The Palm Beach International Boat Show, which has been growing in size and importance the past few years, starts on Thursday, March 26, and runs through Sunday, March 29. A handful of significant cruising powerboats will make their debuts there this year, while hundreds more will be on display.
Now in its 35th year, the Palm Beach show has become increasingly popular because of its location and its manageable size. The show’s on Flagler Drive on West Palm Beach, where downtown meets the Intracoastal Waterway. It’s easy to get to, with lots of nearby parking, and it doesn’t have all the logistics problems involved in the two Miami shows earlier this month.
The Palm Beach show also has earned a reputation as a buyers’ and sellers’ show, as people get ready for the approaching spring and summer boating season. At this year’s show, there will be plenty of opportunities to buy; it will feature more than $1.2 billion worth of yachts and accessories on the docks and in tents along the shoreline. Everything from eight-foot inflatables to almost 300-foot superyachts will be on display.
The list of new powerboats being shown from the first time includes the Grand Banks 54, Nordhavn 41, Bruckmann Abaco 47, Vicem 67, and the Summit 54, a new brand developed by Kadey-Krogen and designed by Michael Peters. The Sabre 58 Salon Express will make its formal debut at Palm Beach; it had what the company called a soft launch at the Miami yacht show. Earlier this winter the new Sabre cruised from Portland, Maine, down to Palm Beach in just six days, often running at a comfortable 26 knots offshore.
Aside from the new boats, the Palm Beach show has a lot going on, including free fishing clinics for kids and seminars by the IFGA School of Sportfishing. There will be open-water demos and product exhibits at the Aquazone by Nautical Ventures. If you want to bring your own boat, you can tie up for free at the south end of the show.
The show is open on Thursday from noon to 7 pm; on Friday and Saturday from 10 am to 7 pm, and on Sunday from 10 am to 6 pm. Tickets are $28 for adults (16 and older), and $18 for children (six through 15). Children under six are free.
For a more private experience, you can pay $150 a person per day to join the VIP Windward Club and relax inside the Lakeside Pavilion; it will be set up as a luxury retreat inside the show, with indoor/outdoor seating, a premium open bar, late afternoon tapas, bathrooms, and pop-up events. Read more:
