American magic: boot Düsseldorf reports diversified buyer pool and shift to US market in 2025

The world’s largest indoor yacht and water sports trade exhibition, boot Düsseldorf, drew to a close this Sunday (26 January). 1,500 exhibitors represented 67 countries over the show's nine-day run, with Italy, the Netherlands and France leading the exhibitor demographic, according to the show's organisers.

A slight decrease in visitor numbers was also reported, with "over 200,000 people" from 113 countries travelling to Düsseldorf this year, compared to 214,000 visitors from 120 countries in 2024. However, this shrinkage was not reflected in the pool of prospective buyers, with several shipyards claiming the show had grown in relevance for those wanting to target a greater number of countries in Europe. 

"This show usually attracts a lot of clients from Northern Europe, but this year there has been more diversity," said Alessandro Tirelli, Ferretti Group sales and marketing director. "Central Europe has been very represented. We have noticed visitors from the Czech Republic, Slovenia, Croatia, even Norway and the Scandinavian nations."

This sentiment was shared by Marco Valle, CEO at Azimut-Benetti, who also believed that the 2025 edition had felt less "niche" in terms of its clientele. "There's no trend this year. I've met people from all over Europe," Valle explained. "It's great for business, especially as our smaller products can sometimes suffer from limited visibility."

Both brands capitalised on the show's unique position as a platform for "smaller products". Azimut-Benetti focused on its Azimut offerings, with Valle citing Benetti as a brand for "bigger, higher-level clients", while Ferretti Group marked the world premiere of the Riva Iseo Super, an 8.2-metre runabout that builds on the yard's first electric prototype, the El-Iseo.

Other noteworthy appearances in the sub-24-metre segment were the Saxdor 340 GTWA, the Sirena 48 Fly and the Greenline 45 Coupé. Notable absences this year include Fairline Yachts, though the brand was placed under administration shortly after the show closed.

According to the show's organisers, the number of interested parties from overseas regions such as North America and Asia has also continued to increase, with visitors coming primarily from the US and China. But it was the American market that seemed of particular interest to exhibitors this year. For one, Finnish yard Nautor Swan announced a partnership with American Magic, the US challenger for the 36th and 37th America's Cup, with the aim of "energis[ing] sailing" in the United States and growing its marine industry. Nautor Swan CEO Giovanni Pomati also told BOATPro that the brand's efforts in the powerboat segment were, in part, a strategy to induct American clients.

Meanwhile, British yard Sunseeker took the opportunity to unveil a 41.1-metre model known as the Sunseeker 135, with CEO Andrea Frabetti confirming the new design had generated "a lot of interest" from the US market, specifically. The industry appears to be preparing for an influx of American yacht owners, likely guided by the expectation of a spending "boom" following the tax breaks proposed by President Donald Trump. 

There were seven 24-metre-plus models in attendance, remaining in line with previous years (and the size bracket typically displayed at boot Düsseldorf). Leading the fleet was the SP92, a 27.9-metre offering from Italian yard Sanlorenzo. The model is the second in Sanlorenzo's new smart performance (SP) line and boasts a maximum speed of 40 knots, with other key specs including a low draught of 1.2 metres and a 7.1-metre beam.

boot Düsseldorf is scheduled to return from 18 to 26 January 2026.