It is not surprising that the trade fair management itself speaks of a successful exhibition. But numerous shipyard bosses who were in Düsseldorf with their boats also gave an almost euphoric summary.
One of them is Jan Brügge, Managing Director and master boat builder at Bootsbau GmbH Werft Königstein from Grödersby. His summary of the trade fair: "To be honest, I'm overwhelmed by the response. For us, boot 2026 was not only the world premiere of our Woy 26, but also a kind of premiere for us as a shipyard and for my idea of modern wooden boatbuilding. I knew beforehand that boot is an international trade fair. But it was only now that I really realised what a world stage it really is. It felt like we were speaking English at least half the time."
Important premieres and awards
However, Bruges also had good reason to be satisfied. After all, the Woy 26 was named European Yacht of the Year at boot on the very first weekend of the fair. The mood at Bavaria and Hanse may be more revealing. After breaks in previous years, both shipyards were once again represented in Düsseldorf with numerous models.
Maxim Neumann, Vice President of Hanse Yachts, is quoted in the final report of the boot organisers as follows: "We proudly presented the Hanse, Sealine, Fjord and Moody brands at the successful reappearance of HanseYachts AG at boot Düsseldorf. We were able to welcome numerous existing customers as well as many new interested parties to our stand. Despite the continuing challenging market situation, our expectations were met. Overall, we are seeing a slow but noticeable stabilisation of the market and are optimistic about the 2026 season."
No new hype yet, but a clear upward trend
And the competition from Giebelstadt reported a very positive mood in all halls - among visitors, exhibitors and partners on the stand. Norbert Leifeld, CEO of Bavaria Yachts, commented: "This is not yet a new hype, but there is a clear upward trend. We were able to meet many existing customers and make numerous new contacts on all days."
Leifeld's statement continues: "We have achieved our trade fair goal: we have shown what Bavaria Yachts stands for - quality "Made in Germany", a strong partner network and reliable solutions in service, financing and insurance. All this with the aim of giving our customers security and the clear feeling that they are in the best hands with us. Overall, we are very satisfied with how the trade fair went."
Great interest, especially from visitors from abroad
Andreas Schöchl, CEO of Sunbeam Yachts, summarises it similarly: "We can look back on a very successful trade fair. There was a lot of interest in Sunbeam Yachts - especially from Scandinavia and the Netherlands. We had high-quality discussions, the atmosphere was positive and the trade fair provided the ideal setting to present our yachts. It is also a perfect platform for exchanging ideas with customers, partners, dealers and industry colleagues. In the end, we were able to successfully realise sales."
And the association is also delighted. Henning Mittelmann, President of the German Maritime Industries Association (VMWD), says: "The VMWD is the conceptual sponsor of boot. The trade fair offers our members the perfect marketplace to reach customers from all over the world. At the same time, it is the right place for us to cultivate our networks in the industry and also to show representatives from politics and administration the breadth of the maritime industry in Germany."
Good start to the financial year
According to Mittelmann, the VMWD member companies had given very positive feedback about this year's boot. Customer interest was high and many were able to close sales. "The market environment was difficult in 2025, so it is all the better to see that many exhibitors are now taking orders home with them. This successful boot therefore marks a good start to the 2026 financial year for our member companies!"
Managing Director of the trade fair, Marius Berlemann, also emphasises this: "After the past few difficult years with sluggish sales, our exhibitors are getting back on track. They are reporting very good discussions and business deals at their stands. boot 2026 has once again presented itself as the international beacon and engine of the industry."
The increased internationality on the visitor side and the high proportion of trade visitors characterise it as a leader for the entire maritime industry. Berlemann adds: "boot 2026 is thus saying goodbye as a powerful source of inspiration, international industry get-together and emotional highlight. The business deals will be concluded here in Düsseldorf!"
Slight increase in visitors compared to the previous year
With over 200,000 visitors from more than 110 countries, boot recorded a slight increase in visitor numbers this year. The percentage of international visitors who travelled to Düsseldorf was particularly outstanding. Around a quarter travelled from other European countries and from overseas.
boot 2026 also achieved a top score in terms of visitor satisfaction, with almost 95 per cent impressed by the exhibitors' offerings and stating that they had achieved their visit objectives. There was also a significant increase in interest in the range of sailing boats at the trade fair, including 25 class associations.
Well positioned in the sailing and motorboat sector
boot Director Petros Michelidakis: "We were excellently positioned in the sailing boat and yacht sector this year. Almost all global players were on board with their boat premieres. We were also able to attract innovative new manufacturers, with many boats being presented here in Düsseldorf for the first time."
The range of motorboats in all classes and sizes, as well as engines and accessories, was also in great demand. Numerous boat premieres, technical novelties and innovations demonstrated the strength of the industry.
More voices on boot 2026:
Yann Masselot, Head of Brands & Communication at the Beneteau Group:
"boot once again generated highly qualified buyers, with over 50 per cent of the visitors to our stand coming from abroad. Our powerboat brands achieved very good results, while our participation with our four sailboat brands confirmed our leading position in both sailboats and catamarans."
Niels Nielsen, Yachtsport Eckernförde:
"We are seeing a clear upward trend, and at the same time we are also seeing more international customers at Saare. Overall, we are very satisfied with the quantity and quality of the trade fair contacts."
Bernd-Thomas Hoffmann, Managing Director Bukh Bremen GmbH:
"boot was once again a complete success and we saw a high level of footfall at our stand. We recorded an extremely high number of high-quality contacts and saw a great mix of trade visitors and end consumers. We also had a large number of international customers, especially from the Netherlands, France, Spain and Eastern Europe. Concrete deals and good investments - boot Düsseldorf is operating at a high level."
Erna Russi, CEO Saxdor Yachts
"We had a fantastic show, a great crowd every day, sold lots of boats and received very helpful support from the organisers! We will definitely be back next year!"
Hans Roelants, General Manager International Sea Ray, Boston Whaler and Navan
"Our premium brands Sea Ray, Boston Whaler and Navan conclude another successful boot Düsseldorf. We know that sales figures are under pressure, but the product range is very strong. The dealers are very positive and are looking forward to a good season! We are of course also very proud that our Sea Ray SDX270 SURF won the "Powerboat of the Year" award and the Navan S30 won the Motor Boat and Yachting award."
Antonio Cressi, CEO Cressi-Sub
"We can draw a very positive conclusion. As always, we met numerous regular customers in Düsseldorf and cultivated old contacts. Of course, it is also important for us to acquire new customers - and Düsseldorf is exactly the right place for this. The exciting international encounters were particularly noteworthy and we are naturally also pleased about the increase in sales figures compared to the previous year. As expected, boot Düsseldorf was a great trade fair with a wonderful atmosphere and a very high-quality audience. The good result at boot Düsseldorf gives us a tailwind for this year, in which we are celebrating the 80th anniversary of our company."
