The break imposed in 2021 by the Covid has been accompanied by some changes and the two shows, the MIBS and the Miami Yacht Show, have merged to become a single event, the Discover Boating Miami International Boat Show (DBMIBS).
Now installed on five sites – the Convention Center for boats on land under 15 meters, the Sea Isle Marina and One Herald Plaza for motorboats afloat, Museum Park Miami for sailboats and Island Gardens for yachts – it claims the place of “largest boat show in the world”.
Water taxis, recognizable by their yellow livery, ensured the connection between the various sites afloat.
At the end of the five days of exhibition, the organizers announced attendance of over 100,000 visitors and unprecedented commercial success. It must be said that the American market is doing well, very well even.
If, in 2020, despite the months of confinement, the nautical industry in France has managed to hold its own, across the Atlantic, the number of new motor boats from 15 to 30 feet (4.50 to 9m) has increased by more than 20% and the total number of new registrations (sailing and motor combined) approached 300,000 units, to be exact 297,469.
The year 2021 has been a little more complicated for the American boating industry, but the figures remain very high with an estimated number of new boats sold at 279,171 units.
At Sea Isle Marina, unleaded is displayed at $5.45 per gallon, or €1.28 per liter, which is much cheaper than prices in France, but still higher than in previous years when the liter was less than one euro.
The US boating market faces the same supply chain and understaffing challenges as other global boating industries; in spite of everything and despite inflation of around 7.5% and a fuel price that continues to rise – €1.28 per liter at the Sea Isle Marina – the frenzy and enthusiasm for the boat are still there.
Although the month of February is a little late in the season to announce new products – the majority being unveiled in Fort Lauderdale in November –, the Miami Motor Show remains for some “the place to be”, and for European shipyards the best means of presenting their boats to the American market.
Extremes and excess…
Americans don’t skimp on the sound system, and there are often plenty of speakers on board.
Miami remains Miami with its skewers of outboard motors installed on the transoms and its rows of fishing openers which all look alike. Admittedly, the offshores are less numerous than ten years ago and those present are quieter, but the American excess is still there and so are the extremes!
Magnificent technological feat, this Mercury V12 of 600 horsepower (admire the cleanliness of the assembly with the stainless steel tubes through which the electrical harnesses pass) which, in four-engine mode, propels the Scout 53 to more than 60 knots with a low noise level and the comfort of a limo!
The proof with the presence at Sea Isle Marina, in the middle of hundreds of engines, of an association in charge of the protection of manatees, these marine mammals very watched in Florida, and the launch by Mercury, the dominant engine manufacturer in Miami, of an electric motor, while its 600 horsepower V12 was undoubtedly the star of this show…
On the engine side
Mercury Avator
After a year without a show and changes in the organization, the Miami Boat Show 2022 was held from February 16 to 20. The opportunity for us to take the pulse of the American market.
The Miami Motor Show is renowned for its abundance of power, and the American engine manufacturer Mercury is often the initiator. This year again, with its 600 horsepower V12, it presented the largest outboard on the market. But he created a surprise by announcing the launch of a range of electric motors and presenting a first model called Avator®.
Since it acquired Power Products, an electrical giant, in 2018, the Brunswick group intends to become a major player in the electrical sector. The Avator®, such is the name of the concept developed by Mercury, has the shape of a classic outboard and its bonnet even recalls that of the brand’s V6 and V8.
It has a screen on the front showing the level of charge of the battery, which is integrated into the engine and can be removed by lifting the hood. The propeller is composite. Production of these engines will begin in 2022.
Tohatsu MFS 25/30 D
The Miami Motor Show was also an opportunity to see the world premiere of the new 25 and 30 horsepower engines from Japanese engine manufacturer Tohatsu. Designed on the same 500 cc inline three-cylinder block, these two engines, with a weight weighing respectively 57 and 58 kg, can boast of being the lightest on the market.
Thanks to an optimization of the crankshaft and the intake manifold, the engine manufacturer has indeed managed to reduce the weight of these engines by 19% compared to the old models. The MFS25 and 30 D also benefit from a new tiller equipped with a lever allowing you to choose between four speeds: from 750 to 1,050 rpm, forward, neutral and reverse.
These two blocks can also take advantage of many options, such as a “multifunction” tiller bar which is characterized by a longer arm with a trim button and which has three possible adjustment heights. These engines will be available in France from next September.
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