International Multihull Boat Show: third edition
1. What is the International Multihull Boat Show?
Sailing and Power catamarans and trimarans are the actors of the International Multihull in-water boat show, the unique specialized multihull boat show in the world.
While walking on the pontoons, visitors may see about 60 boats from 20 to 100 feet afloat. Boats are in their natural environment and it is even possible to sea trial them, which is a big advantage of an in-water show.
In the exhibition village shipyards, yacht designer and consulters for individual boat projects, marine equipment, insurance and financial companies as well as charter companies are available to inform visitors about everything concerning the multihull world.
The aim of such a specialized Multihull Boat Show is to create an annual exclusive meeting between international visitors and professionals of the multihull scene. Everybody will have the opportunity to discover the world’s largest choice of multihulls and to test them at the same time.
The multihull industry is still progressing and the International Multihull Boat Show is the showcase of the multihull boating, where visitors may discover the biggest shipyards of cruising catamarans, but also meet smaller shipyards building customized multihulls from all around the world: South Africa, Poland, Spain, Italy, Hong Kong, Australia…
The Multihull Boat Show is an important and inescapable tool for the shipyards to sell boats and is representing the showcase of Multihulls.
A foreign catamaran dealer explained: “I do not waste my time explaining the advantage of a catamaran. All the visitors are already persuaded about this way of cruising and we are all in a friendly and relaxed atmosphere, where we have time to discuss and sea trail the boat.”
Some figures:
First edition in 2010: 50 boats, 120 exhibitors and 12.000 visitors, 15 % foreign visitors.
Second edition in 2011: 60 boats, 150 exhibitors and 16.000 visitors, 35 % foreign visitors.
For 2012 the show expects about 60 boats, 160 exhibitors and 20.000 visitors.
2. Where is the International boat show?
The International Multihull boat show is located in France, where the most important shipyards of cruising catamarans are settled.
The organization team is located in Nantes, but the show itself moves! One year the show is in Brittany and the other year on the Mediterranean coast. In the even years the show is in Lorient and in the odd years the show moves to La Grande Motte.
In the North of France the show takes place in Lorient, on the South coast of Brittany. The pontoons of the show are located in front of the Sailing Center Eric – Tabarly (BSM / Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly). The BSM / Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly in Lorient is a very special place called “Sailing valley”. A former submarine base was transformed in a modern sailing technology research center.
Some of the most famous racing sail boats are built there. There is also a new museum dedicated to the sailing boats world. Eric Tabarly was a famous long-distance race sailor.
Lorient can be reached by plane. Air France flies twice a day to the Lorient airport, from Paris and Lyon.
On the Mediterranean coast, the show is located in La Grande Motte in the Languedoc Roussillon region near Montpellier. This is about half distance to Spain and Italy. The shows pontoons and the exhibitor village are situated in the marina of La Grande Motte surrounded by long sand beaches in front of the modern architecture town. The architect Jean Balladur, contemporary of the famous Le Corbusier, built up a town reflecting the sails of boats in the buildings. Recently La Grande Motte received an award for this exceptional architecture by the Ministry of Culture and Communication as “heritage of the 20th century”.
The airport of Montpellier is about 15 km from the show.
3. Who is organizing the International Multihull Boat Show?
The company M2 Organisation in Nantes had the idea for this unique boat show. Several members of the organization team have been working in big shipyards before they had the idea for the show and they know the multihull boat business very well.
The organizers had the idea to change the location to be closer to the shipyards in the South of Europe one year and to the ones in the North the other year, which is the same for the visitors.
The International Multihull boat show is sponsored by BMW, Sony and the marina equipment company, Sellor. Every event is very well supported by the two towns and their regions.
Useful informations:
The International Multihull Boat Show (les salons du multicoque) 2012:
Date: April, 18th to 22nd (Wednesday to Sunday) 2012
Opening hours: 10 am to 7 pm
Location: Esplanade de la BSM / Cité de la Voile Eric Tabarly – Base de Keroman – 56 100 LORIENT, France
Entrance fee: 6 €; free for children under 12 years