Dubai: Spend five days at the Dubai International Boat Show and you are sure to get accustomed to luxury. But nothing compares to stepping into one of the mega yachts moored at the marina.
Walking barefoot onto a yacht is similar to a swaying five-star hotel. Plentiful use of glass lets the sun in during the day and reflects the interior lights at night. There are comfortable sofas in the salon, and the crew is available to fetch anything from the kitchen.
Depending on the size of the yacht, the decks make a perfect location to spend an evening enjoying pleasant weather. A calm home while anchored, a yacht's true self is experienced when the engine is at full throttle.
The swaying calmness then converts to a thrill ride and an adventure to navigate the seas.
"Yachts are all about working with the customer to exceed their expectations," Alessio Tumbiolo, chairman of ART Marine, a local distributor of international boat makers such as Azimut-Benetti Group and Monte-Carlo Marine, said in an interview at the Dubai International Boat Show.
He said that most manufacturers would not build two yachts that are identical. Only the exterior is presented to a customer who then works with the designer to create a personalized yacht.
Boat distributors and even the builders go through various negotiations in order to showcase the vessels they have built. All yachts that are on display have owners, although sometimes a customer might get lucky and an existing owner might be looking to sell the yacht.
It normally takes months to close a yacht sale, but there are exceptions. On the first day of the show this year, the British-built Sunseeker, 38-metre super yacht, was purchased by a buyer from the Gulf for Dh72 million.
On the other hand, it's not easy to bring yachts to a show. "It is dangerous, logistically speaking, to sale with a yacht around to this area," said Gary Slaney, head of international sales for the Egypt-based Shama Yacht builder, referring to the threat of piracy. To transport a yacht to the show on another ship would rack up costs of $40,000 to $50,000.
There are plenty of opportunities for visitors to enjoy themselves apart from looking at the yachts.One can watch wakeboarding and jet ski shows.
One can also try out diving equipment such as a shark repellent, which comes with a money-back guarantee if it fails.
In that unfortunate event, however, one might have to send someone else to collect the amount.
