Three Brands Worth Finding at FLIBS This Year

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show is open, and the docks at Bahia Mar are doing what they do every October — pulling the marine world into one place and daring you to keep up. If you are going, or even if you are not, three brands showing this year are worth knowing about.

Axopar, the Finnish adventure boat maker that has spent the last decade redefining what a premium day boat looks like, is making its biggest U.S. statement yet. Three new models are debuting here — the Axopar 38 Sun Top, the Axopar 38 Cross Top, and the BRABUS Shadow 38 — alongside the Hull of Fame, an innovation display that traces how the brand has evolved its hull design over time. Fourteen vessels are on the water at the Bahia Mar F/G dock. Axopar Founding Partner Jan-Erik Viitala and CEO Kari Kulojärvi are both on-site today. Find the full lineup at Booth 2022 in the Broward County Convention Center.

PORT 32 Marinas is using FLIBS to preview what is coming to Palm Beach Gardens this December. The new facility at 2385 PGA Boulevard — positioned between the Jupiter and Palm Beach Inlets with direct Intracoastal and Atlantic access — will be the only Category 5 hurricane-rated marina in Palm Beach County, engineered to hold up to 180 mph winds. It will carry 471 total slips, including 451 fully enclosed dry storage slips and 20 wet slips for vessels up to 100 feet. The forklifts alone are worth noting: the largest marina forklifts in the United States, with 75,000-pound lifting capacity. PORT 32 is also expanding its Fort Lauderdale location on the New River into a full yacht repair and refit destination, with a 150-metric-ton Marine Travelift and wet basin capacity for vessels up to 180 feet. Find them at Booth 873.

Leopard Catamarans has six vessels on the water at the G/H Dock — the Leopard 40, 46, and 53 Powerboats alongside the Moorings 403PC, 464PC, and 534PC. The bigger news is the all-new Leopard 43 Sailing Catamaran, which replaces the long-running Leopard 42 line. Designed with Robertson & Caine and naval architects Simonis Voogd, the 43 is built for both private ownership and the Moorings and Sunsail charter fleets. It is available for viewing at Harbour Towne Marina in Dania Beach for anyone who wants to see it in person.

The Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show runs through Sunday, November 2, at Bahia Mar and the Broward County Convention Center.