With the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show (FLIBS) opening later this week, megayacht builders and buyers are getting ready to descend on the Sunshine State. Second only to the Monaco Yacht Show in terms of the number of 80-foot-plus (24-meter-plus) yachts in the water, FLIBS is attended by most of the leading shipyards, designers, gear suppliers, and more. They are primarily exhibiting in the Yacht Builders Tent and the Superyacht Experience area, the latter being the domain of members of the Super Yacht Builders Association (SYBAss).
Among the new megayachts you can make appointments to see:
- Cheoy Lee 87 Express Sportbridge: as mentioned in our recent story on this megayacht, part of Cheoy Lee’s Alpha series, the 87 promises 30-plus-knot speeds and has a main-deck layout meant to seamlessly transition from an indoor space to an indoor-outdoor one
- Hatteras Yachts 100: Hatteras doesn’t typically come to mind among megayacht owners, but its buyers are traditional loyal, so the North Carolina-based builder went back to the drawing board to redesign a model it had offered many years ago
- Trinity Yachts’ Finish Line: a megayacht owner who wanted to bolster yacht manufacturing in the United States and who’s more than a little enthusiastic about car racing commissioned Finish Line
- Moonen Shipyards’ Sofia: FLIBS marks the North American debut of this 138-footer (42-meter), the smallest megayacht worldwide to carry a personal submarine, and featuring an interior design that simply has to be seen to be understood (take a look at some of the photos in our Megayacht News Onboard feature on Sofia)
- Vicem 107 Cruiser: Vicem continues its tradition of cold-molded construction with Moni, graced with a bright blue hull and an interior that, judging from the photo below, promises to be pretty spectacular
- Hargrave Custom Yachts’ Second Love: this 101-footer was commissioned by a young married couple but is, from what we’re told, really the wife’s dream come true, featuring extensive use of walnut and 7’2” headroom
- Benetti’s Checkmate: the latest Vision 145, a series that has been quite successful for Benetti, Checkmate has accommodations for 12 in the owner’s party and is outfitted with rich madrona and cherry woods
- Sunseeker 28 Metre Yacht: the “smallest” of the Yacht lineup, measuring 92’4”, this megayacht (pictured at top) offers the alfresco spaces sun-worshippers want along with a fold-down balcony off the dining area to maximize the interior’s feel
- Princess 82 Motor Yacht: while the yacht did actually debut in the UK, this is the 82’s North American premiere; she has a large, open flying bridge for relaxation, entertainment, and more, plus expanses of glass larger than you might expect along the main deck
- Lazzara LSX95: a new model replacing the long-standing LSX92, the LSX95 is no less sleek, sporty, and yes, sexy; it doesn’t hurt that the interior of hull number one, commissioned by a buyer who owned two previous Lazzaras, has a racy red decor, either
If you’ll be attending FLIBS, consider downloading the handy My Boat Show app, available in both the App Store and Google Play. It includes layouts of the docks and tents, plus lets you search by exhibitor name and even yacht name.
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