The boat industry is already seeing the first signs of demand picking up after a downturn. The Helsinki Boat-Afloat Show UIVA FLYTANDE, starting on Thursday, will showcase nearly 300 different types of boats, ranging from small dinghies and rowboats to luxury yachts.
The largest floating boat show in the Nordic countries, Uiva Flytande, will open on Thursday, August 15, at the HSK club harbor in Lauttasaari and will continue until Sunday evening, August 18.
Numerically, the most common type of boat on Uiva’s docks is the Finnish favorite, the 5-7 meter long outboard motorboat. There is also a very extensive selection of various small boats, dinghies, rowboats, and rigid inflatable boats, as well as several small electric boats.
This year, the largest motor yachts at the exhibition are in the 14-15 meter size class. The showcased models include for example Galeon 470 Sky, Prestige F4.9, Nord Star 49+, and Targa 41. The new Beneteau Oceanis 46.1, X4.9, Hanse 460 and Lagoon 46 are the big sailing yachts at the show.
The exhibition’s new highlights include two very different aluminum-hulled boats: the Yamarin Cross 55 BR, a bowrider fitting into the popular Finnish 5-meter-plus size class, and the foiling cabin boat Arrofoil 25 Cabin.
Every day, visitors can also test boats on the water. In addition to motorboats, Yamaha jet skis will be available for testing, and instructors from the Sailing Teachers Association PORY will take those interested in sailing out on the water every day. Visitors can also arrange test drives of other exhibition boats with the exhibitors outside exhibition hours. Juniors will have the opportunity to test Optimist dinghies under the guidance of HSK trainers.
A hobby for all affected by inflation and high interest rates
“Boating is a hobby for everyone, so the weak purchasing power of ordinary consumers has been strongly felt in the boat industry. We suffer from the same combination of inflation and high interest rates that has affected, for example, the housing market,” says Jarkko Pajusalo, CEO of the Finnish Marine Industries Federation Finnboat.
According to Pajusalo, the divided market is illustrated by the fact that 59 percent of Finnboat member companies reported that their turnover had remained unchanged or increased during the first half of the year, while 41 percent of companies reported a decrease in turnover. The general picture is that the international trade in expensive luxury boats manufactured in Finland is doing well, but the domestic market for the most common 5-7 meter open boats and small day-cruisers has suffered.
In addition to the domestic market, a challenge for Finnish boat manufacturers is the long-declining value of the Swedish Krona and Norwegian Krone, traditional key export markets. This has made imported boats more expensive in neighboring countries.
Sales of used and luxury boats have been brisk
Janne Korhonen, CEO of Vääksyn Konepiste, which sells motorboats and offers maintenance and winter storage services in Finnish Lakeland, also describes the domestic market as divided. According to Korhonen, boats under €30,000 and sport fishing boats are selling well. Sales of boats valued at over €100,000 have also remained steady.
“There’s a black hole in the market in the €30,000 to €60,000 price range, where boats are rarely bought with cash. However, the market for used boats has been good, even better than a year ago,” Korhonen says.
“The domestic market is sluggish, but boats are still being sold across the board. The situation in Finland is manageable, but exports, especially to Norway, are much more challenging due to the weak crown. The weak crown is also a problem in Sweden, but demand there has already slightly picked up,” says Mikael Winqvist, CEO of AMT Boats, which manufactures a wide range of outboard motorboats of various sizes in Kontiolahti, eastern Finland. .
As price levels approach luxury boats, the international market has remained favorable for Finnish manufacturers. Thomas Sarin, CEO of Sargo Oy Ab, which manufactures Sargo boats in Kokkola, western Finland, says sales of large boats are doing well. In addition to Europe, Sargos are exported to Japan and the United States. The order books for the flagship of the range, the nearly 15-meter Sargo 45, are full for the next couple of years, and the slightly smaller 36- and 33-foot models are also selling well.
“Sales of smaller boats are quieter both in Finland and abroad, but we are still fully employed at least until next summer,” says Sarin.
For more information on the Helsinki Boat-Afloat Show take a look.
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