Optimistic results from Ft Lauderdale Boat Show - MarineBusinessWorld.com North America newsletter
by Peter Rendle 6 Nov 2024 12:00 PST
Beneteau stand in Hall 16 at boot Düsseldorf © Messe Düsseldorf / C.Tillmann
Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC) today revealed another record-breaking performance at the Ft. Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS), with continued outboard engine market share growth and record unit sales for several of its premium brands.
The deadline for entries into the 2025 Minneapolis Boat Show Innovation Awards is December 17. The Minneapolis Innovation Awards celebrate excellence and innovation in five product categories, including one new category: Aluminum and Non-Fiberglass Fishing Boats, Electric Boats (20 ft and under), Fiberglass Fishing Boats, Pontoon Boats, Furnishings.
In Europe, when boot 2025 opens its doors for nine days on 18 January, it will once again showcase the crème de la crème of the water sports industry. Above all, the enormous range of yachts and boats is the asset with which the trade fair will clearly outperform its competitors again in the coming year. 17 exhibition halls with more than 1,000 boats, surfboards, diving equipment and lots of water sports destinations all over the world make boot Düsseldorf the top event in the industry.
The hurricanes in Florida still resonate. Governor Ron DeSantis announced the award of $1,000,000 in funding from the Florida Disaster Fund to the Fish and Wildlife Foundation of Florida to support the rebuilding of fishing and aquaculture infrastructure damaged by Hurricanes Helene and Milton. The funding will go toward the rebuilding of boat slips and docks, the repair of fish houses, impacted aquaculture businesses, and other important infrastructure repairs for Florida's fishing economy across the Big Bend region.
Meanwhile the U.S. Chamber of Commerce Foundation, in collaboration with American Express, has announced a new Small Business Hurricane Recovery Grant Program to support Florida's small businesses affected by hurricanes. This timely initiative provides critical financial relief to help businesses recover from recent challenges. Grant Amount: $5,000 per eligible business. Total Available: 1,000 grants for small businesses. Total Program Value: $5 million. Eligibility: Florida-based small businesses with 1-25 employees affected by Hurricanes Helene and Milton.
Marina expansions continue. Suntex Marina Investors LLC, the largest standalone recreational marina owner in the U.S. by marina count and boat slips has announced that Discovery Bay Marina in California has been acquired through its joint venture. Discovery Bay Marina is the premier full-service marina in the San Joaquin Delta. The marina has concrete docks, haul and launch capability, bathrooms and showers, laundry facilities, an onsite restaurant, fuel dock, boat brokerage, third-party boat club and rentals, shopping and marine services for tenants. The marina consists of 266 in-water slips and 450 dry storage slips for vessels from 20- to 100-feet.
Neptune Boat Lifts, a leader in the marine lift industry and a proud member of the Waterfront Brands family, is excited to announce the official launch of Coastal RhinoDocks. This new line of premium aluminum residential docks is designed to provide superior strength, customization, and style for waterfront homeowners.
New boats: Hurricane Boats redefines category with its brand-new 24CC Center Console. Punching well above its weight class with features, ride and functionality for a 24-foot boat, the Hurricane 24CC was designed from the ground-up as a family-friendly boat that is equally in its element as a platform for fishing, tow sports or day cruising. One of the most versatile boats in its segment, the new high-performance model flawlessly maintains the Hurricane DNA of exceptional seating while boasting plenty of space for on-the-water activities.
New technology: LOOKOUT, the AI pioneer in marine safety, adds more features to its augmented reality system for total situational awareness. Building on its ability to detect hazards, day or night, with state-of-the-art computer vision, LOOKOUT has added three new features: AIS flags, navigational aid annotations and points-of-interest pins. The software upgrade is available for free as an over-the-air update. LOOKOUT provides a count-down for time-to-closest approach based on closing speed for potential collision risks.
Mercury Marine®, a division of Brunswick Corporation (NYSE: BC), today announced a software update for its SmartCraft® operating system that gives Joystick Piloting powerful new capabilities. The system can now automatically counteract the effects of wind, waves and current while a boater is driving with the joystick, giving them the ability to dock and manoeuvre with effortless precision. For more than a decade, Mercury has evolved and grown the Joystick Piloting offering to allow precise 360-degree control and slow-speed manoeuvrability on all primary types of propulsion. The system makes it easier to perform complex manoeuvres, such as docking or navigating in confined spaces.
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Stay objective,
Peter Rendle - peter.rendle@worldmarine.media