15th CNR Eurasia Boat Show ends on high

The overall assessment of this year’s CNR Eurasia Boat Show, held at the CNR Expo Center in Istanbul from February 22 to March 1, was positive. Both exhibitors and attendees seemed satisfied, noting that it was the best show in several years – despite two unexpected occurrences. 

Day two of the show ended early due to a match between Turkey’s two biggest football teams – Fenerbahçe and Galatasaray. Attendees as well as exhibitors left the venue early to watch the game.

The second unexpected occurrence was news that dozens of Turkish soldiers had been killed in an airstrike by Syrian government forces in Syria’s Idlib province. This created a sombre mood at the show, and it is said that some clients cancelled their purchase agreements because of the attack.

The CNR Eurasia show hosted several motoryacht and sailing boat brands, yacht equipment and other marine services over an 85,000sq m area. The exact number of boats sold at the show was not revealed, but dealers and builders seemed quite happy with the results compared to previous years.

One of the highlights of the show was the first locally-built sailing catamaran, the Derin 38. The 11m vessel, built by Turkish builder Yaren, was lauded for its appearance and competitive price. Turkish buyers have been showing interest in catamarans for the last five years, but they are still considered new to the market.

Yaren says they’ve had more inquiries for motor rather than sailing catamarans. The company now plans to build motorboat based on the same hull as the Derin 38.

The number of yacht charter companies at the show was also much higher than in previous years. Many said they made good bookings for the upcoming season, possibly due to new charter regulations introduced in Turkey.

The ‘Sea Talks’ seminars held by the organiser were also popular, covering subjects related to the sea, boating and environmental issues.