Britain’s largest luxury boat manufacturer Princess Yachts sold £64m of vessels at just one boat show in the USA.
The Plymouth-based firm said it enjoyed “exceptional commercial success” at the five-day Miami International Boat Show where it sold 12 vessels.
These sales brought in more than US$84m (£64.16m) and the triumph was followed by further success at the Dubai International Boat Show in the United Arab Emirates.
The company said it enjoyed “exceptional commercial success” in Miami and the Dubai event was also “extremely positive” and generated “numerous new-boat enquiries”. The company has also just finished exhibiting at the Palm Beach show, also in Florida, USA.
The boat show season is key for the company and a spokesperson said: “Both shows (Miami and Dubai) were extremely positive for us and have generated new business across our model-range offering. “
The spokesperson added: “Princess Yachts America achieved exceptional commercial success during the (Miami) show, with 12 boats sold across the model range from the F50 to the X95, plus a strong performance of the Princess Y72.”
Princess Yachts’ vessels vary in price depending on the specification ordered by the purchaser, but, for instance, the X95 sells for between £7m and £10m. It can sleep up to 12 people plus four crew including a captain and engineer - and can cost up to £1m a year to run.
Tom Carroll Jr, president of Princess Yachts America, said: “The Princess Yachts display saw attendance on par with our busiest days on Collins Avenue (Miami), with visitor enthusiasm for the show at renewed levels.
“Despite order books that stretch out to 2023 and even into 2024 on some models within the range, we were pleased with the outstanding sales as a result of the show which to date totals 12 units and over $84m in retail value.”
At Dubai, Princess Yachts had the largest display from any imported yacht brand which reflected the manufacturer’s sales success in the Gulf over recent years.
The display was managed and supported by Princess Yachts Gulf, and Princess Yachts Middle East with representation also from the Plymouth shipyard, generating “numerous new-boat enquiries”.
Despite the challenges of shipping delays, Princess Yachts’ award-winning X95 made an appearance on the last day of the show – the first Princess X-Class vessel to arrive in the Gulf.
Will Green, Princess Yachts’ chief commercial officer, said: “It was fantastic to return to Dubai for a busy and well-managed boat show at the all-new Dubai marina. The pace of development in Dubai is truly astonishing and the facilities and destinations available to local and visiting yachtsmen are growing by the week, not least the burgeoning customer service offering from our distributor partners in the UAE.
“After a significant absence from the boat show calendar it was wonderful to reconnect with our friends and owners in the region and to understand the important role Princess Yachts has played in their lives over the last couple of years”’.
The Palm Beach International Boat Show featured the North American debut of the all-new Princess V50, a smaller vessel aimed at day trips, but which sleeps four and retails for about £700,000.
Mr Carroll said: “The Palm Beach International Boat Show is one that so many look forward to each year. For Princess Yachts, the opportunity to exhibit an outstanding line-up highlighted by the North American premiere showing of the all new V50 front and centre in the show is outstanding. Attendance at last year’s show was unprecedented, and the excitement we have seen throughout the show season so far will undoubtedly continue as we look forward to one of the most popular boating events of the year.”
