Polboat Yachting Festival Ushers in New Dawn for Poland’s Boat Shows

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The first Polboat Yachting Festival was held at the new Marina Yacht Park in Gdynia

Sunreef and Galeon, Poland’s best-known luxury yacht builders, were among prominent local shipyards supporting the first Polboat Yachting Festival, held in the north-coast city of Gdynia in late August. Visitors had to register with Polboat (Polish Chamber of Yacht Industry and Water Sports) to visit boats at the four-day show, which was held at the new Marina Yacht Park.

The Yachting Festival was organised by Polboat in less than a month and followed the cancellation of this year’s Wind and Water editions in both Warsaw (March) and Gdynia (July), and the bankruptcy of the shows’ organiser.

Sunreef, based in the neighbouring city of Gdansk, displayed a Sunreef 60 Eco-Electric sailing catamaran and the China-owned Sunreef 80 Double Happiness, the event’s biggest yacht, which hosted an opening ceremony featuring VIPs from the industry, state and local administration. Fellow Gdansk builder Galeon showed its flagship 680 Fly along with 460 Fly and 335 HTS motor yachts.

The Chinese-owned Sunreef 80 Double Happiness was the show’s biggest yacht

Delphia’s three boats included its 1200 BluEscape Fly, while other Polish brands on show included Northman, Parker, Mongird, Etiuda and Viko. International brands, some of which have models produced in Poland, included Bavaria, Bayliner, Dufour, Flipper, Four Winns, Grand Soleil, Hanse, Invictus and Saxdor.

Michal Bak, Secretary General of Polboat, said: “Polboat decided to organise an event that would give exhibitors the opportunity to present vessels on the water and conduct meetings with industry colleagues, customers and prospects, while maintaining all required safety rules.

Galeon showed its flagship 680 Fly (pictured), as well as a 460 Fly and a 335 HTS

“All our employees wore masks or visors, disinfectants were available in the marina, and the flow of people was controlled to maintain social distance. Every day, exhibitors and visitors had their temperature measured, while yachts were aired and disinfected after each group of visitors.”

Announcements and details of the yachts and exhibitors were shown on a big screen, which was also used to broadcast interviews with celebrity guests, to avoid crowds in front of stages.

Polboat is planning to organise new indoor shows in the spring and autumn

“It was organised in a short time, but the first Yachting Festival turned out to be a huge success that brought together all the most important yacht builders and dealers. The format combined with a large increase in yachting – as a recreational activity conducive to social distancing – resulted in a very large number of contracts and orders for new yachts,” Bak said.

“But this is just the beginning. We also want to organise indoor events in spring and autumn to ensure the constant development of these exhibitions.”