BUYING A FLYBRIDGE CRUISER

Henry Firman trawls Europe's best shows in search of a new boat

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When looking for a new boat, my first port of call tends to be the Southampton Boat Show. There are lots of builders in attendance so it’s easy to see what’s out there. Another great event for serious buyers is the British Motor Yacht Show in Swanwick. Unlike Southampton, it’s mostly attended by boat owners so access to the exhibits is often easier, enabling you to step pretty much from one boat onto another.

The only problem is that these shows tend to be UK-centric and, as I’m constantly reminded by my European cousins on the YBW forum, there are plenty of well-established European builders worth considering. In a bid to address this imbalance, we also attended the boat shows in Cannes and Düsseldorf for two years running. Both shows highlight manufacturers rarely seen in the UK so, much as we love Princess, we thought it might be a good way to find someone new to supply our next boat...

VIEWING THE COMPETITION