On July 15-18, in one of the most modern Polish yacht harbours in Poland – Marina Yacht Park in Gdynia – the second edition of the largest exhibition of vessels on the water in Poland – POLBOAT YACHTING FESTIVAL took place.
In the opinion of the exhibitors and the public, the event was a success, the weather was good, the organizers provided a rich program of attractions, so the exhibitors were satisfied with the attendance, and especially with the large number of meetings with specific clients. It was a great celebration of the Polish yachting industry, which had waited a year to meet each other again.
During this year’s edition at Marina Yacht Park, we saw nearly 70 yachts and boats from leading Polish shipyards as well as foreign ones available on the Polish market.
The flagship of the fair was undoubtedly the 80-foot Sunreef 80 Double Happiness from the Sunreef Yachts shipyard. A ceremonial opening took place on board with the participation of important personalities from the industry and state and local administration. Among the guests were representatives of the local authorities of the city of Gdynia and the Pomeranian Voivodeship, as well as the authorities of the Polish Sailing Association and the Marina Yacht Park hosts – the management board of Dalmor SA.
Galeon Yachts from Straszyn, a world leader in innovative design solutions, presented five different models this year, from the Galeon 325 GTO (the premiere opens a new line of yachts in the offer of the Galeon shipyard) to the Galeon 510.
Additionally, several units were exhibited by: Parker Poland, Northman shipyard, La Mare Houseboats, Pro Air and Viko Yachts. There were also the iconic Delphia Yachts brand, as well as products from well-known Polish shipyards – TES Yachts, Sportis, Mazuria, Koga and Cree Yacht.
The exhibition also featured prestigious foreign brands, many of which are produced in Poland. The Dobre Jachty company, whose stand resembled the Cannes Yachting Festival, deserves a special mention. The elegant space created with several luxury brands attracted attention and encouraged visiting Jeanneau or Cranchi yachts. The following units also attracted a lot of attention at the exhibition: Saxdor, Hanse, Bavaria, Windy, Flipper Uttern and the always popular SeaDoo scooters.
This year, Gdynia had an opportunity to watch as many as seven premieres. For the first time in Poland, the following were shown to a wider audience: Galeon 325 GTO, Maxus 34, Saxdor 320, Nimbus T8, Flipper 900 DC, Cranchi T36 Crossover and the Wave 50 catamaran. There were also spectacular “baptisms” accompanying the premieres.
Awarded by the President of the City of Gdynia on the first day were the GDYNIA POLBOAT AWARDS. The statuette was prepared by the famous Tri-City artist-sculptor Adam Stachowicz, the jury members were famous designers Jacek Centkowski and Robert Błażejak, and journalist Stanisław Iwiński. The prizes were awarded to: in the sailing yacht category – Maxus 34 from the Northman shipyard, in the motor yacht category – Galeon 325 GTO from the Galeon Yachts shipyard. Additionally, the jury awarded a special prize to the Modern 1 houseboat from the La Mare shipyard in Bydgoszcz.
Visitors to POLBOAT YACHTING FESTIVAL, who did not necessarily come to buy a new unit, could see the products of companies offering sailing and motorboat accessories, navigation equipment as well as financing and boat insurance proposals in tent halls located on the quay. Additionally, visitors could take advantage of many free attractions. On the first day there was a concert by the Gdynia folk-rock band Mitra. In the following days, numerous meetings were held with interesting guests – famous Polish sailors, lawyers specializing in maritime law, and SailOceans – a family under sail, well-known YouTubers in Poland. Friday at the fair ended with a DynaCook and Lyofood culinary show, and the evening was filled with the sounds of music during the Inter Cars & Exide Cocktail Party.
During the weekend, numerous visitors not only had the great pleasure of admiring the flyboarding shows prepared by the championship team from fly-board.pl, but also had the opportunity to feel the real joy of yachting thanks to free cruises on sailing yachts or motor boats. The action “Become a Water Sailor”, prepared with partners – Jacht2020 and ŻeglarstwoToLekarstwo, gave the opportunity to have closer contact with this pleasant form of recreation, get initial education and receive comprehensive information on how to start your adventure on the water.
At the event, apart from yachts, you could also see the latest models of motorhomes, incl. Burstner, Adria and Morelo, as well as visit a special Mercedes-Benz zone prepared by BMG Goworowski.
It is worth noting that the Gdynia Sailing Days regatta was held at the same time as the POLBOAT YACHTING FESTIVAL in the nearby city marina. This year, the organizers cooperated with each other for the first time and have already agreed that this cooperation will be continued and extended during the next edition of the events, confirming that Gdynia is the Sailing Capital of Poland.
The article was prepared based on information from the Polish Chamber of Yacht Industry and Water Sports – POLBOAT.
Piotr Jasionowski | GMBA- Poland
+48 50 146 9550
piotr.jasionowski@gmba.blue
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