​Dear readers,

Over the past few weeks, our morning online meetings have sometimes been a little quieter than usual. The reason: autumn trade fairs. For example, just this week, Editor-in-Chief Martin Hager, Editor Uske Berndt and Leonie Meyer (online editorial team) have returned from the Superyacht Show in Monaco. With plenty of ‘megayacht impressions’ to share, they’re now back at their computers, compiling the information and, above all, their personal experiences.

Around the same time, the Interboot took place in Friedrichshafen, and two weeks prior to that, the water sports team from YACHT, BOOTE and BOOTE EXCLUSIV – comprising Uske Berndt, Michael Good, Martin Hager, David Ingelfinger and Ole Puls, had already been able to find out about the latest boats, yachts and current trends at the 2026 Cannes Yachting Festival. Much of this can be read and viewed on Yacht.de and Boote-magazin.de.

Are you actually the sort of person who goes to boat shows? I certainly am. Because when it comes to our favourite hobby, I like to see the latest boats in the flesh and actually step aboard the object of my desire. I’d much rather have a face-to-face chat with the salesperson than just communicate by email or online. Another plus: if I’ve got several options in mind, I can compare them directly on the spot. I also find it much nicer to handle accessories such as ropes or boat shoes at a trade fair than to wait for them to arrive in a box at home. I’m just an old-school customer – I still do my own shopping at the supermarket and enjoy reading print editions.

Young people tend to be much more digitally savvy. They’ve grown up in the 0-1 world and are absolutely at home with mobile phones and the like. But, young water sports enthusiasts: you can watch the most stunning and wildest videos online, but you can’t really get a feel for what it’s like on the water there – you can only experience it on the water itself. The trade fair organisers have recognised this too and, alongside the traditional trade fair programme, are also offering an activity zone – for example, at Interboot with its standing wave – or activities on the fair grounds or Lake Constance. Fancy giving it a go? My advice: definitely do.

On that note … perhaps I’ll be able to pop along to one of the upcoming trade fairs and we’ll bump into each other – I’d certainly be delighted if we did.

Ralf Marquard

Water Sports Editorial Team

Book recommendations

Buying a boat picks up where a visit to a boat show raises specific questions: Which yacht suits your plans, and what are the key considerations before signing on the dotted line? The guide covers choosing a yacht based on size and materials, as well as costs, contract negotiations, payment and taking delivery of the boat. In this way, it helps to turn first impressions from the show jetty into a well-considered purchase decision.

Dream Yachts takes a different perspective. This illustrated book presents 18 classic sailing yachts and their stories, including the ‘Manitou’ and the ‘Germania Nova’. More than 350 photographs showcase the lines, details and appearance of these vessels. Anyone reflecting on yacht design after a tour of the trade fair will find here illustrative material on designs that have remained famous well beyond their own era.

Editor’s reading recommendations

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