Once renowned as a spring break mecca for thousands of college students, the resort town now attracts more affluent and sophisticated tourists for high-end nautical recreation. More than 1,400 vessels over 80 feet in length visit the county each year on their way to the Caribbean or other worldwide destinations, according to the Fort Lauderdale Chamber of Commerce, arguably making Fort Lauderdale the U.S. yachting hub. It is no surprise then that its annual boat show, owned and sponsored by the Marine Industries Association of South Florida and produced by Fort Lauderdale’s Show Management, attracts more than 100,000 visitors each year, who attend to view and purchase yachts up to—and surpassing—200 feet.

On display will be an impressive range of superyachts, some of which will be making their world debuts. Inside the Builders and Designers Tent at the Bahia Mar Yachting Center, the industry’s top innovators will converge for a 60,000-square-foot showcase of superyacht engineering, designing and decorating. The show’s other sites will exhibit boats of all types, ranging from sailing yachts, motor yachts, catamarans, trawlers and high-performance boats to sportfishers, runabouts, center consoles, cabin cruisers, express cruisers, bowriders and inflatables.

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