60th Barcelona Boat Show fills the Port Vell with the most innovative and sustainable navigation

The event incorporates the Marina Port Vell quay into the spaces of the Moll de la Fusta and España © Fira de Barcelona

The most innovative boating and the promotion of the blue economy will feature prominently in the 60th edition of the Barcelona Boat Show, which will bring together the main brands in the sector in new spaces and with the America's Cup on the horizon.

• Fifteen startups from seven European countries participate in the new Innovation Dock
• It will attract international buyers to boost sales in the sector
• The America's Cup in Barcelona 2024 will also be in the spotlight

The Fira de Barcelona show will have the largest floating exhibition of recent editions, adding Marina Port Vell to the Fusta and España docks for the first time.

Organised by Fira de Barcelona, in collaboration with the National Association of Boating Companies (ANEN), the show will bring together 221 exhibitors and more than 700 boats from 12 to 16 October, 182 of them on the water, including 28 catamarans and 14 candidates for best European boat of the year. The event will once again be the largest trade fair in the Spanish boating sector and one of the most important on the European calendar, occupying 21,000 square metres of exhibition space.

Leading firms such as Azimut Yachts, Bali Catamarans, Bavaria, Beneteau, De Antonio Yachts, Elan, Filippetti Yachts, Fjord, Fountaine Pajot, Hanse, Jeanneau, Lagoon, Pardo, Prestige, Nautic Swan, Rodman, Torqeedo, Sealine, Sesga, VanDutch, Touron and Yamaha in an event that consolidates the show's commitment to sustainability, innovation and digitalisation as drivers of change in the sector towards the blue economy.

The President of the Boat Show, Luis Conde, pointed out that "in this very special edition, we are once again demonstrating that the show is the must-see event for professionals and all lovers of the sea, occupying three docks in Barcelona's Port Vell for the first time in its history and unveiling the latest innovations in digitalisation, electrification and care of the sector's marine environment".

In this regard, the Moll de la Fusta will host 'Innovation Dock', where fifteen startups will showcase their most disruptive concepts in the field of digitalisation and environmentally friendly boating technology, and various electric, hybrid and hydrogen-fuelled boats will be on display.

This dock will also bring together the largest selection of sailing yachts and an outstanding range of on-land equipment, accessories and services for boats to give shape to the Sea Boulevard area. In Marina Port Vell, the space occupied by the show for the first time, and on the Muelle de España, there will be a large floating exhibition with the best selection of motor yachts and catamarans.

Also on display will be the 14 models competing for the title of European Boat of the Year: Beneteau Flyer 8 Sundeck, Jeanneau Cap Camarat 10.5 CC, Nuva M9 Open, Wellcraft 355, De Antonio D36 Open, Pardo GT 52, Fjord 53 XL, Bénéteau Swift Trawler 48, Elan E6, Grand Soleil 40, Oceanis Yacht 60, Excess 14 and Lagoon 51.

Business for the sector

The event will once again be the key annual event to boost business in a sector which, after two years of sustained growth, has slowed down due to the current international situation. Thus, up to the month of August, 4,925 recreational boats were registered in Spain, compared with the figure of 5,943 in the same period of 2021, a fall of 17%.

The general secretary of ANEN, Carlos Sanlorenzo, said in this regard that "the 2002 season has been positive for the sector, boating activities and, therefore, boating tourism as a leisure trend has come to stay, positioning itself among the most demanded options to enjoy leisure time, both by Spaniards and by international tourists who this year have returned to sail off our coasts. The decline in registrations reflects a stabilisation of the boating market, which had grown significantly over the previous two years, recovering the losses of 2019".

With the aim of promoting business transactions within the framework of the show, a VIP Buyers programme has been designed with the aim of attracting to the show more than 300 domestic and international buyers interested in acquiring boats over 15 metres in length.

America's Cup on the Horizon

The preparations for holding the America's Cup in Barcelona in 2024 will also take centre stage. The Barcelona Boating Capital Foundation (FBCN) together with the Port of Barcelona and the Port Olímpic will showcase the actions they are carrying out during the show to celebrate the event in the Catalan capital.

In addition, during the five days of the event, and with the slogan 'The sea is the sky', there will be various activities to promote the boat-related sports and recreation. In this regard, the show's director, Josep Antoni Llopart, pointed out that "the event aims to bring together the entire boating community, so we have designed an event that can respond to everyone's concerns, from the most professional to the most recreational, in order to bring sailing to all audiences".

The FBCN will be organising sea outings with its training boat Barcelona World Race IMOCA 60, while the Catalan Sailing Federation will have an information area to familiarise young and old with competitive sailing and sailing for beginners.

The offer will be complemented by the Fun Beach area, an area for testing sports equipment with access to the sea, and the Traditional Marina area, where workshops and activities for the whole family will be held and where the Santa Eulàlia, a small boat that will sail along Barcelona's seafront, will be moored.

On the more recreational side, the show has a new feature for the general public, the Vermut & Soul, a gastronomic space with live music and food trucks, which joins Nautical Night, which will take place on Friday 14th October with musical performances and gastronomic tastings.

The 60th edition of the Barcelona Boat Show is held in partnership with Marina Port Vell, which offers its facilities as a VIP area for visitors and exhibitors.