Yesterday, two models stood on a yacht in the North Square of Shanghai World Expo Exhibition Hall. Morning Post reporter Zhang Xinyan Photo

Morning Post reporter Yu Kai

This year's Shanghai International Yacht Show tried to get rid of its luxurious image and take a people-friendly route. A club launched a yacht rental package for 12 people at 30,000 yuan, hoping to attract the urban middle class to participate in yacht activities.

500 boats on display

Yesterday, the 17th China International Yacht Show, the largest yacht show in China, officially opened. The annual yacht show was different this year, moving from the Shanghai Exhibition Center on Yan'an Middle Road to the modern-style Expo Exhibition Hall in the Expo Park. The yacht show opened a water exhibition area at the L2 dock in the Expo Park, with a total exhibition area of 38,000 square meters, an increase of 21% over the previous session, and the number of actual boats reached a record 500.

The cheapest 7-meter-long fully imported yacht at the yacht show was priced at 320,000 yuan including tax. However, there are not many imported yachts like this one that cost less than one million yuan. In the international exhibition area on the first floor of the Expo Exhibition Hall, there are many luxury yachts launched for the first time in the United States, Britain, Italy, Australia, Japan and other countries, which are priced at tens of millions. An overseas exhibitor revealed that some yachts are not expensive abroad, but after coming to China, the luxury tax suddenly increased by 43%, so the price is naturally high when sold to consumers.

It is not easy to maintain a yacht in Shanghai. Zhang Yu, sales manager of the yacht department of the Shanghai branch of Jetsen (China) Trading Co., Ltd., helped the reporter to calculate: if you want to really drive a yacht after buying it, you need to apply for a driver's license, registration, dock berthing, club membership, trusteeship maintenance and other procedures. The annual maintenance expenses of a yacht buyer are at least more than 1 million yuan.

Rent a yacht to Shengsi Island

However, ordinary audiences are not very interested in buying these yachts. Perhaps the organizers of the exhibition feel that the threshold for buying low-end yachts is still too high, and this year they have launched many "yacht people-friendly activities" in the hope of popularizing yachts, which have always been regarded as luxury goods, from the elite to the urban middle class. From yacht weddings to boat model competitions to surfing, the yacht industry is eager to expand its audience. For promotion, the yacht show even said that if you buy a ticket to the yacht show, you can visit the activities of the Moon Boat (formerly the Saudi Arabia Pavilion of the World Expo) for free. The "leaning over" attitude is very obvious.

In the outdoor exhibition area of the North Square, the "yacht competition" project is eye-catching. The reporter saw that a club launched the "Shengsi Island Yacht Vacation Package, the closest sea leisure resort to Shanghai" at the booth. Shanghai citizens can rent a boat from the club and sail from Yangshan Port for two hours to Shengsi Islands to experience water activities on Nanchangtu Beach.

The "yacht competition" package includes pick-up and drop-off from downtown Shanghai to Yangshan Wharf, one-day luxury yacht rental, fuel costs and captain fees. Exhibitors revealed to reporters that 12 tourists rent a yacht to go out to sea for 8 hours (1 day), and the membership price is 30,000 yuan/day. Usually, as long as one of the 12 people is a club member, you can get the membership price, and the average cost per person is only 2,500 yuan.

For ordinary people, sharing a yacht is still expensive. In addition, sailing and diving require the guidance of professionals. However, some people have expressed interest in this. Mr. Zhu, who visited the yacht exhibition, believes that if you choose to rent a yacht for one or two weekends a year, it is still affordable.

Yang Xinfa, vice president and secretary general of the Shanghai Shipbuilding Industry Association, said that at this stage, promoting yacht rental may be an effective way to attract more white-collar elites to contact and try the yacht lifestyle.