Miami International Boat Show 2025—In The Rearview

Don’t be misled by the headline above: Three full days remain in this year’s Miami International Boat Show and they will be busy. But outside of an interview tomorrow morning with Keith Yunger, the president of Sea-Ray Boats, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, my “work” is done here.

The author (center in blue shirt) started his Miami International Boat Show experience yesterday with the convention center displays. Photos by Pete Boden copyright Shoot 2 Thrill Pix.

OK, yeah, the third annual Speed On The Water/Florida Powerboat Club Miami Boat Show Bash happens tomorrow night at the Sagamore Hotel in South Beach. But I don’t consider hosting a swanky party in South Beach work.

So how I did get done so quickly when the show just opened yesterday? Simple, co-publisher Jason Johnson and I have been on top of what’s coming for more than a month with our “Countdown To The Miami International Boat Show” story series. That made seeing what I wanted/needed to see easy and efficient.

A 43-foot center console from Statement Marine equipped with a Rockford-Fosgate sound system made for a powerful combination.

Of course, we had to collect photos of what it all looks like. That task fell to photographer Pete Boden. And he hit the three most compelling show venues—Miami Convention Center, Herald Plaza and the Mercury Racing by-appointment demo set-up at Grove Harbour—in one day.

As you can see from the images in this article, there was a lot of cool stuff to see, starting with the Cigarette Racing Team display in the Miami Convention Center. The V-bottom sportboat and center console models on display were vibrant and modern, and the space itself was laid out perfectly for visitor comfort.

MTI’s 48-footer was the only stern-drive engine-equipped catamaran displayed in the Miami Convention Center.

The Cigarette exhibit anchors what I call the show’s “hot corner” of the MTI and Nor-Tech displays. On the MTI side, the latest 482 catamaran powered by Mercury Racing 1550/1350 engines was spectacular. Just up and across the aisle. Nor-Tech showed off its quad-outboard 4000 Supercat. The Cape Coral, Fla., company also had a 40-footer at the Grove Harbour demo venue, which closes tomorrow.

Just outside the convention center, the first 43-foot, catamaran-hull-based Statement Marine with an earth-shaking Rockford-Fosgate sound system was worth a very long and loviing look. That it was close by the extensive CP Performance/Hardin Marine aftermarket product display made it that much better.

Outboard-powered catamarans at Grove Harbour included the DCB Performance Marine M42R, the Mystic Powerboats C4000, the Nor-Tech 4000 Super Cat and the Performance Powerboats P-420.

A new model displayed next to products to designed to update/enhance existing boats is a meaningful and much-appreciated contrast, especially for show-goers lacking new-boat money.

Which means most of them.

At the Herald Plaza venue across Biscayne Bay, almost everything on display fades into obscurity next to posh yachts at the docks. Key word, almost. Notable exceptions included Statement’s new 44 GTrs center console and 396 catamaran, as well as Concept Boats’ sharp new outboard-powered 32 Sport Deck.

Minus tomorrow morning’s interview, my work is done here.