Boat and equipment sales pick up at Uiva Flytande, Finland’s in-water boat show

Visitor numbers at Uiva were slightly down on the previous year, but strong sales of day wristbands indicated that visitors were spending more time at the show.

“Many visitors came to the show and then returned to the site later the same day to take another look at the boats and continue their discussions with exhibitors. Overall, the mood was positive: we are beginning to see a turnaround in boat and equipment sales,” says Jarkko Pajusalo, CEO of the Finnish Marine Industries Federation Finnboat.

Uiva met the expectations of equipment and apparel retailers

For marine equipment retailers, Uiva in August falls at the transition between the summer and autumn seasons, while boatbuilders use the event in Lauttasaari to present new products for the following boating season.

Marinekauppa, which offers a broad range of boating equipment through its stores in Helsinki and Vantaa, brought a selection of clothing, lifejackets and docking and mooring products to Uiva.

Managing Director Sebastian Kindstedt says that in terms of sales, Uiva met the company’s expectations, while the event also provides Marinekauppa with valuable visibility from a marketing perspective.

“Rainwear, boating jackets, fleeces and lifejackets sold well. Whenever the wind picked up, customers immediately started buying warmer clothing too. We also clearly saw visitors moving from the show to our nearby Lauttasaari store. We came away from Uiva feeling very positive,” Kindstedt says.

According to Kindstedt, the event is important for the marine industry as a whole.

“Uiva is particularly valuable for prospective boat buyers. I went aboard quite a few boats myself, because boats look completely different when they are afloat compared with seeing them indoors at a winter boat show.”

Arja Kunnasluoto-Gustafsson, owner of Turku-based Ocean Spirit, was also pleased with the Uiva show. The company presented maritime-themed interior and gift products, tableware for boats and Batela clothing at its stand.

“The cautious market is beginning to turn for the better: people are once again prepared to enjoy life and spend money,” Kunnasluoto-Gustafsson says.

Best-selling products included throws featuring nautical chart designs, other nautical chart products and clothing.

“One of the advantages for us at Uiva is that our products offer something a little different among all the boats and more technical, traditionally male-oriented products,” Kunnasluoto-Gustafsson says.

Strong interest in Axopar boats as new dealer gets off to a flying start

Boat World used Uiva to launch sales in Finland of the newest brand in its portfolio, Axopar. Sales have already begun at the company’s Helsinki and Turku locations, and Axopar boats will also be introduced at its Tampere location in the future.

According to Managing Director Mika Kouki, launching Axopar sales at Uiva proved highly successful. The most popular models among customers were the ten-metre Axopar 29 XC Cross Cabin and the 12-metre Axopar 38 XC Cross Cabin.

“The overall impression was very positive, and we had a very good number of genuinely interested customers. We sold four Axopars as a result of Uiva, representing sales of close to EUR 1 million excluding VAT,” Kouki says.

Other boat brands from the Brandt Group represented by Boat World at Uiva included Faster, Silver, Terhi, TG and Alukin. Boat World had more than 40 boats on display at the show in total.

According to Kouki, the timing of Uiva is particularly favourable for larger-boat sales. Customers buying a larger boat often have a trade-in boat whose winter storage is then taken over by the dealer, while the new boat is delivered in spring at the beginning of the next boating season.

“I might have hoped for slightly stronger sales in the smaller-boat segment, but we still have around 70 active quotations on the table. Overall, Uiva is an excellent show. This year we were also fortunate with the weather, which was good to say the least,” Kouki says.

For Inha Works Ltd, part of Yamaha Motor Group and manufacturer of Buster, Yamarin and Yamarin Cross boats, Uiva provided the setting for a highly significant product launch. The completely new fourth generation of the Buster L range made its debut in Lauttasaari.

The versatile aluminium Buster L, which has been part of the manufacturer’s range since the mid-1990s, is highly popular both in Finland and elsewhere in the Nordic countries, making the model commercially important to Inha Works.

Uiva also gave dealers an opportunity to familiarise themselves with the new boats and present them to customers. Three model year 2027 versions of the Buster L were on display: the new Lcc centre-console version, the basic L1 single-console model and the Buster Lx, equipped with individual seats and a fixed fuel tank.

“Overall, the show was a positive event for us and gave us a good start heading into the new season. The Buster L attracted a great deal of interest,” says Artturi Niittynen, Sales and Marketing Director at Inha Works.

Venemaailma, based in Raisio near Turku in southwest Finland, brought a broad selection of boats to Uiva, representing the Bella, Flipper, Sea Ray, Sting, Nordkapp and XO brands. According to Riku Lehmussaari, the market is moving in a more positive direction, while the final outcome of quotations issued at Uiva will become clear over the next couple of weeks.

“At the moment, cabin boats used for transport to holiday homes and islands are definitely the most popular category. Interest in day cruisers, however, suggests that recreational boaters are also becoming more interested in buying a new boat again. It was particularly encouraging to see renewed interest in Flipper’s day cruisers,” Lehmussaari says.

Jon Hautamäki of Saxdor also came away from Uiva with a positive impression. The larger models on display at the Uiva marina included the Saxdor 340 GTWA, 400 GTS and the new flagship Saxdor 460 GTC, which made its Finnish debut at the show.

“People came from abroad specifically to see the new flagship. From a commercial perspective, there were some very positive signs at Uiva, and we also closed sales. Interest was clearly concentrated at the upper end of the range,” Hautamäki says.

Used-boat market remains strong

The used-boat market has remained very active throughout the year. During the first part of the year, just over 13,000 changes of ownership were registered, roughly the same number as during the corresponding months last year. The figure is around 20 per cent higher than in 2019, the peak year before the COVID-19 pandemic.

Boat brokerage company Blue Ocean presented its selection of used boats and brokerage services in Uiva’s shoreside exhibition area.

Managing Director Samuli Leisti says the company’s boat sales have continued at the same record pace as last year, meaning expectations are also positive for the 2026 season. The boats handled by Blue Ocean are larger on average than is typical of the used-boat market: the sailing yachts it brokers average around 11 metres in length, while its motorboats are typically around ten metres.

“Uiva is a very good sales event for us. We meet a lot of people here, and customers also have an opportunity to see the new-boat offering first-hand,” Leisti says.

Jere Kosunen attended Uiva to present both the German Hanse sailing yachts imported by Hansail and the services of the new Quattro Marine boatyard.

According to Kosunen, selling large sailing yachts is always challenging. Last year, 17 new sailing yachts were registered in Finland, compared with 12 so far this year.

“Uiva is definitely an event where we need to be present. Boatbuilders also recognise its importance, because people need to be able to step aboard the boats, explore them and get a real feel for them,” Kosunen says.

There was also considerable interest in the services offered by Quattro Marine, the new marine service business bringing together Hopeasalmen Telakka in Helsinki’s Mustikkamaa district, Iisiveneily and Porvoon Venekorjaamo, with facilities serving customers in the Helsinki and Porvoo areas.

“Hopeasalmen Telakka in Mustikkamaa has previously focused on larger boats. We can now serve owners across the spectrum, from outboard-powered boats to large yachts, providing high-quality service through well-located facilities and a broad range of expertise. For motorboats, we offer customer drop-off and collection in Mustikkamaa, from where the boats are transported using our own equipment to winter storage facilities in Pornainen and Porvoo,” Kosunen says.

Finnish boating events in 2027

• The boating industry's new season will be launched at the Helsinki International Boat Show Vene 27 Båt indoor exhibition in Helsinki February 12–21, 2027.
• Naantali Boat Show will open the Archipelago Sea boating season at Naantali Guest Marina on May 28 to 30, 2027.
• Uiva Flytande, the largest in-water boat show in the Nordic countries, will bring the boating summer to a close in Helsinki on August 19–22, 2027.