Princess Yachts starts 2019 with strong sales at boot Düsseldorf, world's largest indoor boat show

Princess R35 © Princess Yachts

Princess Yachts, the UK's largest luxury yacht brand, has announced it sold a total of 21 yachts worth in excess of £38m at boot Düsseldorf, with more confirmed orders anticipated in the coming days.

Princess displayed 11 yachts on its stand at boot Düsseldorf, including three global debuts for the Y85, V78 and F45. Princess's iconic Project 31, a heritage vessel built in 1968, and the revolutionary new R35 performance sports yacht were other highlights of the line-up which celebrated boot Düsseldorf 's 50th birthday in style.

Antony Sheriff, Executive Chairman, Princess Yachts said: "Princess Yachts was proud to celebrate 50 years of boot Düsseldorf with what I believe was our most impressive and inspiring show stand ever. We have a rich history with boot Düsseldorf, having exhibited for the past 40 years, which makes 2019 all the more special as it delivered outstanding sales figures.

"Our own business has accelerated in recent years, combining our traditional values with innovations from leaders in design and technology, so it was only natural to bring those partnerships to the show. I believe many of our visitors, customers and guests appreciated the technology and design philosophy presented by BAR Technologies, Pininfarina and Princess."

Boot Düsseldorf saw record numbers of 250,000 visitors attending the January show with Princess customers travelling from as far as Mexico, Brazil, Australia, Canada and Thailand to attend boot Düsseldorf.

Princess was supported by a unique line-up of design and technology partners who are all contributing to Princess's current record levels of production, employment and orders.

Supercar and Formula 1-inspired technology was showcased in the form of the Princess R35 performance sports yacht's unique Princess Active Foiling System (AFS) and fully carbon fibre hull. The brand-new technology applications combine to improve stability whilst reducing drag and are presented on the Princess all-new R Class yachts. Designed by Princess and Ben Ainslie Racing Technologies (BAR Technologies), AFS is ground-breaking in its impact, and was inspired by ex-Formula 1 engineers working within the UK's America's Cup challenger.

Pininfarina is a name that has resonated across the annals of car design for nearly 90 years, and the famous Italian designers and coachbuilders also have a rich history in non-automotive product design. Princess is working closely with Pininfarina, investing in a new design and engineering vision that brings clear visual definition to its expanding range, as well as improved efficiency and performance. Pininfarina's unique experience in designing elegant, stylish and yet highly functional performance cars is being transferred onto the water with the revolutionary R35 and the stunning new Y85.

Extreme performance did not come with just a sea view, however, as Princess's stand also provided a home for exclusive viewings of the stunning Pininfarina Battista prototype the all-electric, limited-edition 1,900 hp hypercar designed by Pininfarina in advance of its Geneva Motor Show debut and the world's lightest fold-up bicycle from Hummingbird.

Princess Yachts overview

Plymouth-based Princess is the UK's best-selling brand of luxury yachts and the largest yacht builder in the UK. Founded in 1965, the company is experiencing unprecedented demand and growth. A record nine new yachts were launched in 2018, following the company's best-ever financial year in 2017. Six more new yachts are due in 2019 as part of the ongoing five-year £100 million investment programme that is supporting increased recruitment and investment in production, design and quality. 2019 is set to be another ground-breaking year with the arrival of the new R and X Classes of yacht.

In spring 2019, customers will take first deliveries of the revolutionary R35 performance sports yacht, whilst in the second half of the year Princess's craftsmen and women will apply the finishing touches to the all-new X95, the 'superfly' luxury yacht that will redefine interior architecture and use of space. Princess's order book now covers 91% of 2019's production plan and 40% of 2020 production, with significant orders stretching into 2021. To respond to the demand for its yachts, Princess has increased employment in the past 12 months to a record 3,000 at its five Plymouth facilities.