September 28, 2025
For five days, the Friedrichshafen exhibition grounds were devoted to water sports, with motorboats, sailing yachts, trendy sports gear, accessories, and maritime fashion drawing 37,900 visitors to the 64th edition of the Interboot, compared with 40,100 last year. This year’s focus was on forward-looking topics such as sustainable shipping, digital transformation, and fostering the next generation of boating enthusiasts. A major highlight was the special “My First Boat” exhibition, organized in cooperation with “float” magazine, which showcased more than 20 entry-level boats in Hall B2 and attracted a great deal of interest from the public. “In addition to the strong representation of topics interesting to industry insiders, the special exhibition also struck a chord with visitors,” says Messe Friedrichshafen CEO Klaus Wellmann, reflecting on the past five days. “The exhibiting companies were in high spirits, and many deals were finalized on site.” Project Manager Felix Klarmann also expressed his satisfaction by adding, “Unfortunately, the decline in visitors due to the economic and geopolitical situation has been confirmed in our own figures as well. Nevertheless, we received feedback that the quality of visitors remained high, as reflected in the sales achieved. We have placed significant emphasis on ensuring that the Interboot is just as attractive to seasoned water sports enthusiasts as it is to newcomers. The response has shown that we are on the right track.”
Entry-level boats steal the show at the Interboot
Jens Böckmann, founder and advisor at Yachtverstand as well as public advisor for the special “My First Boat” exhibition, attended the Interboot for the first time. “Some days I had so many conversations that I even forgot to eat lunch,” reports Jens Böckmann, nicknamed “Dr. Entry-Level” for his expertise with beginner boats. “There was a huge crowd here, and people really appreciated that we were providing this service.” Yannick Nürnberger, Managing Director of Europe Marine, also spoke highly of the special exhibition. “We had two entry-level boats on exhibit ourselves and thought the event was a great success.” Yannick Nürnberger was also highly satisfied with how the fair went in other respects: “We experienced a particularly large turnout at our booth, especially on Saturday. You could really tell that we were at a fair that takes place in southern Germany, as the visitors here are particularly knowledgeable and affluent. A number of sales were finalized, and, as in previous years, we anticipate good follow-up business after the fair.” Philip Schröder, who represented Roto Nautica at the fair, also expressed enthusiasm for the special exhibition: “The visiting public really took to the entry-level boats.” He was surprised that transactions were actually being concluded at the fair: “The era of impulse buying actually ended over a decade ago, but some people were so impressed by the products that they wanted to purchase them on the spot. We are thus extremely pleased with how the fair went.”
Digital sailing, informative presentations, and engaging conversations
The AC40 sailing simulator, showcased in sailing hall A3 by America’s Cup participants Lukas Hesse and Jesse Lindstädt of the Youth & Women’s Team Germany, also attracted great interest. “It was amazing at the Interboot,” they both say. “Our spot beside the lecture stage was excellent, and the hall’s infrastructure, with its bright glass façades, is truly beautiful. From young children with experience sailing the Opti training boat to those who have never sailed before, including adults, we had a lot of people here interested in trying out the simulator.”
Sonja Meichle, Managing Director at Ultramarin Meichle + Mohr, adds, “There was a lot of demand for the AC40 Simulator. The lecture series also drew attendees to the sailing hall. Unfortunately, we had a slightly weaker start to the year than expected. However, we still achieved very good results when you compare the economic situation of this year to last year. Our customers were very interested and well-informed, especially in regard to the boats, leading to excellent discussions.” Luca Enderli, who works in After Sales at Ganz Yachting, also mentioned positive interactions with customers: “The Interboot went really well for us. We sold a boat and generally had a lot of promising prospective customers at our booth. We have now been in Friedrichshafen for the fourth consecutive year. Next year, we intend to expand our exhibition fleet by another boat.” Pascal Ernst, Managing Director of Neptun Yacht, also reports successful business at the fair: “We sold a boat and had an excellent set of visitors to the booth, with many expert and technical questions about our products.”
High demand for Ladies-Only Motorboat Driving Training
Despite fewer hours of sunshine, the Interboot Marina still drew visitors with a range of test rides, waterside dining options, and a show program with lots of variety. The Ladies-Only Motorboat Driving Training, supported by Pantaenius and Boote Pfister, was nearly fully booked in the run-up to the Interboot fair. Vanessa from Kluftern participated in the training and enthusiastically reported the following: “It was a wonderful opportunity for us women, and I really enjoyed it. Afterwards, I immediately signed up for the intensive course. Thank you so much – it was a really great experience.” The free two-hour round-trips aboard the MS Altenrhein were also quite popular. Brigitte Zimmer posted the following on Google: “The boat trip aboard the MS Altenrhein was a real highlight.” Thomas of Königsbrunn concurred on Instagram: “We were right in the thick of it all, thanks to the amazing tour.”
If you want to be “in the thick of it all” again at the 65th edition of the international water sports fair, be sure to mark September 23 to 27, 2026, on your calendar. That’s when the next Interboot takes place.