Last year was the 28th Edition of Monaco Yacht Show; the world leader event in super yachting dedicated to the high-end social elite interested in chartering or purchasing a superyacht or any products and services of the superyacht lifestyle industry. A superyacht is a motor or sailing yacht that is at least 30-metres in length.
The world’s most respected shipyards displayed their extraordinary one-off superyachts and megayachts, 121 were on display this year of which 42 were new launches.
For four days, the MYS hosted a selection of 590 leading companies: from the most reputable superyacht builders and nautical suppliers, top yacht designers, luxury manufacturers and the best brokerage houses, to the most sought-after tenders and water toys, prestige cars, helicop
ter and private jet manufacturers.
The MYS 2018 was an exclusive affair for business men and women from all over the world and as such, daily passes reached a record price of €300 whilst the four days pass was priced
at €1,000. These passes gave access to all the MYS exhibition areas but did not allow the visit on board the yachts (only upon request to the yacht’s exhibiting companies).
It is amazing to think that just 32 superyachts were on display during for the 1st edition in 1991. As the yachting industry expanded exponentially over the past 20 years, so did the Monaco Yacht Show, with the 2018 edition expecting 580 exhibitors hailing from 38 different countries and an unrivalled total of 120 superyachts on display.
Beginning with the total number of yachts across the four-year period, the number of motor yachts was 393 and there was a total number of 53 sailing yachts exhibited at the show. The combined total of motor and sailing yachts was therefore 446 yachts.
In terms of fleet evolution at the MYS, after a slight decrease in 2016 and 2017, this year has been the most successful ever with 120 yachts. The ratio of motor yachts to sailing yachts has remained largely similar, with 97, 92, 98 and 106 motor yachts present at the shows in 2015, 16, 17 and 18 respectively, and 13, 17, 9 and 14 sailing yachts present during these years.
These infographics are powered by SuperYacht iQ.
The past five years have seen some of the most significant changes in regard to the growth and development of the Show. The MYS organisers have concentrated their efforts on promoting the Show, and the Principality, to new emerging markets such as China and the Asia Pacific region, which are predicted to become significant in the foreseeable future.
The MYS is proving that they are determined to be the World’s leader in the Superyachting industry with new initiatives every year such as the Monaco Yacht Summit, the Starboard exhibition- lounge, the Tenders & Toys exhibition area, the Car Deck – dedicated to rare and exclusive luxury cars – or the MYS Sapphire Experience, a VIP program reserved for the wealthy.
Although these 120 superyachts are the biggest attraction to the Show, many companies are behind every element of their construction and design. This means the designers; the dedicated luxury goods companies; the brands developing the best water toys and tenders. This is why the MYS showcases these products and services alongside the final product; the Monaco Yacht Show is an all- encompassing industry showcase.
Key figures of the Monaco Yacht Show (on the basis of 2017)
- 20% of Private visitors (29% of the Private Visitors intended to purchase or charter a yacht)
- 77% of Top Managers
- 87% of International Clientele from 137 countries (Top 5: UK, FRA, ITA, USA, GER)
- 16% of exhibitors (representatives of the companies)
- 30,000 Participants expected
- 580 Exhibitors
- 42,000M2 of exhibition space with
+ 26% Nautical Suppliers
+15% Services for Yachts
+12% Shipyards
+10% Interior Designers
+ 8% Luxury Industry
+ 7% Tenders & Water Toys
+ 5% Refit Yards
+ 5% Media
+ 4% Broker Agencies
+ 4% Yacht Designers
+ 4% Federations/Associations
+ 12 Prestige cars at the Car Deck
+ 2 Helicopters
- 120 Superyachts
+ 106 Motor Yachts
+ 14 Sailing Yachts
- 42 New Builds
- 5 Metres LOA (Average Length)
- 45% of the Fleet is less than 2 years incl. new refit
- €3 Billion Total Value of the Superyachts
- 92 M The largest Motoryacht Aquarius (Feadship) 2017
- 70 M The Largest sailing Yacht Sybaris (Perini Navi) 2016
- 90 M The largest New Motoryacht Dar (Oceanco) 2018
- 50 M The Largest New Sailing Yacht (Ada Boat Yard) 2018
TENDERS & TOYS
For the 2nd year, the MYS featured the best of tenders & toys worldwide: Fast chase-boats, latest sport tenders, full carbon e-bikes, paddle-boards, private submarines, helicopters, an electric surfboard, the very first autonomous diving drone and even a remotely operated underwater vessel are among the top water accessories.
Indeed, tenders are not just an extension of the main superyacht, they reflect the owner’s style whilst water toys enable fun outdoor activities away from the yacht.
CAR DECK
For the 3rd Edition, the Car Deck presented a selection of 12 prestige cars and a motor-cycle, that were original, exceptional, manufactured in limited editions, tailor-made or unique prototypes.
The 3rd Monaco Summit: The event for future Superyacht Charterers & Owners.
The annual Monaco Yacht Summit is an important event for clients and advisors wanting to understand better the world of yachting. Held at the very prestigious Monaco Yacht Club, potential yacht purchasers, charterers and their representatives attended a series of informative panel discussions with experts from across the superyacht industry. In addition, attendees met with specialists to answer questions regarding different aspects of yacht charter, purchase, construction, operation and ownership.
The MYS 5th Inaugural Gala Event & Superyacht Awards Ceremony
On Tuesday, September 25, 2018, the official Inaugural Gala Event of the 2018 Monaco Yacht Show launched four days of festivities to celebrate the superyacht world.
This 5th edition was attended by 350 privileged guests of the yachting social elite – VIP guests of the MYS, CEOs of the show’s luxury partners, the superyachting business decision-makers and influential media.
The ceremony distinguished the greatest luxury vessels that made their world debuts at the MYS from the following day.
The MYS/RINA Award Rewards the eco-friendliest superyacht.
The MYS Interior Design Award
The MYS Exterior Design Award
The MYS Finest New Superyacht Award is given to the superyacht that meets the refinement criteria for both its interior and its exterior design and its sustainable innovations.
The Sapphire Experience and Sapphire Experience Infinite.
The Sapphire Experience is the MYS official VIP visit programme that offers exclusive services such as a concierge service to plan the stay of the Show’s premium clients, organizes private visits to the superyachts, offers an exclusive tour of the Monaco Bay by VIP boat, proposes personal invitations to events held by luxury brands. The Infinite version of the Sapphire Experience (“Sapphire Experience Infinite”) offers additional top-of-the-range services and entertainments in the Principality of Monaco during the MYS. It is exclusively dedicated to a high-end clientele who are qualified to charter or purchase a superyacht.
The future owners.
It seems that younger owners appreciate adventure and sports more than mahogany and cigars. For self-made millennials, yachting is an occasional pastime rather than a long-lasting passion. They think of a yacht as a sort of floating pied-à-terre for attending events such as the Monaco Grand Prix. They are more interested in water sports and lots of exterior space for entertaining large groups of friends than vast cabins. Designers are following their wishes and are looking at clean and innovative arrangements.
They also seem to prefer life experiences than material assets. They would rather charter a yacht than buy one and be chained to it.
Are we going towards the path of Yacht-sharing like is the case for cars? The Yachting industry is facing huge challenges but also opportunities in this changing market.
According to studies, the Millennials are going towards re-packaging, but they still want their own yacht.
‘Re-packaging’ the yacht involves communicating with this new market which in today’s terms is often made directly through social media channels.
Social media and messaging apps are affecting the way yacht brokers do business with owners. Many business leads nowadays, especially amongst younger clients, come from YouTube channel, Facebook or with WhatsApp.
The average age of superyacht owners is decreasing. Research is ongoing, but records show that self-made owners under the age of 40 make up only a tiny fraction of the total.
The charter sector is strong and getting stronger, which suggests that prospective owners appreciate the yachting lifestyle and are checking out the market, possibly as a preamble to buying.
(Text extracted from the article «The Next Wave» written by Justin Ratcliffe for the 2018 edition of MYS Summer Magazine).
