Petros Michelidakis, show director for boot Düsseldorf, doesn’t hold back. “Sailing is still in trouble. The market is moving slowly. So we have to find ways to grow the market again.” It’s a challenge, but one he is rolling up his sleeves to help alleviate.
And his strategy? Aside from putting on an impressive show with boot billed as “a key factor in revitalising the market”, Michelidakis says he has been busy crunching the visitor feedback numbers from boot Düsseldorf’s 2026 data. Its insights are helping to plot a way forward for the world’s largest yacht and watersports show, which returns from 23-31 January 2027. The path plotted may not immediately appeal to new boat manufacturers, but he believes it will succeed long term.
According to the organisation’s research, 50 per cent of people who wanted to buy a sailing boat in 2025 were looking to buy second-hand. In 2026, that figure rose to about 62 per cent.
Speaking to the press at a media briefing held yesterday (7 October 2026) as the show gears up for its 58th edition, Michelidakis notes that there is a solid second-hand market, as many sailors are ageing and selling “their beloved sailing boat.”
This means the used market is filled with very good offers.
“Why should I buy a sailing boat for €300,000 when I find one in a very good condition for a €150,000?”
Instead of turning its back on second-hand buyers – an attitude he terms “arrogant” – Michelidakis says boot is embracing them, especially those he terms the “€10,000 guy or girl”.
Therefore, building on the “rookie” strategy launched in 2025, Michelidakis says boot 2027 will be targeting sailors interested in buying used boats, with the aim of guiding them towards buying a brand-new one in the future: a long-term solution. Michelidakis reveals there will be “special consultancy offers during boot Düsseldorf for people who want to, or are looking to, enter the sailing boat market with a used boat.”
Once “you have [that potential customer] already in the market,” notes Michelidakis, it’s a ten-year path to buying a new one.
That said, he is very clear that “the show is not promoting used boats … only new boats are exhibited in boot Düsseldorf.”
He keeps coming back to the point that second-hand buyers are part of the market.
“If somebody wants to spend maximum €10,000, they will not buy a new sailing boat. That’s clear,” he says. “Everyone I have talked to from the boat builders agrees: ‘It’s better to take care of the €10,000 buyer, instead of saying ‘we only sell new’. This would be a very arrogant position, and we are not arrogant.
“It’s the opposite. The point is, after he buys this boat, the clubs, the media and the marinas all get involved in supporting the €10,000 buyer in becoming a serious boater.
“We take care of them, and if we create a bunch of newcomers as new sales leads, any shipyard has the possibility to reach out to them.” That’s the solution at the end of the challenge and strategy: “Hopefully, after five or ten years, they decide to buy a new one.
“Working together is definitely bringing more success. And that’s why we have to cooperate and find ways to bring people to the sailing sector again.”
boot 2027 shapes up
The 58th boot Düsseldorf will welcome nearly 1,500 exhibitors from around 70 countries across 15 exhibition halls, with the organisers expecting more than 200,000 visitors.
Michelidakis is very happy with how boot’s 2027 edition is shaping up. “In 2027, boot will impress with an enormous variety of models, water sports and travel inspiration. We again expect over 1,000 different boats and yachts. This is a clear vote of confidence for our home port of Düsseldorf.
“Manufacturers are clearly drawn to Düsseldorf with their product portfolios. Here, in recent years, they have been able to close deals and win new customers despite a general slump in orders. In economically challenging times, a business driver such as boot is a key factor in revitalising the market. We see ourselves as a partner to the international industry: we pick up on current trends and provide the platform to present them to a large, interested and knowledgeable audience.”
boot Düsseldorf’s “rookie” campaign is continuing. It invites people taking their first boat licence to attend the show free of charge and has been running for three years.
The idea has been adopted by other shows across Europe, says Michelidakis. In Germany alone, around 80,000 people obtain a boat licence each year, creating a significant pool of potential new boaters. To encourage more people to take up boating, boot Düsseldorf is also launching a run-up campaign offering 100 free boat licences through a raffle. The initiative aims in part to tackle misconceptions about the cost of getting on the water, with a good boat licence costing around €500, compared with the €2,000 some people believe it costs.
boot Düsseldorf updates for 2027
The biggest change for boot Düsseldorf 2027 will be the temporary redevelopment of Hall 9 at Düsseldorf Exhibition Center, which is being modernised over two years and will not be available again until boot 2029.
Visitors will still be able to move between the north entrance and Hall 10 through a covered walkway inside Hall 9, while an external entrance will connect with Hall 5. RIB exhibitors will move from Hall 9 to Hall 17, where the smaller space will focus on RIBs up to 10m, as well as tenders and dinghies. The relocation brings the latter closer to the sailing halls and forms part of the Motorboat Walk, which will continue through Halls 1, 3 and 4. The hall layout will be reassessed after the redevelopment.
The motorboat and superyacht sections will also see changes. The power-catamaran section in Hall 4 is expanding, with Aquila Yacht, Drascom and Beneteau among the exhibitors showing power cats, while new Turkish builders will add to the line-up.
Superboats remain in Hall 5, with changes to how boats are presented around innovation, while Hall 6 is full and will include new exhibitor Filippetti Yachts. Bluegame and Nauta Swan will also participate.
The Deutsche Yachten working group will launch ‘Superyacht Thursday powered by boot Düsseldorf’ on 28 January 2027, introducing a new event format for the international superyacht industry during boot.
Hall 11 will continue to house equipment and an expanded Refit Center, alongside a classical sailing boat being refitted live during the nine-day show.
The Blue Innovation Dock in Hall 10 is moving to the northern part of the hall and expanding its space for B2B meetings, reflecting the organisers’ focus on face-to-face networking. Halls 15 and 16 will remain the sailing area, with Hall 16 expected to be full once two further exhibitors are confirmed. A 65ft Y6 from Michael Schmidt Yachts will be displayed there.
Elsewhere, Hall 12 becomes the new home for surfing and paddling, including the 65m XXL pool, while diving will be concentrated in the fully booked Hall 13. Hall 14 will bring together destinations, charter operators, marinas and houseboats under the Destination & Boat Life theme, while Hall 7 will feature maritime art.
The 58th boot Düsseldorf will take place from 23 to 31 January 2027 under the slogan “All water sports. One Community.” Tickets are available now.
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