Sunseeker Stand - Southampton Boat Show 2021

[Portofino]

There's a good podcast out there with Chris Head from Sunseeker London backing this up, stating that everyone needs to be welcomed on board. How clients become Sunseeker buyers due to the way they have been treated over the years as non buyers at shows, and gone are the days of it being about shoes and watches, it's just as much about about Bitcoin, Youtube and new money.

They have doing this for decades .
The last Earls Court , can’t remember exactly so long ago ?
Toddler + one in buggy under 1 , traipsed round and arrived at that water pool .
S/Skr had a S Hawk something of other and Porto 35 in the pool .
With two kiddies + push chair in tow we just with the others stood back a bit thinking no one would want us on board .
You know bottles of milk etc ….even a changing event to smell out a cabin .
But as you say we approached and the kind lady invited us on board .

Up to then we were treated like leper’s by other exhibitors.

She held the buggy as it was carried on and fussed over the occupant in the cockpit .
Mean while down in the cockpit the guy ( think it was his a husband + wife team ? ) said “ this is the ideal boat for a your family “
I knew very little about mobos .Just sold my sail boat which ended up ad lads beers curry trip boat when family arrived .
He said don’t worry about the finger marks my son proceeded to make on the leather seats , or his greasy paws on the cream carpets and high gloss - “ we change all this on return to the factory “
He then went on to show me a grease patch near the saloon entrance on the ceiling - “ is this real leather “ he told me everyone asks and stokes the same place .
The kids were given a drink and tissues .

Fast Fwds ( I have told this story before apologies for those who have heard ) to 2003 I bought a berth in the SoF to rent it was returning something stupid like 15/18 % on the cash .
2005 - 2 y later I get a email from the marina office “ under rule 9 b section xyz - when are you bringing your boat - you are only allowed to rent for 2 years .This was to stop speculators like me .

Off i toddle to work on the Monday , wife rings up guess who ? Sunseeker .
We have a P 35 just offloaded from the Med returning as it was a part ex right now the guy said .
Friday I fly down from Manchester to Bournemouth, S/Sker send a BMW 7 series with driver to pick me up .1 hr later iam sat on said P 35. Full med spec etc .
Deal was from my position was “ can you get on my berth in the SoF in 3 weeks .
Yes they said .
Thats was that they did it and arranged tuition .

Mr B came up into the office and everyone jumped out of there chairs but like a school head walking into the classroom.
He came up to me and shook my hand and said “ thank you for buying one of my boats “
Then turned to the guys and said “ see to it Mr ( my surname ) s boats gets all the accruements a Sunseeker should have “

When it arrived in the SoF we had new Royal Dolton crockery , table ware logoed etc , towels and sweat shirts .
It had new covers , seating , carpets and headliner etc .

Now as a newbie traipsing around the then U.K. premier boat show ……it could have easily been Princess , Fairline or any other .

So yes they planted a seed sat back and waited .Clever very clever marketing .

 

[Portofino]

Oh and there’s more .
At the excel I went with my then teenage daughter and we wondered onto the S/Sker stand .
Got recognised by the sales chap who dealt with me many moons previously.
We chatted I was taken to the champagne bar .Fed + watered .
They premiered a Y 80 then .There was a huge queue snaking back then L of the boat .
” Would you like a look round it “ he said .
I looked across and saw the queue and said “ no it’s ok “
“ come with me he said “
Within minutes we were on the boat he told the head of the crowd and the gate keepers we were the new owners .
They cleared the boat of punters and he took us round for 15/20 mins .
I felt a bit guilty stepping off to the now longer 1 1/2 boat length queue !

Another earlier occasion I asked them to msg me when the P35 arrived in the SoF .Nothing special just to know it arrived .
With it being August and the whole thing done a 3 weeks notice we had a pre planned hol a week in the Blakeney hotel Blakeney .Kids bucket + Spade U.K. hol .

The Friday pm around 5 pm high ish tide so I took the kids crabbing outside .6 pm we go to reception to get the key and it’s 3/4 persons deep,with folks up from London for the week end .
Patiently I await my turn at the desk .Holding the kids , the beach paraphernalia etc arms full .
My turn …..” Key for room xyz please “
There is a folded piece of paper in the pigeon hole .
She gives me the key I hold it in my teeth as hands full ….“ there is a telegram from Sunseeker international Sir “
“ Can you read it out I blurt back “
Remember its now 3/4 deep behind me at the desk by now .
Top of her voice she blurts
“ Your yacht has arrived in the Cote d Azur - which helicopter would you like us to put on it “

That evening it’s the kinda hotel we’re you kiddie tea the kids 6-7 pm and adults only eat later 8 pm onwards .
As we walked in to the dinning room ( kids had a baby sitter ) the whole room turned and watched us being escorted to the best table and seated .It was our last night so I splurged out and we had Champagne with the meal .

Sense of Humour those S/Sker lads .

So how much product , how much the buying experience.Make your own minds up on that one .

All starts at boat shows .

 

[GravyStain]

Just left the show today... Jeans, T shirt and a relatively expensive (but unobtrusive) watch. Sunseeker guy was very friendly but kept glancing at my watch (it's a Bell and Ross Chronograph 05... Not cheap, not too expensive). He couldn't work out if it was a goodie or a cheapie which was faintly amusing, BUT it made no difference as he was polite and accommodating.
Prestige, Princess, Fairline, Azimut all were respectful and interested to hear what I had to say and always answered questions.

Highlight for me was the revamped Squaddie 58. Lovely people and an amazing refurb.

Fairline only had 3 boats. Princess only 4, Sunseeker had a huge display. Beneteau not a lot, nor Jeanneau. More for Raggies though I reckon.

I was underwhelmed to be honest.

Anyway, that's my 2 penneth

 

[Bouba]

I think the problem with being a future customer is that you are not much use to the salesperson who needs their monthly target now and won’t be at the same company in three years

 

[ShaneAtSea]

Highlight for me was the revamped Squaddie 58. Lovely people and an amazing refurb.

Do you mean Fairline Squadron 58?

I didnt see that

 

[GravyStain]

Do you mean Fairline Squadron 58?

I didnt see that

Yep. Squadron 58 refitted by Setag. Most impressed (although priced by boats.co.uk at over £500k I believe) . Don't know if it's sold. At that price I would pass to be honest.

 

[ShaneAtSea]

Yep. Squadron 58 refitted by Setag. Most impressed (although priced by boats.co.uk at over £500k I believe) . Don't know if it's sold. At that price I would pass to be honest.

Oh right....i thought you meant they had a Squadron 53 which i wanted to have a look at. Unfortunately they didnt have one at the show

Is this the Squadron 58 you looked at?

 

[GravyStain]

Oh right....i thought you meant they had a Squadron 53 which i wanted to have a look at. Unfortunately they didnt have one at the show

Is this the Squadron 58 you looked at?

Yep. Great job. Fairline ony had 3 boats there (not including the old 58). Not sure why?

 

[ari]

No this was a true story.

He was going to lend it to me while my car was in the garage but it wouldn’t go over the station ramp.

He was/is a doctor that worked crazy hours.

W

I find it VERY hard to believe that a car dealership has a dress code and slings people out for wearing a tee shirt.

Out of interest, do you put a suit on to go car shopping?

These stories do seem to crop up with monotonous regularity.

 

[ShaneAtSea]

Yep. Great job. Fairline ony had 3 boats there (not including the old 58). Not sure why?

Maybe a lot of manufacturers were at The Cannes Boat Show.

They overlapped with Southampton this year

?

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Maybe a lot of manufacturers were at The Cannes Boat Show.

They overlapped with Southampton this year

?

boat shows are a mess at the moment. In like 15 days you have Cannes - Southampton - Genova - Monaco

This is madness. Genova at the least needs to return at the first week of October.
Southampton should stop overlapping with Cannes. IDK what BMF thinks about this, and I think it is done on purpose.
And Monaco may be can stay where it is, if it does not overlap with some show.

 

[Bouba]

Monaco is a superyacht show, so I don’t think it affects the other shows

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Monaco is a superyacht show, so I don’t think it affects the other shows

For the real big stuff no. But super yacht is 80 feet plus and now you have like every sport cruiser and yacht in that 30-70 feet size being marketed as a super yacht tender.

Super Yacht show is calling it by its name, not its purpose. IMO

 

[DAW]

Monaco is a superyacht show, so I don’t think it affects the other shows

One of the main considerations in determining the timing of the Med shows must be the availability and location of boats. There is a significant cost involved in keeping a large number of new boats on hand and available for the shows, so I'm sure there is huge pressure from the manufacturers to group the shows together.

There is a link between the shows in Cannes, Genoa and Monaco because the super yacht community are now actively participating in all three ... particularly the Italian builders and suppliers, and the big brokers and charter companies.

The Monaco show is part of a summer long calendar of events and is traditionally the end of the season event, so it is unlikely to move. The huge hike in ticket prices also means it is effectively becoming an invitation only event and most of the people paying EUR 18/day to visit Cannes or Genoa are not going to pay EUR 500/day to attend Monaco. From the perspective of the exhibitors, the best timing for the Genoa show is either the week before or the week after Monaco.

Several of the big production boat builders run their own private summer events at the end of August/early September using boats which will then appear at Cannes (e.g. Ferretti Group show in Monaco, Sunseeker Summer Nights in Cannes, etc.). For them it must make a lot of sense to hold the Genoa show immediately after Cannes and before Monaco, otherwise they have to keep the boats and people available for an extra couple of weeks.

So, for the exhibitors, the most logical approach is to hold the shows one after another ... and close together.

 

[Portofino]

Seems to work ok to me for the Med market .Agree with DAW ^^^ .

Been ( invitation) to a couple of the Ferretti Monaco pre shows .They are wet shows as you go out and helm .
Its a huge fleet in all.Been to a few S/Sker summer events .Also when based in La Nap got year round exposure to the various concessionaires stuff inc the U.K. big 3 .

If I had to choose one ( when Covid s eased up ) to revisit it would be Genoa .
Large layout outdoors + indoors plenty of space to spread out and seemingly a wider range of types of boat .
UK 3 there as well fwiw but pretty anonymous.Ie the FL stand was empty last time I went they had the GTO 62 and a FB and that little sports boat .3 boats Folks just walked right on by .

Suppose it a bit like sticking a couple of TVRs in an Italian car show smothered by the full ranges Ferrari , Lamborghini, Maserati, Pagani , Alfa etc .All cars sure .The TVRs and indeed Lotus might grab attention at a U.K. show but out here they are anonymous.

Sunseeker + Princess stands had 1/2 dozen each Cannes cast offs and punters crawling over them esp S/ Sker .
But remember Absolute + Cranchi + Azimut have double figures exhibites .€500- € 2M sector’s are stuffed with choices over FLs offerings .Dozen boats each on display.
Going up San Lorenzo +Benetti + Amer + many more out in force at Genoa .

So its difficult for the U.K. 3 .Take a Pred ( insert size ) …..matched arguably bettered by Pershing ?
Princess sport Y - matched arguably bettered by the big Rivas .
Then you have the likes of AB and Mangusta for around 100 + sport Yachts on jets .
Sunseeker used to take them on 20 yrs ago with the old real Preditor range - large powerful opens but they have left that market.
Imagine today if the Pred range tracked Pershing? From the 1990s to the noughties to 2010 through to now ?
They would be up to 140 ish .Not sure what material? This is aluminium btw FG group can easily make that jump .


2 made another 2 on order in 2021 ( pre September show time ) £25 M a pop ish ?

Princess have a yard big enough too the ex military dry dock , but they have stalled with the sport yachts size .

There are certain things that “ only in Italy “ applies .

 

[DAW]

I agree that Genoa is the best of the three ... provided you're looking for a motor boat and not looking for something built in the UK.

For new boats, Cannes is 50/50 sail and power and split between two ports to accommodate the number of exhibitors. Its one of the main shows for the French builders (Beneteau group with separate stands for each of its +15 brands) and the large Italian groups also have a big presence (Ferretti Group, Azimut, etc.). There's always been a significant used boat/brokerage presence and it was even more evident this year. In my experience, Genoa is a bit more power boat focused and covers the whole size range from RIBs through to super yachts, but for obvious reasons it's dominated by the Italian builders.

The Ferretti Group private show in Monaco is a superb event ... the closest equivalent in the UK is the British Motor Yacht Show. You usually have more or less the full range from Ferretti, Riva, Pershing, Itama and Wally available to view and if you're an existing owner or a serious prospect, sea trials are available on most of the boats up to 80-90 feet. It's described as a "private show" but the reality is it's open to the public and you can walk up to a sales person and ask to view any of the boats. After a few pre-qualification questions, they will take you on board. In the pre-Covid days there was also a private concert with artists like Sting, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran appearing in recent years, followed by a spectacular fireworks show.

For the UK builders, Cannes seems to be the more important show, presumably because most of their sales are to UK and Northern European buyers looking to keep boats in the South of France or Spain. Sunseeker and Princess are always quite well represented with a decent number of boats, but Fairline less so in recent years for obvious reasons.

Also agree with the comments made above about the different approach of Sunseeker at boat shows ... I've always been impressed by how they handle access to boats, etc. even for those that are clearly unlikely to buy. They try to ensure that clients and serious prospects get VIP treatment, but also that everyone else has a good day and goes away with a positive impression of the brand and its people. In contrast, some of the others don't seem to care unless you have your cheque book with you ... and even then it can be hit and miss. In my experience the Ferretti Group is the same as Sunseeker ... they and their people are passionate about everything to do with boats and want to share this with everyone, no matter how wealthy or how likely to buy.

 

[PowerYachtBlog]

Unfortunately Fairline's revival by the Russian ownership seems a far mirage, with the only thing selling for them being the F/Line 33. Now with 50% in the hand of an investment banker Fairline is back to a place similar to what it was in 2012 before the bankruptcy. Fairline really needs a loving owner to return back what it was. Big loving owner as the investment it needs is huge, if it wants to be what it used to be.
Pearl seems to be the third UK builder to watch in the 50 - 90 feet size, taking the place of Fairline. They are doing well with the 62 already in hull 11/12. I am not sure where they are build today, is it Turkey or Britain.
But possibly they are the most British of all the Brit builders being designed by Bill Dixon and Kelly Hoppen for the interiors.

When Fairline was weak Princess bullied her out by releasing new models on new models in the sizes FL was strong, think 40 - 70 feet.
Pearl collected those bread crumps which fell from the Princess plate and today it is actually doing better then Fairline north of sixty feet.

 

[ShaneAtSea]

I agree that Genoa is the best of the three ... provided you're looking for a motor boat and not looking for something built in the UK.

For new boats, Cannes is 50/50 sail and power and split between two ports to accommodate the number of exhibitors. Its one of the main shows for the French builders (Beneteau group with separate stands for each of its +15 brands) and the large Italian groups also have a big presence (Ferretti Group, Azimut, etc.). There's always been a significant used boat/brokerage presence and it was even more evident this year. In my experience, Genoa is a bit more power boat focused and covers the whole size range from RIBs through to super yachts, but for obvious reasons it's dominated by the Italian builders.

The Ferretti Group private show in Monaco is a superb event ... the closest equivalent in the UK is the British Motor Yacht Show. You usually have more or less the full range from Ferretti, Riva, Pershing, Itama and Wally available to view and if you're an existing owner or a serious prospect, sea trials are available on most of the boats up to 80-90 feet. It's described as a "private show" but the reality is it's open to the public and you can walk up to a sales person and ask to view any of the boats. After a few pre-qualification questions, they will take you on board. In the pre-Covid days there was also a private concert with artists like Sting, Lionel Richie, Duran Duran appearing in recent years, followed by a spectacular fireworks show.

For the UK builders, Cannes seems to be the more important show, presumably because most of their sales are to UK and Northern European buyers looking to keep boats in the South of France or Spain. Sunseeker and Princess are always quite well represented with a decent number of boats, but Fairline less so in recent years for obvious reasons.

Also agree with the comments made above about the different approach of Sunseeker at boat shows ... I've always been impressed by how they handle access to boats, etc. even for those that are clearly unlikely to buy. They try to ensure that clients and serious prospects get VIP treatment, but also that everyone else has a good day and goes away with a positive impression of the brand and its people. In contrast, some of the others don't seem to care unless you have your cheque book with you ... and even then it can be hit and miss. In my experience the Ferretti Group is the same as Sunseeker ... they and their people are passionate about everything to do with boats and want to share this with everyone, no matter how wealthy or how likely to buy.

From all the Nick Burnham boat tour videos ive watched over the years i thought that Düsseldorf Boat Show looked the most impressive.

I could be wrong though

 

[henryf]

I agree with PowerYachtBlog re: Pearl overtaking Fairline. Had a tour of the 62 at the Swanwick show and it offers a genuine alternative with lovely internal design features. They also provide a 5 year warranty.

I’m spoiled as a Princess owner of 15 years, the brand has led the way in terms of internal volume and design when compared to most other builders.

Recently Sunseeker has caught up in the internal volume stakes but Fairline is still languishing in the mid ‘90s I’m afraid. Looking to change currently and just can’t see why you’d buy a 50 ft Fairline. Sad having owned two in the past.

Cannes offered some interesting alternatives for me. Sirena and Absolute were the main players. Love the modern Trawler take of Sirena whilst still retaining 28 knots should you need it. Absolute had some cracking interior ideas particularly with their 60, not quite sure I could bring myself to pay their prices relative to my perceived quality of build though.

In terms of show timings / available boats etc. The builders have no influence at all. They can’t say hold the show now because we’ve got boats, they have to fit in boats to the show timings and of course these aren’t cars with a hundred or more coming off the line each day, they are small volume producers who have to juggle production schedule with owner willingness.

Some builders “cheat” a little bit and show used boats that owners are prepared to lend. Always a good sign of how boats hold up in use. Think Nordhavn & Fleming who often show craft with several thousand miles under the keel.

The other problem this year is a famine of available stock due to production restrictions and pent up demand over a couple of years. For smaller producers this can be a real issue. Once you ramp up numbers it gets easier. If you have 5 boats per week coming off the line you can juggle and butter up owners.

Enjoyed Cowes, looking forward to Southampton.

Henry

 

[ari]

Dusseldorf is indeed incredible. I wonder how confident manufacturers are about booking space there for the next one though. It's a huge logistical and financial commitment overshadowed by the fact that it's an indoor event so I guess at higher risk of last minute cancellation. It's not like you can just sail your boats to a nearby marina instead and exhibit them there (as happened when Southampton was cancelled at the last moment last year)