The 40th edition of the Palma International Boat Show (PIBS) took place in Palma de Mallorca at the end of April. Around 27,000 visitors took part in the four-day trade fair.
This year’s PIBS counted 295 exhibitors and 600 boats, 260 of which were at sea. According to the organisation’s initial estimates, the presence of the major shipyards has already been confirmed for the next edition and they have expressed their intention to repeat the event, if possible with more space.
According to the organisers, the fair was attended by around 27,000 visitors, which was less than last year. In 2023, there had been 5,000 more visitors. They attribute this decline to the bad weather, especially on the Sunday of the fair.
Everything a superyacht has to offer
The exhibitors reflected a cross-section of the industry: from suppliers to interior fitters and shipyards. The Dutch company Lengers Yachts, among others, presented an exciting concept. The company is not only a dealer for the Sanlorenzo, Prestige and Sacs brands, but also offers its own newly developed dayboat under the Stratos brand. The ‘Stratos 50’ is a 15 metre long, 4.45 metre wide boat that can reach speeds of up to 36 knots. As Stratos founder Bas Lengers explains, this boat offers all the amenities of a superyacht in a smaller space. This is the first time this new carbon boat has been presented in the Mediterranean.
Yachts to share
The German company Meros presented a yacht not for sale, but for sharing. Anyone wanting to get a taste of the world of yachts and try their hand at yacht ownership has the opportunity to share a Sunseeker yacht with other co-owners at Meros. As manager Lottie Underwood explained at PIBS, up to eight parties can share such a yacht. The rental period is three years. After this period, the yacht is automatically returned to Meros. As Underwood went on to explain, the temporary yacht owners receive an all-round carefree package. Each ship has its own permanent crew. The ‘yacht owners’ even have the option of storing personal items on board. If the ‘yacht owners’ have overlapping holidays, they have the option of switching to another Sunseeker yacht.
