SHOWTIME

The world’s biggest boat and watersports show, held in Düsseldorf on the banks of Germany’s Rhine River each January, is the place to scope out emerging trends in the boat design and building.

What would be the new trends for 2018 and beyond? Hint—sophisticated electronics figure strongly, along with other big-boat trickle-down features like variable-tint glass and dinghy garages. Arches to keep mainsheets out of cockpits are becoming more popular. Bow thrusters are becoming the rule, rather than the exception, on boats over 40ft. You’re hard pressed to find a visible