Berthon Scandinavia Review | 2024

By Magnus Kullberg

The end of January is a good time to reflect on the past year. Today, when we write the Berthon Scandinavia 2024 Market Report it is a proper winter’s day. It is snowing, the thermometer shows -6°C degrees and the marina is totally covered with ice. Two yachts are frozen in and it is about 1,000m to the open (not frozen) sea. As we write this, we have just come back from boot Düsseldorf where we worked with our friends at Solaris, showing the super nice Solaris 50, 60 and 64. The Göteborg boat show is next up.

For Berthon Scandinavia, 2023 unfolded as a successful year, fast outstripping our initial expectations. We started the year with a cautious outlook, anticipating a slowing of the market with fewer listings than 2022 brought us. However, our predictions could not have been more wrong. By April, a significant number of yacht owners began seeking our expertise to market and sell their lovely yachts.

This period marked a noticeable increase in interest among our clients, many of whom were eager to follow their dream of owning a high quality yacht. They aspired not just to sail but to embark on extended voyages and to embrace the live aboard lifestyle. Sailing is developing fast as a popular way of exploration, offering unique opportunities to travel, connect with people from vastly differing background, and to experience a wide variety of cultures.

We specialise in the brokerage sales of sailing and motor yachts ranging from 30 to 80 feet, with construction years spanning from the 1990s to today. Most of our listings are premium yachts manufactured by Swedish and Scandinavian shipyards, as well as other renowned European brands.

OFFICE VIEW OVER THE MARINA

With our offices located on Orust Island, on the picturesque west coast of Sweden, we naturally focus on brands with which we are intimately familiar. Orust is the home of yacht building in Sweden – Hallberg-Rassy, Najad, Sweden, Malö and many others – some still operating and others not. Our portfolio is heavy in these brands and includes other great names like Arcona, Swan and Nauticat. Around 75% of our listings are Scandinavian premium yachts, most of which are beautifully maintained. In our waters, yachts are typically sailed for around six or seven months a year and are professionally serviced, before they are stored in climate-controlled, dehumidified sheds once the snow is on the ground.

Our sales figures from 2023 show what a busy year we had. They show a spike of 30% in numbers of yachts sold, compared to our three-year average. We set a new record by selling pre-owned premium sailing and motor yachts for a total value of approximately SEK 130,000,000. This makes us very happy.

The Swedish krona’s performance in 2023, maintaining a lower value against the € and US $, introduced an interesting dynamic to the market. With exchange rates reaching up to SEK12.1 to €1, we saw a surge in interest from international buyers and, due to the weak Swedish krona, a decrease in the number of Swedish buyers. This advantageous exchange rate was beneficial for both buyers and sellers, and so our market was busy.

As for 2024, the year has started with greater momentum than in 2023. We have finalized several contracts in the first two months and have introduced a collection of new and interesting listings to the market. Despite the ongoing global challenges, we are optimistic about the future of the brokerage market in our segment. We believe that the demand for sailing adventures will continue to grow, fuelled by an enduring passion for the sea and the unique experiences that it delivers.

BERTHON SCANDINAVIA IS EXPANDING!

To service the yacht market on the east coast of Sweden, we have welcomed a new broker to our team working out of Stockholm – Kim Silfving. Kim returned to Sweden in the summer of 2023 after a year and a half’s voyage with his young family. They had the chance to explore the Caribbean archipelago under sail. With a background in regatta sailing, experience in long-distance cruising, and a Yacht Masters’ qualification, we are delighted to welcome him to the Berthon family!

We are planning to expand at our office in Henån by adding a positive individual who is mad about our sport. They should be passionate about sailing yachts or motorboats and eager to pursue a career in yacht brokerage. If you and reading this and think you are the right person, and live on the island of Orust or close to our office in Henån, please do get in touch.

SOLARIS YACHTS

SOLARIS 40ST

During the past year, our friends at Solaris have developed two new models, the Solaris 40 and 50. As usual, the Solaris design team has successfully collaborated with the Argentinian naval architect Javier Soto Acebal. Both models feature modern lines characterized by a subtle chine and a buoyant bow, both qualities that provide fantastic hull performance and on board volume for maximum comfort.

At boot Düsseldorf, we had to work hard as there was significant interest from our Scandinavian clients, journalists, as well as from colleagues in the marine industry. There were many positive words, and positive discussions. Unfortunately, the economic situation has not helped new yacht sales, but we are confident that it will turn around, and when it does, we will have the hottest product on the market! With our strong commitment and enthusiasm for Solaris Yachts in Scandinavia, we are looking forward to seeing many Solaris yachts in our waters in the future.

We are very impressed by Solaris Yachts. The shipyard has not slowed down and has developed a new version of its 40-footer, the Solaris 40ST. This model has a slightly shorter E dimension and thus a shorter boom, which improves the space available in the cockpit works well with a bimini. In terms of sailing, performance is increased with the help of modern sail technology, including the square top mainsail, which provides more power at the top of the sail. The perfect size for our waters.

The next model on the block is the Solaris 55, with her premiere scheduled for the Cannes Yachting Festival 2024. We will of course be there, and we are very excited…

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