The Barcelona Boat Show presents its most innovative and entrepreneurial year

The Barcelona Boat Show sets sail towards its most professional facet with the holding of the first Nautic Tech International Investment Forum.

Innovation, technology and entrepreneurship are the main pillars of the 57th Barcelona International Boat Show, which will be held from the 10th to 14th October at Port Vell in the Catalan capital. The Show will be 8% bigger in comparison with the previous year, with more display cases, boats, spaces and activities enabling visitors to find out more about the future of sailing and enjoy the world of navigation.

Organised by Fira de Barcelona in partnership with the National Association of Nautical Companies (ANEN in its Spanish initials), the Barcelona Boat Show sets sail towards its most professional facet with the holding of the first Nautic Tech International Investment Forum, a competition involving 35 national and international startups linked to the nautical industry, and the second edition of the Professional Meetings sessions, a series of meetings to promote business contacts among professionals within the nautical sector.

In addition, the Boat Show will display more than 120 new products related to boats, engines and electronics, revealing how the world's leading major brands are committing to the incorporation of technology to increase the performances of their sailing boats, yachts, speedboats and engines. These new products include a dozen models nominated for Best European Boat of the Year.

Thus, the docks, El Moll d'Espanya and El Moll de la Fusta at Port Vell will host one of the largest floating exhibitions in recent years and the very best currently on offer in Spain. Meanwhile, on land, small vessels and rigid inflatable boats will be on display, as well as the latest products related to electronics, engines, paints, sails, trailers, charters and nautical services.

Brands such as Astondoa, Hanse, Solaris, Dufour, Jeanneau, Bénéteau, Sunseeker, Azimut, Bayliner, De Antonio Yachts, Pardo Yachts, Prestige and Quicksilver will attend a Show set to reflect the improved situation within the sector. In 2018 there will be 275 display cases and more than 700 vessels (171 in the water), occupying more than 25,400 square metres of net surface area, 8% bigger than last year. In addition, there will be a brokerage space for second-hand boats between 18 and 30 metres in length.

In addition, the Barcelona Boat Show will attach particular importance to sport-related and light sailing and an extensive programme of activities and experiences to promote sailing will be another of the great attractions of this year's Boat Show.