Bigger and Better than Imagined

For years I’d been hearing about Germany’s boot Düsseldorf, the world’s biggest boat show, which doesn’t’ just feature boats, but includes everything from mermaids swimming in oversized tanks to indoor surfing competitions. Well, I’m here to tell you the rumors are not only true, they failed to do justice to how big this extravaganza, which takes place on the outskirts of Germany’s seventh most populous city, truly is.

In fact, so vast is the show, this past January I never even made it out of the three vast “halls” housing the show’s sailboats and sailing gear to see the surfing. There are 17 halls in all.

As for the boats themselves, simply put, if you want to see what’s happening in the world of mainstream sailboat production, “boot” is where it’s at. From skiffs to 70-footers they’re all