During the last couple of years, one of the few constants in the boating industry has been the vibrancy of the European marketplace. The Paris boat show, which ended this week, showed that while the good times are still rolling in Europe, industry leaders are cautious about the future.
Counting sailboats, motorboats, canoes, kayaks, and windsurfers, there were more than 1,200 boats on show, a quarter of which were new models. But it’s the visitor numbers that really reflect the Gallic enthusiasm for the life aquatic. Last year more than 270,000 people filed through the doors, and this year the organizers were confidently predicting a 10 percent increase.
Annette Roux, who heads Groupe Beneteau and chairs the French industry association, told Agence France Presse that total sailboat sales—including exports—were up 8 percent this year after a similar growth spurt in 2006. However, the French face pressures similar to those affecting the American sailboat industry: sailors deserting to powerboats, a trend toward bigger and more expensive boats that is deterring newcomers to the pastime, an aging boating population, and a shortage of slips and moorings. Domestically, sales grew by 2.2 percent this year.
