The 2022 Palm Beach International Boat Show had all the markers of a brilliant event — beautiful superyachts, sunshine, sea breezes, and a 40-year show anniversary that put everyone into a celebratory mood, starting from day one.
Among the social events was a Member’s Event hosted by The International Superyacht Society on Thursday evening at The Ben in West Palm Beach, while YATCO held its Palm Beach Kickoff Party at Social on Clematis. BOAT International hosted an Owners’ Club event on Friday night, with a small, intimate gathering ashore.
Saturday saw tons of people on the docks and among the many friendly faces and happy reunions, Capt. Kostas and his crew aboard M/Y Ionian Princess graciously invited Dockwalk on board for lunch, crew photos, and a yacht tour of the 45-meter Christensen. Thank you for your hospitality — lunch was delicious!
Many crew events that had taken a hiatus thanks to COVID made their return, including Aqualuxe Outfitting’s Top Notch Tabletop competition for interior crew. With a host of sponsors and great prizes, several boats signed up to compete, with the ultimate winner of the Utmost Inspirational Top Notch Theme Chief Stewardess Rita Horn of M/Y Sea Suite and her “An Evening in the Jungles of Tulum” theme. Her prize was a 10-day, $2,199 interior course from Savvy Maritime Academy. Check out the rest of the results and see how you can enter Aqualuxe’s global Top Notch Tabletop contest. Entries must be received by May 15, 2022, to participate. Go to www.topnotchtabletop.com for more details.
Saturday culminated in a crew party hosted by Worth Avenue Yachts. With 200 in attendance, delicious hors d’oeuvres, flowing drinks, live music, ballet dancers, and a burlesque show, there was something for everyone, thanks to sponsors Global Marine Travel (GMT), Marine Data Solutions, Yacht Management, Yacht Chandlers, and Cotton Crews.
At the end of the night, seven winners won the Worth Ave giveaway, including two boxes of collectible wines from Yacht Chandlers, one magnum bottle of Champagne from Yacht Management, one bag o’booze from Hinckley Yachts with Yetis and Hinckley-branded items, one suitcase full of booze from Worth Avenue Yachts, one iPad Mini from Marine Data Solutions, and one $500 travel voucher from GMT.
“After the show is completed on Saturday evening, our team hosts the yacht crews on the dock for an evening of entertainment, food, dancing, and cocktails," says Gabi Rivera, Worth Avenue Marketing & Events. “We appreciate all the hard work each person does during these events and extend a heartfelt thank you. Most of us were crew at some point or own our own boats to maintain so we understand the stress of traffic during a boat show. Boat shows are long, hot days, requiring you to be at the top of your game as you never know who is coming aboard. These crewmembers work tirelessly behind the scenes to make the show a success and keep our boats in tip top shape and they deserve an applause. Thank you to each and every crewmember for your hard work and dedication.”
With thousands flocking to the show over the course of the four days, it felt like a return to the normal boat show experience.
“The 40th annual Palm Beach International Boat Show was an astounding success!” Andrew Doole, President of U.S. Boat Shows with Informa Markets, said in a statement. “We were thrilled to welcome the boating community to downtown West Palm Beach for an amazing four-day event, with nearly five hundred exhibitors showcasing the latest in boating, marine accessories, and emerging tech trends as well as educational seminars and VIP experiences. … We look forward to returning next year for another monumental event.”
Check out all our crew photos from the show in our 2022 Palm Beach photo album.