Missed the Annapolis Sailboat Show? Take a “Virtual Tour” With Us!
As many of you know, we have been missing in action for a few weeks while preparing and then exhibiting at the Annapolis Sailboat Show. It was a wet, blustery, and gloomy show, but that did not stop the sailors. We had a record attendance of supporters and current and past yacht owners helping us spread the “sailing gospel” to prospective charter owners and future cruisers about Catamaran Guru. They are a motley bunch, but a wonderfully fun and devoted group.
Jimmy Spithill, Skipper of the Winning Team at the 34th America’s Cup
The potential of rubbing shoulders with Jimmy Spithill,the skipper of the 34th America’s Cup – winning Team Oracle USA, at the show was also a strong incentive for a lot of sailing enthusiasts to don their wellies, umbrellas, and waterproof cameras and brave the elements. In fact two of our owners, Ginny and Steve, actually had the honor of meeting Spithill at a dinner hosted by Penfolds wine. We were all green with envy!
Dining Aboard a 92 Ft Catana
Stephen and I had the great pleasure of dining aboard the “Orion”, a 92ft Custom Series Catana with Dream Yacht Charter execs on Saturday night after the show. The dinner was hosted by Senior Accounts Manager, Tedd Rugg, and editor, Mark Pillsbury, from Cruising World Magazine. The charter crew were very gracious and served up a feast while we enjoyed the luxury accommodations of Orion and pondered the buzz of the America’s Cup. This 92ft Custom Series Build by Catana is an impressive catamaran by any standards and since we are on the subject of bigger catamarans, the Lagoon 520 (Cruising World Boat of the Year Award nominee) was the belle of the ball this year. We sold three of them into our programs at the show for charter in the BVI and the Bahamas, so if you are in the market to do a luxury or bareboat charter on a big cat, be sure to contact us.
Spectacular New Catamaran Models Unveiled
The spectacular Fountaine Pajot Victoria 67 flagship (Cruising World Boat of the Year Award nominee), FP Sanya 57, FP Helia 44, Moorings 5800, and the very popular Lagoon 450 all deserve a special mention. There were also several “non-production” or custom catamarans like the St Francis 50, the high performance voyager Balance 601 (previously Nexus 600), the all carbon and epoxy construction Gunboat 60, the Atlantic 47, sporting twin MastFoils and dual furling jibs, that have interesting and innovative ideas and designs.
Big Catamarans Popular Due to Charter Management Programs
There was something for every catamaran enthusiast at the show from hobiecats to trimarans and everything in between. But we sold mostly the bigger models (45ft-67ft) this year since it makes the most sense in our charter management programs and specifically the boat as a business ownership program with tax benefits. These bigger catamarans have evolved in every aspect, including safety and performance and in the wake of the America’s Cup, expect even bigger developments! See all the Cruising World Boat of the Year Award nominees here.
All in all, it was a fun time and despite the weather and difficult working conditions. Dream Yacht Sales was honored for “Best Booth Display over 200 ft”, a true testament to their hard work and dedication and it was a pleasure to be a part of that group. Fort Lauderdale is our next destination. See you there!
