PBIBS ’23: Lürssen on an Evergreen US Market

Sitting down at the ALBA Palm Beach Showroom, Tim and Shari spoke of the growing prominence of PBIBS in the yachting calendar, specifically for the larger categories. Hamilton, who has spearheaded Lürssen’s presence in North America, emphasised the impact of the region as a client base.

“The Palm Beach Boat Show has been of growing importance for a while now, but specifically for the high-end and larger custom yacht builders,” said Hamilton. “The American market for any yacht builder is so important, it’s the largest single market in the world. It’s been very beneficial for Lürssen, at the moment around half of our build are for North Americans so it’s a market you cannot ignore.”

Probed as to why he believes the Lürssen brand performs so strongly in the US market, Hamilton reflected on something beyond the exceptional build quality Lürssen is recognised for.

“ Something that isn’t talked about as much is that Lürssen has these values built into it as a company,”explained Hamilton. “Peter Lürssen, the values that he and his family bring through show up in the product.

“That, I find, is the most appealing feature. Clients of course want to make sure they aren’t overpaying and that the yacht is well-built, but in the end sometimes they make a decision on who they build with based on the people.

Visitors can see two Lürssen yachts on display during the Show which both testify to the enduring quality and timeless appeal of the German builder’s products.

“There are two Lürssens at the show. Coral Ocean is here, delivered in 1994 and designed by Jon Bannenberg. It’s amazing that this yacht that was built 30 years ago is still so relevant. The new owner has brought her to modern day area and brought her to charter, and she’s been very successful.”