The boating economy

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The survey acknowledges there was a post-Covid boom period, with new yacht registrations showing a sharp decline of 23.1% compared to the 2021/2022 period. This drop mainly affects the dayboat motor market for boats under 7 m/23 feet (down 27%) as well as the monohull sailboat sector from 9 to 16 m/30 to 52 feet (down 28%), both of which are struggling to cope with the increasingly attractive multihull offer – this growing by 5%, buoyed by the dynamism of power multihulls. There is also a growing interest in river and inland waterway cruising - a sector where multihulls could gain a foothold. According to the FIN, these figures for the French market also reflect those for Europe and even for the world market as a whole. As for 2024, according to Jean-Paul Chapeleau, the vintage promises to be one of “Market readjustment and a return to normal”.

Multihulls World couldn’t stay put after the press conference: despite the rain, we took the helm of an Aura 51 Smart Electric that had been chartered by Toyota as VIP support for the Olympic Games. This catamaran from the Dream Yacht fleet was skippered by two crews selected by Capt’n Boat – and they now know the waterways of Paris like the back of their hand!