Luca Bassani takes stock of the situation on the sailboat market. And what emerges is not exactly what we would like to read. (Here all our posts about Luca Bassani)
Only five per cent of the recovery concerns sailing boats
The over-24-metre yacht market picked up just a few years after the economic meltdown of 2009. It also bounced back to astonishing levels after the pandemic with every yard in the world booked up for at least two years.
95% of this astonishing recovery, however, is accounted for by motoryachts because the sailing market makes up just a 5% share in both value and volumes.
It is quite amazing that the nautical market is going against the tide of the current wave of sustainability consciousness sweeping the world. But that’s the reality.
Luca Bassani: this is why the most sustainable boats do not sell
So what are the real reasons behind this? Sailing yachts have become much more comfortable, easier to sail, and thus much more accessible even to novices. They are also faster and more fun. And without a shadow of a doubt, they are the most sustainable means of transport on the planet.
Even yet sailing owners and clients are becoming increasingly thin on the ground and are also getting older. It seems that young people just don’t like sailing!
Perhaps it is the new digital culture that has taken the upperhand. A culture that demands and seeks to offer everything – and now! It offers the fake as real: the metaverse is a case in point.
So boats that offer less space, lower transfer speeds and less glitz for the same price don’t reflect the personalities of the new rich, be they young or not so young.
You want to arrive, no longer navigate
It’s all about getting there as fast as possible and not about the journey! How sad is that…
Both sailing sector operators and enthusiasts need to put their heads together to make everyone understand that being powered along by just the wind is an incredibly powerful yet gentle experience, elegant and natural, complete and an end in itself. A feeling that fills both mind and body.
So let’s give it our best shot! For our own good and the good of all those who haven’t yet discovered the endless beauty of sailing!
