney signed guitar, Miami sports figure memorabilia, Rolling Stones Emotional Rescue album art, incredible trips, and fine art.
Friday = Fun
Fun trending to Frantic, Friday kicked off with reveals by Ocean Alexander, Zeelander, Princess, and Beneteau's launch of the Scarab 28, plus quick walkarounds some of the FLIBS new neighborhood and visits to old friends.
The evening was rather a social one, with Baglietto's party at their digs in the Superyacht Village, a Media Happy Hour, and the Sunset Soiree chef's challenge. The award went to Danny Davies, chef aboard the 46m Richmond motor yacht Excellence, with help from sous chef Ratu Bawai. The event was hosted in honor of Mission of Hope providing relief aid to the Bahamas after Hurricane Dorian's massive force.
Heesen Vida: Sleek, Chic, and Packed with Performance
A much appreciated make-up tour had Thom Conboy taking me through the beautiful Heesen Vida at a last minute request. Such a treat and such a fine way to close out my FLIBS 2019 tour. Looking forward to Palm Beach and Miami!
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