Despite Economic Downturn, FLIBS Sees Big Boats And Big Crowds

November 2, 2009 11:35 a.m. EST

Fort Lauderdale, FL (CNS) - Fort Lauderdale saw a different crowd of ladies in town this weekend, ready to show off their best assets and get the party started. The hot, sunny South Florida weather welcomed some of the world's largest and most stunning yachts at the 50th annual Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. More than $3 billion worth of boats, yachts, superyachts, electronics, engines and thousands of accessories from every major marine manufacturer and builder worldwide took part in the yachting extravaganza as potential buyers and yacht enthusiasts walked the docks in awe of this year's biggest builds and best bargains.

Despite the economic downturn, which has seen sales plummet in the luxury yachting market, many renowned shipyards such as Trinity, Christensen, Abeking & Rasmussen, Delta, Burger, and many others presented some of their very best from the past year at this year's show. Although new boat sales have plunged 32% this past year, which might look like bad news for the builders, but in fact turned out to be good news for consumers. Despite the gloomy outlook which saw the recent global recession take a ripple effect on the yachting market, the docks at the show still saw a lot of activity from local and international buyers looking for a good deal.

The bad news on paper still though didn't stop some of the world's major superyacht builders from showing off their impressive fleet. This year's highlight came from Feadship's 214ft Trident, which was given the honorable title of "Queen of the Show." The Dutch beauty boasts a full beam master stateroom, along with superior accommodations for the owners and twelve guests in seven luxurious suites. Several modern touches in its interior include an elevator that allows guests to travel up through the entire yacht to the such deck as if inside "a solid block of marble," according to the yacht builder's press release.

Not to be outdone by the Europeans, Trinity showed off its 160ft aluminum superyacht Blind Date. The yacht sports a contemporary interior, which was designed by the award-winning Patrick Knowles Designs. Also on the docks were Delta Marine's Aerie and Seven C's, both at 124ft, the 115ft Tenacity offered by Burger Boat Company and 160ft Odessa from Christensen yachts.

Additionally, some of the special events at this year's show included a kids' fishing clinic, an Xtreme Fisihing seminar and the International Superyacht Society Awards gala. The show, which is located at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, runs until today, Nov. 2. Tickets are still available at $18 for general admission. Children ages 6-15 are $5, and under 6 are free.